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Miracle ready for another stakes try in Joseph A. Gimma; Brisset mulling options for Hot Little Thing

by NYRA Press Office

• Miracle ready for another stakes try in Joseph A. Gimma; Brisset mulling options for Hot Little Thing
• Half-siblings Hail To, Wolfie’s Dynaghost targeting stakes action
• Falcone, Jr. eyeing more stakes success with Remain Anonymous in G2 Gallant Bloom
• Belmont at the Big A Week 3 stakes probables

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm’s Miracle will make her second start in stakes company in Friday’s $125,000 Joseph A. Gimma at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. The daughter of Mendelssohn has been installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite in the field of seven set to take on the seven-furlong main track sprint for New York-bred juvenile fillies.

“She’s doing well,” said Brisset. “She got to Belmont yesterday; it was a smooth ride and she jogged today. It looked like she was happy and moving well with good energy, so it looks like everything is in place for her.”

Bred by Magnolia Mares and Pony Express Sales, Miracle debuted on July 27 at Saratoga Race Course with an impressive six-length romp at odds of 14-1 in a six-furlong state-bred maiden special weight. The bay broke sharply under Flavien Prat and battled with Recognize for the lead through a half-mile before establishing a clear lead at the stretch call and widening her margins down the lane.

Brisset said he was not surprised to see Miracle deliver the strong performance.

“We liked her. She showed some talent in the mornings and that race seemed to be a pretty good group of New York-bred 2-year-olds,” Brisset said.

Miracle stepped up to stakes company for her first start against winners, finishing an even third in the Seeking the Ante against New York-breds on August 26 at the Spa over a sloppy and sealed main track. Miracle tracked 2 1/2 lengths behind the pace for the first quarter mile before swinging six-wide in the turn and finishing 5 3/4 lengths behind the victorious Maple Leaf Mel.

“I was a little disappointed to be honest,” said Brisset. “We thought we were in there with a chance to win and she didn’t run a bad race, but number wise she didn’t run the race she ran first time out. But she’s black type placed and you take the negative with the positive. She came out of the race very good. She’s been at WinStar and enjoying some turnout.”

Miracle will exit post 7 in the Joseph A. Gimma with Prat in the irons.

Another promising 2-year-old filly for Brisset is Hot Little Thing, who was a dominant 14 1/2-length winner against fellow Indiana-breds in the Back Home Again on September 7 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Owned by Brisset’s September Farm with Union Park Thoroughbreds, Storyteller Racing and Jonathan Wilmot, the daughter of Army Mule earned a 76 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

Brisset noted that Hot Little Thing earned the same figure as Grade 1 Spinaway winner Leave No Trace did at Saratoga.

“She surprised me a little bit. If she had won by three lengths, I would have been happy,” said Brisset, with a laugh. “People might knock her because she’s an Indiana-bred, but she earned a 76 and that’s what the Spinaway winner ran. She went 1:10 and two and I can tell you, you don’t see that often in Indiana.”

Hot Little Thing has been nominated to the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette on October 2 at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet, but could make her next start in the Miss Indiana on October 5 at Horseshoe Indianapolis against Indiana-breds.

“We think highly of her and she’s been very impressive both times she’s won,” said Brissset. “I’m not committing to [the Frizette] because we have an Indiana-bred race on October 5 that we are leaning towards, but we’ll breeze her on Saturday or Sunday at Keeneland and make a decision. We aren’t scared of running in the big races.”

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Half-siblings Hail To, Wolfie’s Dynaghost targeting stakes action 

Following a recent allowance triumph against elders at Saratoga Race Course, Woodslane Farm homebred Hail To is likely to make her next start in the nine-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point on October 15 at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

Trained by Tom Albertrani, the sophomore daughter of Kitten’s Joy sprung a 19-1 upset when travelling 1 3/16 miles over the Spa’s Mellon turf course on September 2 with a sweeping six wide move in upper stretch, collaring pacesetter Blue Times and fending off an inside rally from Transient to win by a half-length. The victory, her first triumph against winners, registered a career-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

Albertrani said Hail To will most likely do her better running when stretched out even further. Her older full-brother Sadler’s Joy was a long-distance specialist for Albertrani, capturing the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream Park, both 12-furlong events.

“We were anticipating a good run from her that day, and it was a good win from her beating older fillies as well,” Albertrani said of the Spa effort. “Now, we’re cutting her back in distance a little bit, which she probably prefers going longer like her full brother did. We’re a little limited now distance wise, but I think she’ll most likely handle that as well. Ever since we’ve started to stretch her out in her races, she’s started to show that she looks like she definitely wants to go a route of ground.”

Albertrani has won the Sands Point previously with Raw Silk [2008], Gozzip Girl [2009] and dual Grade 1-winning millionaire Better Lucky [2012].

Wolfie’s Dynaghost, a half-brother to Hail To by Ghostzapper, captured the Bert Allen on September 7 at Colonial Downs in wire-to-wire fashion. The 1 1/16-mile test for Virginia Certified horses was a first stakes victory for Wolfie’s Dynaghost, who scored by three lengths over graded stakes winner Largent.

A winner on dirt, turf and synthetic surfaces, Wolfie’s Dynaghost earned graded black type on two occasions this year when second in both the Grade 3 Appleton in April at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 3 Poker three starts back at Belmont Park.

Wolfie’s Dynaghost is a likely candidate for the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker on October 9 going nine furlongs over the Big A turf.

“We’re looking at the Knickerbocker next month. We’ll stretch him out a bit further and see how he handles the mile and an eighth,” Albertrani said. “He’s doing super and we’re on schedule for it. He’s been very effective on a wet track and synthetic, but I think turf is where he’s at his best.”

Both Hail To and Wolfie’s Dynaghost are out of the unraced Dynaformer mare Dynaire, who has a full-brother to Wolfie’s Dynaghost born this year. She was bred to Munnings this season.

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Falcone, Jr. eyeing more stakes success with Remain Anonymous in G2 Gallant Bloom 

Trainer Robert Falcone, Jr. has enjoyed his best year to date in 2022 for total purse earnings and stakes wins, recording over $1.2 million in earnings with four trips to the winner’s circle in stakes events. Sandford Goldfarb’s Remain Anonymous will look to give Falcone, Jr. another stakes victory in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack.

A Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Tapiture, Remain Anonymous has proven to be an astute claim for Falcone, Jr., who haltered her for $32,000 out of a winning effort at Saratoga Race Course on July 15. She stepped up to stakes company in her first start for Falcone, Jr., defeating seven Pennsylvania-breds in the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial on August 22 at Parx Racing, besting reigning Pennsylvania-Bred Horse of the Year Chub Wagon by 5 3/4 lengths.

“It’s definitely very satisfying,” Falcone, Jr. said of the bay mare’s first stakes victory. “I was impressed with that race. She beat a nice filly in Chub Wagon and she drew away easy. She did it against Pennsylvania-breds, but respectable ones. We’ll see who comes up in the Gallant Bloom and maybe take a shot there.”

Falcone, Jr.’s stakes successes continued just two weeks later when Spirit And Glory upset the Virginia Oaks on September 6 at Colonial Downs, one of five wins from six starts this year for Falcone, Jr. at the New Kent, Virginia oval. The Virginia Oaks was the third stateside start for Spirt And Glory, whose other two American outings were a last-to-first optional claiming score in June at Belmont Park and an even seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Lake George in July at Saratoga.

Spirit And Glory trailed in 12th-of-14 under Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the Virginia Oaks, swinging four-wide at the top of the lane and steadily picking off rivals down the stretch to come home a 1 1/4-length winner in the nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies.

“That was a really good effort from her,” said Falcone, Jr. “I wanted to run her there because the stretch is a little longer and it gives her a little more time to get into her rhythm. Irad rode her really well. He had to go a little wide, but he saved every inch he could and tipped out when he needed to. She came out of it good.

“She’s a tricky filly to train, but she’s also really smart,” Falcone, Jr. added. “She messes around in the mornings a little bit, but as soon as they open the gates, she does nothing wrong. She’s all focused and all business.”

Spirit And Glory, who Falcone, Jr. co-owns with Michael Dubb, Beast Mode Racing and John Rochfort, could make her next outing in the Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point on October 15 at the Big A.

“I’m going to get together with the owners, but I think the Sands Point is an option,” Falcone, Jr. said. “The other option would be Keeneland, but I would say she stays here.”

As of Wednesday morning, Falcone, Jr.’s wins for the year stand at 22, six behind his career-best of 28 in 2019. The 28-year-old conditioner, who started his first horse in 2014, said the support of his owners has allowed him to enjoy such a successful year.

“I’m very happy for every opportunity I get to train for a new owner,” said Falcone, Jr. “This year, me and my barn finally got to have a Euro in the barn with Spirit And Glory. I also was able to go to the 2-year-old sale for the first time and buy a few horses. I went from having 16 or 18 horses in the barn last year to 37 now. I think I’ve just finally gotten the opportunity.”

With a little over three months left to break his personal record of 28 wins in a single year, Falcone, Jr. said he looks forward to the challenge.

“I’ve got a good shot to do it. I’m excited for Remain Anonymous’ and Spirt and Glory’s next races. I want to get to 30 wins. We just keep trying, working and expanding. That’s all you can do,” said Falcone, Jr., with a laugh.

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Belmont at the Big A Week 3 stakes probables 

Friday, September 30

$125K John Hettinger

Probable: Finest Work (George Weaver), Ice Princess (Danny Gargan), Make Mischief (Mark Casse), Pure Bode (James Ryerson), Runaway Rumour (Jorge Abreu), Vienna Code (Andrew Williams)

Saturday, October 1

G1 Woodward

Probable: Informative (Uriah St. Lewis), Life Is Good (Todd Pletcher), Thomas Shelby (David Jacobson)

Possible: Law Professor (Rob Atras), Twilight Blue (Joe Sharp)

G1 Champagne – BC WAYI

Probable: Andiamo a Firenze (Kelly Breen), Blazing Sevens (Chad Brown), Champions Dream (Gargan), Forte (Pletcher), Gulfport (Steve Asmussen), Verifying (Brad Cox)

Possible: Free Soul (Carlos Munoz)

G2 Miss Grillo – BC WAYI

Probable: Essaouira (Graham Motion), Georgees Spirit (Jorge Abreu), Im Just Kiddin (John Kimmel), Lady Jasmine (David Donk), Pleasant Passage (Shug McGaughey)

G3 Belmont Turf Sprint

Probable: Cazadero (Brendan Walsh), Dancing Buck (Michelle Nevin), Noble Emotion (Horacio De Paz), Scuttlebuzz (Rudy Rodriguez), Thin White Duke (Donk), Voodoo Zip (Christophe Clement), Yes and Yes (Donk)

Sunday, October 2

G1 Frizette – BC WAYI

Probable: American Rockette (Bill Mott), Chocolate Gelato (Pletcher), Hot Little Thing (Rodolphe Brisset), Leave No Trace (Phil Serpe), The Great Maybe (Cherie DeVaux), Vedareo (Robert Reid, Jr.), You’re My Girl (John Terranova)

Possible: Alva Starr (Brett Brinkman)

G2 Pilgrim – BC WAYI

Probable: Battle of Normandy (McGaughey), Fly Right (Leah Gyarmati), I’m Very Busy (Chad Brown), Lachaise (Jorge Abreu), Major Dude (Pletcher)

G3 Fasig-Tipton Waya

Probable: Capital Structure (C. Brown), Lovely Lucky (Tom Albertrani)

Possible: Gladys (Kelsey Danner)