Americanrevolution Soldiers On in Sloppy Empire Classic

China Horse Club's and WinStar Farm's Americanrevolution , trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and piloted by Luis Saez, handily defeated older company in the $300,000 Empire Classic on a wet Oct. 30 Empire Showcase Day card at Belmont Park.

The special 10-race card devoted to horses bred in the Empire State boasted six stakes worth a combined $1.35 million.

Americanrevolution, a sophomore son of Constitution   bred by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding, completed a hat trick of wins in August with an impressive five-length win in the nine-furlong Albany on New York Showcase Day at Saratoga Race Course.

The talented chestnut entered Saturday's test from a third-place finish in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) Sept. 25 at Parx Racing. He made his return to state-bred company a winning one with a convincing 11 3/4-length score in the 1 1/8-mile Empire Classic over a sloppy and sealed main track. 

Sea Foam , winner of the Evan Shipman Handicap in August at Saratoga, led the field through splits of :22.85 and :45.84 with two-time Empire Classic winner Mr. Buff  tracking in second and Americanrevolution outside rivals and clear in third. Americanrevolution advanced at will through the turn, overtaking Sea Foam at the head of the lane and powered home to score in 1:49.11.

Wild Banker  completed the exacta by a nose over Sea Foam. Mr. Buff faded to last.

A $275,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale, Americanrevolution ($2.90) is out of the Super Saver   mare Polly Freeze . The dam's two starters are both winners, and she has a Hard Spun   2-year-old colt named Bold Journey  and a Collected   yearling filly. She was bred to Frosted   for 2022.

Elliott Walden, president and CEO of WinStar Farm, said the Constitution chestnut has proven to be among the elite sophomores currently in training.

"He's a very nice horse. I think he's probably the ninth or tenth best 3-year-old in the country right now," Walden said. "Some of the better ones are retiring after this year so if he comes back well, who knows how it goes next year. He's certainly done nothing wrong and I'm very excited of what's ahead for him."

Pletcher echoed Walden's sentiments.

"He's come a long way in a short period of time," Pletcher said. "He's a talented horse and showed last time that he belongs with some of the better 3-year-olds in the country, so it was great to have an opportunity like he had today."

Video: Empire Classic H. (BT)

Ny Traffic Speeds to Victory

Earlier on Saturday's rich state-bred card at Belmont, grade 1-placed Ny Traffic  splashed his way to an 8 3/4-length victory in the $150,000 Hudson Handicap.

He settled just off the pace in third under Irad Ortiz Jr., took command upon entering the stretch, and ran up his margin of victory late. He sped 6 1/2 furlongs in the slop in 1:17.51, returning $3.90 as the heavy favorite.

"When I turned for home, I had the horse but he was looking around a little bit," Ortiz said. "So, I hit him a couple times to stay straight and make him go forward and after he did, I wrapped it up." 

Longshots Chestertown  and Jemography  settled for second and third, respectively, the latter 3 1/2 lengths behind the runner-up. 

The winner, a 4-year-old son of Cross Traffic   out of the Graeme Hall mare Mamie Reilly  bred in New York by Brian Culnan, won for the second time in five starts this year. Saffie Joseph Jr. trains Ny traffic for owners John Fanelli, Cash is King, LC Racing, Paul Braverman, and Team Hanley.

The colt went unsold in his one appearance at public auction when bidding stalled at $27,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale when consigned by Top Line Sales.

Last year at age 3, the colt hit the board in four consecutive graded stakes, topped by a nose defeat when second to eventual Horse of the Year Authentic   in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park. His sophomore campaign ended with an eighth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and a ninth in the Preakness Stakes (G1), which last year were run in late summer and fall.

Ny Traffic now has earnings of $754,920 from 16 starts with a 4-4-2 record. 

In other stakes action on the card:

Sharp Starr  won the Empire Distaff Handicap, Venti Valentine  the Maid of the Mist Stakes, The Important One  the Iroquois Stakes, and Shipsational  the Sleepy Hollow Stakes.

Venti Valentine represented the first black-type winner for second-crop stallion Firing Line  , who stands at Crestwood Farm. Firing Line was runner-up in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) in 2015, finishing behind eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  .

The Important One gave Majestic City   his first black-type stakes winner. Majestic City, whose third crop is racing this year, stands at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions in New York.

"Today's Empire Showcase Day was a prime example of the success and integral role the New York-bred program has in the Thoroughbred racing industry," said Najja Thompson, executive director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders.

Video: Sleepy Hollow S. (BT)

Video: Hudson H. (BT)

Video: Iroquois S. (BT)

Video: Maid of the Mist S. (BT)

Video: Empire Distaff H. (BT)