NYRA remembers trainer Thomas L. “Lou” Rondinello
by NYRA Press Office
• NYRA remembers trainer Thomas L. “Lou” Rondinello
• Solomini standing tall as first-crop sire ahead of rich $500K NYSSS events
• Constitutionlawyer set for $150K Queens County off pair of optional claiming wins
• Today’s Flavor registers 89BSF in NYSSS Thunder Rumble
• Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet Week 7 stakes probables
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) mourns the loss of trainer Thomas L. “Lou” Rondinello, winner of the 1974 Belmont Stakes with Little Current of John W. Galbreath’s Darby Dan Farm, and a steady stream of other graded stakes races on the New York circuit in the 1970s and ’80s.
Mr. Rondinello, a resident of Melville, N.Y., passed away on November 27. He was 95.
With Miguel Rivera aboard, Little Current came from next‐to‐last in the field of nine to win the 106th running of the Belmont Stakes with a stretch run the New York Times described as “the force of a tidal wave.” In winning by seven lengths over Thomas Nichols’ Jolly Johu, Little Current matched the same margin in which he had won the Preakness several weeks earlier; he was fifth in the 1974 Kentucky Derby.
Those two Triple Crown victories earned Little Current the Eclipse Award of 1974 as Champion 3-Year-Old Colt. Among Mr. Rondinello’s other top horses were Tempest Queen, the 1978 Eclipse Award winner as Champion 3-Year-Old Filly; Prince Art Thou, the 1975 Florida Derby winner; and Darby Creek Road, winner of the 1977 Saratoga Special. Mr. Rondinello also was a three-time winner of the Queens County Handicap, with True Knight (1973), Hail the Pirates (1975) and Cum Laude Laurie (1978).
“Training is like getting sand in your shoes,” Mr. Rondinello said many years ago. “Once it gets in your shoes, you never get it out.”
Mr. Rondinello was a native of Harrison, N.Y., where he played basketball and was a pole vaulter in high school. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Army and then opened a public stable with some cousins. In 1959, Mr. Rondinello joined Darby Dan Farm, where he worked an assistant to Jim Conway, Bob Gentry and Dave Erb. Named as Mr. Darby Dan Farm’s head trainer in 1970, he saddled his first winner, Masterhand, at Hialeah Park that same year.
According to Equibase, Mr. Rondinello saddled 400 winners with earnings of $8,607,605 in a career from 1970 to his retirement in 1987. Little Current helped turn 1974 into Mr. Rondinello’s top year in earnings with $1,121,400.
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Solomini standing tall as first-crop sire ahead of rich $500K NYSSS events
McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds has enjoyed tremendous success with their stallion Solomini, who is the leading first-crop sire standing outside of Kentucky. The now 8-year-old chestnut son of Curlin will be well represented next weekend in both the Great White Way and Fifth Avenue divisions of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, slated for Saturday, December 16 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Great White Way, for eligible New York-sired 2-year-olds, and Fifth Avenue, for eligible state-sired juvenile fillies, each carry a $500,000 purse and are run at seven-furlongs on the main track. Solomini is the sire of 5-of-18 horses nominated to the Great White Way and 7-of-16 fillies nominated to the Fifth Avenue.
“Races like this are a big incentive when you're selling 2-year-olds and yearlings, but 2-year-olds in particular,” said McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds’ founder Joe McMahon. “It's a huge incentive when you tell people these horses are available for a half-million dollar race in December - that really gets their attention.”
Big Dom Racing Stable and Big Toe Stables’ Heavyweight Champs, by Solomini and out of the Officer mare Miss Bonnie, was purchased for $290,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is slated to make his debut in the Great White Way for trainer Rudy Rodriguez.
“We're certainly very happy with Solomini,” said McMahon. “His 2-year-olds averaged almost $100,000 when they sold in the spring down in Ocala. We thought they might have a chance to come out running as they all worked good in the spring time.”
Other OBS April graduates by Solomini include Edward Allred and Jack Liebau’s maiden winner Wynstock [$700,000, OBS April], who is nominated to the Grade 2, $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity – also on December 16 - for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The chestnut colt, bred in New York by Empire Equines, is out of the Flatter mare Timberlea, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Untrapped.
The Carlos David-trained stakes-placed My Shea D Lady [$100,000, OBS April], bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, is probable for the Fifth Avenue. She is out of the Teuflesberg mare Ladyberg, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Hoosick Falls and stakes-placed Manor Prospect.
Among the leading chances in the Fifth Avenue is Bregman Family Racing, Jackpot Farm and Swinbank Stables’ Soloshot, who brought $290,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale where she breezed in 10.1 seconds.
Soloshot, bred in New York by Rhapsody Farm, is out of the multiple stakes-placed Twirling Candy mare Sweet Queen, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Queen Ofthe Catsle.
The George Weaver trainee won her first two outings by dictating the tempo in 5 1/2-furlong state-bred sprints with a debut off-the-turf score in August at Saratoga Race Course and became her sire’s first stakes winner with a two-length victory in the Lady Finger in September at Finger Lakes.
“We were at Finger Lakes when she won that day and we were in Saratoga when she broke her maiden, too. She's been very impressive,” McMahon said.
McMahon said Solomini, who already has 11 winners on the year, has impressed with his versatility in runners from a variety of family lines.
“There's no trend with regard to the broodmare sire,” McMahon said. “He's getting a lot of different pedigrees and achieving success. I think he'll go well with the A. P. Indy line primarily, but that remains to be seen.”
That Solomini has done well at stud comes as no surprise given a successful racing career that saw him bank $834,993 through a record of 16-2-4-5 led by Grade 1 placings as a 2-year-old in 2017 in the Frontrunnner at Santa Anita and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. He crossed the wire first in front of future multiple Grade 1-winners McKinzie and Instilled Regard to close out his first year of racing in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity, but was demoted to third for interference in deep stretch.
He extended his success as a sophomore, finishing third in the 2018 Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park before splitting the field when 10th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby won by eventual Triple Crown-winner Justify.
Solomini, who stands for $7,500, was bred to 123 mares in 2020. His second dam, the dual graded stakes-winner Fleet Lady, produced multiple Grade 1-winning sire Midshipman.
"Solomini, by the results of his runners at the track and at the sales, has proven to be a formidable stallion not only in New York but across North America as well,” said Najja Thompson, executive director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. “The strength and value of the New York Stallion Stakes Series is that it enables our program to display the quality of stallions standing in New York with their progeny competing for exceptional purses."
McMahon said Solomini could make waves if he were to see good results by Wynstock in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity as well as from his bevy of runners in next weekend’s NYSSS races.
“If Wynstock even becomes graded placed next week that will really auger well for Solomini,” McMahon said. “And if he [Solomini] was to win or get a couple placings in the stallion stakes next weekend, he would move up to fourth or fifth in the first-year sire list overall. He's going in the right direction. He really has a lot of upside.”
McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds also stand perennial leading New York sire Central Banker, who stands for $7,500, as well as Redesdale, who was New York’s leading freshman sire of 2022. Both are by the late Speightstown.
Sunday proved to be a profitable one for Central Banker progeny here as the Pennsylvania-bred Morning Matcha, an $18,000 sale purchase out of the Iam The Iceman mare Home Ice, captured the NYSSS Staten Island to boost her purse earnings to $899,740 through a record of 24-6-7-7. One race later, the multiple graded stakes-placed General Banker, out of the Johannesburg mare Elusive Jozi, rallied to finish second in the NYSSS Thunder Rumble to improve his record to 16-2-4-3 for purse earnings of $506,943.
“How great is that,” exclaimed McMahon of Morning Matcha’s largesse. “Central Banker is the king of New York. He gets runners from all kinds of mares.”
Redesdale, who stands for $2,500, has demonstrated success with a smaller foal crop led by dual stakes-winner Ramblin’ Wreck, who captured the NYSSS Spectacular Bid and state-bred Rick Violette on the NYRA circuit this year.
“He's the most undervalued horse in the state. His numbers are great,” McMahon said.
But McMahon said he is hopeful that Solomini can propel his numbers further forward in two weeks’ time and make his own case for year-end honors in New York.
“We did good last week in the New York Stallion Stakes with a winner in one half [Morning Matcha] and a second in the other half with a 3-year-old [General Banker] against older horses,” McMahon said. “Those were huge races. We were real happy with that, so let's hope it can continue. We're really pleased with Solomini and think he has a really good chance to succeed.”
McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds are hosting a stallion show and open house from 1 - 4 p.m. on Saturday that will include showings of Central Banker, Solomini and Redesdale as well as newcomers Provocateur and Bucchero.***
Constitutionlawyer set for $150K Queens County off pair of optional claiming wins
West Paces Racing, Brown Road Racing, Adelphi Racing Club, Shelly Hume and Russell Hume’s Constitutionlawyer is set for another try at his first stakes conquest in the $150,000 Queens County, a nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up, on December 31 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Ray Handal, the son of Constitution has posted back-to-back victories in optional claiming company at the Big A, taking a 10-furlong second-level contest on October 13 and following with a gutsy three-quarter-length score last out when cut back to one mile on November 26. The 4-year-old gelding was awarded career-high Beyer Speed Figures for the efforts, earning a 92 and a 94, respectively.
“All is great and I’m excited for his next start,” said Handal. “I think it’s been good that he’s gone through his natural progression in the conditions and I think mentally, he seems like he’s there. Physically, he’s always shown a lot of talent, but he’s really putting it all together now and showing that killer instinct you want to see.”
Last out, Constitutionlawyer cut back to one mile for the first time since finishing fifth in a turf allowance this April. He tracked in fourth early under regular pilot Dylan Davis and was within 1 1/2 lengths of pacesetter Swiftsure at the half-mile call before going head-to-head with Daydreaming Boy in the turn and to the top of the stretch. The two dueled down the lane before Constitutionlawyer got the better of his foe just before the wire and posted the victory in a final time of 1:35.13.
“I was worried about the cutback, I can’t lie about that. But he took a step forward,” said Handal. “He’s in great form right now. I love how he lowered his head and really wanted to beat that horse last time. If he can keep getting better, who knows what the limit is? He’s got a tremendous amount of talent, the right pedigree, and he wants to go long. He’s got all the attributes.”
Since May, Constitutionlawyer has hit the board in 4-of-5 starts, his lone off-the-board effort a sixth in a July 21 optional claimer at Saratoga Race Course won by Bright Future, who exited that race to win the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at the Spa.
“He ran against Bright Future and so it wasn’t any slouches he was running against there,” said Handal.
Handal added he is looking forward to the stretch-out back to nine furlongs in the Queens County.
“Him being able to win at a mile gives him and all of us a lot of confidence,” said Handal. “I think he’ll be happier at nine furlongs and he was pressed a little more early on last time. Good horses can overcome adversity, and you want to see a horse adapt like he did.”
Constitutionlawyer, who boasts a 17-4-1-3 record with just shy of $300,000 in total purse earnings, was purchased for $170,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Lawyer Ron mare Lawyer Brockmeyer. His second dam is Ocean Ridge, who won the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin in 1996.***
Today’s Flavor registers 89BSF in NYSSS Thunder Rumble
Reddam Racing’s Today’s Flavor improved his record over the Big A main track to seven wins from 10 starts with an impressive 3 1/2-length score in Sunday’s $125,000 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series.
Trained by George Weaver, the 5-year-old Laoban gelding bred in the Empire State by Joseph Calvo, was hustled out of the gate from the outermost post 8 in the seven-furlong sprint for eligible state-sired horses 3-years-old and up to mark the opening quarter-mile in 22.80 seconds over the sloppy and sealed main track. The Dylan Davis-piloted Be the Boss ranged up on his outside to take command through 45.92 as Hall of Famer Javier Castellano took hold of Today’s Flavor and steered his charge to the outside for the stretch run.
Castellano asked Today’s Flavor for his best at the eighth pole and drew off to win comfortably over the late-running General Banker in a final time of 1:23.53. The winning effort garnered an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.
Weaver’s Belmont Park-based assistant Blair Golen said she was pleased with the effort from Today’s Flavor, who has won eight starts since joining their barn last November.
“It helps to get him in gear coming out of the gate and then when Dylan made that early move and tried to put him on the dead rail, Javier was able to take him back nicely,” Golen said. “Sometimes, when you go to take them back they throw their head up, but he was professional. He took him back nicely, swung him out and it put him in a better path.
“He came out of it good,” Golen added. “I’m not sure what the plan is yet. He’s had a long campaign.”
Today’s Flavor, out of the Speightstown mare Evangelical, has banked $545,080 through a record of 16-8-3-0.
Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson and R. A. Hill Stable's Caress scratched out of Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle and instead finished a pace-pressing second in a seven-furlong optional-claimer here on Sunday.
“She just got a little green. She still has a lot to learn, but she came out of that race well,” Golen said.
The Connect chestnut made her first two starts sprinting six furlongs, winning on debut here in October ahead of a fourth-place finish in the Smart Halo on November 11 at Laurel Park.
Purchased for $450,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Caress' second dam is Grade 1-winner and 2000 2-Year-Old Filly Caressing, who produced dual Grade 1-winning multimillionaire West Coast - 2017's Champion 3-Year-Old Colt.
The Weaver barn will look for more stakes success in Saturday’s $120,000 Garland of Roses with Thomas Brockley and Daryn Brockley’s Headland, who will exit post 6 under Jose Lezcano in the six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.
The 7-year-old Paynter mare was haltered for $62,500 from a runner-up effort in August at Saratoga and crossed the wire a pacesetting second behind the Tom Albertrani-trained Sterling Silver in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom in her first start for new connections.
Although both Sterling Silver and Headland were subsequently demoted one spot with Caramel Swirl elevated to victory, Golen said the effort was a promising one.
“She’s training well and I think she’ll run really well. It’s a nice spot for her. Lezcano rode her well last time on the dirt and the competition isn’t as tough – plus, this is her preferred surface,” noted Golen of Headland, who returns to dirt following an off-the-board effort in her turf debut in the six-furlong Autumn Days last out on November 17 here. “The first time we ran her in that stakes race she ran very well. She ran second and was DQ’d to third, but she still ran well and Caramel Swirl and the grey horse for Albertrani are legit fillies. The turf race was purely experimental and now we’re back to the dirt.”
Weaver will have a contender in each of the lucrative seven-furlong $500,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series events slated for Saturday, December 16 here with Profitability lined up for the Great White Way for eligible state-sired 2-year-olds and Soloshot for the Fifth Avenue for eligible state-sired juvenile fillies.
Bregman Family Racing, Jackpot Farm and Swinbank Stables’ Soloshot, by Solomini, won her first two starts gate-to-wire traveling 5 1/2-furlongs on dirt, taking her debut in an off-the-turf effort in August at Saratoga Race Course ahead of a two-length score in the Lady Finger in September at Finger Lakes.
Bred in the Empire State by Rhapsody Farm, Soloshot endured a troubled trip last out in the six-furlong Key Cents against fellow state-breds when bobbling at the start and chasing the pace before faltering to a distant fifth.
Windylea Farm’s New York homebred Profitability, by Mission Impazible, is a maiden after two starts at Finger Lakes for trainer Jonathan Buckley.
Golden said Soloshot and Profitability worked a half-mile in company in 50.69 Friday over the Belmont dirt training track.
“They worked head and head and I was really happy with both of them,” Golen said.
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Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet Week 7 stakes probables
Saturday, December 16
$500K NYSSS Great White Way
Probable: Antonio of Venice (Rudy Rodriguez), B D Saints (Linda Rice), Brick Ambush (Danny Gargan), Heavyweight Champs (Rodriguez), Palace Boss (Horacio De Paz), Profitability (George Weaver), Solo’s Fury (Jeremiah Englehart), The Big Torpedo (Tom Morley)
$500K NYSSS Fifth Avenue
Probable: Artemis Girl (David Donk), E Stormy (Ricky Courville), Handle On You (Rodriguez), My Perfect Mistake (Rob Atras), My Shea D Lady (Carlos David), Soloshot (Weaver), Sun and Wind (Rodriguez), Tour Jete (De Paz)
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