WinStar Farm has acquired a half interest in three-time stakes winner My Mane Squeeze. A homebred for William "Buck" Butler foaled in New York, the 3-year-old daughter of Audible is currently pointed toward the April 6 Gazelle Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
All three of My Mane Squeeze's stakes wins have come against her fellow state-breds, including a last-out 4 3/4-length score in the Feb. 18 Maddie May Stakes at Aqueduct. A $200,000, 1 1/8-mile test for sophomore fillies, the April 6 Gazelle will be the Mike Maker trainee's first time stepping up to open company and could be her chance to earn points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The Gazelle offers Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale.
"We have to see her, one, go two turns and two, face open company, so fingers crossed," Butler said. "I'm excited. I have a wonderful relationship so far with Elliott (Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager at WinStar Farm), and we'll see where we go from here. These are the dreams that you have when you get into the business, at least it has been so far."
My Mane Squeeze is nominated to the May 3 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Butler previously expressed long-term interest in the May 17 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico Race Course.
WinStar's interest in My Mane Squeeze stemmed from the fact that the filly's sire, second-crop stallion Audible, stands at their Versailles, Ky., farm. Currently ranked number one on the second-crop sire list, Audible is also represented by Sweetest Chant Stakes (G3T) winner Life's An Audible in 2024. The son of Into Mischief stands for a fee of $15,000.
My Mane Squeeze's speed and performance figures (those that take into account ground loss) are suggestive of graded stakes potential.
"She's run two three-and-a-halves on Thorograph. That is strong," said WinStar's Elliott Walden. "We're excited to partner with Buck and she looks like a progressive filly from a good family.
"She's run in a couple mile races at Aqueduct and won impressively, so we think she'll stretch out. We'll see where Mike Maker wants to run her, but she will run in a race where we could try to get some Kentucky Oaks points."
My Mane Squeeze is the second stakes winner produced from Butler's mare In Spite of Mama. The daughter of Speightstown is also responsible for the multiple stakes-winning, graded-placed sprinter Rotknee, also campaigned by Butler and trained by Maker.
