Willfulness

[monicabee]

Willfulness ran a nice race yesterday at Belmont - he couldn't quite get to Mikethemoondog (half to Buy the Sport) in a NY breds NW1 on the turf.

He had a good post, Pablo Fragoso got a hold on him and it was a fun race to watch. Willfulness got to Mikethemoondog a few strides after the wire, so in his mind he won.

You can see the race here

http://www.racereplays.com/nybreds/index.cfm?racename=saturday2

Apart from just enjoying the race, it started a train of thought about NY breds and how that game is getting tougher.

There were some pretty imposing looking competitors in the race, including a gorgeous beast who knocked my socks off first time I saw him called Dynergy - who won on the dirt at first asking but seems not to be delivering on the turf - but its only his third race. He's a NY bred by Dynaformer.

In Willfulness's first race this spring, there was a gorgeous colt called Chestertown Slew, by no less than Seattle Slew.

This division, particularly on the turf, seems packed with some pretty ambitiously bred horses. Mikethemoondog is by Belong to Me, and is a half to Buy the Sport and a couple other stakes winners. The Mig did a good job with him, getting a reasonable first half and then running a fast third quarter to keep his lead.

When I look at the Saratoga NY Bred catalog for Fasig Tipton, it looks like almost 70 percent non New York stallions, and those NY stallions heavily represented are the new sires like Wheelaway. I'm curious to see what the prices are going to be like. Mikethemoondog has a half sister going through there, a filly by Orientate. He's not even listed on her page - that update will make her dam Final Accord 7 for 7. She won't be a bargain, unfortunately, unless she has some major flaw.

[Denise]

Nice race for the Williamstown baby, Monicabee! We had our filly trying up there in state bred company many times, and she ended up winning her A-other than in open company in MD.
The NY program is very ambitious, and I for one am delighted about the new detention procedures; given all the short fields they've been getting as a result, it gives us shippers of NY breds a shot at getting in a heat, even one other than state bred. Good news, as Saratoga approaches.

[monicabee]

Yeah, the bettors may not like the shorter fields, but Angel Dancer, Willfulness' distaff half (of the partnership, that is) scored a nice victory yesterday in a 7 horse field. She's been in the money pretty regularly, so she's competitive in the division, but a softer spot didn't hurt, and this time we got to hear Tom Durkin call "and it's all Angel Dancer!" as she kept flying down the stretch to keep 4 1/2 length lead after making a move on the turn.

It will be interesting to see how Saratoga is affected.