The month of December kicked off in grand fashion for a pair of Virginia-Certified horses that competed in races at Aqueduct.
Lobsta, who spent his six-month Virginia residency at Woodberry Payne’s Ingleside Training Center in Orange, prevailed in the $150,000 New York Stallion Stake Series on December 5th after being sent off at odds of 28-1! The 3-year-old Emcee gelding was best of 11 horses in a gate-to-wire performance at seven furlongs. He crossed in 1:24.87, one-half length ahead of betting choice My Boy Tate. The winner was ridden by Javier Castellano and is trained by Gary Sciacca.
Lobsta was fresh off a pair of third place finishes in the New York Derby July 19 at Finger Lakes and the Mike Lee Stakes, May 31 at Belmont. The New York-bred added to a solid 2021 resume that boasts three wins, a runner-up finish and a pair of thirds in seven starts with purse earnings of $218,600. Lobsta is out of the Chief Seattle mare, Salty Lil Sis.
Kentucky-bred Lost My Sock captured an even tighter win two days earlier in a $80,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old filles at six furlongs on the outer turf course. The daughter of Tourist, who spent her Virginia residency at Madison Meyers & Kieran Norris’s Ballyerin Racing at the Middleburg Training Center, beat Glitter Up by a neck after being overlooked at odds of 51-1.
The victorious filly sat seventh in a ten-horse field at the quarter but trailed by just 2 1/2 lengths. She moved up after that fraction, hit the top of the stretch in second — just 1 1/2 lengths off the pace — before catching frontrunner Glitter Up and jockey Trevor McCarthy just in time. The Derek Ryan trainee, ridden by Raul Mena, crossed in 1:10.42 in her first lifetime start. The winner returned $110.42 for a $2 win bet.
The developer of each Certified winner will receive a 25% bonus award (capped at $10,000) for the wins at Aqueduct. Details on the lucrative bonus program are available at vabred.org.