The Haskell Stakes (G1) appeared to offer the opportunity for one of a trio of 3-year-olds to step up and declare themselves the logical challenger to Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Golden Tempo as divisional leader.
Napoleon Solo came into the race as winner of the Preakness Stakes (G1), the second classic having been skipped by Golden Tempo. Favored Further Ado failed to fire in the Kentucky Derby but had taken the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) by 11 lengths while earning a 106 Beyer Speed Figure in his Derby prep, and had most recently rebounded from his disappointing Churchill effort with a win in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3). The Puma was a well-fancied Kentucky Derby hopeful but was scratched on the morning of the race because of a leg swollen from a skin infection. His last two outings had resulted in a win over Further Ado in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), and a second, beaten a nose by Commandment, in the Florida Derby (G1).
As it turned out, none of the presumed stars were destined to take the winner's share of the $1,005,000 purse. Napoleon Solo came closest, dictating a comfortable pace while racing wide. Turning for home, however, he came under pressure from the longshot Baby Vino, who was rallying strongly along the rail, having raced third in the early stages. The duo engaged in a protracted duel through the stretch, bumping several times, before Baby Vino prevailed by a half-length. The Puma, never really involved after breaking slowly, stayed on for fourth, one place ahead of Further Ado, who faded after stalking early.
Although he started at 28-1, a look at Baby Vino's form shows that he has been making rapid improvement. He did not break his maiden until his fifth start, which came in an 8 1/2-furlong event May 1 at Oaklawn Park. Prior to that, he had finished second twice and third once in four starts, including when missing by just a neck over 6 furlongs at Oaklawn. After his maiden win, Baby Vino prepped for the Haskell with a dominant 10 3/4-length victory in the Pegasus Stakes.
As his name suggests, Baby Vino is by Vino Rosso , who similarly progressed with age and racing, although he was more precocious at 2, winning a 7-furlong maiden special weight at Aqueduct Racetrack by 2 3/4 lengths and an allowance/optional claiming test over a mile and 40 yards at Tampa Bay Downs by 2 1/2 lengths.
At 3, Vino Rosso scored once in seven starts, capturing the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) by 3 lengths. Black-type placings included thirds in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) and Jim Dandy Stakes (G2). He also contested two legs of the Triple Crown, finishing ninth in the Kentucky Derby and fourth—beaten just a neck for third—in the Belmont Stakes.
Winner of the Stymie Stakes in his 4-year-old debut, the son of Curlin showed true top-class form for the first time when defeating Gift Box by three-quarters of a length in the Santa Anita Gold Cup (G1). Third to McKinzie and Yoshida in the Whitney Stakes (G1), Vino Rosso then led from start to finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) but lost the race in the stewards' room, being disqualified in favor of Code of Honor, who had finished just a nose in arrears after Vino Rosso drifted out and bumped that rival three times in the final furlong. His only other start that season saw Vino Rosso take the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) by 4 1/4 lengths from McKinzie, with Code of Honor back in seventh.
Retired to Spendthrift Farm near Lexington in 2020 at a fee of $30,000, he has since seen that fee reduced in stages to $7,500 in the most recent season. At that level, he has proven a very solid sire and currently sits second, behind his stud-mate Omaha Beach , on the fourth-crop sire list. To date, he is responsible for 12 stakes winners. In addition to Baby Vino, they include Bottle of Rouge, successful in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) last year and a pair of listed races this term; Masmak, winner of the Jebel Ali Mile (G3); and The Wine Steward, a four-time stakes winner who also finished second in the Breeders' Futurity (G1).
Baby Vino's dam Discreetly Grand won four times at up to a mile and earned black type with a second in the restricted Louisiana Legends Soiree Stakes. Discreetly Grand is by Discreetly Mine, a grade 1-winning sprinter by Mineshaft out of the unraced Grand Slam mare Autumn Spice. The third dam, Ireland-bred Cinnamon Sugar, won the Long Look Handicap (G2) and the Coral Gables Handicap, and finished second in the Acorn Stakes (G1), Mother Goose Stakes (G1), and Gazelle Handicap (G1). She also appears as the third dam of Japanese listed winner Taiki Ferveur.
Cinnamon Sugar was bred by Calumet Farm and comes from a historic Calumet family. Her dam Sugar and Spice numbered the Mother Goose Stakes among a trio of graded stakes victories. In turn, Sugar and Spice is a half sister to Alydar—famed for his duels with Affirmed, but a major winner in his own right of nine graded stakes, six at the grade 1 level, including the Florida Derby and Travers Stakes (G1)—and to Our Mims, the champion 3-year-old filly of 1977. It is worth noting that Our Mims is the second dam of 1997 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Elmhurst, who was by Wild Again, and thus closely related to Cinnamon Sugar.
Discreetly Grand's fifth dam, the stakes-winning Plum Cake, is the ancestress of more than 50 stakes winners. These include grade 1 winners Grand Slam (sire of Baby Vino's second dam Autumn Spice, making Baby Vino inbred to Plum Cake 5x4 through the three-quarter sisters Christmas Bonus and Sugar and Spice); Christmas Past, the champion 3-year-old filly of 1982; Kudos; Continuously; Fast Look; and Christmas Kid.
The family entered the Calumet program with the purchase of the multiple stakes-winning Blue Larkspur mare Blue Delight. She has the distinction of appearing as the dam of a trio of Kentucky Oaks winners: Real Delight (champion 3-year-old filly and co-leading handicap mare of 1952), her sister Bubbley, who took the race the following year, and her half sister Princess Turia, successful in 1956.
We conclude by noting that Baby Vino is one of four stakes winners by Vino Rosso out of mares by sons or grandsons of A.P. Indy.
