Through the first three races of her career, Dayoutoftheoffice has handled every challenge. Stretched out for a third consecutive time and stepping up in class, the daughter of Into Mischief won the one-mile Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette for juvenile fillies on Saturday at Belmont Park.
A debut winner going 4 ½ furlongs in May at Gulfstream Park, trainer and co-owner Timothy Hamm entered her against more challenging competition for her second start, resulting in a six-length triumph in the Grade 3 Schuylerville going six furlongs on July 16 at Saratoga Race Course. Bolstered by that effort, Hamm stretched her out again once more in her Grade 1 bow yesterday, and Dayoutoftheoffice responded with a two-length score in the Frizette, earning an all-fees paid berth to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 6 at Keeneland.
“She came out of the race good and ate everything up and looks good this morning,” said Hamm, who co-owns the horse with Siena Farm, her breeder. “She makes it seem easy. You get so many of these horses that whatever you try, it doesn’t seem to work. Then you get these good ones and it makes it seem like a real easy job.”
Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Dayoutoftheoffice completed the Frizette by outkicking the favorite Vequist, earning a personal-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure. After handling increased distance in every start, Hamm said he is confident the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ 1 1/16-mile distance won’t be a major impediment next month.
“Her demeanor is great. She’s very calm and very push-button,” Hamm said. “She’ll do whatever the rider asks her to in the mornings, so she’s easy to train. That’s the best thing about her. You never have to worry about her eating. When she trains, she does it exactly the way you want her to do it.
“We always thought she wanted more ground,” he added. “I have all the confidence she can handle the mile and a sixteenth. She’s trained like it and she acts like it.”
Hamm will be saddling his first-ever Breeders’ Cup contender, adding a milestone to a career that started with his first victory with Rose Colored Lady at River Downs in 1996.
“It’s very exciting. This is what we all work for,” Hamm said. “All the trainers work to get in spots like this. Whether you’re at the top of the training class or the bottom, everyone’s goal is to get horses in great spots. It’s special.”
Hamm picked up his first career Grade 1 win and his fourth graded stakes victory overall, joining Joanies Bella [2001 Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Lassie] and Afternoon Stroll [2009 Grade 3 Appalachian]. Dayoutoftheoffice ended an 11-year graded stakes drought with her Schuylerville score and gave Hamm a win in the prestigious Frizette, which has seen 13 previsions winners earn the Eclipse Award as Champion 2-Year-Old Filly.
“It’s awesome. I always thought I’d win a few Grade 1s and you wonder when the first one would come,” Hamm said. “You do something long enough and stick to it, the odds are it’s going to happen. It’s great. You get it out of the way and hope you can move on for more.
“The Frizette is one of the major juvenile filly races each year,” he added. “It’s one of the targets for these good fillies. In the history of our training, we’ve had a niche with 2-year-old fillies, so it’s fitting it [first Grade 1 win] came that way.”
Hamm said Dayoutoftheoffice will head to Pennsylvania for a short respite before training at Keeneland heading up to the Breeders’ Cup.
“She’s going to Presque Isle and will spend four days just relaxing and getting a little R and R and we’ll go down to Keeneland and train to the Breeders’ Cup there,” Hamm said.
