Good Luck Gus Heads Field for Sleepy Hollow

Having scored an impressive victory in the New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes, Good Luck Gus now looks to aim higher in the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes Oct. 18 at Belmont Park.

The one-mile test for state-breds is one of two races on the Empire Showcase program Saturday for 2-year-olds, along with the $150,000 Maid of the Mist for fillies. They are the second and third races on the card, respectively.

Good Luck Gus, a son of Lookin At Lucky  —Tacticmove, by Deputy Minister, has scored two victories in his career, both by more than five lengths. He drew the favorable post 7 on the far outside in the one-turn race. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez has secured the services of Joel Rosario , who rode the colt to a fourth-place finish in the Funny Cide Stakes.

Following the Funny Cide, Rodriguez put blinkers on Good Luck Gus, and the colt responded with a 5 1/4-length score in the New York Breeders' Futurity Oct. 4 as the 9-5 favorite.

Thank You, runner-up in the New York Breeders’ Futurity, returns for another crack at Good Luck Gus. He goes into the race still a maiden in five starts, but with three second-place finishes for trainer Micahel Mareina.

Two other horses with stakes credentials who should make their presence felt are Bullheaded Boy and Market Conduct, who finished second and third, respectively, in the Bertram F. Bongard Stakes in the mud at Belmont Park Sept. 21. Bullheaded Boy, who also finished third in the Funny Cide Stakes, gets blinkers for the first time and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

John Velazquez, who rode Bullheaded Boy in all three of his starts, opted to ride Todd Pletcher’s other entry, Ostrolenka, a 14 1/2-length maiden winner in his last start.

Market Conduct, trained by Chad Brown, will once again have Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard.

Breakin the Fever, trained by Debra Breed at Finger Lakes, looks to make it two in a row following a 9 3/4-length romp in the slop at Belmont in his last start. He did not fare as well on the synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs and the dirt at Saratoga Race Course in his debut, where he did finish third to Upstart, who has graduated from state-bred races and has made a name for himself in open stakes company.

In the the Maid of the Mist,

the likely favorite will be Temper Mint Patty, a daughter of Congrats   who is undefeated in two starts. She posted a 13 1/2-length romp in the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes in the mud at Belmont Park last time out.

Owned by Mark Stanley and trained by Dale Romans, Temper Mint Patty will break from the far outside in the nine-horse field and will once again by ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr in the one-turn mile.

Two others with stakes credentials are Hard to Stay Notgo and Myfourchix. They were far back in third and fourth, respectively, in the Joseph Gimma, but did finish one-two in the Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga, in which Myfourchix won by three lengths.

One interesting filly is Lady Bling, who will be making her dirt debut after a troubled eighth-place finish in the Miss Grillo Stakes (gr. IIIT) on grass and an impressive maiden score on grass.  Dave Donk saddles the daughter of Pioneerof the Nile  , who has worked well on the dirt.

Three fillies coming out of impressive maiden victories are Sweetpollypurebrd, Quezon, and Sandra.