Ortiz Jr. Wins 3 Races on Big A's Empire Showcase Day

Irad Ortiz Jr. cemented his status as the meet's leading rider with three wins, including two stakes, Oct. 30 on Empire Showcase Day, a special 10-race all New York-bred card on closing day of the Belmont at the Big A fall meeting.

The lucrative card at Aqueduct Racetrack featured eight stakes worth $1.6 million, topped by the $250,000 Empire Classic and $250,000 Empire Distaff, the latter event won impressively by Ortiz on Let Her Inspire U . CHC’s Let Her Inspire U ($6.10) staved off a late bid from defending race winner Sharp Starr  to capture the nine-furlong Empire Distaff for fillies and mares 3 years old and up.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Let Her Inspire U won by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:51.88 over Sharp Starr.

“I got a beautiful break. I just sat in second outside and it was a very comfortable pace,” Ortiz Jr. said. “At the three-eighths pole, I let her do her thing and she picked it up. When she made the lead, I kept letting her do her thing. I felt like I had a lot of horse turning for home, and she just took off.”

It was the first stakes win for Let Her Inspire U, who was bred by Pine Ridge Stables. The $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase is out of the Speightstown  mare Caribbean Lady , who is a half sister to multiple graded-stakes winner Halory Leigh . Let Her Inspire U banked $137,500 while improving her record to 4-2-1 in eight starts.

Dr. Blute Leads All the Way in Empire Classic

Flanagan Racing’s Dr. Blute ($8.40) made every pole a winning one to pass his first two-turn test with aplomb, scoring by three-quarters of a length over Curlin's Wisdom in the co-featured nine-furlong $250,000 Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and upward.

Expertly ridden by Jose Ortiz for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., the 4-year-old Not This Time  chestnut was pressed by multiple stakes-winner Sea Foam  through splits of :23.97, :48.41 and 1:12.84. Barese  moved into contention on the final turn, but Dr. Blute stayed on strong and finished the 9 furlongs on a fast track in 1:51.95.

“We thought he would stretch out and that two turns would work out for him, but you never know until you try it,” Joseph Jr. said. “We left it up to Jose. He’s always a horse that gets a little restless in the gate, but thank God he broke so sharp and got into a good rhythm.”

Ortiz said he was proud of Dr. Blute’s effort to hang on after setting honest fractions.

“I committed to the lead going to the first turn. I’m just glad he stayed the distance,” Ortiz said. “He was getting tired late, but it was his first time going this far. I knew he was going to get tired a little late, but the horse is doing amazing."

Dr. Blute, a $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase, is out of the Friends Lake mare Truss . Bred by Hidden Lake Farm and Axle Ahlschwede, Dr. Blute banked $137,500 while improving to 3-2-3 in 11 starts.

Standout Sprinter My Boy Tate Wins Hudson

The stakes action kicked off in race 3 with My Boy Tate ($15.20), the reigning New York-bred Champion Sprinter, surging to a two-length score in the $150,000 Hudson at 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track for 3-year-olds and upward.

Trained, bred, and co-owned by Michelle Nevin with Little Red Feather Racing, the 8-year-old Boys At Tosconova gelding rallied from just off-the-pace under Ortiz Jr. to secure his sixth stakes win. He was timed in 1:16.37. Who Hoo Thats Me split rivals late to complete the exacta by a half-length over Perfect Munnings . My Boy Tate made $82,500 while improving his record to 11-10-2 in 35 starts.

Mohawk Goes to 2-5 Favorite City Man

City Man ($2.90), trained by Christophe Clement for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles, and Patty Searles, rallied bravely up the rail for Joel Rosario to take the $200,000 Mohawk, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for 3-year-olds and upward.

The impressive 2 1/2-length score in 1:41.66 continued a tremendous season for the 5-year-old son of Mucho Macho Man  , adding to wins in the Danger’s Hour, the Forbidden Apple (G3T), and the Ashley T. Cole last out.

Cold Hard Cash won the place battle by a neck over Sanctuary City . 

City Man, bred by Moonstar Farm, picked up $110,000 while improving his record to 8-5-3 in 25 starts.

Longshot November Rein Wins Iroquois 

Mr. Amore Stable homebred November Rein ($40) notched a 19-1 upset in the $150,000 Iroquois, a 6 1/2-furlong main-track sprint for fillies and mares 3 years old and up. Trained by Kelly Breen and ridden by Trevor McCarthy, the 3-year-old Street Boss  bay defeated Bank Sting by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:17.35.

Out of the multiple stakes-winning Maryland-bred mare Ju Ju Eyeballs , November Rein added to a stakes ledger that includes a score in last year’s Seeking the Ante at Saratoga. November Rein earned $82,500 while improving her record to 4-1-1 in eight starts.

Les Bon Temps Rolls in Maid of the Mist

Deuce Greathouse, Cindy Hutson, and Brett Setzer’s Les Bon Temps ($29) collared Miracle in the final jumps to capture the $200,000 Maid of the Mist, a mile test for 2-year-old fillies. 

Trained by Mike Maker, the Laoban bay was ridden by Luis Saez. Miracle led through the turn and dug in gamely but there was no denying Les Bon Temps, who scored by one length over Miracle in 1:37.80. Out of the Tapizar mare Winsanity , Les Bon Temps was a $65,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase who was bred by Southern Equine Stables. She earned $110,000 while improving her record to 2-0-2 over five starts.

Runaway Rumour Holds Fort in Ticonderoga 

Lawrence Goichman’s multiple graded-stakes placed homebred Runaway Rumour ($9.20), patiently ridden by Flavien Prat, nailed Finest Work by a head in the final stride to win the $200,000 Ticonderoga, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf race for fillies and mares 3 years old and up. The time was 1:42.11. It was a half-length back to third-place Spungie .

It was the first win in seven starts this season for Runaway Rumour, the reigning New York-bred champion turf female who is trained by Jorge Abreu. The daughter of Flintshire  enjoyed a tremendous campaign last year, winning her first three career starts capped by a score in the open-company Wild Applause.

Out of the multiple stakes-placed Elusive Quality mare Elusive Rumour , Runaway Rumour is a half sibling to the Abreu-trained multiple stakes winner Myhartblongstodady and stakes winner Scuttlebuzz . A third half sibling, the graded-stakes placed Lachaise , is scheduled to start in the grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Nov. 4 at Keeneland for Abreu and Goichman. Runaway Rumour banked $110,000 while improving to 4-3-2 through 15 starts.

Arctic Arrogance Tops All-Broman Superfecta in Sleepy Hollow

Chester and Mary Broman’s homebred Arctic Arrogance ($12) found another gear in the stretch, drawing off to a 4 1/2-length score in the $200,000 Sleepy Hollow, a one-turn mile for 2-year-olds.

Trained by Linda Rice and ridden by Jose Lezcano, the gray son of Frosted  powered away in 1:37.90. Quick to Accuse finished second, with Starquist and Donegal Surges rounding out a Broman-bred superfecta.

Arctic Arrogance, out of the Uncle Mo  mare Modest Maven , banked $110,000.