Joe Shiesty outshines Howard Wolowitz in Holiday Cheer

It was a good day to be a Cincinnati Bengals fan, December 21st.

Just a few hours after the Bengals put the finishing touches on a 45-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins, sports attention from the city just across the Kentucky border turned to Turfway Park in Florence for the synthetic championships. There was that 4-year-old gelding Joe Shiesty named after the popular nickname of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, emerged victorious against his Florida-based opponent, Howard Wolowitz in the $247,835 Holiday Cheer Stakes.

The triumph was emotional for trainer Eric Foster, whose son is co-owned by Foster Family Racing Air Force blue with Lonnie Reynolds, Vicki Mills and Donald Coomes. A quick winner of the Mighty Beau Stakes at Churchill Downs by June, the speedster had encountered all kinds of problems on its next three starts.

“Joe just means a lot to our barn and family,” Foster told Jennie Rees of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. “I got quite emotional, more for Joe than anything else, because I know he deserves it.”

The bay gelding failed to take his favorite lead position in the last three starts, because he grabbed himself out of the gate at Ellis Parkdistracted by the horse inside, which crashed through the fence early on Keenelandand a general rough journey to Churchill Downs. Sunday was a different story as he came clean out of the gate, flying through fractions of :22.37 and :45.18 under Fernando De La Cruz.

Gold Square’s Grade 1 winner Howard Wolowitz, seeking to defend his title from last year’s edition ahead of trainer Jose D’Angelo, was defeated by Irad Ortiz Jr. rated second. On the way home, De La Cruz cut the corner and extended his lead. Howard Wolowitz started chopping away, but the thread came up too early.

At the end of six furlongs, Joe Shiesty maintained his lead with a head in 1:09.05 and paid $21.08 to win. Script came third.

Joe Shiesty, bred in Kentucky by Rodney Orr, was purchased as a short yearling for $16,000 at the 2022 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale.

“We already knew it was going to be great,” Foster said of the purchase. “It doesn’t always work out, but when you buy one you want to put that trust in all of them. It lived up to what we built (him).”

The win was a third in stakes for the Grade 2-ranked gelding, and improved his career record to 6-2-2 from 17 starts for earnings of $745,217.

Video: Holiday Cheer S. (BT)

Mink’s Palace offers a gift during the inauguration of the holidays

The winner’s share of the $250,000 Holiday Inaugural Stakes was truly a gift to Summerhill Stables as they saw their pride and joy, Mink’s Palace collect from the pace to score and get away.

The 4 year old Palace malice The filly danced every dance in Kentucky’s female dirt sprint division this season, but was defeated in five straight races after winning the Roxelana Stakes at Churchill Downs April 26.

Mink’s Palace, trained by Eddie Kenneally and ridden by Walter Rodriguez, was last after the first quarter mile, but a strong pace was set by Mrs. Tart of :21.93 and :44.55 set the table for her strong late kick.

Mink’s Palace rolled wide into the stretch and rolled like freight down the middle of the stretch, flying past rivals and pulling away to a 2 1/4 length victory, covering 6 furlongs in 1:09.48.

“I felt confident with the way she traveled,” Rodriguez told Rees. “As I got closer and closer at halftime, I knew I had time.”

Mrs. Tart held on despite the pace, but surrendered second place to the favorite Thoughtful in the final steps. Mink’s Palace paid $26.28 to win.

Jo Leone has owned Summerhill Farm for around sixty years, mainly focusing on breeding horses for others. One of her longtime clients was Ty Scheumann of Grousemont Farm, who died in 2022. One of the first horses that Scheumann entrusted to Leone’s care was Fortune Pending, the third mother of Mink’s Palace.

As if being the fourth generation raised on the farm wasn’t special enough, Summerhill typically only breeds two mares a year for themselves, despite having around 15 on board.

“She’s been great to us,” an emotional Cary Simon, Leone’s daughter, told Rees. “We don’t normally race, we hardly breed anything for ourselves. We really breed for other people. We don’t take it for granted that we have this filly. … It’s amazing. It’s life-changing for a small operation like us.”

With a five-time 15 winner starting with earnings of $657,078, Simon said the filly will now get a short break before turning her attention to a five-year-old campaign.

Rodriguez was replaced at the last minute after her originally scheduled rider, Edgar Morales, was involved in a spill two races before leaving the starting gate. According to his agent Joe Paulley, Morales was transported to a local hospital to be examined and undergo X-rays. His horse, Classic throwback was caught by drivers and walked away.

Video: Inaugural Holiday S. Presented by Claiborne Farm (BT)