Under a strong ride by Paul Nicol, Edition Farm's VIVA JULIA
got the nod in a tight photo to take today's $21,600 featured seventh race.
Trained by Jonathan Buckley this was Viva Julia's forth win
out of her last five starts. The three year filly by Williamstown
had some trouble in her last race on September 12
when she checked at the seven-sixteenth pole
and still managed a solid third place finish to Kiki B.
Prior to that effort, the Buckley trainee shipped in from Belmont Park
and rattled off three straight starting back on July 11.
Today's contest was restricted to fillies and mares
which had never won a state-bred race other than going six furlongs.
Seven evenly matched rivals were set to go
with James and Robert Cole's Pixie Dust
the luke warm choice over Viva Julia at 2.30 to 1.
Trained by Kenneth R. Smith, Pixie Dust has been a hard knocker all year long.
The four year old speedster by Tale of the Cat has ten starts on the year
with 2 wins, 3 seconds, 4 thirds and $35,242 in earnings.
Pixie Dust with Carlos Dominguez in the irons
broke quickest of all and contested the lead
with A Rose for Chris while getting the opening quarter in 22.80.
Viva Julia was not in any hurry while between Bold Jubilation and Hailey Keen.
Pixie Dust put A Rose for Chris away on the bend
with Viva Julia getting it in gear.
Also Hailey Keen was making her move along the fence.
Those three reached the eighth pole together with Pixie Dust in the middle.
Pixie Dust looked done and Viva Julia was home free.
But Pixie Dust came back on and battled to the line to just miss by a whisker.
Devil's Last Dance finished strongly from the middle of the strip
to miss by a head and a half length.
Viva Julia covered the distance over a fast track in 1:13.64 and earned $12,9
60.
Bred by Edition Farm, the three year old filly by Williamstown out of Vivaling
by Explodent
now has five career wins out of 16 starts and $83,184 in money won.
Also the home bred qualified for $2,592 in breeders' awards.
The sales at Saratoga were successful for Edition Farm.
We sold three yearlings:
Forest Wildcat x Wake Up Kiss
City Zip x Ivar's Honey
City Zip x Reverse the Call
We shall watch their progress and success at the race track,
and wish their new owners well.
Next year's crop is also very exciting with foals by
Posse, Cactus Ridge, Lion Heart,
Yes It's True, Gold Token and Freud
Edition Farm sets Finger Lakes on fire with 11 wins.
Homebreds, A Very Young Jet, Behrly Mine and Viva Julia record wins.
At Saratoga and Belmont we are hitting the board with
Takemeoutodabalgame.
A win for him is coming soon.
Returning from some R&R will be homebreds Mia Chilena and Nena Manach.
Homebred, A Very Young Jet, has won
three Allowance races at Finger Lakes.
In all three, he sprinted to the lead after exploding starts,
and led to the wire...once by almost eight lengths.
Rate Base – our New York bred,
by retired Thunder Puddles x Madame Mystque by Sir Wimborne,
won this spring in Brookville, NC.
On the Flats,
he won several races at Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga.
When his previous owner decided to retire him,
Rate Base became part of Edition Farm for his
new and exciting life. Trained by Janet Elliot who rides him in the morning,
he is now allowed to roll in the sand paddock, have a bath,
enjoys grass turnout and comes inside for dinner and a long sleep.
In Steeplechase,
he has won four races and placed in almost all others.
A very peacful and exciting retirement.
Another of our additions,
Two West, by City Zip x Evenings All Star by Stalwart,
came to us in need of an operation for a major throat problem.
After the surgery he needed time off.
He broke his maiden this spring and
has hit the board in every race, except his first.
Another speed demon, he has found his niche at Finger lakes.