Yearling Sales Stakes day at Woodbine, August 29, was quite an advertisement for the upcoming Canadian Premier Yearling Sale on Wednesday, Sept. 1.
Bargain purchases dominated the four-race series offering a total of $600,000 in purses.
The victory by $7,000 yearling IRONSTONE (Mr. Speaker – Casey’s Dreamin’, by Unbridled’s Song) in the Simcoe Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings was the most impressive as the youngster, under jockey Ademar Santos, roared to an 8 1/2 length win after setting pace fractions of :22.98, :46.21 and 1:10.28 en route to a final clocking of 1:16.61 for 6 ½-furlongs.
The dark grey colt earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form and was winning his maiden in his third career race for owner Tequesta Racing of Adrian Meli and Jupiter Leasing. It was the first stakes victory for trainer William Armata since his first year of training in 2008.
“It feels really good, it’s unbelievable,” said the nattily-dressed Armata. “It’s been a long time. I was actually going to ask Mr. [Jim] Lawson if I could get married in the infield winner’s circle.”
Ironstone was bought from consignor Huntington Stud Farm as agent for breeder Richard Day’s Kingview Farm at the 2020 sale – the listed buyer was Carlos Grant for a numbered company – and the fast colt was a close second in his career debut on June 20. He was fifth in his next start but then was put on Lasix for the Simcoe and had sizzled in a recent workout for furlongs, 46 1/5.
An excited Armata, who was joined in the winner’s circle by partner Lauren Hawkins, who hails from New York State, was winning his 191st race of his training career and his glee was evident in his post-race interview.
“We have a nice horse. He’s phenomenal and he’s so good to work with. Every night when I go to water off, when he hears the Volvo pulling up to the barn, he knows I’m coming. I give him his carrots and then he drinks right out of the hose and I tell him ‘I love you Papa’.”
“I want to say a special thank you to the whole crew, everybody did a great job. Santos put in a lot of work. And I want to thank Justin Trudeau for opening the border so my fiance could be part of this special win.”
Pedigree notes: Ironstone is the fifth stakes winner for his sire MR. SPEAKER, a son of Pulpit who won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby. He stand at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky. The stallion also had first time starter Proud Speaker finish third in the Muskoka Stakes on yearling sales stakes day. His top runner currently is Grade 1 winner Speech.
There is a Mr. Speaker entered in this year’s CTHS sale.
CASEY’S DREAMIN’ was purchased by Richard Day from the 2012 Keeneland November sale for $80,000 in foal to Afleet Alex. That would be her second foal, Afleet Alice, who won four races. Her first foal was Awesome Alex who won over $153,000. The mare then produced an unraced Ghostzapper offspring and 9-time winner Ca Dreamer. Her last two foals before Ironstone were non-winners. The mare traces back to some top sprinters, in particular the great HOUSEBUSTER. produced from Ironstone’s third dam Big Dreams.
In 2019 the mare was sold at the CTHS Ontario mixed sale and bought by A & A Farm for $6,500 in foal to Sky Mesa. She produced a filly in 2020 and a Yoshida filly this spring.
Muskoka Stakes
Mary Biamonte paid $18,000 at last year’s sale for a grey Summer Front – Spider Dust, by Broken Vow filly from the consignment of Sue Foreman, agent for Track West Racing Inc. Named BAKSHEESH, the filly touted herself in the spring with some nifty workouts and she finished third and then second in her first two career races. And then the phone rang. Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners were interested and a deal was made.
Trainer Ralph Biamonte sent Baksheesh out for the $201,600 Muskoka Stakes for juvenile fillies and she put in her customary stretch run and ran away to a four-length win in 1:17.91. She earned a 66 Beyer Figure.
Ridden by Kazushi Kimura, Baksheesh defeated Thatsitthatsall, an 18 to longshot by Silver Max trained by Debra Rombis (and there is a half-sister to Thatsitthatsall in this year’s sale) and Proud Speaker, a beginner by Mr. Speaker from trainer Ian Black. There is a half sibling to Proud Speaker in the sale also.
“I got quite excited after the last race when you get somebody like Mark Casse or Aron Wellman from Eclipse calling me that we’re interested in your horse,“ said Biamonte. “It’s kind of nerve-wracking when you train a horse for them, but it was good and now tomorrow she can go and live with them.
“She’s really nice. She’s good, we never expected her to be that good and she’ll get better. She does everything right and I’m going to have a good time watching her now.”
Pedigree notes: Sire SUMMER FRONT (War Front) has six stakes winners from his first three crops. He stands at Airdrie Stud in Kentucky. There is a Summer front entered in this year’s sale.
Dam SPIDER DUST, a winner, has produced two foals and both are winners: Spider Dance and Spider Belle. Spider Dust descends from a strong Kinghaven Farms family. The mare’s third dam is LOVER’S TALK, a remarkable producer and Outstanding Broodmare in 2007. Lover’s Talk’s offspring included stakes winners Torrid Affair, Love Grows, Barley Talk, Wild Whiskey and Whispered Wishes, who is the second dam of Spider Dust. Whispered Wishes, by Canadian Triple Crown winner With Approval, is the dam of stakes winner Quiet Action (Forest Wildcat), dam of Spider Dust.
Elgin Stakes
Trainer Mike Mattine is a whiz at these yearling sales stakes. Each year Mattine seems to come up with a nice prospect he has purchased from the CTHS yearling sale. This year he had his most impressive winner in the sales stakes yet.
SECRET RESERVE, plucked from the 2019 sale for just $9,000, posted an 83 Beyer Figure in his strong victory in the seven furlong Elgin Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings.
It was the second straight score and third from four starts for the son of Giant Gizmo-Smart Suzie, by Smart Strike, who arrived at the seven-furlong main track event for 3-year-old colts and geldings foaled in Canada off an equally sharp victory. On July 24, in a six-panel trek over the Toronto oval Tapeta, Secret Reserve won by 4 ¼-lengths under Rafael Hernandez.
The duo duplicated that effort with another big showing in the Elgin.
Breaking from post one, the pair sat third in the early going, content to watch pacesetters Jelgo and Mason’s Gamble scrap over the lead. The frontrunners took their five rivals through an opening quarter-mile in :23.12 and a half in :45.85.
As the field straightened for home, Hernandez directed Secret Reserve to the outside to take aim at the leaders.
Mid-way down the lane, Secret Reserve struck the front and then began to easily widen his advantage, going on to post a 3 ¾-length score in a time of 1:22.30. Mason’s Gamble finished a length ahead of Jelgo for second, with Perfect Crime nabbing fourth.
“He was perfect,” praised Hernandez. “Mike told me, ‘Rafi, just try to follow a horse get him relaxed’ and we got two good horses to make the pace for us and then he just come running. He was working good. That last work, he was unbelievable, he felt super great and that’s why we were thinking to go to the seven-eighths.”
Bred by Dr. Brian Van Arem, Secret Reserve won his debut last September at Woodbine, his one and only race as a 2-year-old. After opening up 2021 with a fifth-place performance, he now has made two consecutive trips to the winner’s circle, including his first stakes crown.
“Last year he was really on the muscle and showed a lot of speed,” said Mattine. “So, this year, I decided to take the blinkers off and bring him along slowly and in his morning works he would always start off slow and finish up really good and gallop out strong. His last two races have been almost a replica.”
Pedigree notes: Giant Gizmo has been a top sire for Ontario (he has several yearlings entered this year) but he was sold to Panama late in 2019.
Dam Smart Suzie was unraced but has produced three winners and she has a full sister to Secret Reserve, a 2-year-old, this year. Smart Suzie is from the super Vice Regent mare Muskrat Suzie, dam of Grade 1 winner Jambalaya, winner of the Arlington Million.
Algoma Stakes
LORENA got back to winning form with a solid rally to win the ALGOMA STAKES for 3-year-old fillies. It was sweet redemption for the connections of Lorena, who arrived at the seven-furlong main track event for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada off an eighth-place effort in the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser on August 1.
That was the first defeat for the $50,000 CTHS (Ont. Division) 2019 Canadian-Bred Yearling Sale purchase, who won the Fury Stakes in July.
A change of tactics, a late burst of speed, and a game effort in the Algoma put Lorena back in the winner’s circle.
“Stu and I discussed it and we worked her last breeze and when she settles she’s really good, but she’s such a good gate horse, she leaves there so hard I’m always a length, two lengths in front,” said Boulanger. “I knew probably the five-horse (Fourteen Days) was going, maybe the seven-horse (Raven Echo), so we didn’t want to be caught where we’re always the target, the first wave comes on, we shake them off and here comes the second wave and wears us out, so we committed to running her the way she worked and get her back off the pace and make that tactical run instead of being the target.”
After breaking sharply, Lorena was settled into third by Boulanger, as Owen’s Tour Guide and Fourteen Days matched strides through an opening quarter in :23.24. Owen’s Tour Guide took clear command through a half timed in :45.84, and began to open up on her eight rivals around the turn for home.
Five lengths clear at the stretch call, Owen’s Tour Guide soon found herself under pressure from the trio of Lorena, Jilli Marie and Pemberley.
It was Lorena who emerged with the lead in deep stretch, going on to post a 1 ¼-length victory over Jilli Marie. Pemberley was a neck back in third, while Owen’s Tour Guide held for fourth.
“She got a little rubbery, she didn’t switch leads today, but she was running and I wasn’t too concerned about it and felt like she was still underneath me and even the gallop out was still there,” said Boulanger. “She’s a pretty gutsy filly, she gives you everything she has.”
The final time was 1:23.79 for a 71 Beyer Figure.
“She’s just a plain, nice filly and we had a lot of reservations about running in the Oaks and it’s the same old thing hindsight always easy,” noted Simon. “It was a very condensed schedule, she wasn’t a real seasoned horse and hindsight is always easy, but we made the right decision to cut back today. She will win going two turns, but it’ll be later on.”
Pedigree notes: Lorena was bred by Liam Gannon and she is by the hot Ontario stallion SOUPER SPEEDY, who has some 40 yearlings in this week’s sale. Her dam Negotiable, by Hat Trick (Jpn), was unraced and a daughter of multiple California graded stakes winning turfer Blushing Heiress, by Blushing John.
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