Right Prevails Produces Back-to-Back Black-Type Earners

The partnership of Becky Thomas' Sequel New York and Lewis Lakin's Lakland Farms added some black-type updates to the page for their mare Right Prevails over weekend in New York-bred stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Successful Appeal mare's 3-year-old son Barese, by Laoban, captured the Feb. 12 Gander Stakes for Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher with trainer Mike Maker. The next day, Right Prevails' 4-year-old daughter Breakfastatbonnies, also by Laoban, ran third in the Broadway Stakes for owners Jonathan Thorne and R. A. Hill Stable and trainer Danny Gargan. Thomas handpicked Right Prevails from Four Star Sales' Book 2 draft at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $52,000. The now 9-year-old mare was bred in Kentucky by Robert Trussell and is a full sister to grade 3 winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Closing Argument. "We stood Closing Argument upon his retirement when I had a stud farm in Florida. Sequel stood Closing Argument in partnership with Lewis Lakin, Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, and JMJ Racing (Dennis Narlinger), who raced the horse," Thomas said. "I bought her because of who she was, I was familiar with the family, and I loved (Closing Argument). We bred her to Laoban twice," Thomas continued. "She is a typical Successful Appeal, the athletic sprinter type, and Laoban was a big, tall, leggy, stretchy horse that covered the ground. (Laoban) was a big horse, typical of Uncle Mo, but you could see some Speightstown in that he had a defined hip. You could see why he was also speedy." Laoban stood at Sequel New York from 2017-20. He moved to WinStar Farm in Kentucky for the 2021 breeding season but died unexpectedly in May that year. Barese broke his maiden first time out in May of 2021 at Belmont Park going five furlongs against state-breds, just two months after Maker signed the ticket on him for $150,000 at The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select 2-year-olds in training sale in Florida. "I loved that horse and he took him on right after the sale," Thomas said of Barese. "He was a horse that was three-eighths of a mile fit when I sold him. He was probably 16.2 hands high when I sold him; he's big. Mike didn't think there was any reason to stop on him after the sale. He went to Keeneland and got him ready. "He made out first start, had a little hiccup, and eight months later he won his first stakes back, the Rego Park Jan. 9. In Saturday's race, he was very impressive. Mike told me before he ran him back he thought he was a nice horse. He stumbled out of the gate, lost his shoe … going a mile he finally got up, and he just went right on by." Barese came out of the Gander in good condition and has many options on the radar, with the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2) April 9 a likely possibility. The Wood Memorial offers qualifying points for the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the top four finishers. This year, Right Prevails will visit Ashford Stud's Triple Crown winner Justify after delivering a foal by Lane's End's Catalina Cruiser. Her 2-year-old filly by The Lieutenant will be offered at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training in April. The yearling Mission Impazible colt will be offered in August at the Fasig-Tipton New York Bred Yearlings Sale. "I sell horses based on the farm generating income and the opportunity of cash flow. In this mare's case, she had a light pedigree, so we sold Breakfastatbonnies at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Old Sale for $80,000," Thomas said. "The filly was speedy, and she was purchased by one of my dearest friends, Jonathan Thorne from New York, who is a big Sequel breeder. "He breeds to our stallions every year; he's a great breeder and horseman. I was happy he got her. She had a couple of hiccups, otherwise, she would have brought a lot more than what she did. Jonathan is someone who always talks to me and understands that we train them for six to eight months and they are probably OK." Thomas is looking at the big picture when she selects sales for her horses and the future of the New York-bred program at Sequel Stallions. "The closer we get to placing our New York-breds, the better off we are in a way that produces revenue for the farm, by getting the horses in the hands of people who will eventually circle back and breed back to our stallions in New York," she said. Thomas noted the yearling by Mission Impazible is a similar type to his stakes-performing siblings, being attractive and athletic. The mare has routinely thrown big, scopey, and pretty movers. "I have bred her to a variety of horses and I feel like Uncle Mo is a thing for her. I'm a big Justify fan at this point; I have sold quite a few of them in training," she said. "Justify and The Lieutenant's dam Stage Magic is by Ghostzapper. I love Ghostzapper, who was a big scopey looking dirt horse, so I'm pretty excited about that mating."