Sign spells out talent in debut romp

Sign spells out talent in debut romp

Sign is a well-bred product of Claiborne Farm (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Al Stall Jr. continued his strong 2012 Saratoga Race Course meeting by sending out Sign to a 11 3/4-length debut victory on Sunday, the trainer’s sixth win from 21 starts since racing commenced here on July 20. Sign drew the rail post in the 2ND race and left the gate in seventh place before flashing speed along the inside to race in third, 1 1/2 lengths behind the leader, through an opening quarter-mile in :22 2/5. After dropping back to fourth while awaiting running room on the turn, the daughter of Pulpit circled the field four wide and needed only minimal urging from Rosie Napravnik to run up the score in deep stretch. “She showed us a good turn of foot,” Stall said. “We said, ‘Let’s get her up here and get one race in her.’ I liked the way she turned for home and instead of getting a little wobbly, she leaned in and turned for home and whoosh!” Off at 10-1, Sign paid $22 and ran six furlongs in 1:10 1/5, in a visually impressive effort that landed her a spot on New York Watch.

“She was professional (training earlier this summer at Keeneland), but we
didn’t know if she could do that at Saratoga,” Stall said. “I don’t know what
was behind her (in her maiden win), but I’ve never had a two-year-old win like
that on dirt here. That’s what gets you out of bed in the morning. She’s kind.

“I tried to get her behind dirt in the morning, and her mind is good, very
good. She comes from a very good Claiborne family where all the horses have
innate class, and she’s just like some of the other ones I’ve had.”

Sign, a homebred for Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm, is out of Cross,
who won a restricted stakes on turf via disqualification as a two-year-old. A
half-brother to Cross, Lattice, captured the Grade 2 American Derby and Grade 3
Louisville Handicap, also on grass.

Stall, who trained both Cross and Lattice during the latter stages of their
careers, always thought Sign would do her best running on the dirt.

“If you look at her, physically, she looks like a dirt type,” Stall said.
“She has a big, powerful hip on her, and she gave me a dirt feeling, just being
around her. She doesn’t have a tremendous stretch.”

Stall, who is based in Louisiana in the winter and Kentucky in the spring and
fall, said the Grade 2 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs on October 28 is a possible
target for Cross.

On Thursday, Stall sent out two-year-old colt Central Banker to a maiden
victory, and one day later Stall won with Magical Moon, a two-year-old filly who
broke her maiden by 10 1/4 lengths in a turf sprint. Both Central Banker and
Magical Moon were second-time starters.

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