Big Apple Showcases Five NY-Bred Stakes Races May 30
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Giacosa wins the Mount Vernon Stakes at Belmont Park
Jockey Luis Saez won 2-of-5 stakes on a special 10-race all-state-bred card, celebrating the best of the New York State breeding program in the annual Big Apple Showcase Day May 30 at Belmont Park.
Saez won three races on the card to bring his career win total to 2,998 as he chases a significant milestone, capturing the $125,000 Mike Lee with Rotknee and the $125,000 Mount Vernon with Giacosa for owner, trainer, and co-breeder H. James Bond. He closed out the day's action by guiding Silken Dollar to a maiden score in the finale.
"It's always a blessing for me to be a part of his team," said Saez of his success with Bond. "He's a wonderful guy and always gave me the opportunity and keeps giving me them. I'm so grateful to ride for him and win this stake for him. It's big for me."
Mount Vernon Stakes
Bond Racing Stable's Giacosa kicked off the stakes action in Race 2. The Tizway mare reeled in the pacesetting Classic Lady in the final jumps to notch a nose score in the Mount Vernon Stakes at one-mile on the Widener turf for older fillies and mares. Giacosa tracked in fourth position as the Joel Rosario-piloted Classic Lady marked off splits of :23.14 and :47.14 over the firm going. Giacosa rallied outside of She's the One midway through the turn and needed the length of the stretch to notch the narrow score in a final time of 1:34.05.
Critical Eye Handicap
Multiple graded stakes placed Make Mischief surged to a four-length score in the featured $200,000 Critical Eye Handicap, a one-turn mile for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Race 6 for owner Gary Barber.
Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse and piloted by Dylan Davis, the 4-year-old Into Mischief bay tracked the speed of Mashnee Girl from second position through splits of :23.26 and :46.40 over the fast main track.
Bouwerie Stakes
Mark T. Anderson's Sterling Silver pounced to a 4 1/4-length score in Race 7, the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies. Trained by Tom Albertrani, the gray by Cupid entered from a distant fifth-place finish in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) in April at Keeneland. She made amends with a sharp performance under Trevor McCarthy.
Mike Lee Stakes
Rotknee, a homebred for William Butler made every pole a winning one in the $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores in Race 8. Trained by Mike Maker and piloted by Saez, the Runhappy colt took charge through splits of :22.39 and :45.21 with Who Hoo Thats Me chasing in vain from 4 1/2-lengths back. Rotknee was in hand at the quarter-pole as Best Idea , under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, launched his bid from near the back of the pack. Best Idea rallied valiantly, but could not reel in Rotknee, who crossed the wire a 1 1/2-length winner in 1:23.90.
Rotknee wins the Mike Lee Stakes at Belmont Park
Kingston Stakes
Thomas Albrecht, Vincent Fusaro, and James Klein's Ocala Dream provided a 17-1 upset in the $125,000 Kingston Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for older horses in Race 9 to close out the stakes action on Memorial Day at Belmont Park. Trained by Tom Morley and ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, the 4-year-old Effinex chestnut secured his second career stakes victory, adding to a score in last year's New York Stallion Stakes in June at Belmont. He did so in style, besting a field that included a pair of millionaire multiple graded stakes winners for trainer Mike Maker in Somelikeithotbrown and Cross Border .