**Please see attached photo of Wine Police. Credit NYRA,
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Contact: Jon Forbes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Wine Police delivered the first eye-catching performance by a 2-year-old debuter during the 2010 Saratoga Race Course meet – which has served as a launching pad for many of history’s best thoroughbreds – on Saturday when he romped home a 7 ¾-length winner.
The juvenile is the first maiden winner at the Spa to be featured in the New York Watch series, which profiles up-and-comers that have recently cleared the maiden ranks at Aqueduct,
Backed as the 5-2 second choice in yesterday’s seventh race, Wine Police wasted no time getting to the front, breaking on top and drilling fractions of 22.22 and 45.50 while receiving pressure from Soldat and Mythical Truth. After putting those rivals away at the head of the stretch, Wine Police leveled off under hand urging to easily defeat Soldat by 7 ¾ lengths, who was 5 ¾ lengths clear of Santiva in third.
“He ran very fast and very impressively,” said winning rider Shaun Bridgmohan. “The most impressive aspect of his debut was the way he relaxed and then when I asked him, how professional he was. Horses came around him and he didn’t panic, and when I asked him to go, he took off.”
Wine Police covered 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.36 – just 0.23 seconds off the track record set by J Be K in 2007 – and received a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 90.
“I thought he looked super under the wire,” said the colt’s trainer, Steve Asmussen. “He looked beautiful when he put his head down – he just scampered away. He came home strong, and I’m very happy with him this morning. Off that performance, we’ll consider a stake for his next start, most likely here in
By the 2004 champion sprinter Speightstown, Wine Police was purchased for $190,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by his owners, J. Kirk and Judy Robison. His dam, Deputy Cures Blues, won a pair of restricted stakes for sprinters in
Many of the industry’s brightest stars embarked upon their careers at the NYRA tracks, including a number of recent Triple Crown race winners. Super Saver, Big Brown, Jazil, Birdstone, Funny Cide, and Empire Maker are all among the
The list also includes recent champions Gio Ponti and Indian Blessing; brilliant fillies Flashing, Little Belle, and Music Note; and the current top older male
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