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Walk With Me strolls into stakes debut in $500K NYSSS Fifth Avenue

by NYRA Press Ofiice

• Walk With Me strolls into stakes debut in $500K NYSSS Fifth Avenue
• Gallo hoping Wo Hop can deliver another $500K NYSSS maiden score
• Rodriguez barn well-represented in New York Stallion Stakes Series
• Profitability set to make stakes debut in $500K Great White Way

Wizard Stables’ Walk With Me will face her first test against winners in Saturday’s $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue, a seven-furlong test for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by David Duggan, the Central Banker bay enters from a wire-to-wire debut victory sprinting six furlongs against fellow state-breds on November 9 here, taking command early and gamely fending off the late rush of Call Her Bluff to post the head victory in a final time of 1:12.57. She earned a 52 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“She’s doing very well and she’s got the license to improve,” said Duggan. “The light switch goes on in the morning with her, and she won doing what she’s not supposed to do – she’s not a sprinter, and she showed grit when she got into a battle on the front. We talked about trying to go through our conditions, but we’ve got to take a shot for that kind of money.”

Bred in the Empire State by Richard Nicolai, Walk With Me was a $100,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale and is the first foal produced from the multiple stakes-placed Posse mare Might Be, a sibling to multiple stakes-winner Sheriffa and stakes-winner Tiergan.

Walk With Me drew post 8 in the field of 12 on Saturday with Dylan Davis in the irons.

“I love the draw – the draw’s important,” said Duggan. “You don’t know what some of these maidens are like, but they have to go seven-eighths first time. I wouldn’t be going in here if I didn’t think she was competitive, and she’s training good enough.”

Earlier on Saturday’s card, Duggan will send out Clear Stars Stable, Mitre Box Stable and Koshanostra Stables’ Sharpaz in Race 5 [post 7, Romero Ramsay Maragh], a seven-furlong starter allowance for 3-year-olds and up.

The son of Sharp Azteca wheels back on short rest after graduating at sixth asking on December 7 here, leading at every point of call in a six-furlong $30,000 maiden claiming sprint to post the 4 1/4-length score.

Duggan said class relief aided the dark bay gelding after he made his first two outings this year on turf and moved to dirt two starts back with a prominent fifth at the maiden $40,000 level.

“We just decided to give him his chance, and he may move forward going seven-eighths,” said Duggan. “His maturity helped, and then the class relief. He had run well enough first time back on the dirt and then he improved enough to win at this spot, but now you’re in deep water. That paddle better start going pretty fast.”

Duggan added that Ken Wheeler, Jr.’s stakes-winning New York-bred Kant Hurry Love has emerged in good order from a gutsy runner-up effort to Hot Fudge in the Garland of Roses on December 9. The 4-year-old daughter of Kantharos tracked 4 1/2 lengths off the pace in the early stages of the six-furlong sprint and put in a strong rally late to come up a neck shy of victory. The effort was awarded an 87 Beyer.

“She’s very good. It was a great effort and she ran back to her previous races,” said Duggan. “Any time they show up, I have no problems.”

Duggan said he would prefer to keep Kant Hurry Love at six furlongs and ruled out a start in the seven-furlong $150,000 Interborough on January 20 here. The next likely target would be the What a Summer on the same day at Laurel Park, with an eye to the $100,000 Correction on March 9 at the Big A.

“Our next option is Maryland because it’s three-quarters,” said Duggan. “That’s a prep for the Barbara Fritchie, but we won’t go there. We’d probably sit on her and then come back in the Correction. At least she showed she belongs in open company.”

Bred in the Empire State by Dr. John M. McDermott and Laura G. McDermott, Kant Hurry Love has banked $424,850 in total earnings through a record of 19-5-7-4.

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Gallo hoping Wo Hop can deliver another $500K NYSSS maiden score

Tom Gallo’s Dream Maker Racing enjoyed their first stakes win when maiden Yo Cuz graduated in style in the 2021 renewal of the $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. They will look to replicate that success with first-time starter Wo Hop in Saturday’s $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juveniles at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Gallo, who also serves as President of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders’ Inc., purchased Wo Hop for $42,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

"He's a beautiful horse - a nice mover," Gallo said. "He's not an overly tall horse, but he's really well put together and he moves nicely. He's very efficient with his stride. We gave him some time off after the sale to get that out of his system and since then he's been training pretty good."

Wo Hop and Yo Cuz are both by the late Laoban, who is the sire of seven entrants across Saturday’s two lucrative $500,000 NYSSS events that saw the Fifth Avenue attract a field of 12 and the Great White Way an overflow field of 14.

"It's a great opportunity from a great program. A lot of money is put into this program to do just this - to attract as many horses as possible,” Gallo said. “This is what we were looking for. I'm president of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders and we've been working with NYRA hand-in-hand to improve and make the New York-bred program much stronger, bigger and all-inclusive and really get some excitement going.

"This series of races has really got the attention of not only your standard winter trainers, but a lot of the big trainers like Bill," added Gallo. "Ever since Bill won this race with Yo Cuz two years ago, when he goes to a sale he says, 'find me a nice New York-sired New York-bred.' It's really opened the eyes of a lot of the trainers.”

Gallo noted that Brick Ambush, a full-brother to Yo Cuz purchased for $160,000 at the 2022 OBS Winter Mixed Sale, will be among the favorites in the Great White Way for owner Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and trainer Danny Gargan.

"They outbid us on that horse and I'm sure when they bought that horse they probably had this race in mind,” Gallo said. “It's really gotten people's attention and they're starting to buy horses to target the race.”

Wo Hop, who is named for the acclaimed restaurant located in Manhattan’s Chintatown, has breezed consistently for his debut, including a five-furlong gate breeze in 1:02 flat December 6 over the Belmont dirt training track.

“If you can get to the race and you're sound and going in the right direction, it makes a lot of sense to run. Why not take a shot,” Gallo said. “It would be great to run first through third in a race like this.”

Wo Hop, listed at 30-1 on the morning line, will exit post 8 in rein to Joey Martinez.

"Joey is a strong rider and he gets on the horse every morning. I like that continuity. He knows the horse and that's a big thing for a first-time starter," Gallo said.

Saturday is shaping up to be a special afternoon for Dream Maker Racing, who have the Michael Miceli-trained Munny for Nuthin entered in a maiden claimer in Race 2 and the Mott-trained Kid Billy in a first-level state-bred allowance in Race 6.

“It will be a busy day for us, for sure, but we’re looking forward to a great day out,” Gallo said.

Gallo also noted that New York-bred maiden winner Nolita, a sophomore daughter of Laoban, is enjoying some down time after notching a three-quarter length win at third asking on September 24 here in an off-the-turf state-bred event contested at a one-turn mile.

The $85,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase improved one position in each of her three outings, finishing third in June at Belmont Park and a close second in August at Saratoga Race Course.

“Nolita is doing super. It was time to give her some time off. We usually give our horses 30-60 days off after a spring summer campaign and it does them a world of good,” Gallo said. “They come back fresh. She's a big horse and getting bigger. Horses like that, sometimes you just need to give them a little time. From the time she left Florida to the time I sent her back for vacation, the manager down there said she'd grown a hand and a half.”

Nolita, a half-sister to multiple stakes-placed Unique Unions, is out of the multiple stakes-placed Eltish mare Nicole’s Miss El.

***
Rodriguez barn well-represented in New York Stallion Stakes Series

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez will send out four contenders across the two divisions of the New York Stallion Stakes Series on Saturday at the Big A, with three in the Great White Way division and one in the Fifth Avenue division for fillies, both for eligible New York-sired juveniles sprinting seven furlongs.

“This is what we buy the horses for, and we try to get in this situation,” said Rodriguez. “Hopefully, we can do well. The horses look like they’re coming along pretty good, so we’ve got to hope they run good.”

Leading the charge in the Great White Way is Antonio of Venice [post 1, Manny Franco], whom Rodriguez co-owns with Michael Imperio, Robert Cotrone and Hibiscus Stables. The son of Laoban brings one of the most experienced resumes to the overflow field of 14, and was last seen finishing a close fourth in the 5 1/2-furlong Aspirant after setting the pace on September 25 at Finger Lakes Racetrack. He is in search of his first win since a strong 4 1/4-length graduation at third asking in a restricted maiden in July at Saratoga Race Course.

“I think [his seasoning] will help him, especially with a freshening,” said Rodriguez. “We’ve skipped a couple races just to point to this race. He’s run a lot, and he runs every time we bring him over.”

Antonio of Venice worked a half-mile Wednesday over the Belmont Park training track, covering the distance in 49.66 seconds.

“He looks like he’s training good, and he does everything we ask of him,” said Rodriguez. “He went a nice, easy half-mile yesterday very comfortable. We’re just happy to be in the race.”

Rodriguez’s King Freud [post 4, Trevor McCarthy], co-owned with Frank Witz, steps up off a fourth-out graduation in a one-mile $30,000 maiden claiming tilt on December 2 here, posting the three-length coup with a prominent trip over a muddy and sealed main track. The win garnered a 71 Beyer and came on the heels of a third-place effort on the turf in a state-bred maiden special weight on November 3.

“We’re taking a chance. He’s a horse who wants to run longer on the grass,” said Rodriguez. “If he runs no good, it is what it is. I think the sloppy track last time might have helped him, so I don’t know how he’ll take to the dry track. I hope he gives another good effort. His number was good that day. I think he can get the distance.”

Rounding out the Great White Way trio is Big Dom Racing Stable and Big Toe Stables’ Heavyweight Champs [post 3, Ruben Silvera], who makes his career bow off a series of works at Belmont. The Solomini chestnut most recently breezed a half-mile from the gate in 49.22 on December 6 over the training track.

“I wish I could have a race in that horse – it’s tough for a maiden in there. But from Day One, we’ve planned to run him here,” said Rodriguez. “We’ve got him breezing and hopefully that works out for us. He’s been breaking sharp and doing everything we ask him. It’s seven-eighths first time, and it’s a very demanding race for sure. Hopefully he wakes up and smells the coffee.”

In the Fifth Avenue division, Rodriguez will saddle Adam Madkour’s Sun and Wind [post 12, Ruben Silvera], who graduated last out at fifth asking in a $30,000 maiden claiming event on October 20. The daughter of Freud was pressured by Mel’s Angel through the first half-mile of the 6 1/2-furlong sprint, but shook off her rival in the turn and inched clear down the stretch to post the 1 3/4-length victory in a final time of 1:19.29.

Rodriguez said he was pleased with Sun and Wind’s breeze Wednesday when covering a half-mile in 49.66 seconds over the training track.

“She had always trained very good and she had a nice work yesterday, so I wish she can transfer what she shows in the morning into the afternoon on Saturday,” said Rodriguez. “I know she needs to step up a little more than she’s been running, but I’m hoping the win last time wakes her up a little and puts her in the game.”

A $7,500 weanling purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale, Sun and Wind’s fifth dam is Reine de Course broodmare South Ocean, the dam of influential sire Storm Bird and two-time Canadian Champion Northernette.

***
Profitability set for stakes debut in $500K NYSSS Great White Way

Windylea Farm’s New York-homebred Profitability will make his stakes debut in Saturday’s $500,000 Great White Way, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juveniles, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Mission Impazible grey made his first two starts at Finger Lakes for trainer Jonathan Buckley, finishing third sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs in his October debut before closing from 10 lengths off the pace to finish second, defeated 4 1/4-lengths by the Paul Barrow-trained Smile Takes Charge traveling six furlongs on November 20.

Kip O’Neill of Windylea Farm said the improving gelding was given time to develop upstate.

“We initially had him on the NYRA circuit and just didn't feel he was maturing to be able to compete at the maiden special weight level right off the bat there, so we sent him up to Jon Buckley at Finger Lakes,” O’Neill said. “His first race, he got hung wide but he kept coming and actually ran better his second race although he took about a quarter-mile off around the turn. He was a little green and then re-engaged and switched over to his right lead around the eighth pole and closed very strong into a speed-holding track and a nice horse of Paul Barrow.”

Profitability was subsequently sent to trainer George Weaver at Belmont Park and has recorded two works over the dirt training track under the supervision assistant of trainer Blair Golen, including a half-mile effort in 50.69 on December 9.

“We sent him down to George for a winter campaign with this race in sight knowing it's going seven eighths and he has two races under his belt,” O’Neill said. “He's learning, maturing and hopefully we’re catching him at the right time. George has had the opportunity to work him a couple times and he and Blair both tell me he's doing well, so we entered in the race. It's deep water but we'll get a good read on him and move forward from there.”

Profitability, listed at 30-1 on the morning line, will exit post 5 in rein to Eric Cancel.

“Hopefully he breaks forward and puts himself in the race,” O’Neill said. “Eric is a patient rider, which I love. Let him get his feet under him and hopefully we'll pick up some or all the pieces late.

“It's a litmus test for most of these,” added O’Neill. “There's some first-time starters entered. It will be an interesting race.”

Profitability is out of the Street Sense mare Vicki T, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Zipessa and stakes-winner Yukio.

Windylea Farm, who won the Big A winter meet this year with 12 victories, is currently eighth in the overall NYRA standings with a record of 107-20-13-30 for purse earnings in excess of $1.1 million. They won the owner's title for the second straight season at the recently concluded Finger Lakes meeting with a record of 76-19-11-17.