Sea Foam winning the Evan Shipman at Saratoga on Aug. 11, 2021, under Joel Rosario. (NYRA/Coglianese)
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Ten Strike Racing, Four Corners Racing Stable, Broadview Stables and Cory Moelis Racing’s multiple stakes winner Sea Foam worked five-eighths Thursday in 1:01.55 over the Belmont dirt training track in preparation for the $100,000 Alex M. Robb, a nine-furlong test for New York-breds 3-years-old and up on New Year’s Eve at the Big A.
“He’s doing great,” trainer Michelle Giangiulio said. “He went by himself with Kendrick Carmouche on him. It was a nice, easy five-eighths and he went really smooth in 1:01 and 2 and out in 1:15 and change. He came out of it great.”
The 6-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro lost a place battle by a nose to Wild Banker last out in the nine-furlong Empire Classic on October 30 at Belmont, which was won by Americanrevolution, who exited that effort to capture the Grade 1 Cigar Mile presented by NYRA Bets.
Sea Foam, with Carmouche up for the first time in the Empire Classic, dueled with millionaire multiple stakes winner Mr. Buff through a quarter-mile in 22.85 and a half-mile in 45.84 over a sloppy and sealed main track. Although Americanrevolution pulled away down the lane, Sea Foam dug in gamely and was only collared in the final stride by Wild Banker, who had rallied from last-of-8.
“He had such a hot pace battling with Mr. Buff,” Giangiulio said. “He ran so well and just got beat at the wire for second. I was so proud of him to hang on after the pace he had to run. It looks even better now after getting beat by the Cigar Mile winner.”
Claimed for $45,000 out of a winning effort in July at Saratoga for former conditioner Christophe Clement, Sea Foam came back on short rest to win the nine-furlong Evan Shipman against fellow state-breds at first asking for new connections in August at the Spa.
“Running him back in 11 days and winning the Evan Shipman, he paid for himself for the owners,” Giangiulio said. “He’s just a beast.”
Sea Foam exited that effort to finish off-the-board after setting the pace in the 12-furlong Grade 3 Greenwood Cup on September 25 at Parx ahead of the Empire Classic.
“We had to move early in the Greenwood Cup and going a mile and a half, you don’t really want to move early but those were the circumstances that day with others moving early. It just didn’t work out for us that day,” Giangiulio said.
Sea Foam, who faded to fourth in last year’s Alex M. Robb, boasts a record of 25-9-3-3 with purse earnings of $719,745. Bred in the Empire State by Waterville Lake Stables, Sea Foam is out of the graded-stakes winning Unbridled’s Song mare Strike It Rich.
Giangiulio is a perfect 2-for-2 at the Big A winter meet with wins from Baba, who was claimed away for $14,000 out of a three-length score on December 9; and with Eucharist, also owned by Ten Strike Racing and Four Corners Racing Stable, who sprinted to a 2 1/2-length score Thursday at odds of 18-1 under apprentice rider Christian Ramos.
Giangiulio, who was pleased not to lose the horse at the claim box, said Eucharist benefited from racing second time off the claim.
“I figured he wouldn’t get claimed because his last race wasn’t much,” said Giangiulio. “I did win a four-way shake when I claimed him but I wasn’t expecting him to get claimed yesterday.
“He trained good into the race and I knew he’d run well, but it was a bit of a shocker for all of us. The horse has been so unpredictable if you look at his form,” added Giangiulio. “It was a very rewarding win. The bug boy has been breezing him for me in the mornings and he did a fantastic job on him. It was a team effort.”
Giangiulio will send out Alpine Queen, owned by Ten Strike Racing and Cory Moelis Racing, in Race 4 Sunday at the Big A – a one-turn mile $25,000 claimer for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.
The sophomore daughter of Reload was claimed for $25,000 out of a fourth-place finish in July at Saratoga and has made two starts at claiming level over Big Sandy for Giangiulio, finishing fourth in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint on September 19 and second traveling one-mile over a sloppy and sealed track October 31.
“She came out of her last race really well and I’m expecting a good effort on Sunday. Hopefully, we can keep the ball rolling,” Giangiulio said.
Giangiulio said Alpine Queen has proven to be effective on both fast and off tracks.
“She’s pretty versatile. She broke her maiden on a wet track and she ran well last time when the track was sealed,” Giangiulio said. “I’m not too worried, if the track is fast it’s fast – she’s got as good on that as she is in the slop.”
Alpine Queen will exit post 7 under Jorge Vargas, Jr.
Giangiulio’s four-horse stable is completed by Halpert, a 3-year-old New York-bred son of More Than Ready, who was claimed for $30,000 for Four Corners Racing Stable on November 18 from a close fifth in a 1 1/16-mile turf tilt at the Big A.
“He’s doing well. He broke his maiden off-the-turf and maybe he’ll be a versatile type that we can run him on the dirt this winter and then in the spring go back to turf,” Giangiulio said.
Out of the Mizzen Mast mare Dance Craze, Halpert graduated at second asking in an off-the-turf sprint in November 2020 at Aqueduct.
Giangiulio, who went out on her own as a conditioner earlier this year after previously working as an assistant for a number of trainers, boasts a record of 17-3-4-5 for purse earnings of $205,998. She said she is hopeful she can finish the year on a strong note and perhaps add a few more horses to her emerging stable.
“I do most of the work myself and I’m pretty hands on. Obviously, that’s been working out pretty well,” Giangiulio said. “But if I can stay at this size or get a couple more horses through the winter and build up the stable for the springtime, I’d be pretty happy.”
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