Icona Mama knocking on door before Listed $175K Pumpkin Pie
DeSales 85’s Icona Mama has hit the board in each of her last 10 starts heading into Saturday’s Listed $175,000 Pumpkin Pie, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont Park.
Trained by Flint Stites, the 4-year-old Maximus Mischief bay rallied from 8 1/4 lengths back in last-of-10 to finish a three-length third last out in the six-furlong Endine over sloppy footing on October 17 at Delaware Park. Piloted by Andrew Wolfsont, Icona Mama was beaten by Grade 2-winner Maida and multiple graded stakes-winner Mystic Lake.
“She had a lot of trouble over that surface at Delaware. It was very muddy, and she just had a hard time getting a hold of it,” Stites said. “She’s not one to like a lot of dirt in her face either. She got shuffled back, all that mud on her and she didn’t want any part of it. The rider was able to get her out, and she closed extremely fast in the stretch. I thought he was pulling her up, next thing I know she’s third. I was like, ‘What?’”
Icona Mama entered that race off a two-length score over dual graded stakes-winner Irish Maxima in the 6 1/2-furlong Liberty Bell on September 19 at Parx Racing. She had returning rider Manny Franco up for the comfortable victory.
“She’s very game and she always tries,” said Stites. “If you can get everything going for her, she’s always right there.”
Icona Mama [post 6, Manny Franco] has made three starts at seven furlongs, hitting the board in each, all at the stakes level. She is 18-4-3-8 overall with $430,451 in earnings.
“I really like this distance for her, I think it is optimal,” Stites said. “I like a stalking trip, preferably on the outside and out of the kickback. She will tolerate it for a while, but it makes her mad if she’s in there too long.”
Don Alberto Stable’s Kentucky homebred Senza Parole [post 4, Flavien Prat] posted a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last out when a 1 1/4-length second to Grade 1-winner R Disaster in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Gallant Bloom on October 1 here.
Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the 4-year-old Gun Runner chestnut previously defeated multiple stakes-winner With the Angels by 2 1/4 lengths over muddy and sealed footing in a six-furlong optional claimer on September 2 at Saratoga Race Course.
Senza Parole breezed a solo half-mile in 48.83 seconds on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
“She had a real nice solo breeze,” said Lee Vickers, assistant to Brown. “Went 48 and four on the training track and we were really happy with that. Moved really good. She looked well in control, on the bridle, and that was a good time for the training track.”
Senza Parole, 11-4-4-1 overall with $390,650 in earnings, seeks her first stakes score in her fifth attempt. Out of the winning Street Cry mare Senza Te, Senza Parole’s second dam is graded stakes-winner Sacristy, who produced Grade 1-placed Flor De La Mar, and is a half-sister to Mozu Superflare, a Group 1-winner in Japan.
Agave Racing Stable and Miller Racing’s Indy Bay [post 1, Micah Husbands] was a last-out fifth in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Princess Rooney on September 12 at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the 4-year-old Take Charge Indy dark bay captured the Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks at the same distance last August among her 15-5-4-2 career.
Bred in Kentucky by Frankfort Park Farm, Indy Bay was initially a $19,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Speightstown mare Discovery Bay.
Rounding out the field are Grade 1-placed Beauty Reigns [post 3, Junior Alvarado] for Hall of Famer Bill Mott; stakes-placed Amalfi Drive [post 2, Antonio Fresu] for conditioner Michael Stidham; and allowance winner Shore War [post 5, Samuel Marin] for trainer Amelia Green.
The Pumpkin Pie is slated as Race 6 on Saturday’s 10-race card, which features the Grade 2 Mother Goose [Race 9], the Listed $200,000 Dwyer [Race 8] and the $175,000 Carle Place [Race 7]. First post is 11:40 a.m. Eastern.
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