Ziaerati an impressive winner on debut Jan 15 (NYRA/Coglianese)
Florida Target for Stakes-winning Spirit and Glory
Mr Bob, Eighth in Holy Bull, Looks to 1X vs 3YO
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Ziaerati breezed a half-mile in company in 50.89 seconds yesterday over the Belmont dirt training track in preparation for Saturday’s $200,000 Busher, a one-turn mile for sophomore fillies that offers 50-20-15-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers.
Trained and co-owned by Robert Falcone, Jr. in partnership with John Grossi’s Racing Corp., the Into Mischief bay was piloted in the breeze by Trevor McCarthy, who is expected to return from injury and ride for the first time since November 18 on Friday here.
“She worked good. She went in company with an older horse,” Falcone, Jr. said. “She went real smooth and could have gone a lot faster if we let her. I told Trevor to let her gallop out and as soon as he let his hands down at the wire, she took off and had a really big gallop out.”
Ziaerati was an impressive gate-to-wire winner on debut under Dylan Davis, annexing a field of six on January 15 here in a seven-furlong maiden special weight by 8 1/4-lengths. The runner-up of that event, Promiseher America, returned to win a one-mile maiden event by 6 1/4-lengths on February 19.
“She won the first time out so easily and so impressively. I’m excited to see her in stakes company,” Falcone, Jr. said.
McCarthy will pick up the mount for the Busher.
“He’s a smart rider and a strong rider and it’s good to have him back,” Falcone, Jr. said.
Ziaerati, out of the stakes-placed Munnings mare Zia, was purchased for $145,000 at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Stakes-winner Spirit And Glory, trained and co-owned by Falcone, Jr. with Michael Nentwig, Michael Dubb, Beast Mode Racing and John Rochfort, finished an even fifth last out in the Grade 3 Endeavour on February 4 at Tampa Bay Downs.
The 4-year-old Cotai Glory filly tried a more prominent approach in the 1 1/16-mile turf test, racing within three lengths of the lead, but failed to show her usual closing effort down the lane.
“No real excuses. We tried to keep her a little closer than she usually is to see if she had the same kick and, of course, they flew around the track and she didn’t have the same kick,” Falcone, Jr. said. “Sometimes, horses like that, you just have to leave them alone and that’s how they’re going to run and be pace dependent for their entire career.”
The Irish-bred bay closed from last-of-8 to win her North American debut in June at Belmont and added the Virginia Oaks to her ledger with a similar rallying flourish in September at Colonial Downs.
Falcone, Jr. said he will look for a Florida target for Spirit And Glory.
“I gave her a couple easy weeks and she’s back in training. We’ll look around for a spot to run her,” Falcone, Jr. said.
Mr Bob, trained and co-owned by Falcone, Jr. with John Grossi’s Racing Corp. and Beast Mode Racing, finished a distant eighth last out in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Holy Bull on February 4 at Gulfstream.
The Practical Joke sophomore was effective in a pair of 6 1/2-furlong sprints in Kentucky last year, graduating at second asking in October at Keeneland and finishing second in the Ed Brown in November at Churchill Downs.
He bobbled at the break of the one-mile Mucho Macho Man on New Year’s Day at Gulfstream and closed from last-of-11 to finish sixth, defeated less than five lengths.
Mr Bob added blinkers for the Holy Bull and set the pace before faltering.
“He breezed good with the blinkers on so we put them on and stretched him out and sent him to the lead. In hindsight, he probably didn’t want to go that far,” Falcone Jr. said. “He’s doing good out of that race. We’ll throw the distance races out the window and cut him back. He’ll probably go to our Keeneland division. He likes the track over there and we’ll look for a 1X against straight 3-year-olds.”
