Maiden winners get stakes shot in Tin Cup Chalice

Tin Cup Chalice came into November of his 2-year-old season with only one start under his belt. He won his stakes debut that month before going on to a storybook 3-year-old campaign.

The entrants in the star-crossed New York-bred’s namesake race Monday at his home track, Finger Lakes, are themselves lightly accomplished. All but two of the seven entered are making their stakes debuts, and the morning-line favorite has just one start under his belt. There is room for someone to step forward in the $45,000 Tin Cup Chalice Stakes, a six-furlong race for 2-year-olds that is the final stakes of the season at Finger Lakes.

That morning-line favorite is Blamicker, a front-running debut winner by 2 1/2 lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs on Oct. 28 at Finger Lakes for trainer Chris Englehart. No Factor, who has drawn the rail off a second-out maiden win, will be gunning for the lead as well, and Blamicker, who has landed post 2, should go right with her.

Next door in post 3 is Cast a Coin, the close second choice at 5-2 for Jacqueline Falk, to Blamicker’s 2-1. Cast a Coin was second on debut to the promising King’s Leap; finished fifth in the Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes while still a maiden; then broke through with a four-length win on a sloppy track in which he pressed the pace. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 57 for that effort, to 55 for Blamicker’s debut. Cast a Coin is well drawn for another pace-pressing trip.

The top Beyer in this field belongs to Mr. Sugar Daddy, who will offer value if he can run to the 58 he posted in his five-furlong local debut win. He finished sixth in the Aspirant in his second start, perhaps not handling a sloppy track.

Notfanutin improved after switching to the Finger Lakes dirt and is cutting back in distance off a 12 3/4-length maiden victory at a mile, in his sixth career start.

Tin Cup Chalice, bred, trained, and co-owned by Mike Lecesse, won his first seven career starts and then swept the Big Apple Triple – the Mike Lee at Belmont, New York Derby at Finger Lakes, and Albany at Saratoga – the following summer. After incurring his first loss, by just a neck in the Step Nicely at Belmont, he ventured outside his home state and into open company. He upset the Grade 2 Indiana Derby over graded stakes winner Pyro, who would become a Grade 1 winner the following year.

Tin Cup Chalice was invited to participate in the Grade 1 Japan Cup Dirt. With a hometown crowd watching in an overnight party at Finger Lakes, he led early before fading to 13th. He was honored as the champion New York-bred 3-year-old male for that 2008 season, with horse of the year honors going to the older Grade 1 winner Commentator.

Sadly, Tin Cup Chalice suffered fatal injuries in a training accident the following spring at Finger Lakes. He is buried in the track’s infield.

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