Sweet Montreal sails. in stakes debut (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – DiRico Racing and Breeding’s Sweet Montreal set the pace and didn’t look back when winning her stakes debut in Friday’s $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for New York-bred juvenile fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by Jim Ryerson, the Instagrand gray entered from a 42-1 debut upset sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs versus fellow state-breds on August 6 at Saratoga Race Course. Sweet Montreal, dispatched at odds of 11-1 in the Gimma, proved her prominent score was no fluke with a pacesetting victory under jockey Chris Elliott.
“Chris said, ‘there’s a little speed in here,’ and I said, ‘well, you be aggressive and if you want to adjust to that, that’s fine,’” Ryerson said. “She’s always been quick. Some of her works leading up to her first start were pedestrian, but it was more the company she was keeping in the morning – it wasn’t her. She was waiting on everybody in those works. She’s fast – she’s pretty fast.”
Sweet Montreal broke alertly from post 5 and quickly took command from the sharp-starting Grazie to lead through an opening quarter-mile in 22.60 seconds on the firm turf while stalked by Vernon Valley and Trading Trouble.
“I didn’t really think she’d clear them like that but when she did and I know he’s not riding her to do that, then I’m feeling pretty good,” Ryerson said.
Sweet Montreal held a clear lead into the turn over Vernon Valley and Trading Trouble, with the main concern being Arinata and Sacred Goddess, the top two betting choices, looking for position from well off the pace.
Kendrick Carmouche located a window along the rail aboard Arinata in the turn and then sought a way out through the half-mile in 45.60 as Sweet Montreal held her advantage on the front end. Arinata burst between Vernon Valley and Grazie as the pacesetter rattled off five-eighths in 57.06.
“She was doing it easy, for her anyways, she was doing it smooth,” Elliott said, who piloted Sweet Montreal’s last out maiden win. “She felt great. She was giving me 110 percent the whole way, so that’s all we can ask for.”
Sweet Montreal responded on the front end to extend her margin to 3 1/4 lengths over Arinata in a final time of 1:08.73. Grazie finished third a neck back, with Sacred Goddess completing the superfecta. Trading Trouble, Vernon Valley, Nacho Problem and Charlottesuniverse completed the order of finish.
The Ryerson-trained Saint Margaret was scratched in favor of an upcoming maiden race.
“The original plan was to sit off the speed, but she broke so well,” said Elliott, who earned his third win on the card in the following Race 7 aboard Accelerated News. “I thought there was quite a bit of speed in the race, but it worked out great. She broke good, did it in hand and she’s very, very classy. It worked out.”
Carmouche said Lady Sheila Stable’s homebred Arinata was game for trainer Linda Rice off a winning debut on September 1 at the Spa.
“I tried to get back to the rail and save some ground, I was able to get through horses, I just couldn’t get to the winner. Game effort and second best,” said Carmouche. “I thought I was in a good spot to win and got through and everything. The other horse just had everything her way. No excuses.”
Upset in the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes!
— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) September 19, 2025
SWEET MONTREAL is now 2-2 after wiring the field at 11-1 with Christopher Elliott up for trainer James Ryerson. pic.twitter.com/8OPoNYVNoT
Bred by Torie D. Gladwell, Sweet Montreal, a $120,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is a half-sister to dual stakes-placed Sohana. She is out of the Rockport Harbor mare Passeporta – a half-sister to Nike Ahead, who banked more than $1.4 million [64-7-10-1] in Japan.
Sweet Montreal banked $82,500 in victory while returning $24.44 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Belmont at the Big with an 11-race card that includes the Grade 3 Winter Memories [Race 8] and the New York-bred $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard [Race 3]. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
