NO MORE OPTIONS, a dark bay son of Frac Daddy, was in several American sale rings from an eight-month old weanling to a newly-turned juvenile this past April. He didn’t attract much interest, but the Ontario-bred found his way back to his home province this spring after he was purchased privately by Mary Self, who has raced predominantly a claiming stable with her father Zeljko Krcmar.
On Saturday, October 28, No More Options took off to his second straight open-length victory for Self, this time in the $100,000 Frost King Stakes, giving his owner her first stakes win.
Under red-hot Kazushi Kimura, who won five races on the afternoon, No More Options was a whopping 16-to-1 in a five-horse field but that was due to impressive debut winner Junior Hot Shot who was hammered down to 1-to-5 by the bettors. The favourite was briefly in a pace duel with stablemate Garofoli, both Souper Speedy colts trained by John Ross, while No More Options tracked on the rail.
Into the stretch, No More Options was angled out and quickened, finally winning by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:16.44 for 6 1/2 furlongs on a bright but cool afternoon at Woodbine.
Siesta Beach, winner of his last two races for owner Richard Hogan, rallied up the rail to be second for trainer Mike Doyle. It was a unique exacta in the Frost King as not only is Siesta Beach also a son of Frac Daddy (Scat Daddy) but the one-two finishers in the stake were both bred by Laurel Byrne of Park Stud. Junior Hot Shot finished third.
For Self, who resides in Maryland and Florida, her first stakes win was a big moment for her as she usually races claiming horses. Among her winners in the last couple of years have been the mares Antigone, Make No Mistake and this year’s gelding Rockland Express.
“I like older horses I know are going to win,” continued Self. “We found him [No More Options] at the OBS sale and he just stood out. He’s my second two-year-old ever. Lord of Legends did great for us, and he’s number two, and he’s wonderful.”
No More Options was sold by Byrne for $5,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale (Siesta Beach was sold at the same sale for $8,000). Consigned by Carlos and Sara Estrada’s C & S Thoroughbreds in Kentucky at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale, the colt was bought back for $27,000.
Following a quick workout at this April’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales April Two-Year-Old in Training Sale, No More Options, under the Estrada’s Sterling Thoroughbreds consignment, was bought back again, this time for $17,000. That is when Krcmar and Self picked up the well-bred colt.
While the colt’s dam Stoney Miss, by Birdstone, never raced, her dam Gold Strike won the Woodbine Oaks and is the dam of 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike.
No More Options is the third foal of Stoney Miss, who has had a pair of placed runners.
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GABE GROSSBERG has been racing horses in Ontario under trainer Mark Casse for more than 20 years and the American businessman is also an ace in the Ontario breeding sector. One year after his homebred Silent Name (Jpn) filly Ya Mar won the South Ocean Stakes at Woodbine, another homebred, OLIVIA ROSE, galloped to an easy win in this year’s South Ocean. Oh, she’s also by Silent Name (Jpn).
Olivia Rose crushed a field of five rival fillies with her ears pricked. The second stakes winner for jockey Kimura on the day, Olivia Rose won by 6 1/2 lengths in 1:15.74, more than a second faster than No More Options ran to win the Frost King. Hurricane Clair, also by Silent Name, was second David Rowbotham and partners.
It was the second win for the lean dark bay who won her maiden the third time out by 13 3/4 lengths and then finished second in the 7 furlong Victorian Queen Stakes on turf in September.
Olivia Rose is from Grossberg’s nice mare Malibu Sunrise, a daughter of Malibu Moon who won 11 of 43 career races. She is the dam of three other winners from four other starters including $361,000 earner Meyer, recent winner of the Turf Endurance Series and second in the Breeders’ Stakes in 2020.
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Trainer KATERINA VASSILIEVA saddled her 100th winner of her career and 18th winner of the meeting on Saturday when the streaking Lady Maeve (Ire) won her third straight race, fourth of the year, in a turf optional claiming event.
A $5,000 claim last December by Karen McCleave, Lady Maeve has banked over $54,000 (US) this year for her connections. Vassilieva is in the midst of a career season.
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