TurfPublicists: NY-BREDS SWEEP THREE BELMONT WEEKEND GRADED STAKES

Monday, July 5, 2010

Contact: Jenny Kellner

NY-BREDS SWEEP THREE BELMONT WEEKEND GRADED STAKES

ELMONT, N.Y. – It was a historic weekend at Belmont Park, as New York-bred horses swept all three graded races; Haynesfield impressively winning the Grade 2 Suburban on Saturday, Franny Freud running away with the Grade 1 Prioress on Sunday, and Rightly So hanging on in deep stretch to take Monday’s Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses Handicap by a head.

“This holiday weekend demonstrated where New York-breds are today, quality pedigrees, graded performances,” said Jeffrey Cannizzo, executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc.

Turtle Bird Stable’s Haynesfield, a 4-year-old son of Speightstown who last year won the Grade 3 Discovery to cap off his sophomore campaign, joins Mr. Right, who won in 1969, and Iron Pig, who took the 1964 edition, as the only modern-day state-breds who have won the Suburban, which was first run in 1884 .

Haynesfield, who was bred by Barry Weisbord in partnership with Margaret Santulli and foaled at Gallagher’s Stud, is out of the 2009 New York champion broodmare Nothing Special (by Tejabo).

Franny Freud, who became the first Grade 1 winner for her sire, Freud, was the third New York-bred in 63 runnings to take the Prioress, along with Acey Deucey (2005) and Carson Hollow (2002). The victory was the fourth straight win and seventh stakes score for Franny Freud, who in April won the Grade 2 Beaumont at Keeneland,

Out of Frankly Fran (by D’Accord), Franny Freud is owned by a partnership of Paul P. Pompa, Jr., 2009 New York Breeder of the Year Anthony Grey’s Winter Park Partners, and Stephen Yarbrough.

Rightly So’s tenacious victory in the Bed o’ Roses continued the high level of success that New York-breds have experienced since the race’s inception in 1957, with seven victories in the seven-furlong dirt race beginning with Nany (1985) and continuing with Chaldea (1986), Lady D’Accord (1992-93), Ruby Rubles (2000), Magnolia Jackson (2006).

Owned by Zayat Stables LLC, Rightly So is a 4-year-old daughter of New York stallion Read the Footnotes out of the unraced Out of Place mare Fit Right In. She was bred by Becky Thomas and partners’ Sequel Stallions New York, the leading 2009 and 2010 New York breeder by awards, and home to New York stallions Freud, Noonmark, Hook and Ladder, and Read the Footnotes.

The spotlight shines brightly on the New York-bred program beginning later this month when Saratoga Race Course opens for its 142^nd meet, commencing with the $70,000 Evan Shipman for state-bred 3-year-olds and up on Monday, July 26.

Other state-bred races scheduled during the 40-day meet are the $70,000 John Morrissey for 3-year-olds and up going 6 ½ furlongs on August 5; the $100,000 West Point for 3-year-olds and up on August 19 and its sister race, the $100,000 Yaddo for fillies and mares on August 20, both at 1 1/8^th miles on the turf; the $70,000 Union Avenue for fillies and mares going six furlongs on August 23; the $100,000 Albany for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8^th miles on August 25, and the $70,000 Saratoga Dew for fillies and mares going 1 1/8^th miles on August 30.

Saratoga also is host to a pair of New York Stallion Stakes events, the $100,000 Cab Calloway for 3-year-olds on August 11 and the $100,000 Statue of Liberty for 3-year-old fillies on August 12, both at 1 1/16^th miles on the turf.

“I expect big things from many standout New York-breds during the Saratoga meet and throughout the rest of 2010,” said Cannizzo. “Year over year New York-breds speak for themselves, where it matters most, on the track. New York-based stallion Freud [who stands for Sequel Stallions at Keane Stud] got his first Grade 1 winner and based on his progressive crop of foals, we should see more to come from him as well.”

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