Highway Star earned her first Graded Stakes victory with a stubborn nose victory over High Ridge Road in the G3 Go For Wand Stakes at Aqueduct December 3.
The talented three-year-old filly became the first Graded Stakes winner for her sire, Girolamo, whose first crop of runners are three-year-olds of 2016.
Settled in mid-pack through the early stages of the race, Highway Star moved into contention on the far turn, then battled with longtime leader Wonder Gal through the stretch. Nearing the wire, Highway Star edged to the lead, then had to hold off a late bid by High Ridge Road for a game victory.
Racing as a homebred for Chester and Mary Broman Sr., Highway Star is out of Stolen Star, a multiple Stakes-placed daughter of Cat Thief. Stolen Star is out of the Stakes-placed mare Unbridled Star, and is a half-sister to the multiple Stakes winners Friend Or Foe and Star Grazing.
Girolamo has sired 28 winners to date, including Stakes winner and G1-placed She’s All Ready, Stakes winners Louisville First and Libreta, and Stakes-placed runners Pagan, Backwood Bay, and Lucky Lurie.
Girolamo will stand for $10,000 stands and nurses at Jonabell Farm in 2017.
