Haynesfield takes second
straight in Discovery
Turtle Bird Stable’s HAYNESFIELD (Speightstown) was content to stalk just
behind the pacesetting Redding Colliery (Mineshaft) in Saturday’s $103,500
Discovery H. (G3) at Aqueduct, hooked up with a rallying Gone Astray (Dixie
Union) in the stretch, then put that one away to draw off for a 4 1/2-length
victory under jockey Ramon Dominguez. The Steve Asmussen trainee, sent off the
near 4-1 third choice in the five-horse field, yielded $9.90, $5.20 and $2.60 to
his supporters for completing the nine-furlong, fast dirt test in 1:50.
“He’s got a very high cruising speed, it looks like to me,” said Toby Sheets,
assistant to Asmussen. “We thought that last year, but he was a little immature.
He’s definitely grown into himself.
“It’s nice to have the privilege of a horse like this. No thoughts whatsoever
as to what’s next; we’ll see how he comes out of it and go from there.”
Birdrun (Birdstone) was expected to be the early leader, but the chestnut
stumbled badly at the start, going to his knees, and jockey Alan Garcia took
care of his mount after that, allowing him to lope along in the back of the
field. Redding Colliery took full advantage of Birdrun’s bad luck, gunning to
the front from his 1 post and leading through splits of :24 2/5, :48 4/5 and
1:13 2/5. Haynesfield maintained constant pressure on the front runner while
racing just in back, then began his move rounding the turn.
By this point Gone Astray had also started moving, and the pair hooked up
leaving the second turn. It was a short-lived battle, though, as Haynesfield
effortlessly pulled away from his rival, who just missed second by a neck to a
fast closing Bad Action (Brahms).
“We weren’t in a real hurry,” Dominguez said. “We said if the No. 1 (Redding
Colliery) or the No. 3 (Birdrun) wanted to go, we would let them go. Since my
horse broke so good, I was going to let him go to the lead, but the No. 1 went
on and I decided to just sit off him. He was very relaxed. When it was time to
pick it up, he was there for me.”
Bad Action rewarded his faithful backers with $7.30 and $2.80 as the 14-1
longest shot on the board. Gone Astray was the 3-5 favorite and paid $2.10,
while Redding Colliery and Birdrun completed the order under the wire following
the scratch of Precursor (A.P. Indy). The exotics totaled $79 (exacta) and
$143.50 (4-2-5 trifecta).
Haynesfield began his career in stellar fashion, breaking his maiden by 4 1/2
lengths in his second try, and proceeded to add easy victories in the Damon
Runyon S., Count Fleet S. and Whirlaway S. to his resume. The chestnut sophomore
suffered his first major loss when eighth in the Gotham S. (G3) over Aqueduct’s
inner dirt in March, and was given time off following that effort. He returned
nearly seven months later to just miss in the Sir Keys S. by a head, but
returned to the winner’s circle in the Empire Classic S. at Belmont Park prior
to this one. Haynesfield has compiled a 9-6-1-1 career mark to go along with
$417,681 in lifetime earnings.
Bred in New York by Barry Weisbord and Margaret Santulli, Haynesfield brought
$100,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, then just went for $20,000 as a
Keeneland April two-year-old. He is out of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Nothing
Special (Tejabo), who has also produced dual stakes-placed Mama Theresa (Carson
City), an unnamed yearling filly by Successful Appeal and a weanling colt named
Hymn Special (Songandaprayer).
This is the same family as Grade 1 heroines Buryyourbelief (Believe It),
Pretty Discreet (Private Account) and Healthy Addiction (Boston Harbor); two
Canadian Horses of the Year, Izvestia (Icecapade) and sire With Approval (Caro
[Ire]); and Belmont S. (G1) victor and sire Touch Gold (Deputy Minister).