Wilson Chute Adds Wrinkle for Metropolitan Handicap

As the Belmont Stakes (G1) moves to Saratoga Race Course this year, its distance change from 1 1/2 miles to 1 1/4 miles has been well documented.

But another race on the June 8 Belmont card also will see a significant change. While the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) still will be contested at its traditional distance of a mile, the configuration of that mile will change. 

At Belmont Park the Met Mile is a one-turn race with a long run through the backstretch of that 1 1/2-mile oval before horses reach that single turn. At Saratoga the race will be contested from the Wilson Chute, which extends off the main oval before connecting with the first turn.

Just a few years ago a one-mile dirt race would not have been an option at Saratoga. After long being a part of the Saratoga configuration, the chute was dismantled after the 1972 season to accommodate additional parking. It was brought back briefly in 1992 before going away again. Then it was reconstructed ahead of the 2022 meeting just west of the 1863 Club.

That reinstallation has proven fortuitous in making Saratoga an option for this year's Met Mile at the traditional distance.

Racing Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, the all-time leading rider at the Spa, said the chute is a fair configuration for the big race.

"It's fair. As long as your horse breaks good, if you have speed you can get there," said Velazquez, who will be aboard two-time grade 2 winner Hoist the Gold  in Saturday's Met Mile. "If you don't have speed, you can kind of sit right behind the leaders. It's pretty fair."

Manny Franco, another regular rider at Saratoga who ranked third in wins at last year's meet, will be aboard classic-placed grade 1 winner Blazing Sevens  in the Met Mile. He said that when riding out of the chute it is important to be aware of how quickly you're into the turn.

"I think you've got to break clean and get your position because it's a tricky angle and the turn is right there; it comes up so quick," Franco said. "So I think you need to break good, get your position, and then see how the race develops. 

"The turn comes quick, so if you don't get your spot, I think you're going to be in trouble."

New York Racing Association senior vice president of racing operations Andrew Offerman said the chute has been a nice addition for Saratoga under the guidance of former executives Martin Panza and Frank Gabriel. The project was carried out by Glen Kozak, NYRA executive vice president of operations and capital projects.

"It's attractive in that it allows us to run more dirt routes and attract some different horses," Offerman said. "Not all the horses are able to do 1 1/8 miles, which used to be the starting point of what we offered."

The mile chute also has allowed NYRA to keep off-the-turf races closer to their assigned distance. 

"When a race comes off the turf, the trainers already are considering the surface change. If we can at least keep the distance close to the original assignment that they were expecting to run, it can help keep some more horses in the race."

Besides the Met Mile, other stakes races scheduled for the Wilson Chute this year include the Wilton Stakes, a restricted race for 3-year-old fillies July 12; the Johnstone Mile Handicap for New York-bred fillies and mares Aug. 7, and the Evan Shipman Handicap for New York-breds 3 and older Aug. 9.

Stakes that have moved from the turf to the chute in recent years include the 2022 Yaddo Handicap and West Point Stakes as well as the 2023 P. G. Johnson Stakes.

When it reopened, Kozak noted the added versatility of the chute named after Richard T. Wilson, a banker and president of the Saratoga Racing Association for most of the first quarter of the 20th century.

"The Wilson Chute will only add to the quality and consistency of dirt racing at Saratoga," Kozak said at the time. "It's a thrill to be able to reconstruct a historic element of Saratoga in a way that will undoubtedly prove beneficial to the summer meet."

In terms of class level, the Met Mile will be the most significant race ever contested out of the Wilson Chute. Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., who will send out last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner and 6-5 morning-line favorite White Abarrio  from the outside post in the expected field of six, doesn't have strong feelings about the configuration.

"I think we drew a good post for it and we have a horse that likes the distance and likes this track, so we're happy about that," Dutrow said.

Trainer Chad Brown, who will see Blazing Sevens start from post 4, has not seen enough races out of the chute to form a strong opinion but he does wonder if an inside position could be problematic.

"It's still so new. I ran some different types of horses there at different class levels and such but I wasn't able to gather enough data or information from my horses to be sure that there is a specific post, or approach, angle or strategy out of the chute yet. I need to see more.

"I like where my horse has drawn. I don't know that you want to be on the rail out of there. I know it's the shortest way home but I'm thinking my inside horses didn't do as well; I'm not sure why. Outside of that I need to see more."

The racing world will see the Wilson Chute take a bit of a star turn Saturday.