Sweet Vendetta (foaled in April 2005 in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

) is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. She won four of her first seven outings. The daughter of Stephen Got Even will best be remembered for posting a 1-1/2 length score in the mile and an eighth

Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

$200,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...

on May 16, 2008.Pedigree On-line Thoroughbred Database
/ref>

Racing career

Trained by Gary Contessa, she won a score in her second start as a two-year-old in a one-mile maiden special weight race in October 2007 at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

. Sweet Vendetta then lost her next start to Little Belle who won by two lengths in the $81,600

Busher Stakes The Busher Stakes is an American Thoroughbred stakes horse race for three-year-old fillies run each February at Aqueduct Race Track in Jamaica, New York and as of 2016 carries a purse of $125,000. The Busher Handicap is named in honor of champion ...

for 3-year-old fillies at

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack locate ...

on Sunday, February 24, 2008. Little Belle was timed at 1:44.3 for one and 1/16 mile race on a fast track. Little Belle paid $9.30 to win while Sweet Vendetta returned $8.60 to place. Sweet Vendetta then went on three weeks later to beat Love You Not by four lengths on March 18, 2008 in the $67,500 Andover Way Stakes for 3-year-old fillies in the rain and slop at

. Jockey

Channing Hill Channing Hill (born August 22, 1987 in Grand Island, Nebraska) is an American jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Hill began riding horses when he was 16 years old. He rode full-time at Prairie Meadows Racetrack between his junior ...

was aboard as Sweet Vendetta got her second win in six starts. She ran a mile and seventy yards in 1:42, paying $7.70 to win. Her connections including pop star owner David Cassidy decided to enter her in the second jewel of America's de facto

Filly Triple Crown The Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, formerly known as the Filly Triple Crown, is a set of three horse races in the United States which is open to three-year-old fillies. Presently the only official Triple Tiara is the three race series in New Y ...

, the $200,000

Black-eyed Susan Stakes. The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is the distaff counterpart to the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

, and was run on the Friday of Preakness Stakes weekend before a crowd of 28,407 who withstood constant wet weather with intermittent rain. A field of eight three-year-old fillies went to the gate in this one and one eighth mile feature race. Kentucky Oaks fourth-place finisher Bsharpsonata was sent off as the 5-2 favorite over 3-1 second choice Seattle Smooth, winner of the Bay Meadows Oaks last time out. Six to one shot Sherine was allowed an uncontested lead of three lengths through fractions of 23.6, 47.6 with entrymate Pious Ashley in second as the field passed the stands for the first time and worked around the club house turn. Entering the lane at the top of the stretch, the leaders' strategy both failed as both faded from contention. Shes All Eltish, who settled in fifth early went out wide the whole way around the final turn, then she took over the lead at the 3/16 pole and quickly opened up a three length advantage on 8-1 Sweet Vendetta. Sweet Vendetta had raced back in 6th and 7th down the backstretch but when Jockey Channing Hill asked her for a big run he got it, as she powered by Shes All Eltish at the sixteenth pole and drew off to a 1-1/2 length win in 1:49.6 over the muddy, sealed main track. It was just another length back to late-running Seattle Smooth who finished in third, while favorite Bsharpsonata raced within four lengths of the pace for the first half mile then tired badly late to finish last beaten 23 lengths. Sweet Vendetta only raced one more time and finished off the board before she was retired in 2008.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 2005 racehorse births Thoroughbred family 16-c Racehorses bred in New York (state) Racehorses trained in the United States