Daily Double: Pair of sales tips break maiden Saturday

With a debut victory at Suffolk Downs and a third-out score at Calder, two more of my 2010 juvenile sales picks are now victors at the track.

Heir's the Storm overcame bobbling at the break and fighting jockey Tammi Piermarini to gut-out victory by a head in her debut at the maiden special weight level, taking Race 3 at Suffolk Downs Saturday. Her win came 28 minutes after Sylvia's Tempo finally put it all together in her third start to take down a maiden special field over a sloppy strip at Calder Race Course. The fillies become the sixth and seventh of my 187 juvenile sale selections to break maiden, and the first pair to do it on the same day.

Heir's the Storm is one of many 2010 recommendations by stellar sophomore sire Wildcat Heir, who stands at Journeyman Stud in Florida. The stallion is simply getting winners, and getting them early, and I was confident that Martin Scafidi had nabbed a bargain when he got this one out of the Storm Creek mare Vany's Storm at OBSFEB for $20,000. Her page isn't heavy on first-generation black type and her 10.3 eighth wasn't blazing, but in recommending her I noted that she has two half-siblings who were winners at 2, one of whom did go on to be stakes-placed. Second dam Vany (Lord Vancouver) was a stakes winner and also produced MISS RUNNING VANY, LATE EXPECTATIONS, and Vany's Sword, all of whom were juvenile winners.

"I think there's every reason to believe this filly can be a useful racehorse, and soon," I wrote. Purchased in February and raced in July may or may not qualify as "soon," but she did manage to be a first-out winner.

Heir's the Storm was bred in Florida by Rick McDonald and Dierdre Wulff. The bay filly runs for owners C. and M. Scafidi, J. Masterson and Crescent Moon Stable. She was trained for her maiden win by Michael Collins, and covered five furlongs over a fast Suffolk track in :59.75.

The winner's share of the purse was $9,730.

Finding the winner's circle earlier in the day, far down the coast at Calder in Florida, was one of the more interesting recommendations I made from this year's juvenile sales.

Sylvia's Tempo (Posse-Clarksburg Queen, by Sea of Secrets) was bred by Vicki L. Macy -- in Wyoming. She was a $49,000 RNA at the OBSAPR sale, and is now at the track under the ownership of Edward and Sylvia Taylor. Michael Yates trained her for today's win, in which she slogged five furlongs through the slop in 1:01.23, to win by a half-length.

In recommending her for purchase, I pondered "why the racing gods dictated that she be foaled in Wyoming." But she "absolutely blew through a quarter in 21.1." She's the first foal from a Belmont Park stakes-placed dam (who earned $152,966), who was half to a stakes-placer of $173K; her third dam was a full sister to a G3-placed Secretariat mare. I honestly thought she'd be cheap, probably selling for less than the $49,000 that was bid, and then she didn't sell at all.

Her first two efforts were learning experiences, as she moved up from being unplaced in her first try to collecting third in her second race. On Saturday under Josue Arce, Sylvia's Tempo flashed considerable early speed (22.36/46.85 in off-going) but was tiring in deep stretch after leading by daylight, and just outlasted a 44/1 shot in Evil Queen.

Sylvia's Tempo has now earned $20,790 from three starts.

Another of my 2010 sales picks, debuting Sweet Lizzie (Omega Code-Windjammin Lady, by Helmsman), missed the break, was rushed up by rider Raymundo Fuentes to challenge Sylvia's Tempo, then cashed it in early. She was also catalogued for OBSAPR, but was withdrawn from the sale after I made my recommendations.

In all, eight of my 2010 juvenile picks ran on Saturday, but the winners were the only two hitting the board.

Through Saturday's action, 41 of my 187 sales selections have made it to the starting gate (that's 21.9 percent), for a total of 66 starts, seven wins, nine places and nine shows. They've earned a combined $262,839, led by Stopspendingmaria's $57,500. She was Grade 3 placed on Friday, finishing second in the Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga.

Follow the performance of all 187 juvenile sales picks (and a few pans) in the list at the end of this prior post.