On Leave Will Try to Add to Family Legacy
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
On Leave wins the 2016 Riskaverse Stakes.
On Leave is primed and ready to carry the family torch Sept. 17 when she vies for victory in her graded stakes debut in the $500,000 Sands Point (gr. IIT) at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf at Belmont Park.
A Stuart Janney III homebred, the 3-year-old War Front filly is out of multiple stakes-placed Meghan's Joy, a daughter of A.P. Indy who from eight winners and six stakes winners has already produced four graded stakes winners—Ironicus (Distorted Humor ), Norumbega (Tiznow ), Hunting (Coronado's Quest), and Quiet Cove (Silver Deputy).
Meghan's Joy, who also is the dam of stakes winner Seal Cove (Strong Hope) and grade-III placed Minister's Joy (Deputy Minister), was bred to Distorted Humor for 2017. She descends from 1993 Broodmare of the Year Glowing Tribute, her fourth dam, through daughter Wild Applause, herself the dam of four graded winners in Eastern Echo, Roar, Yell, and Blare of Trumpets as well as a daughter who produced successful sires Congrats and Flatter .
On Leave is undefeated in three starts this year for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, first posting a two-length maiden-breaking win in June and returning with a victory against optional claimers the following month.
The gray filly delivered as the 9-5 favorite in her stakes debut in the Riskaverse Stakes Aug. 25 at Saratoga Race Course, where, despite encountering early trouble, she went on to draw clear by 2 1/2 lengths under Jose Ortiz. She is the 5-2 morning-line favorite among seven runners for the Sands Point.
"She overcame a bad start and had some problems going into the first turn but Jose said when he got clear at the three-eighths pole, he knew he was sitting on a winner," said McGaughey of the Riskaverse. "She's done well off of that race. When I ran her, I didn't know if I was going to run her back yet but she came out of it good and she's trained good.
"Everything with her has been a progression and tomorrow's another progression, so we'll see what she does there," he added. "We're going to go a little further, which shouldn't be a problem, but we'll learn a little more about her."
Meanwhile, her older brother, 5-year-old Ironicus, continues to gear up for a return to the races following his runner-up finish to turf star Flintshire in Manhattan (gr. I) June 11, recording his first local work last Sunday, a half-mile move on the main track in :48.25.