Stonetastic shines in Prioress Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It was hard not to think about the Winston Churchill quote, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man,” when listening to Kelly Breen speak after Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga.

One week after the death of his father, Jackie, it was an emotional Kelly Breen who spoke about the awesome performance of his 3-year-old filly Stonetastic, who, under Paco Lopez, rolled to an 8 1/2-length victory in the Prioress.
“This is a week since my father passed away, and he’s here with me,” said Breen, who got choked up while speaking. “It means a lot. It’s been a tough couple of weeks.”

Jackie Breen was diagnosed with mesothelioma a few months ago and died Aug. 23.

“Kelly has had a tough three weeks,” said Jim Stone, the owner of Stonetastic. “Everybody was up for the race – the horse, Kelly, Paco, what a team.”

Stonetastic was certainly up for it. Breaking alertly out of the gate under Lopez, Stonetastic rattled off a quarter-mile in 22.47 seconds, a half in 44.75 seconds, five-eighths in 56.50 seconds, and finished in 1:08.88, which is the second-fastest six furlongs of the meet. Palace won the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt in 1:08.56.

“I know that filly is a great filly,” Lopez said. “Kelly said, ‘Open the gates, if you’re second, you’re second. Don’t rush. Wherever you’re comfortable, take your position.”

“Paco came back and said she did it easy,” Breen said. “Everything was in alignment; she ran great. Paco said he didn’t whip her. She ran 1:08 and 4 and did it the right way.”

Miss Behaviour, the 2-1 favorite, finished second by a neck over Southern Honey. She was followed by Tea Time, Who’s in Town, Sweet Whiskey, Princess Violette, and Thirteen Arrows.

The victory was the third in seven starts for Stonetastic, a daughter of Mizzen Mast. She is 3 for 3 in dirt sprints but winless in dirt and turf routes.

Stonetastic was away from the races from January until July owing to some minor physical issues, according to Breen. She had some time off at Stone’s farm in LaGrange, Ky., outside of Louisville.

Stone said the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint would be under consideration for Stonetastic.