In last month’s $75,000 Its Binn Too Long Stakes for West Virginia-bred three-year-old fillies, the triumphant homebred Allforyounoneforme prevailed in only the fourth start of her career for trainer Cynthia McKee.

But it was her youthful breeder, Anthony Croson, who may have earned the bigger spotlight.

A sophomore daughter of Fiber Sonde out of the winning Girolamo mare Gemini Dream, Allformenoneforyou had finished fifth in her career debut on January 31 and then came right back to run second four weeks later. She graduated in her third outing on March 28.

Immediately after earning her diploma, Allformenoneforyou made the leap into stakes company and scored by 2 1/4 lengths in the It’s Binn Too Long Stakes in 53.01 for owner Ashley Croson and her son, breeder Anthony Croson, still one year shy of becoming a teenager.

The younger Croson had received Gemini Dream as a gift from veterinarian Francis “Chip” Daniel four years ago. But his initial forays into breeding, prior to Allformenoneforyou, had gone awry.

“People who just think that this kid was lucky don’t know the whole story,” McKee said. “This poor little kid lost his first mare and foal a few days apart. Then when he finally had a yearling to raise, that colt suffered a leg injury. When Chip gave him Gemini Dream, he was so happy. I was so glad that the Fiber Sonde foal she had was healthy. She has had a few ups and downs, but she always seemed like a nice filly when I started training her. I told Anthony she was going to be okay, but I didn’t know she could win a stakes.”

The younger Croson’s breeding trials and tribulations probably sound familiar to many in the industry. They are also something with which Anthony himself is already familiar, and Ashley Croson commended her son for his perseverance on many levels.

“Anthony has been through a lot at such a young age,” Ashley Croson said of her son. “He was born with a cleft palate and he’s had three surgeries and is scheduled for another one. But he has always been fond of this filly.”

McKee has legged up Marshall Mendez on Allformenoneforyou for each of the filly’s four starts. The results on the track, of course, speak for themselves; off the track, rider and breeder have become close.

“He even calls Marshall ‘Uncle Marshall’ because he also really likes that filly,” Ashley said. “He has really taken to Anthony. He’s been the only one to ever ride her. Cyndi has just done such a great job with her.”

McKee said that Allformenoneforyou will get a little reprieve before embarking on her summer stakes campaign, which will likely include a two-turn allowance prior to a possible berth in the $75,000 Sylvia Bishop Stakes for state-bred three-year-old fillies July 26.

“At some point I’m going to have to find out how she’ll do going two turns,” McKee said. “I think I’ll try to find an allowance for her next month and then try her in the next round of three-year-old filly stakes. She’s got a lot of speed, so now I need to see how she does stretching out. She’s always trained like she can go further, but you never know until you try them at it. I’m so happy for Ashley and Anthony.”

Ashley Croson said that she would leave the scheduling and training up to McKee and the racing luck up to Mendez. Having watched her son lose three horses at a very young age but remain determined enough to have Allformenonefouryou graduate against maiden special weight company and then win a stakes race in her subsequent start is perhaps the best birthday present for him.

The experience also, she said, reveals something about her son.

“Anthony turned 12 in early April, which was only a few weeks after the filly won her first race and a few weeks before she won the stakes,” Ashley Croson said. “So, that was quite a good birthday for him. But for him to say that I should spend the [horse’s earnings] to get myself a new car with the purse money was so much like Anthony. He’s always looked out for me and the mares on the farm. He’s never just thought about himself. He wants the filly to be happy and some day he wants to be a jockey.”