Irad Ortiz, Jr., aboard Train the Trainer after winning the Mike Lee, the first of his two stakes wins. (Susie Raisher)
On New York Showcase Day
By NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. won a pair of stakes, including aboard rising stars Train the Trainer and Kay Cup, on Wednesday’s New York Showcase Day card, the Opening Day program of the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival which featured six $200,000 New York-bred stakes to celebrate the best of racing in the Empire State.
“Today’s performances highlight the quality and competitiveness of the New York-bred program on our sport’s biggest stage with New York Showcase Day kicking off this year’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival,” said New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. Executive Director Najja Thompson. “Our program is on an upward trajectory. That’s a credit to our breeders, owners, trainers, and everyone who participates in our program. As shown today, there’s no better time to breed and race in New York.”
Alipony Racing and Saints or Sinners’ Train the Trainer [No. 5, $5.90] made his stakes debut a winning one with a gate-to-wire score in the seven-furlong Mike Lee for sophomores in Race 2 to kick off the flat racing portion of the card.
Trained by Rob Atras with Ortiz, Jr. up, the Dialed In gelding showed the way through splits of 23.09 seconds, 46.30 and 1:10.78 over the fast main track with plenty in the tank to score by 2 3/4-lengths in a final time of 1:23.92. Soontobeking completed the exacta by a head over Prince Valiant with Calling Card, First Pitch and Smilensaycheese rounding out the order of finish. Mo Plex was scratched.
The $52,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase, bred by Hibiscus Stables, debuted in April against elders at Santa Anita Park for trainer Mark Glatt with a prominent runner-up effort to subsequent optional-claiming winner Goal Oriented, who was recently fourth in the Grade 1 Preakness. Train the Trainer subsequently shipped to New York and romped by five-lengths in his May 4 debut for Atras in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint against elders over a muddy and sealed strip at Belmont at the Big A.
“I had a beautiful trip,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “Last time at Aqueduct he broke so quick and we expected to be on the lead today going seven-eighths. He’s got speed, [we] let him be him and he did the rest. He’s a nice horse. Last time he opened up, too, and ran away from the field. We never doubted the distance and Rob brought the horse ready. He did a great job and the horse showed what he can do.”
Atras said he appreciated the talent of the recent addition to his barn.
“He is a very nice horse and he is getting better every start I think,” Atras said. “From his first start he ran a big race, then he ran great, then today obviously, so I’m lucky to have him and very fortunate.
“New York-bred, getting him in the barn is very special,” Atras added. “Especially running days like this. It is great to have a horse like this.”
Train the Trainer is out of the winning Forestry mare Heavenly Vision, a half-sister to dual Grade 2-winner Cairo Prince.
Ortiz, Jr. completed his stakes double with NY Final Furlong Racing Stable, Electric City Racing and Sportsmen Stable’s well-regarded Kay Cup [No. 7, $4.80*], who made her stakes debut a winning one, stalking and pouncing to victory in the Bouwerie [Race 6], a seven-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies.
Trained by Jorge Abreu, the Instagrand dark bay settled to the outside in third position as Bernieandtherose reached the front through splits of 22.55 seconds and 45.55. Kay Cup advanced with purpose into the turn and took over with ease in the stretch to score by three-lengths in a final time of 1:23.79.
Charlotte’s Heart rallied to complete the exacta over Bernieandtherose with Valtellina, Accelerating, and Howling Wind completing the order of finish. Crimson Queen was eased to the finish and Storm Changer was scratched.
“She put me in a beautiful position,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “I sat. I tried to relax. She did. Then, when I went after her, she was responding really good. She got the job done. She is acting very, very nice.
“Turning for home, you can see that I still had some horse,” Ortiz, Jr. added. “I wanted to wait a little longer. That is why she finished the way she finished, I think.”
Abreu compared Kay Cup to Venti Valentine, a multiple NYTB Champion.
“Since Day One we have liked the filly. Her presentation in the morning and the way she trains— she’s very professional; everything about her,” Abreu said. “She’s never had a bad day and that’s important for fillies. They can go the wrong or right way and she’s always been the right way. She could be the next Venti Valentine.”
The $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase, bred by Caperlane Farm, finished a troubled third on debut here last summer. Kay Cup, out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Gypsy Jo, returned to action in April at the Big A off a nearly eight-month layoff and romped by 4 1/4-lengths.
A stellar card also saw LSU Stables’ Bank Frenzy [No. 8, $4.90*] notch his fifth stakes win with a hard-fought victory in the Commentator [Race 4], a nine-furlong route for 3-year-olds and up.
Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, the Manny Franco-piloted Bank Frenzy kept close watch behind the pace set by Mama’s Gold, who rolled through splits of 23.79 seconds, 47.84 and 1:11.53. Bank Frenzy was coaxed up along the outside of Mama’s Gold heading into the turn, and was poised to sweep by the pacesetter, but a stubborn Mama’s Gold battled back valiantly in the stretch and refused to yield.
Nevertheless, Bank Frenzy dug in through the final sixteenth and persevered by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:50 flat. Mama’s Gold completed the exacta by 3 1/2-lengths in front of Drake’s Passage, with Locke and Key, Dr. Kraft, General Banker, Rose’s Pepino and Rock the Weekend completing the order of finish.
Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, Bank Frenzy bounced back from a last-out fourth in the Grade 3 Westchester on May 4 at Belmont at the Big A, and adds to previous stakes wins in the Evan Shipman Handicap here last year, and the Alex M. Robb, open-company Listed Stymie and Haynesfield this winter and spring at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber and Pantofel Stable’s Clear Conscience [No. 5, $22.60] staved off the late rush of post-time favorite Hush of a Storm to win his first stakes race in Race 7, the 1 1/16-mile Kingston [Race 7] for older turf routers.
Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Clear Conscience stalked in fourth behind the pace set by Union Trail, who marked splits of 24.01 seconds and 48.09 on the firm Mellon turf before being overtaken by Itsallcomintogetha heading into the turn.
Itsallcomintogetha sprinted for home at the top of the lane but was faced with the strong turn-of-foot from Clear Conscience, who took over in the final eighth and was able to fend off the oncoming Hush of a Storm by a nose in a final time of 1:41.30.
A stewards’ inquiry into Itsallcomintogetha and Union Trail in the stretch resulted in no change to the order of finish.
Itsallcomintogetha, Bettrluckythangood, Union Trail, Be of Courage, Ruse, Born Dancer and Gem Mint Ten completed the order of finish. Schlomo oand main track-only entrants Shadow Dragon and Antonio of Venice were scratched.
Bred by Alan Quartucci and Sebastian Varney, Clear Conscience brought his lifetime record to 15-3-4-2 and won for the first time since an August allowance score here. The son of Blame and the Gio Ponti mare Blank Slate is a half-brother to steeplechase stakes-winner Topic Changer.
Robert D. Rosenthal and Bradford Bernstein’s homebred Bernietakescharge [No. 9, $20] did just that from the outermost post 7 under Romero Maragh, staving off the bid of heavy favorite Sterling Silver to capture the Critical Eye [Race 8], a nine-furlong route for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.
Trained by Domenick Schettino, the Take Charge Indy dark bay, who won the Heavenly Prize Invitational two starts back again open company in February at the Big A, avenged a last-out distant fifth in the state-bred Biogio’s Rose won by Sterling Silver in April over a muddy and sealed Aqueduct main track.
In the Critical Eye, Bernietakescharge fought her way to the front to mark the opening quarter-mile in 24.01 and continued to lead down the backstretch through a half-mile in 47.86 under pressure from Snappin Buttons. Sterling Silver loomed large into the final turn, but Bernietakescharge found more and dug in gamely to the wire to score by a neck in a final time of 1:50.26. It was 12 1/2-lengths back to Racing Colors in third with Amanda’s Folly, P Mutter Pickle, Lika Rolling Stone, and Snappin Buttons rounding out the order of finish. Call Her Bluff and Landed were scratched.
A six-time winner from 17 starts, Bernietakescharge, out of the stakes-winning Freud mare Berning Rose, is a half-sister to dual stakes-winning sophomore filly Bernieandtherose, a New York-homebred for the same connections who finished third earlier today in the Bouwerie.
Bourbon Lane Stable, HGS Thoroughbreds and trainer Mark Hennig’s Spinning Colors [No. 2, $16.20] utilized inside speed to capture the Mount Vernon, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf route for older fillies and mares, in Race 9 to close out the day’s stakes action.
Guided to victory by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Spinning Colors was second under the wire for the first time as Cara’s Time was hard-sent from the gate, but Velazquez coaxed along his charge on the inside to take the lead heading into the turn to mark splits of 25.26 seconds, 50.33 and 1:14.55 over the firm turf. Spinning Colors held her advantage into the stretch and came under brief threat from Silver Skillet – who bobbled at the start – but Spinning Colors had plenty left to cross the wire 2 1/2 lengths in front in a final time of 1:43.27.
Silver Skillet was 1 3/4 lengths the better of the rallying Awesome Czech, who was a neck ahead of Can’t Fool Me. Midnight Concerto, Cara’s Time, Brocknardini, Bobby M’s Girl and Snowy Evening completed the order of finish. Whatlovelookslike, who was pulled up on the backstretch, sustained a right-hind injury according to NYRA’s Veterinary Department Director. She was transported via equine ambulance to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital for further evaluation.
Bred by William Parsons, Jr. and David Howe, Spinning Colors rebounded from a seventh last out against open company in the Listed Sand Springs on March 29 at Gulfstream Park and improved her lifetime record to 14-5-2-1.
Live racing resumes on Thursday for Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course with a 10-race card featuring four stakes, including two graded with the 5 1/2-furlong turf Grade 2, $200,000 Intercontinental [Race 7] for older filles and mares, and the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker [Race 9] for older horses going one-mile on the lawn. Juveniles will also be on full display in the Listed $150,000 Tremont [Race 1] at 5 1/2 furlongs and the $150,000 Astoria [Race 3] for fillies at the same distance. First post on Thursday is 12:40 p.m. Eastern with admission gates open to the public at 11 a.m.
The five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be held at historic Saratoga Race Course from Wednesday, June 4 through Sunday, June 8. Highlighted by the 157th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 7, the Festival will include 27 stakes races with purses totaling $11,275,000, the richest purses and highest number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in 2014.
America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/event-info/tv-schedule.
