Spendthrift Farm's Tommy Jo may not have as catchy of a name or backstory as her juvenile stablemate Ted Noffey.
But the homebred daughter of Into Mischief has an edge in a much more important category.
She's a grade 1 winner.
Named for the granddaughter of Spendthrift owner Eric Gustavson, Tommy Jo took a big step forward from an impressive debut win with an even more dazzling score as she pulled away to notch a 6 1/2-length victory in the $300,000 Spinaway Stakes (G1) for 2-year-old fillies Aug. 30 at Saratoga Race Course.
"We made the trip out from California hoping for something like this and she didn't disappoint," Gustavson said. "We're so excited about her."
Spendthrift also has one of the favorites in the Sept. 1 Hopeful Stakes (G1) for males in Ted Noffey, who was named for a misspelling of the farm's general manager Ned Toffey's name.
"That would be the ultimate," Gustavson said about the possibility of Ted Noffey giving Spendthrift and trainer Todd Pletcher a sweep of the Spinaway and Hopeful.
While Tommy Jo comes from a more conventional naming process, there was nothing ordinary about her performance in the Spinaway as jockey Kendrick Carmouche piloted her to the front at the quarter pole and she opened a commanding six-length lead in midstretch en route to handling seven furlongs in 1:23.39.
With the victory in the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In Spinaway, Tommy Jo secured a free spot in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar.
"She's a homebred, which is extra exciting for us. She was raised on the farm and literally every division of the farm had a hand in her development. So, it's a big team win. We teach a team-first mentality at the farm, so this is a big deal for us." Gustavson said. "And then she's named after our only granddaughter as well. So that's the cherry on top of it all."
Though the field of seven included Adirondack Stakes (G3) winner Mythical, the betting public flocked to Tommy Jo ($4), sending her off as an even-money favorite.
Mythical, the 2-1 second choice, dueled with Sina early through a quick half-mile in :44.54, while Carmouche had Tommy Jo perfectly positioned in third, about two lengths off the lead.
As the leaders started to fade on the turn, Tommy Jo surged to the front and took all of the suspense out of the race.
"I just let this horse cruise into the turn. The more I asked (down the lane), the more she gave," Carmouche said about the daughter of the Pioneerof the Nile mare Mother Mother.
Hat Creek Racing's Percy's Bar closed from sixth to grab second. The daughter of Upstart trained by Ben Colebrook finished 4 3/4 lengths ahead of William and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Rileytole, a Mitole filly trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.
With the Juvenile Fillies a two-turn, 1 1/16-mile test, Pletcher said he would likely target the Oct. 3 mile-and-a-sixteenth Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland for Tommy Jo's final prep for the World Championships.
"The way she trained into this and the way she galloped out in her breezes, it gives us confidence that she is not just fast, but can stretch that speed out as well," said Pletcher, a record seven-time winner of the Spinaway. "I would think the Alcibiades could make sense."
Attendance on the final Saturday of the 40-day meet was 31,459 with an all-sources handle of $25,248,298.
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