Out for a Spin zooms to head of Top Midlantic-bred Poll
Las Setas, one of the top five three-year-olds. Photo by Laurie Asseo.
A win in the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes led to a shakeup among the region’s top three-year-olds, with Out for a Spin rocketing to the top of the three-year-old class in the year’s second edition of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll, released March 12.
Meanwhile, among older horses, Prince Lucky’s second graded stakes win of 2019 — coupled with a defeat by division leader Late Night Pow Wow — enabled him to leap into first among older runners.
Out for a Spin won for the second straight time and third in five starts overall. The Ashland was her first try against stakes company, and under Paco Lopez, she pressed the early pace of favored Jaywalk before taking over and going on to win by a neck. Out for a Spin, the longest shot in the field, returned $106.20 to her relatively few backers.
Out for a Spin is trained by Dallas Stewart for Commonwealth Stable. A three-year-old daughter of Hard Spun, she is out of the Came Home mare My Mammy. She was bred in Virginia by the William M. Backer Revocable Trust and was a $75,000 purchase as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale before failing to meet her reserve as a two-year-old in April 2018.
Out for a Spin now has three wins from five starts and earnings of $354,903.
Out for a Spin’s victory enabled her to seize a narrow advantage over a pair of runners. Last month’s leader, Call Paul (PA), finished third in this month’s Grade 3 Bay Shore and has dropped down to third position, just behind second-place Alwaysmining (MD), who won the Private Terms Stakes for his second win of ’19 and fifth straight overall.
They are followed by the two-time stake-winning filly Las Setas (MD) and the sophomore colt Our Braintrust (MD).
Among older horses, the easy win by Prince Lucky (PA) in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park win allowed him to inch past Late Night Pow Wow (WV). The latter was a willing third in the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland, a defeat that snapped her nine-race win streak.
New to this month’s list of older horses was Beach View (MD), who checked in in fifth place overall. The six-year-old Giant’s Causeway mare has been second and third in a pair of Grade 2 races at Santa Anita thus far in 2019 and has three wins, and more than $274,000 in earnings, to date in her career. She was bred in Maryland by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds and is trained by Leonard Powell for Levy Racing.
Of the 10 horses in the two polls, five were bred in Maryland,. Two were bred in Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, Virginia, and West Virginia, provided one entrant apiece. Of the group, five are males and five are females.
The monthly Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred is the only publication devoted to Thoroughbred breeding and racing in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Racing Biz, an online publication, is the independent voice for mid-Atlantic racing and breeding.
The poll is conducted of media members and others involved in the Thoroughbred industry and restricted to horses that have run in 2019 and were bred in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Carolinas.
- Out for a Spin (VA) — 3yo filly by Hard Spun-My Mammy, by Came Home; bred in Virginia by William M. Backer Revocable Trust; trained by Dallas Stewart for Commonwealth Stable; won Grade 1 Ashland S. Last month: Unranked
- Alwaysmining (MD) — 3yo gelding by Stay Thirsty-What Will Be, by Anees; bred in Maryland by Avla Pitts; trained by Kelly Rubley for Runnymede Racing LLC; won $100,000 Miracle Wood S. Last month: 2
- Call Paul (PA) — 3yo colt by Friesan Fire-Avani Force, by Forestry; bred in Pennsylvania by Beatrice Patterson and Vicky Schowe; trained by Jason Servis for Michael Dubb, David Simon, Bethlehem Stables LLC, and Bruce Irom; 2019 accomplishments: Won G3 Swale Stakes, third in G3 Bay Shore S. Last month: 1
- Las Setas (MD) — 3y filly by Seville-Tanca, by Polish Numbers; bred in Maryland by Bob Manfuso and Katy Voss; trained by Katy Voss for herself, Manfuso, and Wayne Harrison; won $100,000 Wide Country S. Last month: 3rd
- Our Braintrust (MD) — 3yo colt by Freud-Caller Trust, by Trust N Luck; bred in Maryland by Barak Farm; trained by Mark Casse for Gary Barber; 3rd in G3 Withers S., 2nd in Jerome S. Last month: 4
Also receiving votes: Ujjayi, K P Slickem
- Prince Lucky (PA) — 4yo gelding by Corinthian-Lucky Notion, by Great Notion; bred in Pennsylvania by Daniel McConnell, Sr.; trained by Todd Pletcher for Daniel McConnell; won G2 Gulfstream Park Mile, G3 Hal’s Hope S. Last month: 4
- Late Night Pow Wow (WV) — 4yo filly by Fiber Sonde-Holy Pow Wow, by Indian Charlie; bred in West Virginia by John McKee; trained by Javier Contreras for Breeze Easy LLC; won G3 Barbara Fritchie S., $100,000 What A Summer S., 3rd G1 Madison. Last month: 1
- Valedictorian (NJ) — 5yo mare by Temple City-Smart N Classy, by Smart Strike; bred in New Jersey by John Bowers, Jr.; trained by Kelly Breen for Epic Racing; won G3 Suwanee River S., Sand Springs S., 2nd in G3 Honey Fox S., 3rd in G3 Marshua’s River S. Last month: 2
- Blamed (MD) — 4yo filly by Blame-Salsa Star, by Giant’s Causeway; bred in Maryland by Sagamore Farm; trained by Bill Mott for Cleber Massey; won G3 Royal Delta S. Last month: 3
- Beach View (MD) — 6yo horse by Giant’s Causeway-Love’s Blush, by Not for Love; bred in Maryland by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds LLC; trained by Leonard Powell for Levy Racing; 2nd in G2 San Luis Rey S., 3rd in G2 San Marcos S. Last month: Also receiving votes
Also receiving votes: Bonus Points, Anna’s Bandit, Enchanted Ghost, Lewisfield, Cordmaker
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.
