Shamrock Rose heads penultimate Top Midlantic-bred Poll of 2018
Shamrock Rose (between) won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Photo by Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire/CSM
MID-ATLANTIC THOROUGHBRED/THE RACING BIZ TOP MIDLANTIC-BRED POLL
- Shamrock Rose (PA) — 3yo filly by First Dude-Slew’s Quality, by Elusive Quality; bred by Best A Luck Farm LLC; trained by Mark Casse for Conrad Farms; won G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Grade 2 Lexus Raven Run, La Lorginette S., Malvern Rose S. (also receiving votes last month)
- Unique Bella (PA) — 4yo filly by Tapit-Unrivaled Belle, by Unbridled’s Song; bred by Brushwood Stable; trained by Jerry Hollendorfer for Don Alberto Stable; won G1 Clement L. Hirsch, G1 Beholder Mile, G2 Santa Maria, 2nd Grade 1 Apple Blossom. Now retired. (2nd last month)
- Spring Quality (PA) — 6yo gelding by Quality Road-Spring Star, by Deputy Minister; bred by George Strawbridge, Jr.; trained by Graham Motion for Augustin Stable; won G1 Manhattan S., 2nd G3 Fort Marcy, 3rd G1 Sword Dancer (1st last month)
- Knicks Go (MD) — 2yo colt by Paynter-Kosmo’s Buddy, by Outflanker; bred by Angie Moore; trained by Ben Colebrook for KRA Stud Farm; won G1 Breeders’ Futurity, 2nd G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (5th last month)
- Late Night Pow Wow (WV) — 3yo filly by Fiber Sonde-Holy Pow Wow, by Indian Charlie; bred by John McKee; owned and trained by Javier Contreras; won G3 Charles Town Oaks, Willa on the Move S., WV Cavada Breeders Classic, Sylvia Bishop Memorial S. (6th last month)
- Still Having Fun (MD) — colt by Old Fashioned-Casual Kiss, by Dehere; bred by Tim Keefe and Mr. and Mrs. Charles McGinnes; trained by Tim Keefe for Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Terp Racing LLC; won G2 Woody Stephens, Miracle Wood S., Whiteley S. (3rd last month)
- Blamed (MD) — 3yo filly by Blame-Salsa Star, by Giant’s Causeway; bred by Sagamore Farm; trained by Bill Mott for Cleber Massey; won G3 Comely S., Sunland Park Oaks, Island Fashion S., El Paso Times S., 2nd G2 Lexus Raven Run (not listed last month)
Also receiving votes: Army Mule, One Go All Go, Pumpkin Rumble, Sunny Ridge, Beach View, Daddy Is a Legend, Cosmic Burst, Ruby Notion, Whereshetoldmetogo, Senior Senator
In with a bang
Two horses who were not among the top seven in last month’s Top Midlantic-bred Poll are new to the list this month — including the top-ranked horse of all.
Top-ranked Shamrock Rose (PA) won a pair of graded races to leap from the roster of those also receiving votes to the head of the class. The daughter of First Dude won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, narrowly prevailing in a frantic finish for trainer Mark Casse and owner Conrad Farms. That win came one race after she had scored in the Grade 2 Lexus Raven Run at Keeneland.
The Raven Run runner-up was another Midlantic-bred: the Maryland-bred Blamed (MD), a daughter of Blame bred by Sagamore Farm and trained by Bill Mott for Cleber Massey. Sent to Mott after a productive early season in the Southwest, she now also owns a graded stakes win, having taken the Grade 3 Comely.
The retiring type
One of the top seven — Unique Bella (PA) — is retired. But voters couldn’t stay away, and who can blame them? She won two Grade 1 races and a Grade 2 race, while also finishing third in yet another G1 test.
The daughter of Tapit was trained by Jerry Hollendorfer for Don Alberto Stable. She concludes her career with nine wins from 12 starts, more than $1.2 million in earnings, and an Eclipse Award as champion sprinter.
Another retiree — Army Mule (PA) — is first on the list of those also receiving votes.
Quite a quartet
The top four on the list all are Grade 1 winners. In addition to Shamrock Rose and Unique Bella, they include:
- Spring Quality (PA), winner of the Grade 1 Manhattan. The Quality Road gelding, who also placed in a couple of other graded events, is trained by Graham Motion for the Augustin Stable operation of breeder George Strawbridge, Jr.
- Knicks Go (MD), who took the Grade 1 Breeders Futurity at Keeneland. The Paynter colt also ran a game second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He is trained by Ben Colebrook for KRA Stud Farm and was bred by Angie Moore.
Odds ‘n’ ends
Three of the runners — the top three, in fact — were bred in Pennsylvania. Three of the other four were bred in Maryland.
The seventh, Late Night Pow Wow, was bred in West Virginia by John McKee. The sophomore daughter of Fiber Sonde, winner of the G3 Charles Town Oaks, was bred by John McKee. She is trained by Javier Contreras, who for most of the year also owned her. But after the Oaks, he sold her to Breeze Easy LLC.
Four of the runners are females, and three are males.
Participating Voters: Ted Black (freelance writer), Michael Campbell (Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey), Joe Clancy (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Cindy Deubler (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Linda Dougherty (freelance), Debbie Easter (Virginia Thoroughbred Association), Paul Espinosa (Charles Town Races), Anne Frederick (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Rich Glazier (Delaware Park), Cricket Goodall (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Jim Hague (freelance), Nick Hahn (freelance), Carol Holden (West Virginia Breeders Classics), Tom LaMarra (The Blood-Horse), Jeff Nations (freelance), Kate Painter (West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association), Vinnie Perrone (freelance), Frank Petramalo (Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association), Gary Quill (The Racing Biz), David Richardson (Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association), Brian Sanfratello (Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association), Sal Sinatra (Maryland Jockey Club), Chris Sobocinski (Delaware Park), Dan Tordjman (freelance), Frank Vespe (The Racing Biz), Bill Watson (freelance), Lydia Williams (freelance), Bobby Zen (freelance).
Note — Not all participating voters will vote in every poll.
