Maryanorginger overcame a rough start to win Thursday’s $150,000 Astoria S. at Belmont in the first lifetime start for the 2-year-old daughter of Strong Mandate. The winner also became the first TDN Rising Star for her sire.
She is the third stakes winner this month for her sire, who now has 22 individual winners this year and ranks in the top five on the Second-Crop Sire list. Maryanorginger joins the likes of Ruffian, Meadow Star and Dearly Precious, all winners of the historic race.
At the break of the 5 1/2-furlong contest, Maryanorginger stumbled just a few strides out of the gate, then got squeezed back by Reiterate going into the turn. About eight lengths from the front with three furlongs to run, Maryanorginger began to close the gap and was just a couple lengths from the top spot at the head of the stretch.
Deftly splitting horses, she took the lead and was solid the rest of the way, besting Perfect Alibi by three-quarters of a length in 1:03.94 on the fast track.
“I was actually targeting a turf race, but everyone at the barn was telling me do dirt,” said trainer Jeremiah Englehart. “And [owner] Al [Gold] likes to run his horses the first time on dirt. And I said, ‘all right.’… [After her last workout I said] ”Why don’t we take a shot at the Astoria? It’ll be a tough field, but she’s nice. We took a shot and it paid off.”
Maryanorginger was bred in Kentucky by C. Kidder, N. Colt and Linda Griggs. Her dam Timetobegone is also responsible for the stakes-placed Proud of My Honey and has three stakes-winning siblings, including Del Mar Futurity (G2) winner Icecoldbeeratreds.
Maryanorginger was a $190,000 purchase by her owner at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Summer Yearlings sale.
