Stone Smuggler seeks more stakes success in $125K NYSSS Staten Island
At 0h02, on November 20, 2025 • By Aqueduct Racetrack
NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Sunset Ridge Racing Stable’s dual stakes-winner Stone Smuggler will look to return to winning form in Saturday’s $125,000 Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Jorge Abreu, the 3-year-old Honest Mischief bay was purchased for $57,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Preferred Yearling Sale with an eye towards the lucrative $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue in December here, which she won by 1 3/4-lengths with a stalking trip.
Dan Zanatta, co-managing partner of NY Final Furlong Racing Stable, said the Fifth Avenue score was a dream come true.
“We bought her with that race in mind and to actually get her there and win it was incredible – you can’t make that up. It’s so hard to plan two years out to buy a horse for a specific race, but we’re glad it worked out,” Zanatta said.
Zanatta said the NY Final Furlong team, which focuses on New York-bred stock, keeps an eye out for New York-sired yearlings.
“We seek them out because we know there’s additional value there,” Zanatta said. “We might find one or two stallion series horses each year that we look to buy, but when we do find them, I get excited because I know they offer value on the purchase price side as well as additional value once they hit the racetrack.”
Stone Smuggler graduated in style at second asking in the 5 1/2-furlong Lady Finger over sloppy and sealed going last September versus fellow New York-breds at Finger Lakes. She completed a productive juvenile campaign with a pair of local starts, landing a prominent third in the state-bred Key Cents in November ahead of her Fifth Avenue coup.
Stone Smuggler [post 1, Manny Franco] has made just two starts this campaign, finishing a distant fifth in the Grade 3 Prioress on August 30 at Saratoga Race Course and sixth last out versus elder state-bred company in the 6 1/2-furlong Iroquois on October 25 here – a race that saw older millionaires Sterling Silver and My Mane Squeeze finish first and third, respectively, after dropping in from graded events.
Zanatta said he is hopeful that Stone Smuggler is turning the corner and in top shape heading into Saturday’s test.
