Rhetorical Returns to New York for Manhattan

Bred in New York by Mallory and Karen Mort, Rhetorical  is set for a grand homecoming June 6 as he returns to Saratoga Race Course for the $1 million Manhattan Stakes (G1T).

The Not This Time   gelding made four of his first five career starts at the Spa, and was last seen there acing his stakes debut with a 2 1/4-length win in the West Point Stakes for New York-breds in late August. A lot has changed since then, as trainer Will Walden now ships Rhetorical back to Saratoga as a two-time grade 1 winner.

"I joke all the time our barn is the house Rhetorical built," Walden said while reflecting on the months since Rhetorical was last at Saratoga. "We owe everything to him, and we don't forget it. He's such a cool horse, just wildly talented. I was talking to my wife about him the other night; he's got this animalistic, feral side to him still. He's half wild horse. We're just blessed to be around him. We try to keep him happy and he does the rest."

His results have been an indication that he has been kept happy. After leaving Saratoga, Rhetorical won the Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland before running a solid fourth at Del Mar in a contentious Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T). Instead of being turned out in the wintery Kentucky weather, Walden brought Rhetorical with him to Florida where his winter break consisted of doing dressage work. That change of pace appeared to make a difference once the 5-year-old returned to the work tab in early February.

"He always trains in draw reins, but we decided to slow everything down and really work on building up his back muscles and his overall top line, just see if we could strengthen him up," Walden said. "He's just a bigger, stronger version of himself. As he got to working and started to get fit, you could see as he leaned out just how much more muscle was there than the year before. It's something we'll definitely use in the future going forward with other horses and, hopefully, him as well."

Off the bench, Rhetorical ran a competitive third in the Mile Stakes (G1T) in April at Keeneland before showing off his improved physique in style with a dominant 3 1/4-length, gate-to-wire score in the Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) May 2 at Churchill Downs.

"He's been good. He's sharp right now," Walden said of how Rhetorical has been in the weeks since. "The first race of the year I think got him tip top, and he's just continued forward on that momentum since the last."

Preparing to run the longest race of his career, Rhetorical again finds Irad Ortiz Jr. in the saddle for owners Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable, and Wachtel Stable. Rhetorical will need to be at his best to secure a homecoming triumph as he faces eight superb challengers.

Perhaps the one standing tallest in his way is the Manhattan's defending winner Deterministic . The 5-year-old son of Liam's Map  —owned by St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker, and Vicarage Stable—has done no wrong in his last four starts, sweeping all four graded stakes with two grade 1 wins. Trainer Miguel Clement returned Deterministic to the races off a nine-month layoff to win the May 2 Fort Marcy Stakes (G3T) in front-running fashion by three-quarters of a length. The graded stakes-winning runner-up in that race, Battle of Normandy , returns for a rematch.

The race also will offer some international flavor. Wathnan Racing's Make Me King  makes his second consecutive United States start for trainer Hamad Al Jehani after finishing a closing runner-up to Rhetorical in the Turf Classic. Hollywood Racing and Rikesh Sewgoolam's multiple group 1 winner One Stripe  has had a longer time to get accustomed to the United States, moving to Graham Motion's barn from South Africa last year. His two most recent starts have resulted in runner-up finishes from off the pace at the grade 1 level.

Wertheimer and Frere's multiple group stakes-winning Bright Picture  arrives from France for his U.S. debut. The Andre Fabre-trained son of Intello  started his season with two wins in group company before finishing second in the April 26 Prix Ganay (G1) to Daryz , who is one of three horses tied for second place on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings.

Also in the field is Amerman Racing's dual grade 1-winning Test Score , who aims to get back on track after finishing eighth to Rhetorical in the Turf Classic.