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Florida-breds Angelofdistinction (above) and Ron the Greek
6 THE FLORIDA HORSE • DECEMBER 2011
n Dec. 10, the day of Hartley/De Renzo’s annual stallion show at the Ocala farm, offspring of two Hartley/De Renzo stallions found themselves in the spotlight as well.Angelofdistinction, a son of With Distinction, and Ron the Greek, a son of Full Mandate, notched stakes victories while Florida breeders watched their sires on parade. During Cotillion Day presented by Lambholm South at Tampa Bay Downs, Angelofdistinction scored the first stakes win of his career taking down top prize in the $75,000 Inaugural Stakes at six furlongs and joined the ranks of Decisive Moment, For Oby and Italo as stakes winners sired by Hartley/De Renzo’s With Distinction. Bred by Valerie Ammirato and owned by Brenda Tabraue and Andrea’s Farm, Angelofdistinction rolled through the stretch in a wild finish and held on for a head victory over Wildcat Creek at the wire. Angelofdistinction covered the distance in 1:11.49. The $7,500 OBS graduate was acquired by his owners as a yearling. He had only a maiden victory to his credit prior to the Inaugural, but was gelded after a last-place finish in the Jack Price Juvenile Nov. 12. “I don’t think the operation changed his demeanor much, but apparently he wants to run faster that way, so I’m not going to complain about it,” said winning trainer Daniel Pita. “He was working lights out—he breezed last week at Calder with a 135-pound exercise rider up, and I took him in :47 4/5 (:48 officially). We also closed his blinkers a bit. I was always high on him from the beginning.” The winner was ridden by Pablo Morales. “He really grabbed the bit getting near the stretch,” said Morales. “And after that it was my job to find him a lane and let him do his stuff. It was close at the end but he was still trying hard.” On the same day, less than an hour later, Ron the
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Greek broke sharply in the Queens County Stakes at Aqueduct, assuming command around the first turn of the 13⁄16-mile test. Under Junior Alvarado, he dictated the pace through fractions of :24.30 and :49.35 for a half mile, while only slightly pressed by long shot Fonda Ronda Won and race favorite Inherit the Gold. Rounding the far turn, Ron the Greek was engaged by Inherit the Gold, who cruised up to the leader’s flank. Ron the Greek had plenty in reserve, though, and shook loose from that rival in deep stretch when roused by Alvarado. He hit the wire 2¼
NYRA PHOTO
Michael Compton/JOE DIORIO PHOTO
Well-Timed Success
COOLEY PHOTO
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12/12/11
lengths clear of Inherit the Gold, and completed the distance in 1:56.84 over the inner track. “He broke pretty good and I just let him get comfortable all the way,” said Alvarado. “He took the lead nice and easy. When I asked him to pick it up, he gave it to me. When he felt the horses coming to him on the outside, he just kept going and going. In the end, he did everything easy. The Queens County was the second consecutive stakes win for the Florida-bred, who won the Sunny and Mild Stakes by five lengths in his last start on Nov. 17. He was bred by Jack Hammer and is owned by his breeder in partnership with Brous Stable and Wachtel Stable. Conditioned by Bill Mott, Ron the Greek now has earnings of $239,665. He has won five of 15 lifetime starts. “We just wanted to let him break and be where he is comfortable,” said Rodolphe Brisset, Mott’s assistant trainer. “He’s an older horse and he knows what he’s doing, the main thing is to not go against him.” ■