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Halina’s Forte earns 84 BSF for Ruthless score

by NYRA Press Office

• Halina’s Forte earns 84 BSF for Ruthless score
• Serpe pleased to see Security Code earn first stakes win in $100K Broadway
• Pandagate bears watching in Gander; Capital Idea, Deterministic possible for G3 Gotham
• Aqueduct Racetrack Week 8 stakes probables

Rigney Racing’s Halina’s Forte garnered an 84 Beyer Speed Figure for her 1 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Ruthless, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Phil Bauer, the daughter of Mitole broke through after two runner-up efforts at stakes level while making her first start beyond six furlongs. Guided to victory by Eric Cancel, Halina’s Forte broke sharply and stalked in fourth through the early stages before making a five-wide move in the turn to take a head advantage at the stretch call. She powered home strongly to put away the Brad Cox-trained Ghalia Princess in mid-stretch and completed the course in 1:26.26.

“I’m glad she was able to get back to what she was showing us,” said Bauer. “That’s kind of what we expect when we lead her over and she’s been pretty honest since Day One. I’m happy for her to break through at the top level and get the ‘W.’”

The Ruthless was the first time Cancel piloted Halina’s Forte in the afternoon, and Bauer said he was pleased with the ride from the 27-year-old journeyman.

“We had talked earlier that day and I told him, ‘Don’t let her gate speed fool you that she’s a need-the-lead type,’” Bauer said. “She broke sharp like she usually does and he was patient with her. It looked like the track was playing favorably to horses on the outside and I think he saw that as well. We had enough pace in front of us and he felt content just tracking and knew when to go. He told me after the race he felt like he had plenty of horse.”

Halina’s Forte made her first two starts at Churchill Downs, debuting as a winner in November ahead of her stakes debut in the 6 1/2-furlong Fern Creek where she finished a hard-fought second when three-quarter lengths behind graded stakes-placed Youalmosthadme. She followed with another runner-up effort in the Letellier Memorial in December at Fair Grounds en route to the Ruthless.

Halina’s Forte is out of the stakes-winning Yes It’s True mare Lunarlady, a half-sister to graded stakes-winner and sire Astrology. Both Mitole and Lunarlady exceled at sprint distances, but the presence of the Quiet American line on Halina’s Forte’s dam side could mean success at further distances should she stretch out going forward.

“We’ll consider [a stretch-out],” said Bauer. “Her pedigree is interesting. I don’t know how far she’ll go, but I think at some point you’ve got to try. One turn works right now, but when you go two turns, you can slow it down a little bit. Her tactical speed may be dangerous doing that. We’ll see what Mr. Rigney wants to do and go from there.”

Bauer also reported the retirement of Rigney Racing’s graded stakes-placed mare Skratch Kat, who made her final start with an off-the-board finish in the Grade 3 Bayakoa on February 2 at Oaklawn Park. The 5-year-old Arrogate bay put together a respectable resume for Bauer, including a second-out graduation and three wins at allowance level, as well as a graded stakes placing when third in the Grade 2 Shuvee in July at Saratoga Race Course.

“She’s fine and that was her last go,” said Bauer. “She’s been booked to Into Mischief and will hopefully be bred in the next few weeks. It’s always an honor to train horses like that. She was honest as they come and I’m glad we were able to get some black type on her page. Hopefully, she’ll make pretty babies.”

Skratch Kat retires with an 18-4-4-2 record with total purse earnings of $447,587. She is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed Smart Strike mare Wave Theory, whose dam Glimmering is a half-sister to multiple Group 1-winning millionaire Oratorio and Grade 1-placed Fahim.

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Serpe pleased to see Security Code earn first stakes win in $100K Broadway

Trainer Phil Serpe expressed his satisfaction Sunday in seeing WellSpring Stables’ Security Code notch her first stakes victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Broadway, a seven-furlong sprint for older New York-bred fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“It’s funny because most of the time you see what these horses are going to be in their 3-year-old year and she just keeps kind of inching forward now,” said Serpe. “It didn’t surprise me that she won, but I’m grateful that she won because it’s good to see her keep improving.”

The 4-year-old daughter of Frosted entered the Broadway with three stakes placings in six attempts and broke through with a stalking trip under regular pilot Jose Lezcano. Away well from post 6-of-7, Security Code tracked in third 1 1/2 lengths off the dueling duo of Majestic Return and Kant Hurry Love as they marked splits of 23.11 seconds and 47.23 over the fast going. Security Code went three-wide around her rivals at the top of the stretch to collar Kant Hurry Love in mid-stretch and fend off the late rush of multiple graded stakes-placed Venti Valentine by a neck in a final time of 1:26.77.

“Jose Lezcano did an excellent job and it was a really good trip I think,” said Serpe. “I know he went a little wide in the turn, but apparently the track was a little bit better out there. We were concerned about the distance a little bit and she had won at seven-eighths before, but it might not be her favorite thing.”

Security Code entered from a similarly gutsy allowance victory sprinting six furlongs against open company on January 5 and now boasts a 19-5-5-5 record with $419,040 in earnings. She has hit the board in each of her last eight outings, which have come once per month since July.

Serpe said he is still evaluating the next race for Security Code.

“I think I was too aggressive with her starts early on and it seems like she responds well giving her time between races,” said Serpe. “Yesterday was kind of a head-banger, so we’ll give her some time here and see what’s going on. We’ll let her dictate that.”

WellSpring Stables’ Grade 1-winner Leave No Trace was last seen finishing a pacesetting eighth in a 7 1/2-furlong turf optional claimer in January at Gulfstream Park.

The Outwork dark bay, who won the Grade 1 Spinaway and finished second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2022, has failed to hit the board in five starts since the Breeders’ Cup and tried turf for the first time in October when a distant eighth in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Sands Point.

“She’s fine, but I’m kind of at a loss for words,” said Serpe. “It’s funny how things happen when horses are two and then they turn three. Everything was great for her as a 2-year-old and everything was a disaster as a 3-year-old. She’s still working great and looks great, so we’ll try her one more time sprinting on the turf. Ideally, we need Belmont because we need seven-eighths on the turf. The problem at Gulfstream is they run seven-and-a-half and it’s two-turns. We’ll try her back and see how it goes and then make a decision.”

Leave No Trace was a $40,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the four-time winning Good Journey mare Tanquerray. She has banked $605,800 through a lifetime record of 9-2-1-1.

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Pandagate bears watching in $100K Gander; Deterministic, Capital Idea possible for G3 Gotham

Maiden-winner Pandagate will ship back to New York from Florida this week to make his stakes debut in Sunday’s $100,000 Gander, a one-turn mile for New York-bred sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Christophe Clement for owners Adelphi Racing Club, Madaket Stables, Corms Racing Stable and On The Rise Again Stable, the Arrogate ridgling breezed a bullet five-eighths in 1:01.80 Saturday over the Payson Park Training Center dirt in company with impressive maiden winner Deterministic.

“It was a good work. He worked in company with Deterministic, who is a nice horse. It was a strong work and he came out of it in good shape,” Clement said.

Pandagate, a $130,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase, graduated by nine-lengths in his October debut here traveling a one-turn mile against fellow state-breds but was squeezed at the start next out in an open optional-claimer in December at Laurel Park before closing to finish third.

St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable’s Deterministic earned an 81 Beyer Speed Figure for his rallying half-length debut score sprinting seven-furlongs in August at Saratoga Race Course.

A $625,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the Liam’s Map bay required time off after his impressive debut and has now breezed six times at Payson Park since January 13.

Clement said Deterministic could return in the one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on March 2 at the Big A, providing 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. A total of 37 horses are nominated to the Gotham.

“He won very impressively as a 2-year-old. We put him aside and he's on his way back,” Clement said. “He's a very exciting horse to have, but the question is, where should we bring him back? He might come back in the Gotham. I will make my mind up later this week.”

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Capital Idea, yet another impressive maiden winner on January 28 here, is also training towards the Gotham.

“If we believe they both have a chance, they will both run,” Clement said.

Capital Idea, by Classic Empire, romped to an 8 1/4-length score in a one-turn mile maiden tilt over sloppy and sealed footing. With Trevor McCarthy at the helm from the inside post, Capital Idea tracked in third position before angling four-wide through the turn to take the lead at the three-sixteenths and draw clear in a final time of 1:40.42. The comfortable score garnered an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

Capital Idea breezed five-eighths in 1:02.90 Friday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

“He's doing well. If he works well next week, we'll go for the Gotham,” Clement said. “He's getting more mature and better. It's the right time of the year. He's learning his job.”

The $260,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the stakes-placed Distorted Humor mare Rever de Vous, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Dreaming of Drew.

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm’s Otello finished sixth last out in the Grade 3 Holy Bull on February 3 at Gulfstream Park in a race won from a prominent trip by Hades, who walked through splits of 25.03 seconds and 50.53 en route to a two-length score in a final time of 1:46.07.

Otello, who was bumped at the break in the Holy Bull and never factored, breezed back a half-mile in 50 flat Friday over the Payson Park dirt.

“He came out OK. It was a bit of a puzzling race for me,” Clement said. “I'm not sure what to think about it. There was no pace whatsoever. I thought he trained better than the outcome. I'm going to re-group with him a little bit.”

The Curlin sophomore won his first two starts traveling a one-turn mile, taking a maiden score by a neck in November here ahead of a rallying effort in the Mucho Macho Man on New Year’s Day at Gulfstream where he posted a half-length score over First World War, who exited that effort to win the Grade 3 Kitten’s Joy on turf.

Otello, bred in Kentucky by Siena Farms, is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Eskendereya mare Isabella Sings.

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Aqueduct Racetrack Week 8 stakes probables

Saturday, February 24

$100K Haynesfield (NYB)

Probable: Dr Ardito (Chad Brown), Maker’s Candy (Mike Maker), Rose’s Pepino (Robert Inman), Whittington Park (Jeremiah Englehart)

Possible: Olympic Dreams (Patrick Quick)

Sunday, February 25

$100K Gander (NYB)

Probable: Antonio of Venice (Rudy Rodriguez), Brown Don’t Stop (Orlando Noda), Doc Sullivan (Michael Miceli), Liberty Central (Quick), Pandagate (Christophe Clement), The Big Torpedo (Tom Morley)