Chelsea Durand Photo

Ultra-consistent Stonetastic wins Pumpkin Pie; Create a Dream takes Chelsey Flower

by Brian Bohl and Najja Thompson

Stoneway Farm's Stonetastic potentially concluded her career a winner as she went gate-to-wire to capture Sunday's $100,000 Pumpkin Pie at six furlongs on the final day of the Belmont Park fall meet.

Trained by Kelly Breen, the 5-year-old gray mare set the early fractions of 22.04 seconds for a quarter-mile and 45.30 for a half and outkicked Saharan and Disco Chick in the stretch to post a 2 ¾-length victory, hitting the wire in 1:09.51 on the fast track.

Breen said he will talk to the ownership group to see if she will race in the $125,000 Garland of Roses on December 10 at Aqueduct Racetrack or potentially the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl on December 17 at Gulfstream. Should she not run anymore, Stonetastic will finish her career with an 8-5-3 record in 21 starts.

"Now it's a matter of trying to figure out if we're going to try to race her one more time or not. I'll talk to the connections and see what they say," Breen said. "It's bittersweet; it's getting to the end of the career of a really nice, talented filly.

"I know this isn't the Breeders' Cup but we wanted to go out on a winning note," he added. "I don't know if today's the winning note or one more. It's nice to have such a classy filly like this. She's just a fast filly, just really classy."

Off as the 1-2 favorite, Stonetastic paid $3.10 on a $2 win wager and has finished first or second in seven of her last eight races. She also improved her career earnings to $846,062.

"It's unbelievable, it's been a lot of fun," Breen said. "Winning is fun, and when you have a fast filly like this, it makes it that much more fun. It's just a little sad to me that she'll be retiring soon. It's like one of your kids."

The runner-up in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America on October 8 at Keeneland, Stonetastic capitalized on the class relief to win her Belmont debut.

"She's a nice horse," said winning jockey Paco Lopez. "Her last time at Keeneland she just didn't like the track but today it all worked out. We got a beautiful trip and she finished up strong for me."

Saharan, for trainer Jimmy Jerkens, was the runner-up. Disco Chick, for trainer Mario Serey, Jr., finished third in her first start at Belmont.

Fusaichi Red, Let's Parlay and Momameamaria completed the order of finish.Kelsocait, First Charmer and She's Hot Wired were scratched.

Three races later in the $100,000 Chelsey Flower for 2-year-old fillies o the Widener turf course, British-bred Create a Dream picked up her first North American stakes win, making only second start stateside for owner St. Elias Stable and trainer Chad Brown.

Breaking form post position 12 as the 2-1 post-time favorite with Javier Castellano aboard, Create a Dream comfortably settled four-wide in mid-pack as Accepting led the field of 12 through fractions of 23.62 seconds for the opening quarter-mile with the half going in 47.80.

At the quarter-pole, Create a Dream made her winning move, swinging five-wide into the upper stretch. Surpassing Accepting and Yorkiepoo Princess, Create a Dream in full command extended away in the stretch to seize the victory by 1 ½ lengths and complete the one-mile distance in 1:37.52.

"I had perfect trip. Just what I was looking for," said Castellano. "It was a big field with 12 horses in the race. I just tried to save some ground going into the first turn and we were able to execute that and swing out coming for home and look good heading for home to win." 

Returning $6.60 for a $2 win wager, the daughter of Oasis Dream boosted her career earnings to $88,798.

Stablemate Beat the Benchmark was second, followed by Noble Ready, Warrior Hall, Zero Zee, About That Base, Old Line Gal, Accepting, Sensitive, Yorkiepoo Princess, Chubby Star and Out of Trouble.