E. Rutherford,
NJ – Despite her long odds and modest past performances, Sassy Syrinx has
something to prove in Saturday’s $714,050 Hambletonian Oaks at the Meadowlands
Racetrack. Scoring from post 10, she is listed as 30-1 on the morning line.
Eleven years ago
her dam, Syrinx Hanover 3,1:53.2 ($1,699,426), won this same race en route to
an unblemished season which also included victories in the Breeders Crown, Del
Miller, Matron. Her efforts resulted in
Dan Patch Award divisional honors, as well as being named Trotter of the Year
over international sensation Varenne.
She won all 12 of her starts at age three, as well as the Breeders Crown
and the Goldsmith Maid at two.
Having descended
from such racing royalty, Sassy Syrinx earned a $90,000 yearling price tag two
years ago when the gavel fell at the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, PA.
Bred by Jeff Gural’s Little E LLC, NY, NY and Cynthia Fazio of Colts Neck, NJ,
she was the last foal from that grand trotting filly.
Unraced at two
due to “colt soreness” she was brought back to race in the New Jersey Sire
Stakes in May. In her third lifetime start she finished third, parked every
step of the way, in the $150,000 NJSS final, race timed in 1:54.2 with a last
quarter in :28.1.
This effort
showed her Delaware-based trainer, David Smith, and her Monroe, NJ owners,
Lenore Fazio & Robert Molfetta, some greatly anticipated promise.
One month later she
left out of the 10 hole in a maiden race, was first over and made the top in a
:56.2 half. She got beat by a length at the wire, finishing second in 1:54.3.
The following week she took her record in the same class in 1:54.1 at the
Meadowlands, winning by nearly 10 lengths over the only track she has ever
raced.
Oaks competition
is another matter, explains Smith, “The 10 hole in the Oaks took some of the
wind out of my sails. The competition in her last trip from post 10 was
considerably easier. There is some early speed in the Oaks final so I don’t
think we will be leaving against them.”
Sassy Syrinx
gets the services of Jim Morrill Jr., who “has had his fair share of luck with
longshots,” notes trainer Smith. “The only instructions I will give Jimmy are
to ease her up to the gate and then take it from there.”
Morrill Jr.
stated after the eliminations that, “if I would have stayed in with her, she
would have been a lot closer. I ended up with bad cover, but she trotted right
to the wire. With smooth sailing we are looking for money and I think she can
get it.”
Smith
got the horse from his friend Mike Capron, who conditioned the filly leading up
to her first start. When it was time to race, Capron opted for Smith to take
over the training duties due to his experience with young horses. “I picked her
up around May 1 when she was getting close to the race,” Smith said. “She
needed a little fine tuning, and he asked me for a hand.”
