Grand Isle Becomes First Stakes Winner For Always Dreaming

 Since breaking his maiden at second asking in a 9 3/4 length gate-to-wire romp at Thistledown July 12, Grand Isle stayed in state-bred company and jumped up to the stakes ranks with a pair of back-to-back second-place efforts in the Hoover S. and the Best of Ohio Cleveland Kindergarten S. Aug. 13. Making his first start since then, and his first start at Mahoning Valley, Saturday's 6-1 shot rated kindly off the early pace from fifth before gradually making up ground up the backstretch run. As room opened along the fence around the far turn, Grand Isle sprinted through the gap and easily opened up on the field down the stretch, winning by daylight as much the best.

The first black-type winner for his freshman sire (by Bodemeister), Grand Isle is out of a half-sister to MGSW Raylene (Tabasco Cat) and from the family of MG1SW Ad Valorem (Danzig). His dam produced a yearling  filly by National Flag and a weanling filly by Yosida (Jpn) but was not reported bred for next season. Click for the Equibase.com chart.

BEST OF OHIO JUVENILE S., $100,000, Mahoning Valley, 10-29, (S), 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:49.14, ft.
1–GRAND ISLE, 122, c, 2, by Always Dreaming
                1st Dam: Grand Mere (SP, $114,479), by Bob and John
                2nd Dam: Petite Princess, by Dayjur
                3rd Dam: Classy Women, by Relaunch
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-WinBlaze, LLC (OH); T-Timothy E.
Hamm; J-Jeffrey Sanchez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-1,
$118,980.
2–Sammy and Shorty, 122, g, 2, Mobil–Surviving New York, by
Survivalist. O-Italian Stallions; B-Phantom Farms LLC (OH);
T-Jeffrey A. Radosevich. $20,000.
3–Need to Know Basis, 122, g, 2, Overanalyze–Startin
Something, by Musical Dreamer. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Blazing
Meadows Farm LLC & WinStar Farm, LLC (OH); T-Timothy E.
Hamm. $10,000.