Rockport Harbor has shot to the front of the Second Crop Sires race with an industrious eleven winners since the New Year began. The son on Unbridled’s Song has enjoyed early success with 29 winners thus far and more than $1.2 million in progeny earnings.
Earning a paycheck in every start, Kaleem S. Shah’s May Day Rose is a budding star. Prior to winning half of her six races, the Bridlewood Farm Florida-bred was a standout at the OBS June Sale. She is a half-sister to multiple Stakes winner May Day Vow out of May Day Bluff (Pine Bluff). The ease at which she breezed three furlongs in :33 3/5, along with her unblemished athletic physique led to a sale topping bid of $220,000.
Second by a half-length in her debut at Del Mar, May Day Rose rewarded her seaside punters next out as favorite. Trained by hall of famer Bob Baffert, she was asked to stretch from 5 ½ furlongs to 1 1/16 miles in the Sharp Cat S. at Hollywood Park. The added distance merely escalated her form. She commanded the rhythm throughout the extra yardage with continuous zeal. Separating herself from the field after three-quarters, she seized the moment with a 4 ½ length victory.
Imbued with natural speed, May Day Rose zipped acutely through her workouts: 59 flat, 1:10 2/5, and 1:11 4/5, before contesting the 1 1/16-mile G1 Starlet. She and sprinter Nina Fever sped through early fractions which resulted in an edifying fourth place finish. Over Santa Anita’s new dirt strip, May Day Rose made up for a weather-induced gap in her work schedule. In the G3 Santa Ysabel S. at the same distance, she was clocked in a final time of 1:42.81 while just toying with her rivals. Historically, the Santa Ysabel boosted the careers of champions Sweet Catomine, Surfside and Sharp Cat. Significantly, May Day Rose became Rockport Harbor’s first graded stakes winner.
Entered against several highly regarded peers In the G1 Las Virgenes, once again the striped faced bay drew a post outside of the speed. May Day Rose shook off California Nector after a half in :44.25 and three-quarters in 1:08.77 (the fastest all day), however the grueling pace cost her a trifecta spot. With a bankroll approaching $200,000, she is an audacious sophomore with a very bright future.
The forecast for several other Rockport Harbor runners is really promising as well. Wind River Stables’ Cane Garden Bay out of Trav n’ Kris ( Snow Chief) is a daylight winner at seven furlongs in a Keeneland Maiden Special Weight. He rallied to finish third in the Listed Spectacular Bid S. at Gulfstream and will obviously improve his status given more real estate.
Stone Farm’s home-bred Ambient out of Vickey’s Echo (Clever Trick) was selected by Thoroughbred Times Today as a “Notable Maiden Winner” at Delaware Park in an impressive mile. In an encore performance at first level allowance on Fair Grounds’ grass course, the Michael Stidham trained filly drew off by five lengths. In his first appearance, Sinai (out of Dontgetinmyway, by Machiavellian) broke from the rail and never gave up the lead even when pressured at the eighth pole. Second time out he placed in the listed San Pedro S.
Minutesandtouches, as a very young two-year-old maiden, contested three stakes in his first four starts. Running toward the rear, he got up to be third in the six-furlong Hollywood Juvenile Championship last July. The gelded son of Stakes placed Flexible Princess (Honour and Glory) kicked off 2011 with a wire-to-wire 2 ¼ length win at Santa Anita.
Quick to mature, Rockport Harbor was undefeated in four starts at two. The charismatic white-splashed dappled gray reeled off wins with unprecedented ease. He dominated his competition; winning his first three races by 22 3/4 lengths including the one mile G3 Nashua. Despite sustaining a hind foot injury in the G2 Remson S., Rockport Harbor was clocked nine furlongs in 1:48.88 for the win, the second fastest running of the race since Believe It upset Alydar in 1973. As a freshman stallion he closed 2010 with 21 two-year-old winners, seven repeat winners, and three stakes horses.
Across the border, Bear’s Future showed plenty of promise in his seven furlong debut at Woodbine and won the Swynford Stakes with authority. The Kentucky-bred races for the Bear Stable of Canadian native Danny “Bear” Dion. Bred by Kidder, Cole, and Griggs, Bear’s Future is out of Prairie Pie by Belong to Me. Interestingly, Rockport Harbor’s first two stakes winners are out of granddaughters of Danzig.
Consignors have noticed that the second crop of Rocky’s may turn out to be even better than the first.
James “J.J.” Crupi has four Rockport Harbors at his Crupi’s New Castle Farm. One very racy looking two-year-old that should be a magnet at the Palm Meadows sale is a gray or roan colt that will don hip number 219. Crupi described him, “He is a big, gorgeous, correct, good-looking horse.”
His Stakes-placed dam Magic Way (Runaway Groom) is a one-hundred percent producer and a half-sister to two black-typed winners, all kin to G1 winners Southern Halo, General Challenge and Sir Beaufort. The colt has shown extreme athleticism at the farm. The horses train over a ¾-mile state sanctioned oval originally built as part of the Wolfson family’s Happy Valley Farm, the starting grounds of their Eclipse recipients Affirmed and It’s in the Air. Crupi said “He acts like he will go around two turns. He acts like the real deal.” As a horseman, Crupi’s reputation precedes him. A five-time leading trainer on the New Jersey circuit, he previously consigned top level performers Ten Most Wanted, Vineyard Haven and Zensational.
Crupi is also high on a colt out of Summer Squall’s Temporada named Banner Bill and a pair of New York-breds he is preparing: Brooklyn Boyz Stables’ Motion Lounge, a filly considered to be a tremendous specimen; and an unnamed colt out of Tazmon ( Maria’s Mon) who looks really good galloping a strong mile and a quarter in the mornings. The filly is headed to Dominick Shettino’s barn later this year. The daughter of Stakes placed Purely Surprized (Pure Prize) was bred by IEAH Stables and Andrew Cohen. The colt, bred by Christopher Shelli, is now owned by Mike Repole and will be trained by Todd Pletcher - the 2010 connections of juvenile champion Uncle Mo.
Consigned by Parrish Farms to The Florida Sale at Palm Meadows, hip number 6 is a Kentucky-bred son of Only Seventeen (Exploit) and a half-brother to G2 Milady winner Made for Magic, also an eightfold winner that bravely took on Zenyatta last year. Second dam is SW and G2 placed Virgin Michael, a sibling of G1 Carter H. hero Virginia Rapids.
A Florida-bred filly pinhooked from Keeneland by Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables (hip 174) out ofFuzzy Navel (Strike the Anvil) is a sibling to six winners including determined sprinter Black Seventeen, a G1 Vosburgh winner with nearly $600,000 to his credit. This filly reportedly has a regal look to her and moves like a stakes horse. Dunne also has a stable standout headed to the Barretts Sale out of multiple Stakes producer Spanish Harbor (Corporate Report). All the sale horses are Breeders’ Cup nominated.
The best is yet to come for Rockport Harbor who stands the 2011 season at $12,500, stands and nurses.