New York-Breds to Take Spotlight on Showcase Day

New York-breds will take center stage Sept. 4 at New York Showcase Day, which features a 12-race card at Saratoga Race Course containing six stakes worth a combined $900,000.

Trainer H. James Bond is enjoying a tremendous Saratoga summer meet with a record of 10-6-4 from 34 starts—a 29% clip—and finishing in the money nearly 60% of the time, good for earnings of $417,568.

Bond will be represented by up-and-coming Rinaldi in the West Point Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf for 3-year-olds and upward set for race 11. He said the New York-bred program is of utmost importance to Bond Racing Stable.

"My wife and I have a large farm with a lot of mares and a lot of foals, and Bond Racing is mainly New York-breds," Bond said. "We breed about 40 or 50 mares a year on the farm, Song Hill Thoroughbreds, so these types of races are a lifeline for us personally. I have two sons that work with me—Kevin and Ryan—so it's a family affair, and between the farm and the racing division, it means everything."

Bond attributes his good start to the meet to his continued investment in the broodmare band.

"I think it's the breeding program itself," Bond said. "We stepped up our game a little bit with the stallions and we have some mares recently retired, and this is their first crop getting to the races and they seem to be OK. We've got quite a few more behind them, so we're optimistic we're in the right church and pretty close to the front of the pews right now."

Rinaldi, out of the Dynaformer mare Dynamite Cocktail, is a half brother to Sovereign Award-winning Canadian-bred Hollinger, who banked more than $700,000 for Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield.

A modest $5,000 purchase in 2016 at The Saratoga Fall Sale, Fasig-Tipton's mixed sale in New York, Rinaldi boasts a record of 3-1-1 in six starts with $234,490 in earnings.

The gelding kept good company in 2019, beating multiple stakes winner Funny Guy in both the Spectacular Bid and Cab Calloway divisions of the New York Stallion Stakes Series.

Last out, Rinaldi earned a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure with a frontrunning score in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming event for state-breds July 30 on the Saratoga turf.

"We've had him since he was a baby, and he's done just about everything right for us so far," Bond said. "He's a very handy horse to have, especially on the grass, and I think he really likes the two turns. He's definitely stepping up in class, but he's a nice horse to do it with."

The lightly raced 4-year-old will face a salty group that includes graded stakes winner Dot Matrix for trainer Brad Cox and the Christophe Clement-conditioned duo of Therapist and Gucci Factor, who each boast more than $500,000 in earnings.

Clement said Castleton Lyons' Gucci Factor, who won the Mohawk Stakes in October at Belmont Park two starts back, is coming back to form after being eased last out in the Fort Marcy Stakes (G2T) June 6.

"It took me a while to get him back working well, but he is doing well at the moment," Clement said. "In the past, he didn't like Saratoga too much with the fans and the noise, but it's a bit of a different Saratoga this year. He has been training on the main track and has been doing well."

Oak Bluff Stables' Therapist, who won the 2018 NYSSS Cab Calloway at the Spa, has a record of 8-1-4 in 18 starts. He enters from a closing second in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming route July 29 on the Saratoga turf.

"He's doing well. He's always been a very hard-knocking trier," Clement said.

The day's opening race will see a field of six line up for the Seeking the Ante Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies as the first of six stakes races on the card each offering a purse of $150,000.

A talented field is led by Gary Barber's multiple graded stakes-placed Make Mischief for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. Bred by Avanti Stable, the Into Mischief  bay brought $285,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale, and she rewarded her connections with a debut win in June at Belmont. 

A productive summer at the Spa has seen Make Mischief complete the exacta in both the Schuylerville (G3) and Adirondack (G2) stakes. Joel Rosario picks up the mount as Make Mischief looks to go one better. Top contenders include Rossa Veloce, a debut winner Aug. 5 at Saratoga for trainer and part owner Ray Handal, and maiden Summer Brew, who was off a step slow when second in her Aug. 5 debut.

City Man has already won a stakes at Saratoga, taking last year's Funny Cide Stakes, and will return to the main track after two starts on turf when he competes in the Albany Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles in race 3. Trained by Clement, City Man ran fourth in the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3T) in July at Keeneland and was second against allowance company on the Saratoga grass Aug. 9 but will return to the surface in which he started his career 2-for-2 last year at the historic course.

"He had two very nice works on the main track with Joel Rosario. It's an ambitious spot but a good place to try him back on dirt going long," Clement said.

Chestertown, sixth in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) July 16 at Saratoga, will enter for Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen, and Sky of Hook, the winner of the Rick Violette Stakes last year at the Spa, will make his second start of the year for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. 

Completing the field will be the Mike Maker-trained Turbo Drive, already a veteran of 13 starts; Microsecond, stepping up to stakes company for the first time in five starts for Todd Pletcher; and Damon Runyon Stakes runner-up More Graytful, who won against allowance company at Saratoga in a race off the turf Aug. 5 for trainer Brad Cox. 

A classy field of seven square off in race 5, the 41st running of the Yaddo Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf for fillies and mares 3 and up. Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will be represented by veterans Fifty Five and War Canoe.

Peter Brant's millionaire Fifty Five, bred by Empire Equines, has a record of 12-4-5 in 23 starts. The 6-year-old Get Stormy  bay captured the Florida Oaks (G3T) in 2017 and has since reeled off eight stakes wins, including a last-out nose score over Yaddo rival Classic Lady in the Mount Vernon Stakes July 2 at Belmont.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables' War Canoe, a 7-year-old Lemon Drop Kid  mare bred by TIC Racing Stable, has banked more than half a million dollars in 37 starts from an 8-8-10 record. In search of her first stakes win, War Canoe will look to turn the rivals on Classic Lady after finishing second, a neck back, last out in the Dayatthespa Stakes July 29 at Saratoga.

Clement will again entrust Rosario to find a winning trip for Classic Lady. The 5-year-old Jimmy Creed  mare was transferred to the conditioner's care this year and finished second in her Mount Vernon debut for Clement.

"She's been a fun filly," Clement said. "She came to the barn in the spring, and we ran her twice. She's the type of addition to the barn that we like."

The Funny Cide, named in honor of Sackatoga Stable's New York-bred 2003 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, will see a field of eight colts sprint 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track in race 7.

E.V. Racing Stable's Eagle Orb leads the charge after earning a 62 Beyer for a one-length score at first asking in a state-bred maiden sprint Aug. 21 at Saratoga. Trained by Rodriguez, the Orb  bay was hammered down for $95,000 at the New York-bred sale. Bred by Barry Ostrager, she is out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Lady On Holiday.

Ostrager is also the breeder of Effinity, an Effinex bay out of the Freud  mare Letshootpool who was purchased for $60,000 at the same sale. Trained by Cox for Zilla Racing Stables, Effinity graduated by four lengths at second asking in a 5 1/2-furlong main track sprint July 26 at the Spa. Wellspring Stables homebred Market Alert, an impressive debut winner June 19 at Belmont, returns to state-bred company following an off-the-board effort in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) Aug. 7 for trainer James Ryerson.

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart will send out a pair of contenders in the Fleet Indian Stakes for sophomores fillies going 1 1/8 miles in race 10. Critical Value returned off a six-month layoff to win the Bouwerie Stakes in her season debut June 28 at Belmont Park. The daughter of Bodemeister  will stretch out from that seven-furlong sprint to the Fleet Indian distance for the first time since running fourth in the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) in December at Aqueduct Racetrack. Her stablemate Makingcents will make her first stakes appearance in six starts.

Trainer Danny Gargan will send out Ice Princess, who ran ninth last out in the Fantasy Stakes (G3) in May at Oaklawn Park. Ice Princess has three wins in five starts, including a victory in the Maddie May Stakes in February at the Big A. Her only other off-the-board effort came when fourth in the Frizette Stakes (G1) in October at Belmont.

Rounding out the field is Maddie May runner-up Courageous Girl for trainer David Donk; Playtone, who ran second in the Key Cents Stakes in November for trainer George Weaver; Sharp Starr, making her first stakes appearance for trainer Horacio DePaz; and Micromillion, looking to break her maiden in her seventh start for Pletcher.

Entries: Seeking the Ante S.

Saratoga Race Course, Friday, September 04, 2020, Race 1

• STK
• 6 1/2f
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 12:20 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Make Mischief (NY)	Joel Rosario	122	Mark E. Casse	-
2	Rossa Veloce (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Raymond Handal	-
3	Infringement (NY)	Jose Lezcano	122	Mark A. Hennig	-
4	Samborella (NY)	Luis Saez	118	Jeremiah C. Englehart	-
5	Summer Brew (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Jorge R. Abreu	-
6	Queen Arella (NY)	Eric Cancel	122	Roderick R. Rodriguez	-

Entries: Albany S.

Saratoga Race Course, Friday, September 04, 2020, Race 3

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 3 yo
• 1:28 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Microsecond (NY)	Luis Saez	118	Todd A. Pletcher	-
2	More Graytful (NY)	Dylan Davis	118	Brad H. Cox	-
3	Turbo Drive (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	120	Michael J. Maker	-
4	Chestertown (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Steven M. Asmussen	-
5	Sky of Hook (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	122	Rudy R. Rodriguez	-
6	City Man (NY)	Joel Rosario	122	Christophe Clement	-

Entries: Yaddo S.

Saratoga Race Course, Friday, September 04, 2020, Race 5

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Inner turf
• $150,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 2:34 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Myhartblongstodady (NY)	Jose Lezcano	117	Jorge R. Abreu	-
2	Fifty Five (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	126	Chad C. Brown	-
3	Wegetsdamunnys (NY)	Junior Alvarado	119	Christophe Clement	-
4	Classic Lady (NY)	Joel Rosario	121	Christophe Clement	-
5	Kreesie (NY)	Luis Saez	118	David G. Donk	-
6	War Canoe (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	121	Chad C. Brown	-
7	Espresso Shot (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	116	Jorge R. Abreu	-

Entries: Funny Cide S.

Saratoga Race Course, Friday, September 04, 2020, Race 7

• STK
• 6 1/2f
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 2 yo
• 3:50 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Eagle Orb (NY)	Eric Cancel	122	Rudy R. Rodriguez	-
2	Alpha Chi Rho (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	122	Gregory Viands	-
3	Market Alert (NY)	Jose Lezcano	122	James T. Ryerson	-
4	Lookin for Trouble (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Michael J. Maker	-
5	Effinity (NY)	Luis Saez	122	Brad H. Cox	-
6	Windy Nations (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	120	Michael J. Maker	-
7	Hold the Salsa (NY)	Junior Alvarado	122	Richard J. Lugovich	-
8	Thin White Duke (NY)	Joel Rosario	118	Philip A. Gleaves	-

Entries: Fleet Indian S.

Saratoga Race Course, Friday, September 04, 2020, Race 10

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:34 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Makingcents (NY)	Luis Saez	118	Jeremiah C. Englehart	-
2	Ice Princess (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Danny Gargan	-
3	Sharp Starr (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Horacio DePaz	-
4	Courageous Girl (NY)	Dylan Davis	118	David G. Donk	-
5	Critical Value (NY)	Junior Alvarado	120	Jeremiah C. Englehart	-
6	Playtone (NY)	Joel Rosario	118	George Weaver	-
7	Micromillion (NY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Todd A. Pletcher	-