David Cassidy on the Web
David Cassidy's homebred Toga's Triumph tallies in 3rd start
January 2, 2003
www.nybreds.com
Out-gunned in two six-furlong sprints as a two-year-old at Aqueduct in November, David Cassidy's and Darlene Bilinski's homebred TOGA'S TRIUMPH came back five weeks later to try two turns in Aqueduct's sixth race on Thursday, a $42,000 restricted maiden special for just-turned three-year-old fillies going a mile and a sixteenth. On Lasix medication for the first time but dismissed as the 44.25-to-1 eighth choice among 11 wagering interests (12 starters) with jockey Ariel Smith up for the first time, the bay filly broke slowly and had eight rivals ahead of her after the first half-mile. She began advancing on the outside rounding the second turn, getting up to fifth by mid-stretch and continuing to overtake her competition on either side of her, finally passing the stronger half of the 2.15-to-1 favored entry, Back Bay Lady, to win by a length and a half. In addition to the race being her first attempt at two turns, it also marked the first outing for Toga's Triumph on a muddy track.
Trained by current leading Aqueduct winter meet conditioner Gary Contessa, Toga's Triumph earned $25,200, becoming the first winner produced from Time for Saratoga, a West Coast-winning Saratoga Six mare who is a half-sister to stakes winner and Grade 2-placed Lucky Touch ($258,776). Cassidy, a singing and television star who has been active in racing for decades and has been particularly involved in the New York program, purchased Time for Saratoga for $8,000 when she was carrying Toga's Triumph at the 1999 Barretts Equine Limited yearling and mixed sale in Pomona, California. The stallion she was in foal to -- and the sire of Toga's Triumph -- is Ballistic Billy, a winning son of deceased record-holding New York sire Cure the Blues. Time for Saratoga's dam is a daughter of the great Dr. Fager (maternal grandsire of Cure the Blues), making Toga's Triumph inbred 3 x 4 to that Hall of Fame racehorse and former leading North American sire. As the breeder of Toga's Triumph, Cassidy, whose addresses include Saratoga Springs, also qualified for a $2,520 breeder award.
