Dakota Gold Tops Field of Ten in NYSSS Cab Calloway

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Dakota Gold  tops a field of 10 in the Aug. 17 $150,000 Cab Calloway, a division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a one-mile inner turf test for eligible state-sired sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Danny Gargan, Dakota Gold will look to make his fourth career trip to the winner's circle and his second at Saratoga.

The son of Freud   made his first start a winning one last summer at the Spa and followed with a win in the Nownownow Stakes in September at Monmouth Park. He capped off his juvenile season with a close fifth-place finish as the mutuel favorite in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Del Mar November 5.

Most recently, Dakota Gold was seen finishing second, by a nose, in the July 21 Rick Violette Stakes at Saratoga, a performance that left his conditioner proud of the progress his colt has made while also acknowledging the wide trip his horse endured throughout the race.

"We're really happy with him," Gargan said. "Unfortunately, the other day he didn't get the best of trips."

After receiving the winter and most of the spring off, Dakota Gold returned fresh and won the $150,000 NYSSS Spectacular Bid Stakes at Belmont Park June 19 ahead of his last-out effort.

"He's bigger and stronger this year than last year," Gargan said. "You can't really fault the season he's had this year. He's got a win and got beat a nose the other day."

The colt has banked $492,500 for his connections and is 3-1-0 in 5 starts. Bred in New York by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Ron Bowden, Dakota Gold was an $83,000 purchase as a weanling from the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale.

Assigned a field-high 124 pounds, six more than each of his nine rivals, Dakota will again have the services of Saratoga's leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. from post 8.

Also entered is Marinara Sauced , who will look to return to his winning ways after a fifth-place finish in state-bred allowance company on July 16 at the Spa, Tetragrammaton  who will make an immediate step up into stakes company out of a winning effort going one mile on the turf in gate-to-wire fashion, and Stop the Spread , the most experienced horse in the field with nine starts.

Rounding out the field is Cagney , Shinsun , Born Dancer , Silent Running , He's Got It , and Barrel of Quests .