Dakota Gold Tops Field of 10 in NYSSS Cab Calloway

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Dakota Gold  tops a field of 10 in the $150,000 Cab Calloway, a division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a one-mile inner turf test for eligible state-sired sophomores, Aug. 17 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 Nov. 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 Gargan 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 has a record of 3-1-0 in five 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. He's been installed as the 3-5 morning line favorite. 

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.

The 5-1 second favorite is Marinara Sauced , who will look to return to his winning ways after a fifth-place finish in state-bred allowance company July 16 at the Spa. Also entered are 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 (one win).

Rounding out the field are Cagney , Shinsun , Born Dancer , Silent Running , He's Got It , and Barrel of Quests . Like Dakota Gold, Cagney is a son of the 24-year-old Freud, who for many years has been one of the better turf sires among New York-breds.