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HAYNESFIELD ‘BEST 3YO IN NY’

February 8, 2009

Turtle Bird Stable's HAYNESFIELD (Speightstown) left no doubt about who reigns over the three-year-old set in New York this winter with a flashy wire-to-wire score Saturday in the $107,600 Whirlaway S. at Aqueduct. Under Ramon Dominguez, the 2-5 choice held a modest lead through fractions of :23 4/5, :47 4/5 and 1:11 4/5, then drew off through the stretch to extend his margin to 6 1/4 lengths at the line. Final time for 1 1/16 miles on the fast inner track was 1:44 2/5. Haynesfield rewarded his many backers with mutuels of $2.90, $2.50 and $2.10 while keying the $22.20 exacta and $71.50 trifecta (1-6-4).

Mike From Queens (Flatter) tracked in second through a quarter-mile, but yielded that position to Peace Town (Peace Rules) down the backside. That early move from the latter proved ineffective as Haynesfield ran away from him at the quarter-pole, and the 3-1 second choice backed out through the lane. Mike From Queens was overtaken by 16-1 chance Cellar Dweller (Rahy) at the top of the stretch, and the longshot finished a clear second by 3 1/2 lengths. He paid $6.80 and $4.40, while Mike From Queens returned $3 for finishing 1 3/4 lengths clear of Hehasnosay (Harlan's Holiday). Peace Town and Zooger (Hold That Tiger) rounded out the order of finish.

"I really was going to play it by ear whether to go to the lead or not," said Dominguez, who won five races at Aqueduct on Saturday. "I wanted to take advantage of his natural speed, especially being on the inside, but I would have had no problem taking back. The horse was much the best. He doesn't need to be in front; he's very versatile."

Haynesfield advanced his record to 5-4-0-1 with a bankroll of $189,881. A distant third in his career bow at Saratoga, he broke his maiden by 4 1/2 lengths at Belmont Park before landing the Damon Runyon S. for New York-breds by 5 1/4 lengths and the Count Fleet S. by 3 1/2 lengths, both at Aqueduct. Toby Sheets, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, suggested that the March 7 Gotham S. (G3) could be Haynesfield's next port of call.

Bred in New York by Barry Weisbord and Margaret Santulli, Haynesfield was purchased for only $20,000 as a two-year-old in training at the Keeneland April sale. He is out of the stakes-winning and Grade 2-placed Nothing Special (Tejabo), making him a half-brother to the multiple stakes-placed Mama Theresa (Carson City) and an unnamed yearling filly by Successful Appeal. Haynesfield hails from the family of 1997 Belmont S. (G1) hero Touch Gold (Deputy Minister) as well as Canadian Triple Crown winners With Approval (Caro [Ire]) and Izvestia (Icecapade), both Horses of the Year in their homeland.

-Brisnet.com