The start of the Beldame. (NYRA/Coglianese)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Chauncey D. Cole, III’s stakes-placed Macdonough will look to give trainer Rachel Sells her second career stakes win in next Saturday’s $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired 2-year-olds, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The bay son of Teuflesberg arrives from a third-place finish in the Tin Cup Chalice on October 25 at Finger Lakes Racetrack, where he finished 10 1/2 lengths in arrears of runaway winner Allure of Money after a prominent trip under Joel Sone. That effort came on the heels of an upset maiden coup at odds of 38-1 on September 21 sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs over the same course in wire-to-wire fashion.
“He’s a scrappy horse,” said Sells. “He’s one that’s not afraid to look a horse in the eye and try to keep going with them. He’s got that fight in him that you look for in a racehorse. He’s not the biggest horse, but the heart is there.”
While Allure of Money ran away with the race, Macdonough ran a game third in the Tin Cup Chalice Stakes at Finger Lakes. Forward to Race 3.
Sells, who started her first horse in 2017, is in search of her second stakes victory after winning last year’s Jack Betta Be Right at Finger Lakes with Mad for Fame. The native of Fairport, N.Y., a small town 11 miles outside of Rochester, grew up going to the races at Finger Lakes with her father, who got her interested in the sport.
“I was a hunter-jumper in the professional world to start, and then I switched over to the racehorses,” said Sells. “My dad was really into being a spectator and he liked to gamble, so he used to take me out of school and to the track with him. That’s where my love all started.”
Sells was a longtime assistant to trainer Karl Grusmark and relished her time learning from the veteran conditioner.
“I was a hotwalker for Karl Grusmark and he took me under his wing,” said Sells. “I was his assistant for 10 years and he taught me a ton about the horsemanship and an old school kind of way of training. He let me fall on my face a couple times and was always there to help pick me up and move me along, so I give a lot of credit to him for really teaching me about the aspects of the racing world.”
Sells has brought a small string to Belmont Park for the winter, and also maintains a string at Penn National Race Course. She recently started three horses at the Aqueduct fall meet, hitting the board twice when April Antics finished third in a November 10 claiming event and One Whirlwind Ride finished a close second in a $16,000 claimer on Sunday.
“We’ve got a string at Belmont and Penn National and then a couple horses at a training facility in Kentucky,” said Sells. “We’re just trying to hustle to get a winner.”
As of Friday, Sells career record stands at 119-143-136 from 1,149 starts and earnings of $2,409,060. She has four horses entered at the Big A this weekend, including Frank Fiumera and Come What May Racing’s well-bred maiden Color Commish in Race 6 on Sunday. The son of Commissioner is a descendant of 1997 Grade 1 Alabama winner Runup the Colors.
Macdonough, who was bred in the Empire State by Cole, III and McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, is out of the twice-winning Circular Quay mare Getthemoneyhoney, a direct maternal descendant of multiple graded stakes-winner and 1977 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Our Mims. His second dam, Maresa, is a half-sister to 1997 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Elmhurst.
Aqueduct fall meet Week 7 stakes probables
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17
$500K NYSSS Great White Way
Probable: Bustino Santino (Bruce Levine), General Banker (James Ferraro), Incantation (H. James Bond), Jackson Heights (Orlando Noda), Laurel Valley (Todd Pletcher), Lifetime of Chance (Linda Rice), Macdonough (Rachel Sells), Playingwithmatches (Mark Hennig), Thtwasthenthisisnw (Michael Gorham), Vacation Dance (John Kimmel)
Possible: On the Ledge (Michelle Nevin)
$500K NYSSS Fifth Avenue
Probable: Central Speed (John Terranova), Dream On Cara (Mitchell Friedman), Forces Sweetheart (Saffie Joseph, Jr.), Les Bon Temps (Mike Maker), Little Linzee (Domenick Schettino), Midtown Lights (Brad Cox), Our Rosie Diamonds (Amira Chichakly), Sweet Liberty (Patrick Quick)
$100,000 Alex M. Robb
Probable: Barese (Mike Maker), Dr. Blute (Saffie Joseph, Jr.), Perfect Munnings (Todd Pletcher), Reggae Music Man (Patrick Reynolds), Sea Foam (Michelle Giangiulio), Three Jokers (John Terranova)
Possible: Chestertown (Steve Asmussen), Wudda U Think Now (Rudy Rodriguez)
$100,000 Bay Ridge
Probable: Caragate (Mitchell Friedman), Fight On Lucy (Patrick Kelly), Know It All Audrey (Oscar Barrera III), Let Her Inspire U (Todd Pletcher), Venti Valentine (Jorge Abreu)
Possible: Ice Princess (Linda Rice), Mashnee Girl (Mark Hennig)
