Condo Commando ‘splashtastic’ in Spinaway

Condo Command flew home over the sloppy Saratoga main track to take the Spinaway (NYRA/Chelsea Durand/Adam Coglianese Photography)

NYRA track announcer Tom Durkin wrapped up a long career on Sunday at
Saratoga, and even
though the skies had opened up to provide a wet and dreary day, that didn’t stop
Durkin from giving one last memorable call in the Grade 1, $350,000
Spinaway.

In fact, the conditions conspired to offer up a plethora of adjectives for
Durkin to describe Condo Commando’s wire job in the seven-furlong contest.

The Tiz Wonderful filly scooted through on the rail entering the backstretch
to take command through splits of :22 2/5 and :45 4/5. Entering the final turn,
jockey Joe Bravo shook the reins at Condo Commando and she merely opened up, “splish
splashing down the stretch here at the Spa,” according to Durkin en route to a
13 1/4-length victory.

Condo Commando stopped the clock in 1:24 3/5 over the sloppy, sealed track
but not before Durkin closed out his tenure with one last “Splashtastic” shout
out to the Spinaway winner.

“My biggest concern was trying to get out of the gate, and she overcame that and
look what she did,” Bravo said. “Our main concern was to try to get in front. We don’t want a
lot of dirt to hit her in the face. She overpowered everybody. Really, the race
was won the first eighth of a mile. She won first time out pretty impressively,
but you didn’t know how good she is. I think today she answered a lot of
questions.”

Tom Durkin is greeted by Marylou Whitney during his poignant retirement ceremony following the Spinaway (Horsephotos.com)

“(Jockey John Velazquez) seemed to think she struggled with the
surface. She couldn’t really get a hold of it, but she tried hard in spite of
that,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of Angela Renee.

Condo Commando is now two-for-two after taking her maiden debut by 12 lengths
on August 3 at the Spa while going 5 1/2 furlongs. Bred by Spendthrift Farm LLC
in Kentucky, the dark bay miss has more than earned back her Keeneland September
purchase price of $72,000 having now banked $243,600.

“When I saw the slop, I thought we were in trouble from the No. 1 hole, and she
didn’t break good,” Rodriguez admitted. “She did it easy, though. She wasn’t 100 percent fit for her
debut, but she was much better today. I just hope she comes back good. She’s a
nice filly.”

Condo Commando is out of the multiple Grade 2-winning General Meeting mare
Yearly Report, making her her a half-sister to Grade 2-placed Checklist. This
prolific alls-star female family also boasts Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Brief
Truce; Canadian champions Dance Act and Mercedes Won; and English and Irish
champion Awaasif, just to name a few.