Chitu racks up his third first-crop winner

Two-year-old filly Fiamma Mamma rolled to an impressive four-length victory at Gulfstream Park West on Sunday, Oct. 6, becoming the third first-crop winner for her sire.

Ridden by Emisael Jaramillo for trainer Gustavo Delgado, Fiamma Mamma broke sharply and assumed command after the start of the 5 ½-furlong test. Never challenged, she widened her advantage to five lengths in the stretch and crossed the wire well clear of her nearest pursuer.

Bred in Florida by Baoma Corp., Fiamma Mamma, an OBS April sale graduate, is owned by OGMA Investments LLC. She is produced from the multiple stakes-placed Latent Heat mare Hot Squeeze.

Chitu’s previous winners were Seeking the Truth, a winner at Gulfstream Park on Sept. 20, and Silver Tunes, his initial winner who graduated on Sept. 12, also at Gulfstream Park.

Seeking the Truth, a Florida homebred for R.G. Lundock, scored a determined victory in his second lifetime start for trainer Ralph Catanese. Seeking the Truth is out of the winning Seeking the Gold mare Letussoupriseyou.

Silver Tunes flashed good speed and briefly disputed the pace before surging clear in the lane. After shrugging off the pacesetter she stubbornly fended off a late challenge from the odds-on favorite to prevail by nearly a length in the five-furlong event. Bred in Florida by Pernel Bagwandeen and Clinton Bagwandeen, Silver Tunes races for Bagwandeen Thoroughbreds and Clinton Bagwandeen.

In addition to his trio of first-crop winners, Chitu has been represented in the sale ring by a pair of six-figure colts at OBS April. Donato Lanni, agent, signed the $200,000 ticket (more than 44x Chitu’s stud fee) for Hip No. 555, a bay colt out of a stakes-winning dam. The colt breezed an eighth in a rapid :10 flat at the under tack preview. Hip No. 567 sold to Shepard Equine Advisors, agent for Larry Hirsch, for $150,000. The Florida-bred’s dam, Rumble Seat, is a daughter of Graded stakes winner Sister Star.

Chitu, an undefeated 2-year-old with 1:08 speed, won the $800,000 Sunland Derby (G3) by a decisive 2 ¼ lengths in 1:47.88 for 1 1/8 miles, recording a 103 Beyer Speed Figure. The Bob Baffert trainee also placed in the $300,000 Malibu S. (G1) at Santa Anita and won the $100,000 Damascus S. in wire-to-wire fashion on the Breeders’ Cup undercard. A $300,000 OBS March graduate, Chitu is a son of Henny Hughes out of an A.P. Indy mare. He stands for $4,500 live foal.