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Saturday, Oct. 7th
Soggy weather forced the $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes off the grass and onto the sloppy (sealed) dirt course Saturday at ‘Belmont at the Big A’. ( The 6-furlong race was originally written as a Grade 3 event, however the change of surface and the deletion of three entrants saw the race down-graded to a Listed stake. But graded stakes are not REDDAM RACING, LLC’s gutsy gelding TODAY’S FLAVOR (’18 Laoban / Evangelical) had his game face on and showed he meant business as he bested a field of eight rivals to earn his second stakes victory.
Bumped at the start, TODAY’S FLAVOR never missed a beat and made each pole a winning one under jockey JAVIER CASTELLANO. Trainer GEORGE WEAVER has saddled the speedy warrior in his last 11 starts of which TODAY’S FLAVOR has taken him to the winners’ circle 7 times. With lifetime earnings of $474,080 this New York-bred holds a record of 14-7-3-0.
Ahh, the sweet taste of victory!
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Saturday, Oct. 7:
Four Wavertree Stables Graduates raced their way into Keeneland’s winner’s circle on Saturday including 2 first-time starters and a gutsy victress in the 11th race, The Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2).
First time starter BERGEN (’21 c. Liams Map / Toni’s Hollyday) kicked things off with a hard driving score in the 2nd race, a 6 furlong MSW contest on the dirt. Sent off as the favorite of a field of 12 juveniles, the BRAD COX trainee had to swing out wide to charge down the stretch and prevail by ¾ of a length over the second place rival.
Bred by CASTLETON LYONS, KILBOY ESTATE and GALVIN TIERNEY, the grey colt was consigned by Wavertree on behalf of his breeders to the 2023 OBS April Spring Sale where he was purchased for $375,000 by BSW / CROW COLTS GROUP / GANDHARVI / SPENDTHRIFT FARM / SCHWARTZ. Bergen races for the partnership of SPENDTHRIFT FARM LLC, MARTIN SCHWARTZ, GANDHARVI LLC, BIG EASY RACING LLC, VINNERS WIN, JAMES J. BAKKE, TITLETOWN RACING LLC, KUEBER RACING LLC, GOLCONDA STABLE, ALI GOODRICH and MARK PARKINSON.
Three races later, it was NORMANDY HERO (’21 c. Omaha Beach / Swan of The Nile) who was getting his picture taken in the winners’ circle. Facing off against nine rivals in Keeneland’s fifth race, an AOC $100,000 going 6 furlongs over the dirt course, the talented two-year-old tracked the pace-setters before coming through on the rail to prevail by a length. Bred by YOSHIDA, BROCK, COLLINS, CRAWFORD, DOYLE and VANBEEK) and owned by NAOYA YOSHIDA. The RUDOLPHE BRISSET trained NORMANDY HERO has amassed a record of 4-2-0-0 with earnings of $93,488.
Next up in Keeneland’s seventh race, the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes, in which Wavertree grad YUGIRI (’19 f. Shackleford / Yuzuru) would take on six other fillies and mares going 6 furlongs on the dirt for a share of the $350,000 purse. Away sharply, YUGIRI dueled for the lead early under jockey FLAVIEN PRAT. Caught at the eight pole, the RUDOLPHE BRISSET trainee dug in under heavy pressure to nose-out the second-place finisher. Bred and owned by SEKIE YOSHIHARA and TSUNEBUMI YOSHIHARA, the multiple graded-stakes winning filly has won 7 out of 14 career starts and earned $1,190,585.
And to round out a fantastic day of winning efforts, another first time starter, BOOTH (’21 Mitole / Sophia’s Song), put in a dazzling gate-to-wire performance in the 11th race Saturday afternoon. Trained by STEVE ASMUSSEN the chestnut colt set all the fractions in the 6 furlong dirt contest for two-year-olds and was ridden-out to the finish by jockey RICARDO SANTANA, JR to post a 5 ½ length victory. Purchased by SUPERFINE FARMS for $120,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale, the colt was consigned by Wavertree to the 2023 OBS March Sale where he was acquired by WILLIAM and CORRINE HEILIGBRODT and JACKPOT FARM for $225,000. BOOTH races for the HEILIGBRODTS, JACKPOT FARM and WHISPERING OAKS FARM LLC.
Thanks to all of these talented runners and their connections for providing us here at Wavertree a thrilling day of racing at historic Keeneland Racecourse. We wish them all much continued success!
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Sunday, Sept. 3: A maiden no more LOVE TO EAT (’21 f. Mitole / Awesome Figure) bested a field of eleven other juvenile fillies on Sunday to break her maiden at Kentucky Downs Sunday. Making just her third career start, the MICHAEL MAKER trainee raced in third along the rail before being moved to the 3-path in the stretch where she took command to win by ¾ of a length in the $150,000 MSW event.
Purchased for $115,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale by bloodstock agent DENNIS O’NEIL, the filly was re-sold at this year’s OBS March Sale for $230,000 to MIKE MAKER. LOVE TO EAT is owned by the partnership of PARADISE FARMS CORP., DAVID STAUDACHER, NICE GUYS STABLES and STEVE HORNSTOCK.
We wish them all much continued success!
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Saturday, Sept. 2: The talented TALK OF THE NATION (’20 c. Quality Road / She’s Not Here) faced off against seven rivals at Kentucky Downs last weekend in the one-mile $1,000,000 Gun Runner Stakes.
Breaking sharply from the gate, TALK OF THE NATION stalked the leader until mid-stretch when the colt dug in under jockey JOSE ORTIZ to prevail by half a length. Earning a 111 Equibase speed figure, his third triple-digit rating, the SHUG McGAUGHEY trainee has now racked up $778,610 in earnings with a record of four wins and two seconds out of seven lifetime starts. Bred by and co-owned by CHC INC, TALK OF THE NATION races for JOSEPH ALLEN, LLC and CHC, INC.
We look forward to more great things for this exciting colt.
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An upset winner on debut in Gulfstream’s Royal Palm Juvenile S., NO NAY METS (IRE) (No Nay Never–Etoile, by War Front) rebounded from an off-the-board effort at Royal Ascot with an impressive gate-to-wire romp in… [To read this entire TDN News Story, click here.]
