Travesuras up in the nick of time
Maryland-bred Holey Moley wins first steeplechase at Laurel in 25 years
LAUREL, MD – Even top trainers like Brittany Russell are wrong occasionally.
“Honestly, when I ran her first time on the dirt at Delaware, I thought she couldn’t lose that day,” Russell said about Gata Brazil after the filly rallied from off the pace to capture Sunday’s $100,000 Stormy Blues Stakes for 3-year-old fillies racing 5 ½ furlongs on turf at Laurel Park.
“So, when she didn’t win, I [thought] we have to go back to the drawing board. If she can’t win here, then I have to re-evaluate the rest of them because she was always working good.”
After Gata Brazil tired to finish sixth of nine in that off-turf heat at Delaware last summer, the filly vindicated Russell’s pre-debut faith with a 5 1/2-length victory in a maiden special weight sprinting on turf at Laurel Park on August 2.
“I think she just skips over the grass,” Russell continued. “We found what she wants to do.”
Gata Brazil missed the remainder of 2024 after suffering a setback, but showed flashes of her earlier brilliance since returning to the races at Fair Grounds this spring.
After finishing seventh in a first-level allowance there on March 21, Gata Brazil passed that condition via disqualification under jockey Sheldon Russell at Laurel on April 18.
Gata Brazil added blinkers for her most recent start, the Take the A Train Stakes at Aqueduct on May 10, and the filly set fast fractions in a race ultimately dominated by closers.
“I added a blinker last time because Sheldon felt that she might have been a little green, looking around,” Brittany Russell said. “She wasn’t 100% focused. I wasn’t trying to light her up and put more speed into her. I was trying to help the focus. She ended up on the lead that day, and I think it was a little much adding the blinkers and everything.”
Ridden by Jevian Toledo in the Stormy Blues, Gata Brazil relaxed beautifully in a perfect midpack position as favored Roja and Biscuitwiththeboss sparred through an opening quarter in 22.14 seconds.
Roja emerged with a clear lead in the upper stretch, but Toledo split rivals aboard Gata Brazil and followed the pacesetter while racing on the rail.
Gata Brazil eased outside Roja at the first wire, then streaked home to nip the chalk by a nose in 1:01.74 over the firm turf course.
Biscuitwiththeboss, also trained by Russell, finished six lengths in back. Slightly Busy, Impulse Buy, Strong Like Sara, Viscious Gossip, Shkhara Fire, and Safe Trust rounded out the order of finish.
Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, Gata Brazil boasts a lovely pedigree. She is by champion sire Into Mischief and is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner American Gal, Grade 3-placed Magic Tap, and stakes-winner Americanize. Her dam, American Story, is a Grade 2-placed half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Seventh Street.
Gata Brazil sold for $575,000 as a yearling and campaigns for Nice Guys Stables.
Russell indicated that she might keep Gata Brazil sprinting for the upcoming Colonial Downs meet.
“She’s pretty aggressive training, so we’ll probably stick with [sprinting] for the time being, but if the opportunity looked us in the eye, and it felt right, we might give it a go,” Russell said about potentially stretching Gata Brazil out to longer distances.
*Travesuras up in the nick of time
“You can’t panic,” jockey Gerard Galligan said in the winner’s circle after Travesuras nipped Biggerthanbigtime to win the second race at Laurel Park, a $45,000 “non-winners of two” allowance hurdle at 2 1/8 miles. “I learned that when I was younger. You cannot panic.”
Not only is that sound advice for aspiring jockeys, but it is also a great life lesson for the rest of us.
Galligan’s patience certainly paid off aboard Travesuras, who was bottled up in the pocket turning into the straight. Eventually, Galligan spied a seam, and he guided Travesuras out to engage pacesetting Biggerthanbigtime.
Following an exhilarating final eighth of a mile, Travesuras got the better of his determined rival, winning by a half-length in 3:58.03 over the firm ground.
Madaket’s Arrow finished seven lengths behind the runner-up in third. Favored Palio, Sa’ad, Awesome Strike, Bright Eyed Eagle, and Doesn’t Sting completed the order of finish.
Travesuras returned $15.20 as the fourth choice in the wagering.
“It’s just whether I could get out or not,” Galligan continued. “I was happy with where I was because I was able to go the shortest way the whole way. I knew I had a lot of horse turning for home. You got to sit and wait for the gap. When it appeared, he went for it, he took it, and he had to battle to the wire because the horse that set the pace dug in again.”
“He was traveling so well,” said winning trainer Cyril Murphy. “[I wondered] if the seam was going to come and where was it going to come. Everything he’s done for us in the past, he’s got a great gallop and a strong cruising speed, but the acceleration is not something he has a lot of. So, the longer we waited, the more concerned I was that when it comes, we won’t be able to do anything about it. But he dropped his head, and he was hungry for the win today. He fought for it, and he got what he deserved.”
Travesuras hit the board in eight of his first 11 jump races but only had one prior winner’s circle photo to show for his efforts.
Galligan teamed with Travesuras for the ninth time this afternoon. He is fond of the 6-year-old gelding by Hit it a Bomb. “He loves his job, but he just gets better and better jumping-wise. He had to dig in and earn it today, so I was very proud of him.”
“He’s very consistent,” Murphy added. “He’s one of those horses [where] he runs his race every day he goes out. If there’s somebody that runs a little better, they’ll beat him. But, if you don’t run your “A” race, he’s there to take advantage given his chance.”
Galligan was impressed with a Laurel turf course that isn’t used to steeplechase racing.
“I loved it,” Galligan said. “There was a nice little bit of give in the ground. It was good-to-firm instead of firm. The grass on the course was really nice. It’s a lovely turf course.”
Travesuras was bred in Kentucky by Malibu Farm and is out of multiple stakes-winner Heart’s Song from the family of multiple Grade 1 winner Strategic Maneuver.
Purchased for $50,000 as a yearling, Travesuras then sold for approximately $81,000 at a 2-year-old auction in France. He journeyed to England, where he won two flat races from 11 tries for trainer Charlie Fellowes.
Murphy bought Travesuras for owner Irvin Naylor for approximately $37,000 at a Tattersalls auction in 2022.
“It was at the recommendation of a bloodstock agent we use overseas,” Murphy said of the purchase. “It was the end of the year, and we were looking to restock. He came to me and said [Trevesuras] has a nice profile, he’s got a good physical about him, and he’s not going to be overly expensive. If you want a horse to have a little bit of fun, this is your horse.”
Murphy mentioned a novice hurdle at Saratoga as a potential next start for Travesuras.
*Maryland-bred Holey Moley wins first steeplechase at Laurel in 25 years.
It was only fitting that a Maryland-bred captured the first steeplechase race contested at Laurel Park since 2000, a 2 1/8-mile maiden hurdle for 4-year-olds and upward.
Holey Moley ($18), ridden by Virginia Korrell for trainer Barry Foley, raced comfortably in second position, collared pacesetter Lightup LIghtup after 1 ¾ miles, traveled sweetly into the stretch, then always found a bit more to defeat Awesome Man by 1 ½ lengths in 4:01.41.
“It was brilliant,” Korrell said about the trip. “He was a bit keen for the first couple of fences, but he settled. He jumped like a superstar the whole way around, and I knew I still had a ton of horse after the last [fence], but it’s such a long run-in. I just tried to wait as long as I could. I always thought I was sitting on the winner after the last. I didn’t think they’d come and get me.”
Favored Derby Street rallied wide to finish third. Then came Aft, Lightup Lightup, British Royalty, Cartographyer, Mosey, American War Hero, and Pietrelcina.
Maryland Moon, Just Another One, and Rejection Hurts scratched.
Holey Moley, a 5-year-old gelding by Holy Boss out of the Pleasant Tap mare Kisser N Run, was bred by Clarke Ohrstrom.
He made his first five starts on the flat for Ohrstrom and trainer Arnaud Delcaour before being claimed for $16,000 by owner-trainer Kieron Magee out of a third-place finish in a maiden race on October 28, 2023.
Holey Moley won one of five starts for Magee before being purchased by his current connections. Magee was in the winner’s circle enjoying Holey Moley’s jump success.
Holey Moley showed promise in his first start for Foley, taking a 1 ½-mile flat race at the Colonial Cup point to point on November 17. The gelding showed steady improvement in three National Steeplechase Association-sanctioned events, placing fourth at Camden on March 29, sixth at Middleburg on April 19, and second at Malvern on May 17, his final appearance before today’s victory.
“I’ve never actually ridden him, but I had ridden his full brother last year, so I knew the family a bit,” Korrell continued. “His mother was a stakes-winner over hurdles, so I thought he had a chance today.”
Like Galligan, Korrell was impressed with the Laurel turf course.
“Very nice,” she said. “I like that you have the hurdles on the outer turf course because sometimes it gives you better turns. It rode very well.”
