Patience Pays Off as Condo Commando Romps

By Jerry Bossert



The plan worked to perfection.



Rudy Rodriguez passed the Nov. 2 Tempted Stakes (gr. III) with Condo Commando to wait for the $400,000 Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II), and his patience paid off as the 2-year-old crushed her opposition, prevailing by 11 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct Racetrack on Nov. 29 .



"That was good, thank goodness," Rodriguez said. "She likes to be a free-running horse. If you take hold of her, she will fight you. To see her gallop along on the lead like that, I was very confident."



Contested over a track that favored speed all afternoon, Condo Commando, the 3-2 favorite, quickly got to the front under jockey Joel Rosario. She never looked back, cutting splits of :23.97, :48.20, 1:12.63, and 1:37.24 before crossing the wire in 1:50.40 for the 1 1/8-mile distance over a fast track.



"She went easy, I never really had to ask her to go at all," Rosario said. "I didn't have to work hard to get to the lead and she was always comfortable. The horse was very relaxed and responsive, and anytime I asked her for more she was ready to go."



Angela Renee, the well-beaten favorite in the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) Nov. 1, chased Condo Commando throughout before weakening to third in the stretch as Calamity Kate swept past to be a distant second, three-quarters of a length ahead of the second choice.



Quezon got up for fourth, while Save Rock and Roll, Gap Year, and My Cara Mia completed the order of finish. Jacaranda was an early scratch.



It was a strong return to the races for Condo Commando, who weakened to fourth as the odds-on favorite in the Oct. 4 Frizette Stakes (gr. I) over a sloppy Belmont Park main track.



"I wasn't that disappointed in her last race, because she didn't break well and she was throwing her head around," Rodriguez said. "Today, she broke very, very well. I didn't think the distance was going to be a problem because we'd given her some longer works. She was training very, very well. To see her do this today was very, very special. Maybe we'll give her a bit of a break now."



Rodriguez opted to skip the Tempted and point for the two-turn Demoiselle by giving the 2-year-old filly by Tiz Wonderful long, slow gallops leading up to the race, including two six furlong breezes Nov. 10 and Nov. 19.



Condo Commando won the first two starts of her career by a combined 25 1/4 lengths, including a romp in the slop at Saratoga Race Course in the Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 31. She has now has won three of four career starts while earning $508,600.



She returned $5.10 to win, $3.70 to place, and $2.60 to show. Calamity Kate paid $7.70 to place and $4.60 to show, while Angela Renee paid $2.70 to show.



Condo Commando was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm out of the General Meeting mare Yearly Report. She was purchased for $72,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale by Michael Dubb, who owns the dark bay filly with Bethlehem Stables and The Elkstone Group.