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Dakota Gold scores in the NYSSS Cab Calloway Aug. 17, 2022 at Saratoga (Susie Raisher)
By Ryan Martin – NYRA Press Office
ELMONT, N.Y.— Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s three-time stakes winner Dakota Gold will strive for his first trip to the winner’s circle this year against a competitive field of eight assembled for the inaugural running of Monday’s $125,000 Hudson Valley for older New York-breds going one mile over the Widener turf at Belmont Park.
Dakota Gold defeated New York-sired company in last year’s NYSSS Spectacular Bid at Belmont Park and the NYSSS Cab Calloway at Saratoga Race Course, and captured the 2021 Nownownow against open company at Monmouth Park for trainer Danny Gargan. The son of Freud has raced twice this year, finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf on March 4 at Gulfstream Park before closing from last to get third in the state-bred Kingston on May 29 here.
“I was kind of shocked to see him sitting in last, he’s a little faster than that, normally,” Gargan said. “Hopefully, we can sit a better trip this time, get lucky and win. He was unfortunate last time. I really thought with a better trip, he could have got up. There wasn’t anything the jockey could do. He was back there with nowhere to go turning for home, and once he finally had a chance he ran out of real estate.”
Dakota Gold registered a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure in each of his last two efforts.
“His last few races have been his fastest on numbers, even though he didn’t win them,” Gargan said. “He’s running faster numbers and moving forward quite a bit. He just needs some luck to win a couple of them. He’s doing really, really well and we’re expecting a good race.”
Gargan said he is hopeful that cutting back from the Kingston’s 1 1/16-mile distance will benefit Dakota Gold.
“Sometimes at a mile there’s more speed, so when you’re sitting back there, they go faster and you don’t have to go as fast late,” Gargan said.
Dakota Gold was bred in the Empire State by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Ron Bowden and is a half-brother to recent stakes-winner Ramblin’ Wreck. Both are out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Dakota Kid.
Irad Ortiz, Jr. will retain the mount from post 2.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will send out Repole Stable’s Jerry the Nipper [post 4, Jose Ortiz], who has displayed an affinity for turf since a triumphant grass debut in his ninth career start last July against open allowance company.
Bred by St. Elias Stable and Peta Ryan, the 6-year-old son of Liam’s Map finished a close fourth in the state-bred Ashley T. Cole in September at Belmont at the Big A before defeating open company over the Aqueduct inner turf two months later.
Jerry the Nipper enters off a close second to popular New York-bred City Man in the Kingston, where he had the lead at the top of the stretch but was nosed out in the final strides to the finish line.
“I thought it was a good and solid race off the layoff,” said Pletcher’s Belmont-based assistant Byron Hughes. “He looked like the winner for a little bit, so we’re hoping to build off of that. You would think he’d be a little sharper this time.”
Skychai Racing and David Koenig’s Somelikeithotbrown [post 3, Javier Castellano], who races with blinkers on, brags field-best earnings of $1,687,893 as the field’s lone millionaire. Trained by Mike Maker, the Big Brown 7-year-old was seventh in the Kingston last out and seeks his first win since taking last year’s Grade 3 Mint Million in September at Kentucky Downs. Somelikeithotbrown, bred by Hot Pink Stables and Sand Dollar Stables, has won at least one stakes event every year since 2019.
Maker also sends out Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s Call Me Harry [post 7, Manny Franco], who enters off a victory in an off-the-turf one-turn mile allowance on April 30 at Aqueduct. The 7-year-old Street Sense gelding, bred by Newtown Anner Stud, will pursue his first stakes victory, making his first attempt at stakes level since finishing seventh in the 2019 English Channel at Belmont.
Owner and trainer Bill Morey will saddle Hush of a Storm [post 1, Flavien Prat] following a wire-to-wire triumph on May 28 over Belmont’s Widener turf course. The win was the 5-year-old son of Creative Cause’s first since winning the 2021 John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park. Hush of a Storm was bred by Berkshire Stud.
Barry K. Schwartz’s homebred Cold Hard Cash [post 5, Jose Lezcano] makes his first start since finishing third in the Grade 2 Red Smith on November 26 at Aqueduct. The son of Maclean’s Music strives for his first stakes conquest after stakes placings against state-bred company when second in the October 30 Mohawk and third in the Ashley T. Cole on September 24, both at Belmont at the Big A.
Completing the field are Senbei [post 6, Joel Rosario] for trainer Christophe Clement; and Ruse [post 8, Dylan Davis] for trainer Tim Hills. Bankit [post 9, Joel Rosario], Dr Ardito [post 10, Manny Franco], and Who Hoo That’s Me [post 11, Dylan Davis] have been entered for main track only.
The Hudson Valley is slated as Race 8 on Monday’s nine-race program. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.
