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More Happy scores front-running victory in Adirondack
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More Happy and Rafael Bejarano win the Adirondack Stakes, Wednesday at Saratoga.
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Photo: Coglianese Photos |
by Mike Curry
More Happy set a swift pace in her second career start and held off a belated bid from runner-up A to the Croft to win the $150,000 Adirondack Stakes (G2) by three-quarters of a length on Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Bob Baffert, the Vindication filly entered off a victory in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race on July 21 at Del Mar for owners John Sikura, Olin Gentry, and Thomas Gaines. More Happy dueled for the lead at Del Mar with runner-up Foxy Danseur and held off that foe by a neck to win her career debut.
“She’s a nice filly, and we thought a lot of her,” Baffert said. “I knew she was extremely fast. I told [jockey] Rafael [Bejarano] that when she leaves, don’t fight her and hold her back.”
In the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack for juvenile fillies, More Happy was alone on the lead through an opening quarter in :21.88 and a half-mile in :44.93 under Bejarano. She opened a commanding 4 1/2-length lead in early stretch and was fully extended to hold off A to the Croft.
“When nobody put pressure on, and we were on the lead, we were gone,” Bejarano said. “She got a little tired. …She ran good; she won comfortably. I didn’t have to push her too hard to win.”
Sent off as the 3-to-2 favorite, More Happy completed the distance in 1:17.51 on a track rated as fast.
A to the Croft finished three-quarters of a length in front of third-place finisher Passion.
She ran out of racetrack,” trainer Ken McPeek said of to the Croft. “Going a mile, this group wouldn’t have seen my horse.”
Phantom Income broke well behind the field after rearing at the start and was declared a non-starter following a steward’s inquiry.
More Happy improved to two wins in as many starts in increased her earnings to $121,800.
“I would love to start her at two turns,” Baffert said. “I really don’t know what we’re going to do. We’ll have to play it by ear.”
A $1-million purchase in March at the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale of selected two-year-olds in training, More Happy is out of 1993 Canadian champion sprinter Apelia, by Cool Victor. Bred in Kentucky by Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds, More Happy is a half sister to 2000 Canadian champion older female Saoirse.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times daily news editor
First-time starter Maimonides delivers in debut
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| MAIMONIDES |
| Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo |
by Frank Angst
The familiar sounds of the second race at Saratoga Race Course: the excited pre-race chatter, the extended crunch of the starting gate opening, and the rising cheers, ended in 1:04.41 as Maimonides cruised home to an easy victory on Wednesday in his debut.
The buzz surrounding the victory by the impeccably bred two-year-old Vindication colt figures to continue quite a bit longer.
After entered starting the gate on his toes, Maimonides broke well and seized the lead through a quarter-mile in :22.04 in the $62,000 maiden special weight race. With jockey Rafael Bejarano not moving a muscle, Maimonides dutifully handled the turn, posting a half-mile in :45.37 on the good track, before drawing off in the stretch to record an 11 1/2-length win over Sam’s Passion in the field of nine males for the 5 1/2-furlong race.
A $4.6-million purchase for Zayat Stables at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale, Maimonides is out of the Silver Deputy mare Silvery Swan, who also has produced Grade 1 winners Roman Ruler and El Corredor and Grade 3 winner Silver Tornado. Bred in Kentucky by Needham/Betz Thoroughbreds, Liberation Farm, and Hill ‘n’ Dale, Maimonides was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency.
Going into Wednesday, freshman sire Vindication had four winners from 17 starters, including stakes-placed Galiano. He stood in 2007 for $60,000 at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington. Silvery Swan produced a yearling Grand Slam filly, who is cataloged for the Keeneland September yearling sale.
Frank Angst is senior writer of Thoroughbred Times
3/6 - VINDICATION has an oustanding day at the Fasig-Tipton Calder 2-year-old sale. Individuals bring $1,000,000; $1,000,000; $800,000, $430,000, etc. Hill 'n' Dale Bloodstock purchased a filly out of Canadian champion Apelia for $1,000,000. Bob Baffert is going to train the filly, a half-sister to Canadian champion sprinter and multiple stakes producer Saoirse.
Hip 211 Vindication – Apelia filly
Purchased by Hill ‘n’ Dale Bloodstock for $1,000,000
Photos by Z ©
Hip 235 Vindication – Charm a Gendarme colt
Purchased by R.B.T.S., agt for $1,000,000
Photos by Z ©
9/13 - VINDICATION is the leading freshman sales sire of the Keeneland Sale with 33 yearlings selling for an average of $476,336.
9/12 - The VINDICATION - Silvery Swan colt, EL CORREDOR and ROMAN RULER's brother, brought $4,600,000 in the second session of the Keeneland September sale.
9/11 - The VINDICATION - Serena's Tune Colt brought $2,800,000 in the first session of the Keeneland September Sale. Vindication averaged $613,571 putting him on the leading sire list with Storm Cat, AP Indy and Seeking The Gold.
#1 Freshman Sire at Fasig Tipton July
VINDICATION Yearlings at Fasig Tipton's Saratoga Select Sale bring $500,000, $400,000, etc.
Vindication's fee unchanged for 2007 
Vindication's stud fee will remain at $60,000 for 2007 at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Lexington.
"Even though Vindication enjoyed a record [Keeneland] September [yearling] sale, highlighted by $4.6-million and $2.8-million yearlings, and the fact that we have been inundated with season requests, we have decided to let racetrack performance dictate any upward movement in his stud fee," said Hill 'n' Dale President John G. Sikura.
The six-year-old Seattle Slew was undefeated in four starts as a two-year-old in 2002, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) en route to divisional honors.
VINDICATION'S FIRST FOAL 
Photo by Kathy
The first foal by undefeated champion, VINDICATION, was foaled in Citra, Florida at McKathan Brothers Farm. This good looking filly is out of Chilosa by Tabasco Cat.
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FIRST MARE IS IN FOAL TO VINDICATION
Multiple stakes winning daughter of Forty Niner, FOOTING, is the first mare confirmed in foal to undefeated champion VINDICATION.
FOOTING, winner of over $300,000, is the dam of Infantry, the $750,000 Barretts 2-year-old colt by Seattle Slew. Appropriately, she is owned by Karen and Mickey Taylor and Albert Finney, the same connections that raced Triple Crown Winner and sire of Vindication, SEATTLE SLEW.
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