Sunday, February 06, 2011
Class Racing Stable's Wiredfortwotwenty scored his first career stakes win in Saturday's $50,000 Budweiser Stakes at Sunland Park.
Saddled by Bart Hone and ridden for the first time in a race by Isaias Enriquez, Wiredfortwotwenty covered 5 furlongs in :56.68, just missing the track record of :55.86 set by Fearless Anthony in an allowance race in 2008. His margin of victory was 2 ¾ lengths from 34-1 longshot Loves Bonus.
Wiredfortwotwenty was bred in Kentucky by Todd and Michele Graves, and the 6-year-old gelding became the fifth stakes winner from 110 starters sired by Greatness, a winning 12-year-old son of Mr. Prospector. A half brother to three-time stakes winner and 1996 Grey Breeders' Cup Stakes (G3) runner-up Holzmeister, Greatness has sired the earners of more than $5.05 million from five crops, including stakes winner and recent Sunshine Millions Distaff Stakes (R) runner-up Amazing. The stallion stands at Randolph Thoroughbreds near Ocala, Florida.
Wiredfortwotwenty's dam, the unraced 12-year-old Birdonthewire mare Birthday Wire, has foaled three winners from as many starters. The gelding's second dam, the winning Copelan mare I'm In Celebration, has produced 10 winners from 14 starters, including stakes winners Nice To Know and Cheers And Tears, and Brave Victory, a colt by Lion Heart who ran third in Charitable Man's Peter Pan Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park two years ago.
A 1986 foal, I'm In Celebration is a half sister to three stakes winners: First American, a colt by Quiet American who won the 1999 Flamingo Stakes (G3) at Hialeah Park; Dubai Dust, a Broad Brush colt who won the listed $200,000 Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park in '97; and the late Little Baby Bear, a filly by Broad Brush who won Grade 1 stakes in Brazil in 1992 and '93.
Wiredfortwotwenty's fourth dam, the winning What A Pleasure mare I'm A Pleasure, ran second in the 1973 Selima Stakes (G1) at Laurel Park and third in that season's Frizette Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. A 1971 Florida-bred foal, I'm A Pleasure produced Is Your Pleasure, a colt by Accipiter who won the 1984 Jerome Handicap (G1) and Saranac Stakes (G2) at Belmont.
The $30,000 winner's share of the Budweiser Stakes increased Wiredfortwotwenty's bankroll to $144,764. The gelding has won four of 11 races, and his stakes resume includes fourth-place finishes in last year's 5 1/2-furlong, $55,000 Lea County Stakes at Zia Park, and the 6-furlong Vernon O. Underwood Stakes (G3) at Hollywood Park.
Wiredfortwotwenty sold for $17,000 at the 2006 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale.
Facil Catana, the only filly in the field of eight, ran third and was followed by Chuchuluco, Happy Humor, Herbal Slew, 2-1 favorite Winter Camp, and Western Smoke.
Loves Bonus is a 9-year-old Bonus Time Cat gelding campaigned by John C. McCulloch Jr. and Allen McCulloch. Loves Bonus has earned $215,470 from 10 wins in 47 starts, of which $146,943 has been banked since the McCullochs claimed the gelding for $15,000 in January 2008.
A 4-year-old bay daughter of Untuttable, Facil Catana has won three of seven races and has earned $159,234 for her owner, Lathrop G. Hoffman of Sierra Madre, California. The filly won two stakes last season, including the December 26, 5 ½-furlong Bold Ego Handicap for distaffers at Sunland Park.