Soloshot trumpeted her even-money favoritism with an uncontested gate-to-wire performance in the Sept. 25 Lady Finger Stakes at Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack and enhanced the win by becoming the first stakes winner for freshman sire Solomini .
The racing stable owned by Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (Bregman Family Racing), Jackpot Farm, and Swinbank Stables campaign Soloshot, who has won both her starts by a combined 9 3/4 lengths. The juvenile filly stopped the timer in the 5 1/2-furlong Lady Finger in 1:05.98.
Rhapsody Farm bred Soloshot in New York out of the multiple stakes-placed Twirling Candy winner Sweet Queen, who is a half sister to grade 3 winner and stakes producer Queen ofthe Catsle (Tale of the Cat). Rhapsody bought Sweet Queen for $52,000 in foal to Practical Joke at the 2020 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale out of the Castle Park Farm consignment.
The foal by Practical Joke grew up to be multiple winner Banterra, who was sold for $185,000 to Rick Grimes at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York Bred Yearlings Sale and then pinhooked for $210,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale by Mayberry Farm. The filly has now won nearly $116,000.
Rhapsody bred the mare back to McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds' Solomini and gone back to the stallion every year since 2021. Sweet Queen has a yearling full sister to Soloshot, did not have a foal this year, and is back in foal to Solomini.
Solomini is an 8-year-old son of Curlin out of the unraced Storm Cat mare Surf Song, who hails from a highly productive family. Surf Song is a half sister to 2008 champion 2-year-old colt, multiple grade 1 winner, and Darley Stallions sire Midshipman , and also a half sister to graded stakes winner Fast Cookie, who is the dam of multiple grade 1 winner and fellow Darley sire Frosted and graded stakes winner Indulgent.
Racing for Zayat Stables, Solomini won his racing debut at Del Mar in early September of his juvenile year and followed with a second in the FrontRunner Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). He would also finish third in the Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity (G1). At 3, he was third in the Arkansas Derby (G1). He retired with a 2-4-5 record from 16 starts and earned $834,993.
Soloshot's victory will move Solomini into the top 12 on the North American leading freshman sires list by progeny earnings, where he also becomes the 11th sire of his class to be represented by a black-type winner. Solomini stands at McMahon of Saratoga for $6,500.
