Aqueduct: 4-for-4 Sacrosanct, Stone Smuggler beat N.Y. rivals

Sacrosanct ran his record to 4-for-4 with three consecutive
stakes wins when he held off National Identity by a head in Saturday’s $500,000
Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a
seven-furlong sprint for eligible state-sired 2-year-olds at Aqueduct.

It was part of a sire sweep for Into Mischief in the two NYSSS
races Saturday. His daughter Stone Smuggler won the Fifth Avenue division for
2-year-old fillies.

Click here for Aqueduct entries and results.

Trained by dual Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, the New
York-bred Honest Mischief bay owned by Lady Sheila Stable, Net Birdie and
Schwing Thoroughbreds entered off a pair of local state-bred stakes scores,
capturing the Sleepy Hollow by 1 1/2 lengths last out Oct. 27 after a dominant
12-length victory in the Bertram F. Bongard on Sept. 22. He was piloted by
returning rider Manny Franco in both victories along with a 3 1/4-length debut
score in August at Saratoga.

Sheila Rosenblum of winning co-owner Lady Sheila Stable said
it is special to own such a talented horse for New York-sired stakes races.

“I think it’s a great program, and we’re lucky to be a part
of it. I’m incredibly pleased with what he’s doing. Sacrosanct is a good
talent,” Rosenblum said. “He and Manny Franco are becoming a good team
together. I think the program needs this and is spectacular. I was always so
pro New York, and the turnout, it’s wonderful to see the people out.”

The favored Sacrosanct exited the inside post under Franco
and settled into second position to stalk George Weaver-trained Bold Fortune,
who led through an opening quarter-mile in 22.30 seconds on the fast dirt.

“The Weaver horse, he was the speed. I let him clear me, and
I went around right away,” Franco said. “After that I just put my horse where
he was comfortable, and I don’t want to let (Bold Fortune) get away from me too
easy neither.” 

Bold Fortune, a last-out, pacesetting, 7 3/4-length victor in
the state-bred New York Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 21 at Finger Lakes, was
tracked by Sacrosanct into the turn. The pair put a gap between themselves and
the rest of the field through a half-mile in 45.01 seconds with National
Identity making up the most significant ground to grab third position.

“I was so happy, because that was where I wanted to be,”
Franco said. “I wanted to be outside (Bold Fortune) and get the first run of
the horses coming from behind.”

Sacrosanct put his head in front of Bold Fortune at the top
of the lane to take a narrow lead, but National Identity improved down the
center of the course and was quickly within a half-length under Kendrick
Carmouche. As this pair battled head and head for the lead in the stretch,
Soontobeking made a rapid move from farther back and tried to go inside tiring
Bold Fortune for a run at the leaders, but he checked hard as the window along
the rail shut.

“When the other horse came to me, I said, eh, I fight
already, so let’s see if he’ll give me another gear,” Franco said of National
Identity’s challenge. “He did, and he was game. He didn’t want to lose today.”

Sacrosanct, despite enduring the sharp fractions on the
front end, would not go down to National Identity without a fight.
Smilensaycheese was three lengths back giving chase after three-quarters of a
mile in 1:10.46.

Sacrosanct was tested more than ever by National Identity
but ultimately kept his head in front to maintain his perfect record with a
final time of 1:24.10.

“They were setting an honest pace, and when the runner-up
came up to him, he really dug in. I was really happy with the horse,” said
Dustin Dugas, Cox’s New York-based assistant.

It was 2 3/4 lengths back to Smilensaycheese in third with
another five lengths back to Soontobeking rounding out the superfecta.
Twohonestmischief, Buttah, Bold Fortune and Missing Rocks completed the finish
in that order. Friend Ofthe Devil, who is entered in a state-bred optional
claimer Sunday, and Man in Finance were scratched. 

Carmouche said that Danny Gargan-trained National Identity
was game in defeat.

“He tried his best, just second best. Nothing you can do. I
had him in the right spot, and I thought (Sacrosanct) was going quick enough in
front where I could have run him down,” Carmouche said. “But his horse fought
all the way through the wire. The best horse won today.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, aboard fourth-place
Soontobeking for Weaver, said he was unlucky when forced to check as Dylan
Davis-ridden stablemate Bold Fortune weakened.

“I thought I had it. I did the right thing. The horse comes
from behind. I saved all the ground and tried to go through on the rail,”
Castellano said. “The rail was open, and when it was time to go, Dylan dropped
all the way to the rail. I had to check and had no place to go. I made the
right decision, but it didn’t work out for me.”

Sacrosanct, who was bred in New York by Burleson Farms,
Mckenzie Bloodstock and Sequel Thoroughbreds, is out of Unbridled’s Song mare
Vibrato. He was a $260,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds-in-training
Sale. His second dam is dual stakes winner Cuff Me.

Sacrosanct banked $275,000 in victory while improving his
record to 4: 4-0-0 and returning $3.10 for a $2 win bet as the post-time
favorite.

Stone Smuggler gets
through in Fifth Avenue

Stone Smuggler made all the right moves to notch her second
career stakes victory in the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York
Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible state-sired 2-year-old
fillies.

Owned by NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and SunsetRidge
Racing Stable  and trained by Jorge
Abreu, the New York-bred daughter of Honest Mischief gave her sire a sweep of
the two stallion stakes. She added to a maiden-breaking score in the 5
1/2-furlong state-bred Lady Finger in September at Finger Lakes and improved
from a prominent third last out at Aqueduct in the state-bred Key Cents on Nov.
17.

Dan Zanatta, co-managing partner of NY Final Furlong Racing
Stable, praised Sequel Stallions’ popular young sire Honest Mischief, who will
stand in 2025 for $7,500. Stone Smuggler was purchased for $57,000 at the
Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred preferred yearling Sale, and hopes also are
high for their other Honest Mischief filly Oklahoma Smoke, who broke her maiden
impressively one week ago at Aqueduct.

“We ended up buying four Honest Mischiefs pretty early
at the weanling and yearling sales. They were all really balanced, maybe a
little shorter-legged horses, but they all had tremendous hips, great girths,
great toplines and great walking motion,” Zanatta said. “We love New York-sired
horses to go after, because typically we can buy the best ones. We can afford
to buy the best ones. We bought Oklahoma Smoke, and we bought her as the two
best Honest Mischiefs we found of the filly crop, and it’s worked out for us.”

Guided to victory by José Lezcano, Stone Smuggler emerged
sharpest of 11 from the outermost post but was unhurried as a quartet of foes
led by rail-skimming Bam’s Bliss Kiss all made a dash for the front. The
opening quarter-mile elapsed in 22.72 seconds over the fast footing.

Bam’s Bliss Kiss remained in front approaching the turn. Stunning
Sugar, Mischief Lady and Blossoming Erudite battled for second position, and
Stone Smuggler tracked wide and patiently in the middle of the tightly-bunched
field.

Bam’s Bliss Kiss and Mischief Lady remained at the front
entering the turn. Blossoming Erudite toiled, and Stunning Sugar quickly
backpedaled, making things tight for Queen Atlas and causing her to lose ground
significantly and shuffle to the rear of the field.

All the while, Lezcano kept Stone Smuggler in the clear in
the four path and started his bid past tiring Blossoming Erudite. Mischief Lady
stuck her head in front of stubborn Bam’s Bliss Kiss through the half-mile in
46.59 seconds. Stone Smuggler no longer was alone on the far outside as
Princess Mischief and post-time favorite Boston’s Phinest ranged up even wider
from well off the pace. They gave chase into the lane with Stone Smuggler
chipping away at the tiring pacesetters.

Boston’s Phinest spun her wheels, and Princess Mischief
appeared to be rolling down the center of the course under Castellano, but
Stone Smuggler inched clear and dug in valiantly to turn back her foe, scoring
by 1 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:24.90.

Material Girl found her best stride late under Davis and
bested Princess Mischief for place honors by a neck at the wire. Boston’s
Phinest, D’s a Rock, Mischief Lady, Storm Changer, Bam’s Bliss Kiss, Blossoming
Erudite, Queen Atlas and Stunning Sugar completed the finish in that order.
Idyll Gossip was scratched.

Lezcano, aboard for the first time in the afternoon, said
the filly was professional in her first start going beyond six furlongs.

“She ran a good race. I think the seven-eighths was no
problem for her,” Lezcano said. “The post helped my filly today. She broke
clean, and I sat where I wanted to be. When I asked her, she went on and won
the race.”

The Fifth Avenue marked the largest purse won this year by
Abreu, whose memorable season included his first graded-stakes win with
Scottish Lassie in the $400,000 Frizette (G1) in October at Aqueduct.

Abreu said he was pleased with the trip Lezcano worked out.

“She really ran well. I was a little concerned about the
seven-eighths with her. I didn’t know if she could go that far, but she did
it,” Abreu said. “I was a little bit concerned (about the outside post), but
the race had a lot of speed inside of her, so that worked out well. I said to
José whoever takes the lead, just park right outside of them. Stretching out I
didn’t want to see her fighting for the lead. José rode a great race.”

Zanatta said the Fifth Avenue had been the long-term goal
for Stone Smuggler.

“We have never had a horse in this race before. Over the
past two or three years, we specifically went out and bought horses for this
race,” Zanatta said. “We bought this filly at the yearling sale with this race
in mind. So 18 months later to be in this race never mind win it is a success.
Very rarely do you buy a horse a year-and-a-half before a race target and
actually get there.”

Abreu said Stone Smuggler will head to Florida and prepare
for the seven-furlong, state-bred $125,000 East View on Feb. 8 at Aqueduct.

Stone Smuggler, bred in the New York by Eaton and Thorne, is
out of winning Bustin Stones mare Bustinattheseams. She banked $275,000 in
victory while returning $7.80 on a $2 win ticket.

Davis, aboard Chad Brown-trained runner-up Material Girl,
said he was proud of the effort by the daughter of Central Banker, especially as
a maiden in a competitive stakes making just her third career start.

“She ran great. I breezed her a couple times, and she showed
that what she was doing in the morning translated to here really nicely,” Davis
said. “I was excited for her to run today, and she performed well. She came
with a good finish, and second was really good.”