Homebred Critical Value turned in arguably her best performance to date today when taking the Bouwerie at Belmont by a geared down 4 1/2 lengths.
Away from the races since a 4th place effort in the G2 Demoiselle in December, Critical Value positioned herself just off the speed of the race while getting a good ground saving trip from her rail post position. Full of run approaching the top of the lane, Critical Value was angled into the four path by jockey Junior Alvarado before running past her competition with ease shortly thereafter under mild urging.
The win took her record to three wins from five starts and earnings of $266,000.
Claimed for $30,000 just over a year ago, Lucky Move notched her first stakes victory, in open company, against a solid field in the Obeah Stakes at Delaware on Wednesday.
Opening day at @DelParkRacing is plenty of reason to celebrate… and leave it to the #NYbred to bring the fireworks! @Tenstrikeracing's Lucky Move, bred by bred by Maltese Cross & Stonegate, pulled off a 42-1 shocker in the Obeah. Full recap: https://t.co/n8hzdi656q pic.twitter.com/kZ3xpnHkcw
— NYTB (@nytbreeders) June 18, 2020
The six year old Lookin At Lucky mare was making her first start in nearly four months and it looks as though the time off did her well. Sitting off the pace as she usually does, she was kept quiet for the early part of the race before making an eye catching move around the far turn before holding off a challenge in the stretch to win by 1 1/4 lengths, earning a career best Beyer Speed Figure of 93.
The win marked Lucky Move’s first stakes success after coming close on numerous occasions, including a close 2nd place finish in the Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct in January.
Previously posted on thisishorseracing.com
April 7, 2020
Tom Law
Marshall Gramm and Clay Sanders didn’t expect too much when they sent Critical Value to Jeremiah Englehart’s string at Saratoga Race Course last spring.
The daughter of Bodemeister hadn’t shown a lot during her days growing up in New York and her lack of pizzazz continued during training in Florida in early 2019. Gramm and Sanders perhaps had license to not dream overly big for the filly they bred out of a mare whose racing career ended with an injury in a $5,000 claimer at Delaware Park. (Editor’s note: This profile appeared in the New York Thoroughbred Breeders’ commemorative program honoring the 2019 champion New York-breds.)
Still, Critical Value landed in New York even though her owners and breeders didn’t expect her to sniff the NYRA circuit.
“She’s by Bodemeister so we spent a little bit of money to get her,” Gramm said. “We bred to Bode when he was at $30,000 but then she had all sorts of issues from Day 1. At one point we were told to give her away, that she wasn’t going to make it to the races.
“We send most of our horses to Jeremiah, our homebreds that we think are promising and horses in our partnership. Steam Engine, who is a half to Critical Value, he’s in the same partnership as Warrior’s Charge, who won the Razorback for us. We would have put Critical Value in one of those partnerships but we didn’t want to screw our partners with a horse that no one thought that much of. We sent her to Jeremiah thinking Finger Lakes. You want to protect the mare, get a win.”
After arriving from Paul Sharp in Ocala in May, Critical Value fared well in her early training with Englehart during the “offseason” on the Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga and later as the summer meet approached. She didn’t do enough to earn one of the 22 spots on Englehart’s Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour that appeared in the Opening Day edition of The Saratoga Special.
Still, Critical Eye trained forwardly enough to earn a spot in the entries, at Saratoga and not 200 miles away at Finger Lakes. She ran well in her debut, finishing a fast-closing second by a nose to stablemate Thea’s Theme – who did make the Stable Tour but was not among the finalists for champion 2-year-old filly – before breaking her maiden in her next start Aug. 29.
Gramm admitted that his opinion changed after the Saratoga win.
“We thought, ‘Oh my God, we have something here,’ ” he said.
Critical Eye showed again she was more than just something and added the Maid Of The Mist Stakes on Empire Showcase Day in mid-October.
“Once she broke her maiden, even running second that first time, we felt like we were playing with house money,” Gramm said. “She’s not the prettiest to look at. She’s developed quite a bit, she’s not the prettiest mover, but she tries really hard. In the Maid Of The Mist she did things on her own time. It looked for a while like she was going to fade and finish last, when Junior (Alvarado) asked her she started going a little backward into the field, then she got her legs under her and accelerated.”
Gramm and company raised their opinions once again and aimed even higher as Critical Eye turned up in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct in December. She finished fourth, not disgraced but a half-length from a coveted graded stakes placing.
“At that point you start dreaming. We knew we had a filly that has potential for residual value so we went into the Demoiselle thinking we could get a little blacktype. Irad (Ortiz Jr.) was on her, he even admitted that he could have, had he not tried to win. Of course you’re always trying to win, but he sat second, went after the leader and got caught at the end for third.”
Critical Value, beaten 4 3/4 lengths for the win by Lake Avenue, put a cap on her 2-year-old campaign and spent at least part of the winter at Oaklawn Park while looking to start her 3-year-old season.
“Every start she’s made is much more than we could have expected,” Gramm said. “The fact that she pursed $211,000, we’re getting breeders’ awards for that, all for a horse we had low expectations for is exciting. She’s in training now, had a couple setbacks and hopefully will have a big year and take another step forward. It’s been fun with her.”
Foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, Critical Value is the fourth foal produced by the Forestry mare See The Forest. The first three are winners, including New York-breds Backstretch George and Steam Engine. Her first foal, the now 7-year-old Jump Start gelding Grit’n’grind, remains in training with earnings of $204,366 through early March.
See The Forest is the dam of a 2-year-old Munnings filly named Eight And Sand and has a yearling colt by Midnight Lute. She was in foal to Goldencents and was scheduled to be bred to Blame in 2020.
Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables’ Warrior’s Charge fought to the finish line and turned back a charging Bankit to win the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) Feb. 17 at Oaklawn Park.
“It’s a tough day, but this horse came out on top,” Cox said. “I was proud of him, he was training well, and he showed up today. I’m very proud of the horse.”
Warrior’s Charge, who finished fourth in the 2019 Preakness Stakes (G1), made his first start back Dec. 18 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots where he was a frontrunning winner in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming event. The 4-year-old Munnings colt went off as the 3-1 favorite in the Razorback with Florent Geroux in the irons. He went straight for the lead from post 6 and cruised through fractions of :23.69 and :47.85 for the first half-mile. Pioneer Spirit moved to take up the second position, but was knocked back into third by Joevia, who came out from inside to race in second. Pioneer Spirit then moved inside and settled on the rail in third.
As Warrior’s Charge ran three-quarters in 1:12.51, the threats of Snapper Sinclair and Bankit emerged. The two turned for home on the heels of Warrior’s Charge and Pioneer Spirit was just behind them on the rail. Bankit nearly drew even with Warrior’s Charge as the two separated from the field, but the pacesetter found a late gear and dug in to win by a head. The final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:43 on a fast track.
The winner’s circle was a packed house filled by Ten Strike Racing members, a racing partnership based in Arkansas.
Bankit finished second 4 1/4 lengths clear of Snapper Sinclair in third.
Warrior’s Charge has four wins and three thirds from eight starts. He has earned $565,310. Cox said the colt could return in the March 14 Essex Handicap or April 18 Oaklawn Handicap (G2).
“We’ll keep him here and point for one of those races as long as he comes out of it in good order. He’s a solid horse,” Cox said. “He obviously likes Oaklawn. That means a lot when you’re running on this track and Florent has a lot of confidence in him. Hopefully in the near future he’ll be in this paddock soon, so we’ll see what happens.”
The dark bay or brown colt was bred by Al Shaquab Racing in Florida. He is the first foal out of the Broken Vow mare Battling Brook, who is also the dam of 2-year-old and yearling fillies by Khozan. Al Shaquab purchased Battling Brook while she was carrying Warrior’s Charge for $45,000 from the Select Sales consignment to the 2016 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale.
The seven-year-old homebred Dot Matrix became a graded stakes winner last night for the first time when taking the G3 John B Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston.
In a race that marked his first victory beyond 1 1/8 miles, the New York-bred son of Freud pressed the pace in the 1 1/2 mile event and eventually held off all comers to win by 3/4 of a length in the $200,000 event. The winner’s share of $114,000 pushed Dot Matrix over $600,000 in lifetime earnings.
This weekend also marked the opening of Ten Strike’s favorite track, Oaklawn Park and the three day opener did not go by without a Ten Strike Victory.
Recent claim Adheretome picked up Ten Strike’s first victory of the meet in the first race on Sunday, while fellow stablemates Something Natural (Race #7) and Mesange (Race #2) both picked up second place finishes yesterday as well.
Lucky Move continues to provide evidence that her $30,000 claim was a wise one after running 2nd, beaten just 3/4 of a length in the Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct yesterday.
After laying several lengths off the pace, Lucky Move was asked for more going into the far turn while matching strides with the eventual winner, who was exiting a dominant G3 victory. Fighting tooth and nail down the lane, Lucky Move tired late to finish 2nd, but lost nothing in defeat while earning a career best Beyer Speed Figure of 83.
This race marked a big milestone for Lucky Move as, for the first time, she earned blacktype against open company, whereas her prior blacktype had been earned against state-bred company. This run will increase her residual value and is another step in the right direction for the daughter of Ten Strike favorite, Lookin At Lucky.
Meanwhile in New Orleans, stable standout Warrior’s Charge continued to work towards an anticipated start in the G3 $500,000 Razorback at Oaklawn Park on February 17th. The dark bay son of Munnings posted an easy 4f work at Fair Grounds, covering the distance in 49.00 (3/40). All being well, Warrior’s Charge will have three more works before his much anticipated return to graded stakes company.
Warrior’s Charge’s form was given a boost over the weekend after Gun It, who ran 2nd, beaten two lengths by Warrior’s Charge last time out, ran 3rd in the G3 Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds.
Warrior’s Charge, the newly turned four year old son of Munnings looks to make his mark in 2020 and will get his first chance in just over a month’s time in the G3 Razorback at Oaklawn Park.
Last spring at Oaklawn, Warrior’s Charge began to make a name for himself with dominant maiden and allowance victories before running a phenomenal race when finishing 4th in the G1 Preakness.
Off for several months after that due to colic, he made a victorious return to the races last month at Fair Grounds when putting away Gun It to win an allowance by two lengths. Warrior’s Charge emerged from that effort in good shape and it is now full steam ahead back to graded company.
In other recent news, Lucky Move earned more blacktype when just missing by a nose in the Bay Ridge for New York-bred’s at Aqueduct on December 29th. Since being claimed by Ten Strike for $30,000 in April, Lucky Move has hit the board in all seven of her starts including a Saratoga allowance victory, a 3rd in the Saratoga Dew and the aforementioned nose defeat.
The past couple months have highlighted numerous successes for Ten Strike Racing.
In October, homebred Critical Value rolled to her first stakes victory, strolling to a 5 1/2 length score in the Maid of the Mist Stakes at Belmont Park. The daughter of Bodemeister was coming into the race off a 2 3/4 length maiden score at Saratoga and looks to be a top New York-bred three year old filly for 2020.
On November 16th at Laurel Park, OBS April 2018 purchase Benintendi made his long awaited debut; and boy was it worth the wait. Breaking on top from the gate, Benintendi streaked to the lead and never looked back, setting quick fractions on his way to a breakout 8 3/4 length victory which saw him earn an eye-popping 88 Beyer Speed Figure (Replay). The three year old gelded son of Take Charge Indy stamped himself as a horse to watch for the future for a rising star of the training ranks, Brittany Russell.
Just five days later at Churchill Downs, three year old filly Irish Mischief atoned for her 4th place finish in the G2 Raven Run with a dominant win of her own, running a full field of fillies off their feet in allowance company on her way to a 5 1/4 length victory which saw her earn a career best 94 Beyer Speed Figure (Replay).
As we enter the final month of 2019, Ten Strike appears to be loaded for not only a strong end to the year, but also for a big 2020, with stable star Warrior’s Charge back in training and a December return to the races at Fair Grounds having been set as the target.
Dot Matrix, a six-year-old homebred for Ten Strike Racing took the Ashley T. Cole Stakes at Belmont Park on September 22nd, marking his second career stakes victory.
After an unlucky 2nd place finish in the West Point Stakes at Saratoga last time out, Dot Matrix avenged that loss, taking down Offering Plan, the winner of that race, as well as G1 winner Voodoo Song, G3 winner Gucci Factor, and stakes winners Therapist and Red Knight.
Sitting a couple lengths off the pace being set by Voodoo Song, Dot Matrix ranged up to the leader around the turn before engaging in a stretching duel, eventually holding off all comers by a half-length, earning a career best 96 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.
The son of Freud previously captured the Warrior Veterans Stakes last summer at Indiana Grand, taking down several stakes winners in the process. Dot Matrix’s lifetime earnings now stand at $455,487 with a record of 28-9-4-4.
Lucky Move, claimed for $30,000 by Ten Strike Racing at Churchill during Kentucky Derby week, has already paid dividends with a win at Saratoga, followed up by a close 3rd place finish in the Saratoga Dew Stakes back at that same venue on August 8th.
The New York-bred daughter of Lookin At Lucky has blossomed under the care of trainer Bentley Combs, whom she has a win and two third place finishes for.
Lucky Move dropped towards the rear of the field in the Saratoga Dew as she usually does, trailing several lengths behind in the $100,000 event. Having to sit behind a dawdling pace, she began to make up ground as they neared the far turn, gathering up a head of steam before jockey Joel Rosario unfortunately dropped his whip at the top of the lane.
She ultimately ran 3rd, beaten just 2 1/4 lengths, while missing 2nd place by just a head. Since her claim, she has more than earned back her purchase price having racked up over $60,000 in purse money.
Ten Strike Racing