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Repo Rocks registers 97BSF in $125K Stymie

by NYRA Press Office

• Repo Rocks registers 97BSF in $125K Stymie
• Neural Network garners 75BSF for Gander victory
• Ziaerati works for $200K Busher
• Slip Mahoney breezes in company for G3 Gotham

Double B Racing Stables’ Repo Rocks garnered a 97 Beyer Speed Figure for his impressive 3 1/4-length score in Saturday’s $125,000 Stymie, a one-turn mile for older horses at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Jamie Ness and piloted by Andrew Wolfsont, Repo Rocks was boxed in behind rivals in third position before finding a way out late in the turn and bounding away to an impressive score over Grade 1-placed Miles D. Sent to post as the even-money favorite, Repo Rocks carried 124 pounds, giving a six-pound advantage to each of his five rivals.

“It wasn’t the best trip, but in a short field that happens. Fortunately, we overcame it,” said Ness, who would have preferred to set the tempo. “Yesterday, I was worried they might bunch up on him if we took back. Maybe next time there will be a little more speed in the race and we can target a couple horses. Every race is different.”

Repo Rocks returned to his Parx Racing base in good order and is likely to cut back slightly in distance for the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets on April 8 at the Big A. 

Ness said if Repo Rocks continues to progress, a long-term target would be the Grade 1, $ 1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 10 at Belmont Park which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November at Santa Anita Park.

“All options are on the table, but we’re going to try and focus on New York,” Ness said. “The Carter would be great and the Met Mile if we’re good enough. Right now, that’s what we want to do, but we’ll see how it comes along.”

The 5-year-old Tapiture gelding is undefeated since joining the Ness stable, taking the Let’s Give Thanks in November and Blitzen on January 4 at Parx ahead of an 8 1/2-length score in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Toboggan on January 28 at the Big A that garnered a 111 Beyer Speed Figure. Wolfsont has piloted Repo Rocks throughout the four-race all-stakes win streak.

Repo Rocks posted a record of 11-2-2-2 last year, including a second in the Grade 3 Toboggan and a third in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap, both at the Big A, as well as completing the trifecta in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud at Belmont Park while in the care of trainer Juan Vazquez. He made seven starts for conditioner Gregory DiPrima from April through October before joining Ness.

“He’s as good a horse as I’ve had. Usually, to get a horse like this, I have to get him through the claim box,” Ness said. “I’m just happy to have him and I’m glad he’s a big, fit and sound nice-training horse. Hopefully, he continues that way. We have a nice stable of blue-collar horses, so to get a nice stakes horse like this is special for us”

Bred in Virginia by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, III, Repo Rocks improved his record to 33-8-6-6 for purse earnings of $639,621.

Troy Johnson, Charles Lo and Jagger, Inc.’s Yodel E. A. Who closed from last-of-8 and 15 lengths off the pace to finish second, 1 1/2-lengths back of the victorious Eastern Bay in the Grade 3 General George on February 18 at Laurel Park.

The 7-year-old Creative Cause gelding had previously finished fourth in both of Repo Rocks’ recent stakes scores at Parx.

“We considered Repo for that race, too,” Ness said. “But I had Yodel pointed there for awhile and he was doing real good going into the race, so why run two when I can split them up. I’m glad we did and he ran real well. They have a one-turn mile down there next for him.”

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Neural Network garners 75BSF for Gander victory

Klaravich Stables’ Neural Network earned a career-best 75 Beyer Speed Figure in Saturday’s $100,000 Gander, a one-mile test for New York-bred sophomores, where he was elevated to victory after crossing the wire second to a drifting Maker’s Candy. 

The son of Cloud Computing rated in fourth and stalked the pace set by D’ont Lose Cruz down the backstretch and was kept wide by jockey Manny Franco to make his bid for the lead at the top of the lane. The Jose Gomez-piloted Maker’s Candy pounced from second position to take command from D’ont Lose Cruz at the eighth pole with Neural Network gaining with every stride to his outside. Maker’s Candy drifted out in the late stages and impeded Neural Network’s path, crossing the wire first but subsequently disqualified and placed second for interference. 

It was the first stakes victory for Neural Network, who entered from a distant fourth-place finish in the Jerome against open company on January 7 over the same course and distance. There, he trailed in last-of-7 at the half-mile call and made a mild bid to be defeated 9 1/4 lengths by Lugan Knight. 

“He ran very well and obviously he was herded out in the lane and the right call was made,” said Brown of the Gander. “It’s nice to get him back on track.” 

The Gander was Neural Network’s first start with blinkers, something Brown said was key to his improvement. 

“We’ve always thought a lot of this horse and it was uncharacteristic of him last time,” said Brown. “He was uninterested that day and didn’t care for how the track was. We put a little blinker on him and he seemed to work a little sharper in his works.”

Brown added he will take his time in choosing a next start for the dark bay colt, but noted that the nine-furlong Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 8 is, “not out of the question.” 

“I have no plans yet for him, but we’ll see how he trains moving forward,” said Brown. 

A $120,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase, Neural Network is out of the Street Cry mare Lapinski, a half-sister to stakes winner Sunset Wish. He now boasts a 3-2-0-0 record with $102,500 in total purse earnings. 

Later on Saturday's card, Brown also sent out Peter Brant and Robert LaPenta's Grade 1-placed Miles D to a game runner-up finish in the $100,000 Stymie behind runaway winner Repo Rocks. Miles D broke outwardly from the outermost post 6 under Manny Franco and stayed wide down the backstretch in second position before gaining a half-length advantage at the three-quarters call. He was overtaken at the top of the lane by Repo Rocks and proved no match for his foe, who overcame traffic troubles to pull away to a 3 1/4-length win. 

Miles D, a bay son of Curlin who won last year's Discovery at the Big A, made his second start off a near year-long layoff and was reported to have emerged from his effort in good order.

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Ziaerati works for $200K Busher

Ziaerati breezed a half-mile in company in 50.89 seconds yesterday over the Belmont dirt training track in preparation for Saturday’s 200,000 Busher, a one-turn mile for sophomore fillies that offers 50-20-15-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

Trained and co-owned by Robert Falcone, Jr. in partnership with John Grossi’s Racing Corp., the Into Mischief bay was piloted in the breeze by Trevor McCarthy, who is expected to return from injury and ride for the first time since November 18 on Friday here.

“She worked good. She went in company with an older horse,” Falcone, Jr. said. “She went real smooth and could have gone a lot faster if we let her. I told Trevor to let her gallop out and as soon as he let his hands down at the wire, she took off and had a really big gallop out.”

Ziaerati was an impressive gate-to-wire winner on debut under Dylan Davis, annexing a field of six on January 15 here in a seven-furlong maiden special weight by 8 1/4-lengths. The runner-up of that event, Promiseher America, returned to win a one-mile maiden event by 6 1/4-lengths on February 19.

“She won the first time out so easily and so impressively. I’m excited to see her in stakes company,” Falcone, Jr. said.

McCarthy will pick up the mount for the Busher.

“He’s a smart rider and a strong rider and it’s good to have him back,” Falcone, Jr. said.

Ziaerati, out of the stakes-placed Munnings mare Zia, was purchased for $145,000 at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Stakes-winner Spirit And Glory, trained and co-owned by Falcone, Jr. with Michael Nentwig, Michael Dubb, Beast Mode Racing and John Rochfort, finished an even fifth last out in the Grade 3 Endeavour on February 4 at Tampa Bay Downs.

The 4-year-old Cotai Glory filly tried a more prominent approach in the 1 1/16-mile turf test, racing within three lengths of the lead, but failed to show her usual closing effort down the lane.

“No real excuses. We tried to keep her a little closer than she usually is to see if she had the same kick and, of course, they flew around the track and she didn’t have the same kick,” Falcone, Jr. said. “Sometimes, horses like that, you just have to leave them alone and that’s how they’re going to run and be pace dependent for their entire career.”

The Irish-bred bay closed from last-of-8 to win her North American debut in June at Belmont and added the Virginia Oaks to her ledger with a similar rallying flourish in September at Colonial Downs.

Falcone, Jr. said he will look for a Florida target for Spirit And Glory.

“I gave her a couple easy weeks and she’s back in training. We’ll look around for a spot to run her,” Falcone, Jr. said.

Mr Bob, trained and co-owned by Falcone, Jr. with John Grossi’s Racing Corp. and Beast Mode Racing, finished a distant eighth last out in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Holy Bull on February 4 at Gulfstream.

The Practical Joke sophomore was effective in a pair of 6 1/2-furlong sprints in Kentucky last year, graduating at second asking in October at Keeneland and finishing second in the Ed Brown in November at Churchill Downs.

He bobbled at the break of the one-mile Mucho Macho Man on New Year’s Day at Gulfstream and closed from last-of-11 to finish sixth, defeated less than five lengths.

Mr Bob added blinkers for the Holy Bull and set the pace before faltering.

“He breezed good with the blinkers on so we put them on and stretched him out and sent him to the lead. In hindsight, he probably didn’t want to go that far,” Falcone Jr. said. “He’s doing good out of that race. We’ll throw the distance races out the window and cut him back. He’ll probably go to our Keeneland division. He likes the track over there and we'll look for a 1X against straight 3-year-olds.”

***

Slip Mahoney breezes in company for G3 Gotham

Gold Square’s impressive maiden winner Slip Mahoney posted his final breeze in preparation for Saturday’s one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, covering a half-mile in 48.87 seconds yesterday over the Belmont Park dirt training track. 

The Gotham is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series and awards the top-five finishers 50-20-15-10-5 qualifying points, respectively, towards the prestigious Grade 1 test on the First Saturday in May. 

Slip Mahoney, a grey son of 2016 Champion 3-Year-Old Colt Arrogate, was guided by jockey Trevor McCarthy through the work and went in company with unraced stablemate Global Image, a Liam’s Map colt who sold for $300,000 at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. 

“It wasn’t as quick to watch it, but they moved pretty well,” said Dustin Dugas, Cox’s Belmont-based assistant. “It was really good and he came out of it in great shape and we’re all systems go. Trevor was happy with him and he’s going to ride him Saturday.”

Slip Mahoney was last seen posting a determined head victory at third asking in a January 21 maiden going the Gotham distance at the Big A. There, he was piloted by Dylan Davis and battled Fast Boat to Skye for the early lead before that foe retreated and the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Crupi rallied from sixth-of-10 to challenge for the lead at the top of the lane. The pair quickly drew away from the rest of their rivals and dueled furiously down the lane until Slip Mahoney put his head down at the wire to secure the win. It was a further 15 lengths back to third-place finisher Good Rapport. 

Slip Mahoney’s victory came on the heels of a game runner-up effort to next-out allowance victor Tapit Trice on December 17 over the same distance and course. 

“He showed personal growth and mentally and physically, he’s one that’s still figuring things out,” Dugas said of his progression between starts. “He plays around a lot and still needs to mature, but right now, he’s just doing it off of raw talent. He’s getting there, and with each breeze, you can see him mature. He’s not regressing and doing things proper.” 

A $150,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Slip Mahoney is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning mare Got Lucky, who won the 2015 Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland. He is a half-brother to the multiple graded stakes-placed gelding Overtook and is a direct maternal descendant of Reine-de-Course mare Numbered Account. 

Cox is also likely to send out Ten Strike Racing’s undefeated Eyeing Clover in the Gotham on the heels of a dominant 9 3/4-length optional claiming coup on January 28 at Fair Grounds Race Course. The son of Lookin At Lucky has trained regularly at the New Orleans oval since and is expected to arrive at Belmont Park on Tuesday.