Harlan’s Holiday doubled his black-type winners over the second weekend of August, with stakes winners in Ireland and California to vault to the top of the 2012 2-year-old Sire List. His 2-year-old progeny earnings have eclipsed the $400,000 in earnings as well, good for fifth among all sires.
The highlight of the weekend came on Sunday at The Curragh in Ireland when My Special J’s upset the highly regarded Harasiya in the Group 2 Keeneland Debutante S., winning by a neck. After settling in third early, My Special J’s went to the lead about two furlongs out then held off Harasiya late to get the “about” seven furlongs on a very yielding turf in 1:34.61.
“She had done a piece of work yesterday morning that thrilled me, and I felt she had definitely come on, but I wasn’t happy to see the rain,” trainer Pat Shanahan said. “She’ll have a break now after three hard races, and she’ll probably go for the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac (at Longchamp in France on Oct. 7), where hopefully she’ll get better ground. The owner Jimmy Long is based in Dubai, so she could end up over there during the winter.”
My Special J’s is now 2-1-0 in three starts. She was runner-up in the Group 3 Silver Flash S. at Leopardstown. The bay filly was bred in Kentucky by Double Eagle Thoroughbreds and is owned by M. R. Ziegler & Thistle Bloodstock Ltd. My Special J is out of Shadow on the Moon, making her a full sister to Grade 3-placed colt The Program.
Zeewat pulls away in Cavonnier Juvenile S.
Sunday at Santa Rosa, Zeewat kept his record perfect with an easy 2 1/2-length win in the $75,000 Cavonnier Juvenile S. for 2-year-olds at Santa Rosa racetrack in California. The Pennsylvania-bred colt handled the six furlongs in 1:12.33, coming from third after a half-mile to win drawing away.
Zeewat broke his maiden a little over two weeks ago at the same track, winning by seven and prompting his trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who co-owns the colt with George Todaro, to try the Cavonnier.
Zeewat rewarded the confidence of his connections and has now earned $60,700 in his two starts. He comes from a family that includes multiple graded stakes winners Cozi Rosie and Lexicon, and was purchased by Hollendorfer for $50,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale.
