Weaver well-represented by trio of contenders in $175K Joseph A. Gimma
Trainer George Weaver will send out the competitive trio of Extravaganzoo, Boomesherang and Tiger Line in Friday’s $175,000 Joseph A. Gimma, a 6 1/2-furlong inner turf sprint for New York-bred juvenile fillies, at Belmont Park.
The Gimma was originally slated for Thursday, but was rescheduled as Race 3 on Friday’s nine-race program to co-feature with the Listed $175,000 Artie Schiller [Race 8] and $175,000 Bertram F. Bongard [Race 2]. Thursday’s card instead features six graded events, led by the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, after the cancelation of this weekend’s live racing programs due to a strong nor’easter impacting Long Island. First post on Friday is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Extravaganzoo [post 1, Manny Franco] brings solid stakes form off a stalking third to the well-regarded Go for Launch in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Bolton Landing on August 26 over firm going at Saratoga Race Course.
The Golden Pal dark bay tracked in fifth-of-8 in the early stages and angled out to the five-path to make her bid with a quarter-mile left to run, giving chase in the lane to come up 2 3/4 lengths shy in her stakes debut. She earned a career-best 69 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.
"I thought she ran very well,” Weaver said. “I would think that she would fit well in here, running against New York-breds. She's a nice filly, so this is a good spot for her."
Extravaganzoo has made each of three starts at 5 1/2 furlongs, including a second-out graduation against fellow state-breds on July 16 at Saratoga in a 3 3/4-length romp that garnered a 65 Beyer. The $375,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase was bred by Fred W. Hertrich, III and Robert L. Tribbett and is out of the Blame mare Prisoner’s Dilemma, a half-sister to dual graded stakes-placed Brigand and Hush Now, dam of graded stakes-placed Hush of a Storm.
Robert Klimasewski and Tammy Klimasewski’s homebred Boomesherang [post 7, Edgard Zayas] makes her first start for Weaver off a debut maiden win on July 21 sprinting five furlongs over the Presque Isle Downs synthetic for trainer Ron Potts. The daughter of the Weaver-trained Vekoma got a feel for the grass with a trio of works over the Spa's Oklahoma training turf in August and September, including a half-mile in 47.66 seconds on August 21.
Boomesherang was slated to make her barn debut in the 1 1/16-mile Listed P. G. Johnson on September 4 at Saratoga, but was a late scratch after acting up in the gate.
"We had her in the PG Johnson and she had an incident at the gate and was scratched. This is a good spot for her, too,” Weaver said.
Completing the Weaver trio is Emcee Stable and Corey Lonberger’s Tiger Line [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche], a debut winner sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs against fellow state-breds on September 4 at the Spa. The dark bay daughter of Bucchero, who was bred by Robert Cotran, set a pressured pace under Manny Franco and kicked clear to a 1 1/2-length lead at the stretch call. A group of challengers charged late down the outside, but Tiger Line dug in gamely to hold onto a three-quarter-length advantage over Forecheck in a final time of 1:03.96.
"She came out of the race well and she's moved forward,” Weaver said. “She's a New York-bred and this is really the only spot that's an option for her."
Tiger Line was a $240,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Gypsy Jo, who also produced stakes-winner Kay Cup.
Bridle Path Racing’s Gold Fashioned will stretch out one furlong when making her stakes bow for trainer Jena Antonucci. The Golden Pal chestnut was impressive in her September 2 debut at Saratoga, stalking in second through the first quarter-mile of the 5 1/2-furlong affair against restricted auction company and pouncing at the five-sixteenths pole to power home a 2 1/2-length winner in a final time of 1:04.75 over the yielding footing.
Antonucci said she was encouraged by the effort from the $65,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, who entered off six local breezes dating to early July.
"I didn't have a huge plan to run her there and would have liked to have gotten more work into her before her first start, but [we] got her going to get some experience, it worked out well, and she's continuing to mature and get more fit,” Antonucci said. “We're looking forward to this race.”
Gold Fashioned returned to the work tab on September 23, posting a five-furlong move in 1:02.88 over Saratoga’s Oklahoma dirt training track in company with Girls Wear Pearls, who is pointing to the Grade 1 Frizette on October 3 here.
"She's been serious about her work, but has always been one that's kind of understood things. She just goes about her work, she doesn't cause trouble and she just does her thing. That's nice to have when you've got a barn full of big personalities,” Antonucci said, with a laugh. “She's a very sweet filly."
Gold Fashioned was bred by Spruce Lane Farm, Becker, Copper Beech Stables, Empire Equines and Gib, is out of the winning Sky Mesa mare Bourbon Endowment, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Laura’s Light, multiple graded stakes-placed Barry Lee and stakes-winner Play Action Pass.
Jose Morelos will ride from post 2.
Lea Farms’ Legacy Lady [post 4, Ricardo Santana, Jr., blinkers ON] enters from a prominent fourth facing males in the 5 1/2-furlong Skidmore on August 27 at the Spa for trainer Jorge Delgado, earning a 62 Beyer. The Highly Motivated bay graduated by 3 1/2 lengths in pacesetting fashion second out on July 17 sprinting five furlongs over the Monmouth Park turf.
Completing the field is Joseph Schumer’s Cafe Rose [post 6, Fausto Henrique Da Silva] who ships in from Canterbury Park where she led each step of the way to a 4 1/2-length victory in a five-furlong turf maiden on September 6 for trainer Tena Birdwell. The Yaupon dark bay was a $7,000 OBS June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale purchase and was bred by Barry Ostrager.
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