Iscreamuscream has options before American Oaks

DEL MAR, Calif. – Based on a recent partial sale, the unbeaten 3-year-old filly Iscreamuscream was worth $990,000 on Saturday morning. By Saturday evening, the figure had soared considerably.

Already a stakes winner at Del Mar in July, Iscreamuscream extended her streak to four races with a comprehensive win in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Saturday.

With the win in the $301,500 Del Mar Oaks, the value of a 33 percent share of Iscreamuscream has understandably increased from the $330,000 that Mark Martinez of Agave Racing paid earlier this month in a Fasig-Tipton digital sale.

Agave Racing joined previous owners Little Red Feather Racing, Marsha Naify, John Hundley Jr., and John and Stacey Snyder in the partnership group.

The partial sale was triggered by an opportunity to take advantage of Iscreamuscream’s impressive start to her career, said Gary Fenton, a managing partner of Little Red Feather Racing.

“We’ve made this move before,” Fenton said Sunday. “It allows us to take some money off the table.”

The next goal for the partners and trainer Phil D’Amato is extending the winning streak this fall, with a variety of options available.

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Iscreamuscream has the Grade 1 American Oaks at 1 1/4 miles on turf for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita in late December as a long-range goal, D’Amato said.

In the short term, Iscreamuscream will be considered for races such as the Grade 2 Rodeo Drive Stakes against older fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf on Oct. 5 at Santa Anita; the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Oct. 12 at Keeneland; or the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes against older fillies and mares at a mile on turf on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

“I’ll let her tell us in the weeks to come which path to take,” D’Amato said. “I’ve been in the same situation with Going Global. Our year-end goal is the American Oaks, another Grade 1. That will get her ready for a 4-year-old campaign.”

Going Global won the 2021 Del Mar Oaks and did not race again until she beat older fillies and mares for the first time in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar in November of that year.

Going Global was later sixth in the American Oaks that was run on dirt because of rain. In 2022, her final year of racing with D’Amato, Going Global won three Grade 2 races in a five-race campaign. She was later sold and sent to Australia, where she was winless in four major stakes before she was retired.

By Twirling Candy, Iscreamuscream was listed as bought for $145,000 by Little Red Feather at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s March 2-year-olds in training sale in Florida.

With career earnings of $369,600, she has surpassed the achievements of her dam, Silver Screamer, a two-time stakes winner who earned $314,245.

The Del Mar Oaks at 1 1/8 miles was Iscreamuscream’s longest race. She set an early pace, tracked Whiskey Decision when that filly was sent to the front on the backstretch, and rallied two wide under Hector Berrios to regain the lead in early stretch.

“I was confident of her sitting off the pace,” D’Amato said. “She’s done it before.

“For Hector not to push the button right away, to get her to settle and regroup, was a smart tactic.”

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