Hey Bertie brings perfect record to inaugural $150K Take The A Train

Klein Racing’s Kentucky homebred Hey Bertie brings a 2-for-2 record to her stakes debut in Saturday’s inaugural running of the $150,000 Take The A Train, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

The Take The A Train is slated as Race 9 on Saturday’s stacked 11-race card that also offers the Grade 2, $400,000 Man o’ War in Race 2; the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan in Race 11; the Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian in Race 10; and the Grade 3, $175,000 John A. Nerud in Race 7. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Hey Bertie [post 8, Javier Castellano] is one of two entrants for trainer Cherie DeVaux, who also sends out Serving Time [post 9, John Velazquez] for owners John D. Gunther, Eurowest Bloodstock and Borders Racing Stable. Both horses are cross-nominated in Saturday's Grade 3, $225,000 [including $50,000 from KTDF] Mamzelle at Churchill Downs which will be drawn on Tuesday.

“We cross-nominated at Churchill. We'd like to run in our backyard, but if it overfills and she's not able to get in we’re entered in New York as well,” said Hey Bertie owner Richard Klein.

Hey Bertie, out of the multiple graded stakes-placed Langfuhr mare Believe in Bertie, is a half-sister to graded stakes-winning millionaire colt Brilliant Berti, who captured the Listed Opening Verse on Thursday at Churchill for these connections.

While Brilliant Berti, by Noble Mission, has excelled at longer distances, Hey Bertie, by Kantharos, has focused on sprint racing thus far.

“I watched her train with another one of my 2-year-olds early last year and when I went to see her, she had a beautiful way of going,” Klein said. “She's a little bit different than her brother in build and size, but when Cherie got her, the more they breezed her - David Carroll, her assistant, said the more they really liked her.”

Hey Bertie launched her career with a pair of starts at Fair Grounds under Brian Hernandez, Jr. where she captured an off-the-turf maiden in January and followed with a rallying three-quarter length win over next-out winner Bet Towinit in a 5 1/2-furlong turf optional-claimer on March 21. The impressive last-out score earned a co-field best 81 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She was a late developer, but we got her down to the Fair Grounds and entered in the turf sprint race. When it came off the turf, Cherie said she's training so good on the dirt that we're just going run her,” recalled Klein. “Cherie isn't one that gets them cranked to win first time out, she's looking down the road. Hey Bertie just carried Brian around there that day and won easy over a nice horse [Tempting Eve] that had run once or twice. She really did that easy.”

Klein said he was pleased to see Hey Bertie show versatility last out when closing from ninth-of-11 to secure victory with a thrilling stretch run.

“She showed a different dimension. They outbroke her and Brian got her to relax and settle,” Klein said. “Coming down the lane, I thought we'd run a good third or fourth and all of a sudden, the last sixteenth of a mile it was like she was shot out of a cannon. She galloped out really good.”

Hey Bertie hails from a deep family for Klein Racing that goes back to her fourth-dam, Clever Bertie, who was purchased by Richard Klein’s late father Bert Klein for $14,000 at the 1992 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The unraced Clever Bertie is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning $2.2 million earner Sun King, Grade 1-winner Traitor, multiple graded stakes-winner Ocean Drive, and multiple stakes-winner Beavers Nose.

Clever Bertie’s first foal was multiple graded stakes-winner Hurricane Bertie [35-14-7-5, $940,041]. She also produced Bashful Bertie, the dam of multiple Grade 1-winner and $2.5 million earner Beach Patrol; as well as Hey Bertie’s third dam, Allamerican Bertie, who won 8-of-14 starts, including four graded stakes while banking $799,235.

“Clever Bertie was well-bred. Bernie Flint picked her out for us,” Klein recalled. “She had an issue and never raced, so we decided to breed her. We bred her to Storm Boot for a $1,000 stud fee at the time and got Hurricane Bertie. It's been a great family.”

Hey Bertie's dam Believe in Bertie, a Louisiana homebred for Klein by Langfuhr, was a maiden winner in 2015 at Saratoga for trainer Brad Cox. She still holds two course records over the Fair Grounds turf, including the one-mile record of 1:34.22 accomplished in the 2016 Pago Hop and the 1 1/16-mile record of 1:40.31 set in her next start in the 2017 Daisy Devine.

“I believe that Believe in Bertie was Brad Cox's first maiden win in New York as a trainer. She won closing weekend on the turf and won very easy and was just a solid racehorse,” Klein said.

Klein sold Believe in Bertie at the 2023 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale but is still enjoying the family success via Hey Bertie and the accomplished Brilliant Berti [9-6-1-0; $1,812,965].

“It's been a very productive family and to think some of the highest earners that we've ever had is out of this family is incredible. Hurricane Bertie was probably our top earner before Brilliant Berti. We never had a millionaire until Brilliant Berti,” Klein said.

While Hey Bertie will look to earn her first stakes win, Klein said Brilliant Berti is likely to make his next start at Churchill Downs with the Grade 3 Arlington on May 31 and Grade 2 Wise Dan on June 28 potential targets as part of a campaign that could lead to the Grade 3, $2 million Mint Millions on September 7 at Kentucky Downs.

“We'll let the horse tell us and see what Cherie says. The Wise Dan is a $500,000 Grade 2 going a mile at Churchill Downs where he's 4-for-4,” Klein said. 

Serving Time, a Without Parole bay, is also well related. She is out of the winning Bated Breath mare Cubit, who is a half-sister to dual Group 1-winner Westover and Group 3-winner Monarchs Glen. Her second dam, Mirabilis, won the 2006 Grade 3 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, while her third dam, Media Nox, was a Group 3-winner in France that also took the 1997 Grade 2 Buena Vista Handicap.

Serving Time, bred in Kentucky by J & T Gunther and Borders Racing Stable, made her first two starts at one mile or greater in Kentucky before graduating at third asking when cut back to 5 1/2-furlongs in November at Fair Grounds. She followed with a rallying half-length optional-claiming score there in December that registered a career-best 74 Beyer.

Three Diamonds Farm’s Bunratty Manor [post 1, Jose Lezcano], also nominated to the Mamzelle, will look to break through at stakes level in her third attempt.

The Irish-bred No Nay Never dark bay has made all four career starts over firm Gulfstream Park turf, debuting with an off-the-board effort last May in the five-furlong Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies while in the care of trainer George Weaver.

She was purchased by Three Diamonds Farm for $110,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale and returned to action for trainer Rusty Arnold in January when a three-quarter length second sprinting five furlongs.

Bunratty Manor graduated when stretched out to one-mile on March 9, leading gate-to-wire for a 4 1/2-length score that garnered a 77 Beyer. She enters from a troubled effort in the 7 1/2-furlong Listed Sanibel Island where she was clipped behind early before setting the tempo and fading to sixth behind the victorious Spirited Boss, who finished second in Saturday’s Honey Ryder at Gulfstream. The fourth-place finisher of the Sanibel Island, Classic Q, returned to win a Wednesday allowance versus elders at Churchill Downs.

“It was a pretty solid race jumping in from a maiden race, so we feel good about her,” Arnold said of the Sanibel Island effort. “There was a lot of pressure up front and we haven't decided yet if she really wants to do two turns or not. We know she won at it, but it was a maiden win, and I thought we might want to shorten her up where we can get her to back off the pace a little bit.”

She has worked back three times, including a sharp half-mile breeze in 47.80 on April 27 over the Keeneland dirt and a half-mile in in 50 flat over sloppy footing on Saturday.

"She's trained really well. She's come out of the race good, and we've given her plenty of time to recoup,” Arnold said. “We like her. She's average size, carries good flesh and is fairly attractive.”

Edward Seltzer, Beverly Anderson and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Love Cervere [post 4, Joel Rosario] scratched out of the one-mile Listed Memories of Silver on April 27.

The Christophe Clement-trained Into Mischief bay worked a half-mile in 50.66 seconds Wednesday over the Belmont Park dirt training track and now returns to the course and distance of her winning November debut.

“It was a mile on the soft turf, and we didn't like the scenario, so we're shortening her up,” said Christophe Lorieul, Belmont Park-based assistant for Clement.

Love Cervere was a half-length second to begin her sophomore season in the one-mile Listed Ginger Brew on January 4 at Gulfstream Park, and cut back slightly to 7 1/2 furlongs when fifth in the aforementioned Listed Sanibel Island.

In the Ginger Brew, she checked hard early before surging up the inside to finish a half-length behind Nitrogen, who has since won three consecutive graded races.

Love Cervere, bred by Edward Seltzer and Beverly Seltzer, is out of the stakes-placed Black Minnaloushe mare Panther Strike, a half-sister to graded-winners Sky Treasure, Surgical Strike, and graded-placed Axthelm.  

Clement will also saddle Waterville Lake Stables’ New York homebred Annascaul [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], who was last seen finishing a three-quarter-length second in the open-company Stewart Manor in November here.

The American Pharoah chestnut was a three-length debut winner in August sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs over firm turf at Saratoga Race Course, and was a ground-saving sixth, defeated just 3 3/4-lengths, in the Grade 1 Natalma in September at Woodbine traveling one-mile over firm footing.

“When she ran at Woodbine two times ago, it was a bit too long. Last time, here at Aqueduct, she ran a good second in the stakes race. It's something that worked so we won't change it,” Lorieul said.

Annascaul is out of the stakes-placed Exchange Rate mare Epping Forest. Her second dam, Andraste, is a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winner Vicar.

Disco Star [post 3, Dylan Davis] returns to turf following a game third-place finish in the Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series on April 13 here.

Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse for owner Peter Deutsch, the late-running grey is by dual graded stakes-winning millionaire Disco Partner, a formidable New York homebred for Patricia Generazio that was a fixture on the NYRA circuit. The inaugural running of the restricted 5 1/2-furlong turf $135,000 Disco Partner for 3-year-olds and up will be held this summer at Saratoga.

Disco Star, bred in the Empire State by Generazio, was purchased for $75,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale. She graduated at third asking in a state-bred maiden turf sprint in October at the Big A to close out her juvenile campaign.

She returned to action in the aforementioned Listed Ginger Brew at Gulfstream Park and failed to fire her best shot when seventh, defeated 5 1/2-lengths. Last out, in the 6 1/2-furlong NYSSS Park Avenue contested over muddy and sealed footing, Disco Star rallied from seventh, cutting the corner to take command at the stretch call before giving way late to land a half-length back of the victorious Storm Changer, and a nose in arrears of late-running Princess Mischief.

Disco Star, out of the Sky Mesa mare Sky Gazer, is a half-sister to stakes winners Saratoga Treasure and April Gaze.

Rounding out a talented field are allowance winner Gata Brazil [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche, blinkers ON] for trainer Brittany Russell; Marvelous Madison [post 2, Junior Alvarado], a New York-homebred for Lawrence Goichman that graduated on debut over the Spa turf in September for trainer Chad Brown and is now in the barn of Hall of Famer Bill Mott; Lovely Emma [post 7, Flavien Prat], who arrives from a fourth-out maiden score over the Fair Grounds turf in December for trainer Peter Eurton; and maiden winner Wisconsin Gal [post 10, Angel Serpa], who makes her turf debut in her seventh stakes appearance for trainer Paul McEntee. Warming [post AE11, Manny Franco], a maiden winner on debut in June here over course and distance for trainer Graham Motion, is also-eligible. 

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
 
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.