By Jill Williams
Undefeated in three career starts, but facing a steep trifecta of challenges to scale–trying dirt, graded company, and the tough New York circuit for the first time–New York Thunder (c, 3, Nyquist–Start Over, by Midshipman) set sizzling fractions on the front end of Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S. Friday and held sway to win by 7 1/2 lengths while eased up late despite spending most of the stretch on his wrong lead. His 1:07.77 six-furlong split was faster than the 1:07.92 track record set in 2019 by Imperial Hint (Imperialism) in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H., the same Grade I event which will be among the features on Saturday's 2023 GII Jim Dandy S. card.
When the Amsterdam gates flew, attention centered on joint second-choice and GSW Ryvit (Competitive Edge), who was riding a five-race win streak, as he stumbled and recovered but lost position after being on the lead in his last three. One gate to his outside, New York Thunder was unaffected and immediately found the front. After a blazing first quarter in :21.48, June 10 GI Woody Stephens S. runner-up Drew's Gold (Violence), in the clear in second, took a run at New York Thunder and got within a half-length at the :43.56 half. That was the closest he or anyone else got. New York Thunder quickly found another gear and immediately opened up while on the incorrect lead. By the time he swapped leads and bested the six-panel track record, the race was already long over. The bay strutted home a much-the-best, facile winner in 1:14.65. GSP Deer District (Oscar Performance) nosed out Drew's Gold for the place.
“I wasn't really worried [about the fractions],” said winning trainer Jorge Delgado, the nephew of this year's GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Gustavo Delgado. “I worry in the mornings because he breezes so fast that it scares you. He goes :46 and :47 in hand and you can relate it to the afternoons. Every surface he's been on–Keeneland, here, at different racetracks–he's breezed the same fractions, so that tells you that he can handle any surface in my opinion and he proved that today.
“I have really good chemistry with [rider Tyler Gaffalione] and I can feel when he has a lot of horse. I saw him looking back and I know he had a ton of horse; he wouldn't play like that unless he had tons of horse. Once he asked the horse, I knew my horse was prepared and it was just so fun.”
New York Thunder has done nothing wrong in his brief career. He debuted last November in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream on the all-weather surface, set all the fractions, and sizzled to a 6 1/2-length score with a 93 debut Beyer Speed Figure. He followed that up with a five-furlong turf win at Gulfstream while dropping his Beyer by 10 points, and finally reappeared in late April at Woodbine going six furlongs in the Woodstock S. on the synthetic to mark another daylight score and a 97 Beyer. His five works since have included three bullets. He was entered in the Woody Stephens won by Arabian Lion (Justify), but scratched with a bruised foot and a rail draw to await this spot. Delgado said the Aug. 26 GI Allen H. Jerkens Memorial S. might be the colt's next target.
NEW YORK THUNDER (Nyquist) shows 'em all how it's done in the GII Amsterdam Stakes at the Spa! pic.twitter.com/1XvOXMtOGB
— TDN (@theTDN) July 28, 2023
Pedigree Notes:
Darley's Nyquist, whose champion Vequist won the 2020 GI Spinaway S. and whose Randomized won the July 14 Wilton S. at Saratoga, added another top performance by his progeny at the Spa with New York Thunder's Amsterdam. A former champion 2-year-old and GI Kentucky Derby winner, Nyquist made it eight graded winners and 21 black-type winners with New York Thunder's latest score. Nyquist's fourth crop is two this year and already includes Royal Ascot's G2 Queen Mary S. winner Crimson Advocate. Midshipman, who stands alongside Nyquist at Darley, is damsire of New York Thunder. He has five stakes winners out of his daughters, including dual Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal, who is bred similarly to the Amsterdam winner as he is by Nyquist's sire, Uncle Mo.
New York Thunder is the lone foal out of the unraced Start Over, who died the year he was born. Start Over's unraced dam is a half to 2012 GI Forego S. winner Emcee (Unbridled's Song) and to $1.8-million Fasig-Tipton November broodmare Baffled (Distorted Humor), the dam of MGISW and WinStar sire Constitution (Tapit). Other members of the family include GI Spinaway S. winner Awesome Humor (Distorted Humor).
Friday, Saratoga
AMSTERDAM S.-GII, $194,000, Saratoga, 7-28, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 1:14.65, ft.
1–NEW YORK THUNDER, 122, c, 3, by Nyquist
1st Dam: Start Over, by Midshipman
2nd Dam: Wipe Out, by Hard Spun
3rd Dam: Surf Club, by Ocean Crest
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($130,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-AMO
Racing USA; B-Gatewood Bell & Forgotten Land (KY); T-Jorge
Delgado; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $110,000. Lifetime Record:
4-4-0-0, $232,323. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Deer District, 118, c, 3, Oscar Performance–Eagle Sound, by
Fusaichi Pegasus. ($140,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-James J. Bakke
and Gerald Isbister; B-Springhouse Farm, Vision TBs, Bruce &
Patricia Pieratt (KY); T-Dale L. Romans. $40,000.
3–Drew's Gold, 122, r, 3, Violence–Frolic's Revenge, by
Vindication. ($25,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-James K. Chapman
and Stuart Tsujimoto; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-James K. Chapman. $24,000.
Margins: 7HF, NO, 6HF. Odds: 5.50, 8.40, 1.00.
Also Ran: Gilmore, Ryvit. Scratched: Joey Freshwater.
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