Jacobson sets NYRA record with 160th win of year

David Jacobson has clinched his second straight training title on the NYRA circuit (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Trainer David Jacobson won the 7TH race at Aqueduct on Friday afternoon to set a single-year record for victories on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit with 160. After winning three races on Thursday to tie Gary Contessa’s 2007 mark, Jacobson broke the record with favored Tiz Gianni ($4.40), ridden by Jacobson regular David Cohen and co-owned by Jacobson and Drawing Away Stable. Jacobson, a 59-year-old native of New York, has already wrapped up his second straight training title on the NYRA circuit, having tied for first in 2012 with 110 victories. “It’s something very special,” Jacobson said of setting the record. “I thought after we had a really good meet at Saratoga, I might have a shot. It worked out. It was great to have David (Cohen) and Drawing Away Stable involved in this special moment.” With three racing days left in 2013, Drawing Away Stable is the leading owner on the NYRA circuit of Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga this year with 88 winners, all trained by Jacobson. The son of the late Howard “Buddy” Jacobson, a five-time leading trainer in New York, Jacobson returned to training in 2007 after a 25-year absence. He won his first meet title at the Big A in the spring of 2011, and saddled his first Grade 1 winner that year when Mabou took the New York Turf Writers’ Cup at Saratoga. Jacobson added a second Grade 1 victory this year when Strapping Groom won the Forego, also at Saratoga.

“Setting records wasn’t a goal when I came back to training; like any other
professional sport, I was just trying to win a race at a time,” Jacobson said.
“Hopefully, we’ll keep this going for a long time and break the record next
year.”

One race before watching his record fall, Contessa sent out the two-year-old
colt Uncle Sigh to a 14 1/2-length maiden conquest as the 1-2 favorite. The
$270,000 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling pressed the pace in his first route
attempt in the

6TH race, took command through a half in :48 2/5 on the fast inner track,
and widened his margin. Under Pablo Morales, the son of Indian Charlie
negotiated the mile and 70 yards in 1:42 4/5.

Uncle Sigh was just denied by the race-savvy Groupthink in his December 7
premiere sprinting six furlongs in the Aqueduct mud, and the Wounded Warrior
Stables runner now has $51,000 in his account. He is out of the Pine Bluff mare
Cradlesong, making him a half-brother to stakes scorers Slew by Slew and
Percussion, the latter the runner-up in the Brooklyn Handicap earlier this
season.

Elsewhere on the Friday card, Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.’s Mail
dominated the $100,000

Traskwood on the front end, and gave jockey Jose Ortiz his third win on the
day. Making his stakes debut in the 1 1/16-mile test, the Chad Brown sophomore
got away with slow fractions of :24 2/5, :49 and 1:13 1/5 and kicked 5 1/2
lengths clear. Micromanage, the 9-5 favorite, closed mildly for second, rounding
out the exacta for their sire Medaglia d’Oro.

The 2-1 Mail stopped the teletimer in 1:44 4/5, improving his mark to
6-3-1-0, $146,379. The promising bay, who broke his maiden at Monmouth in
August, most recently wired an off-the-turf allowance here on November 29. In
between, Mail was runner-up to Darley Stable’s Long River in an October 25
allowance at Belmont.

A $470,000 Keeneland September purchase as part of the Edward Evans
dispersal, the Virginia-bred is out of Grade 2 winner Tap Dance, a half-sister
to this year’s Carter winner Swagger Jack. Other close relatives include Grade 1
star Malibu Prayer and Spanish/German champion Silverside.

The $98,000
Are
We Dreamin was similarly won in front-running fashion by Anthony Bruno and
trainer Joe Orseno’s Laguna Girl, the longest shot on the board at 10-1. Lunging
at the start and thereby breaking on top, the Henny Hughes filly went on to
control the pace and held on by a half-length from 6-5 favorite Merry Meadow.
Manuel Franco guided Laguna Girl through six furlongs in 1:11 2/5. With this
successful stakes debut on her resume, she has earned $173,740 from her 9-2-4-2
line.

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