Iscreamuscream answered the cheers of her hundreds of owners in Del Mar The stands rang out loud as she won her fourth straight race in the $301,500 Del Mar Oaks (G1T) on August 17.
Like every other horse jointly owned by Little Red Feather Racing, the winners’ circle was soon filled with jubilant relations following Iscreamuscream’s maiden Grade 1 win.
“This is the nature of horse racing,” said Billy Koch, founder of California’s largest horse racing company.
In addition to Little Red Feather, the 3-year-old dog Candy spinner The mare is owned by Agave Racing Stable, John Hundley Jr., Marsha Naify, and John and Stacey Snyder. Agave Racing Stable acquired Iscreamuscream along with the original partners when her 33% ownership stake sold for $330,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midsummer Flash Sale from consignment by Taylor Made Sales Agency on August 1.
Before the flash sale, she had a 3-for-3 record starting with her debut win as a 2-year-old, graduating last October to Santa Anita Park lawn
Freshened up long after her debut, Iscreamuscream picked up right where she left off—in the winner’s circle. Back in a six-furlong optional race at Santa Anita on June 13, the Phil D’Amato trainee was outscored by 3 1/2 lengths before carrying her speed to success in a mile in the San Clemente Handicap (G2T) on the Del Mar opening weekend.
The top four finishers from San Clemente returned to win the 1 1/8-mile Del Mar Oaks, the summertime prize for 3-year-old mares in Southern California. Although Iscreamuscream boasts an unbeaten record entering the Oaks, bookmakers favor the East Coast upstart. Decisions on Whiskey is being used by coach Arnaud Delacour.
Iscreamuscream, making the most of his first place under Hector Berrios, sprinted to the lead as the gate opened, looking quite capable of repeating his gate-to-wire performance at San Clemente. However, after opening the way for the first quarter mile, a first-place Whiskey Decision pulled Umberto Rispoli to the front as he crossed the half-mile mark. Iscreamuscream was willing to cede his advantage and the cat-and-mouse game was on. Approaching the six-furlong mark, running in 1:11.56, Berrios and Iscreamuscream emerged on the outside of Whiskey Decision and glided past as the pack raced towards the finish.
With an ending Medoro Charging down the lane and out for revenge after finishing third at San Clemente, Iscreamuscream reached the finish line, holding the gap by 1 1/2 horse lengths in a final time of 1:48.06.
“I loved when Rispoli (on Whiskey Decision) made that early move. I told my friend, ‘Oh, she’s got a target now,'” Koch said. “It was also a great ride for Hector, great work by Phil D’Amato and his team. I couldn’t be happier for everybody.”
Verde Area Monday in San Clemente, completed three goals.
Bred in Kentucky by Hunter Rankin and Walker Hancock, Iscreamuscream is out of the Grade 3 winning mare Cozzene. Silver Scream She is the only black horse to win a race from her dam, who produced four winners out of six foals.
Iscreamuscream was the Grade 9 winner for the Lane’s End stallion Twirling Candy. The son of Candy Trip has been a prolific racehorse for many years, producing top turf racehorses such as Concrete Rose , More than awesome And Be Praised as well as millionaires Driver . Twirling Candy entered the 2024 breeding season with a fee of $60,000.
Video: Del Mar Oaks presented by Keeneland Sales (G1T)
