Iron Orchard (Authentic), who graduated by open lengths during the Fourth of July Festival at Saratoga, made light work of seven overmatched rivals to run her record to two wins from two starts with a front-running success in Friday's Seeking The Ante Stakes at the Spa.
Most recently hammered down for $500,000 at this year's OBS April Sale when consigned through Grassroots Training & Sales as agent, Iron Orchard was made the long odds-on favorite for that July 3 debut as she faced mostly auction maidens with a stipulation that allowed New York-breds to compete no matter their purchase price at their most recent sale. Having duly dismissed that field by 5 1/2 lengths, she was a logical 3-4 favorite to take this next step and did so with a minimum of fuss.
In front almost at once beneath Joel Rosario, Iron Orchard made the running from chief market rival Grazie (Modernist) through an opening quarter in :22.27 and was asked to dispose of the Repole runner after a half in :45.36. Quickly putting several lengths on the field prior to the eighth pole, she coasted under the wire to take it by daylight, becoming the sixth stakes winner for her Spendthrift-based stallion, whose 2-year-old half-sister gets her career started Saturday at Ellis Park.
“She's just lightning fast,” said trainer Danny Gargan, winning a Saratoga stakes for the fourth year in a row. “I wanted to get this, and she looks like she shows everything in the mornings like she'll stretch. I wanted to get one more race in her before we take on the open company, so there's a big chance I run her there [in the one-mile Oct. 4 GI Frizette Stakes at Aqueduct].
“I think going a mile, she'll break and when horses come to her, she gets faster,” he added. “She does it so easy, so we'll see who's all going to show up there, but that's what we'll point her towards and hopefully we end up there.”
Breeder Pine Ridge Stable acquired the twice stakes-placed Onebrethatatime for $150,000 in foal to Into Mischief's son Audible at Keeneland November in 2020 and the mare, who passed away subsequent to foaling Iron Orchard in 2023, is also responsible for the 3-year-old filly Backcheck, a maiden winner at Aqueduct in June. From the extended female family of GISW Exaulted (Twirling Candy), Iron Orchard is bred on a variant of the wildly successful cross of Into Mischief over Distorted Humor-line mares. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
SEEKING THE ANTE S., $145,500, Saratoga, 8-22, (S), 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.68, ft.
1–IRON ORCHARD, 122, f, 2, by Authentic
1st Dam: Onebrethatatime (MSP, $133,283), by Brethren
2nd Dam: Onemiracleatatime, by Gulch
3rd Dam: Katie Love, by Manila
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($140,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $97,000 RNA Ylg '24 SARAUG; $78,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $500,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). O-Edward A Childs & R A Hill Stable; B-Pine Ridge Stable LLC (NY); T-Danny Gargan; J-Joel Rosario. $82,500. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $132,000.
2–Oriole Way, 122, f, 2, Rock Your World–Elegant Zip, by Run Away and Hide. 1ST BLACK TYPE. ($5,000 Ylg '24 FTKFEB; $46,000 2yo '25 FTDFEB). O-Railsplitters Farm; B-Spruce Lane, Brady Horse Racing, J Carroll, R Carroll, T Perotti et al (NY); T-Felix L Flores-Coba. $30,000.
3–Grazie, 122, f, 2, Modernist–Ascot Walk, by Daaher. 1ST BLACK TYPE. ($37,000 Ylg '24 EASOCT; $310,000 2yo '25 EASMAY). O-Repole Stable; B-Michael Slezak & Kaylee M Platt (NY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $18,000.
Margins: 6 3/4, 2 3/4, 3 1/4. Odds: 0.75, 22.50, 5.90.
Also Ran: Shakti, Angel Gift, Dopamine.
IRON ORCHARD is now 2 for 2 after winning the Seeking the Ante Stakes very impressively under @JRosarioJockey for trainer @GarganRacing! pic.twitter.com/1jrq3H0xtX
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 22, 2025
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