Pat On the Back Wins Empire Classic

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano notched three wins Oct. 20 at Belmont Park, including his 5,000th victory in North America aboard Runaway Lute in the $150,000 Hudson Handicap, to steal the show on Empire Showcase Day, an 11-race all-New York-bred card, including eight stakes races worth a total of $1.75 million in purses.

The veteran rider, a mainstay on the New York Racing Association circuit since 2001, became the 34th rider in North American history to reach 5,000 wins.

"I'm thankful to all the owners and trainers who have helped me get to this point, as well as my wonderful wife. She supports me, as well as my kids. It's not an easy job," said Castellano following the milestone win. "I've had a successful career. Four Eclipse Awards, being a Hall of Fame inductee, but I don't feel that I'm toward the end. I still have goals. No. 1 is to win the Kentucky Derby. I've always been trying to chase and win that race one day. Hopefully, everything falls in the right direction and the right horse and trip to win the Kentucky Derby. I'm very proud to be in the company I am with 5,000 winners."

In the feature on the card, Pat On the Back, expertly piloted by Dylan Davis, powered to the lead at the top of the lane and held off a late rush from Can You Diggit to capture the featured $300,000 Empire Classic Handicap. The 4-year-old Congrats  chestnut was able to turn the tables on the runner-up, who had prevailed by a neck in the Evan Shipman Stakes Aug. 20 at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Jeremiah Englehart for owners Harold Lerner, AWC Stables, and Nehoc Stables, Pat On the Back settled comfortably in third position under Davis as Sea Foam and Mr. Buff battled through a quarter-mile in :24.46 and the half in :47.94. Davis urged Pat On the Back into contention through the turn and quickly put away Sea Foam, setting up a brief tussle with a stubborn Mr. Buff. Pat On the Back outmuscled Mr. Buff and surged home a 1 1/2-length winner as Can You Diggit rallied in vain.

Pat On the Back covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.76. Sent to post as the 2-1 favorite, Pat On the Back returned $6.50 for a $2 win wager. It was the sixth win for Pat On the Back, all with Davis in the irons, and fifth stakes score for the colt, having previously captured the Aspirant and Sleepy Hollow stakes in 2016; the Ontario County Stakes in 2017; and the Saginaw Stakes in July.

"This was a great way to end a fantastic day. This horse belongs to Dylan. He just knows the horse so well, and it showed again here today with the effort he gave," said Lerner. "Initially, this horse was with Kenny (McPeek), and we transferred him to Jeremiah, thinking he would get more opportunities to run in races like these versus state-breds.

"Also winning the Hudson Handicap today with Runaway Lute, it's been a great Empire Showcase day for me and my partners," continued Lerner. "We'll definitely enjoy today, and we always love to support the New York-bred program."

One race before the Empire Classic, Bonita Bianca prevailed as the 5-2 favorite to take the $250,000 Empire Distaff Handicap for fillies and mares by an impressive six lengths for trainer Jason Servis and owners Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and Michael Imperio. 

Ridden by Jose Lezcano, the chestnut Curlin  filly broke from the outside post 10. After tracking English Soul's early fractions of :23.71 and :47.23 in the 1 1/16-mile contest, Bonita Bianca made a sweeping, four-wide bid through the turn to hit the stretch in front and kick clear through the stretch. Split Time put in a serious late run through the final quarter-mile but was no match for the winner, who galloped under the wire. The final time was 1:43.18.

Bred by Dormellito Stud, Bonita Bianca returned $7.50. Tiznow's Smile finished another 1 3/4 lengths back in third.

"When I go home tonight, I'll be looking at the calendar for when this date is next year," said Dubb. "It's the greatest day. There's probably more New York people here today than any other day. The track is busy. It's one of the best betting cards. It's really nice to see all of our New York brethren who work so hard come out and have the opportunity to compete."

Highway Star kicked off the day's stakes action in Race 2 with a dramatic, rail-skimming victory in the $150,000 Iroquois Stakes for fillies and mares 3 and older. 

Facing fellow state-breds for the first time since finishing second by a nose in the May 28 Critical Eye Stakes, Chester and Mary Broman's multiple graded stakes winner bested a field of eight. Sent off as the 2-1 favorite with David Cohen aboard, Highway Star stumbled at the start and stalked early along the rail from seventh position. Finding a narrow opening at the top of the stretch, Highway Star powered up the rail and held off the closing Satisfy to win by a neck. 

Her final time for the 6 1/2-furlong distance was 1:16.08.

Returning $6.80, the 5-year-old daughter of Girolamo, bred by her owners and trained by Rodrigo Ubillo, picked up her first victory since winning the Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2) in September 2017 at Belmont.

In Race 3, Offering Plan provided Castellano's second win on the card and 4,999th of his career, delivering as the 6-5 favorite with a romping, six-length victory in the $200,000 Mohawk Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the Widener turf. The 6-year-old son of Spring At Last was kept in midpack behind dueling frontrunners Mo Maverick and Black Tide, who set swift early fractions of :22.94 and :46.36. 

Given his cue in the far turn, Offering Plan began to usurp rivals in the far turn. The Chad Brown trainee assumed the lead at the top of the stretch and pulled away easily to stop the clock in 1:42.01 over the turf course labeled good. He paid $4.70 to win. Rapt was second.

It was the eighth win from 23 starts through five seasons of racing for Offering Plan, bred by C. W. Swann and Cygnet Farm and owned by Michael Dubb, Nantucket Thoroughbred Partners, Bethlehem Stables, and Gary Aisquith. Offering Plan hasn't been off the board in six starts this year, including near misses against New York-bred company in his last two races, the Aug. 24 West Point Stakes Presented by Trustco Bank and the Sept. 23 Ashley T. Cole Stakes.

In the $150,000 Hudson Handicap, Runaway Lute, trained by Gary Contessa for Lerner and Nehoc Stables, was urged to the lead out of the gate by Castellano and never looked back as the popular jockey secured the landmark win. Sent to post at odds of 5-1, the dark bay/brown son of Midnight Lute  bred by Windylea Farm marked the half-mile in :46.18, with Eye Luv Lulu and The Caretaker tracking his early foot. Runaway Lute opened a two-length advantage at the top of the lane and dug in gamely to hold off the rallying Gold for the King by a diminishing three-quarters of a length. Runaway Lute, who paid $13.40 to win, covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.70.

In the $200,000 Ticonderoga Stakes carded as Race 5 on the inner turf course for fillies and mares 3 and up, Peter Brant's Fifty Five picked up her second consecutive added-money score since taking the Sept. 23 John Hettinger Stakes. Breaking from post 6 as the 4-5 favorite with Castellano aboard, Fifty Five settled comfortably in sixth position as Lovely La La led the field of seven through fractions of :24.02 for the opening quarter and :49.12 for the half.

At the quarter pole, Lovely La La faded from contention as Fifty Five was guided to the four path hooking up with La Moneda in late stretch. All-out to the finish, Fifty Five pulled away at the sixteenth-pole to secure the victory by one length. She completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:42.21. Returning $3.60 for a $2-win wager, the 4-year-old Get Stormy  filly bred by Empire Equines picked up her third win of the year and back-to-back victories in the Ticonderoga Stakes for winning trainer Brown and Castellano.

Surge of Pride pulled off a successful switch to the main track with a 1 1/4-length win in the $250,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at a mile for owners Grey Fox Stable and the Bromans. 

Opening her career with a pair of races on the turf, the Bromans-bred Kantharos  filly made solid use of her dirt debut, saving ground under Junior Alvarado near the back of the pack as 5-2 favorite Cartwheelin Lulu held a narrow lead through early fractions of :23.31 and :47.70. Surge of Pride continued to advance into contention up the backstretch. Alvarado swung his charge outside a wall of horses near the quarter pole. She responded with a strong close down the middle of the track to run down Elegant Zip in the final strides for her first stakes win. 

The Linda Rice trainee returned $33.20 to win. 

In Race 8, Bankit, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing, stalked the pace, made a strong move from the outside, and was geared down at the wire in a 5 3/4-length win in the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes for 2-year-olds. Bankit notched his second win in five starts and first stakes victory. 

The Central Baker colt stayed off Dugout's early fractions of :22.88 for a quarter-mile, with the half in :46.57. Out of the turn, Bankit, under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., surged from the outside to take command and outkick a charging Bustin Hoffman, completing one mile in a final time of 1:37.69 on the fast main track.

Off as the 5-1 choice for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Bankit, whose previous best stakes finish was second by a nose to Dugout in the Funny Cide Aug. 24 at Saratoga, returned $12.40. Strive for a Cure, making his stakes debut, finished third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Bustin Hoffman.