Adelphi Racing Club has plenty to look forward to in 2026
- Adelphi Racing Club has plenty to look forward to in 2026
- One Nine Hundred earns 104 BSF in Aqueduct win; Morley stakes stars Donegal Momentum, Attfield back for more
- Ortiz to send Doc Sullivan south with G1 Pegasus World Cup looming
- Mailata points to G3 Gotham off 19-length romp at Parx
- Star Sweeper possible for Listed $200K Withers
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Adelphi Racing Club has enjoyed a cluster of wins from talented prospects in recent weeks and hopes to further their success throughout 2026 as Gratefully, Time to Roll, and One Nine Hundred have announced their presence in their respective divisions.
“We want to continue to raise our profile as time goes on, and we’re excited about our horses,” said Joe Migliore, Head of Racing and Partnership Operations for Adelphi Racing Club, a racing syndicate founded by Matt Cutair, alongside original partners Jordan Zotts and Brian Hahn in 2019. “I look at our roster right now and I think there’s several horses that have big steps forward in them. We’re on a bit of a hot streak and I think it has all the potential to keep going. The roster is pretty strong right now, and hopefully the upcoming yearlings and 2-year-olds will add to that.”
Turf sprinter Gratefully, a 4-year-old filly co-owned by Shelly Hume and Russell Hume, is faultless through four lifetime outings, and successfully took her show on the road to post an eye-catching 3 3/4-length optional claiming victory on January 8 at Santa Anita Park for trainer Rob Falcone, Jr.
The Laoban dark bay won by six lengths on debut in an off-the-turf maiden claiming tilt in August at Saratoga Race Course for trainer Ray Handal, and was then moved to the Falcone, Jr. barn. Her next outing was again rained off the turf, but she won determinedly by three-quarter-lengths in a six-furlong starter optional claiming tilt in September at Belmont at the Big A. She went on to make a successful turf debut with a nose score in a local six-furlong tilt in October ahead of her recent score in the Golden State.
“She was 3-for-3 here in New York and even though her first two wins came on dirt, she was a filly that had a pedigree that made us want to get her on the grass,” Migliore said. “She was able to win that allowance on the turf here and was thriving, so we didn’t want to give her time off. She went to California and I’m happy she kept her record perfect.”
Migliore emphasized the partnership's commitment to New York racing and said the likely goal with Gratefully is to keep her on a path that leads to the Grade 2 Intercontinental this summer at the Spa. The next step towards that goal is the restricted six-furlong $100,000 Wishing Well on February 21 at Santa Anita.
“We are absolutely of the belief that she can be a stakes filly sprinting on the grass here in New York throughout 2026,” Migliore said. “She’ll run in the Wishing Well next for her first stakes try, but we have the full intention of bringing her back to New York. A possible long-term target would be the Intercontinental if everything continues to go well for her and she proves she can belong in that company. She’s certainly earned the shot right now to try stakes company.”
Time to Roll, a sophomore New York-bred son of Not This Time, was a 6 3/4-length winner of a seven-furlong state-bred allowance on December 11 here for trainer Horacio De Paz. There, he stalked in fourth under Jaime Rodriguez and ranged up in the turn with a five-wide move to draw even with a pair of foes before driving strongly down the lane to win in a final time of 1:26.24.
Migliore said the colt is on target for the seven-furlong $135,000 Damon Runyon for state-bred sophomores on February 7 here.
“He’s another horse we thought a lot of before his debut,” Migliore said. “He has a big circle on the Damon Runyon. We had been a little turf minded with him originally, but the dirt proved to be the right move. He has come out of his race phenomenal. I think he’s going to take even another step forward off that win.”
Bred by Kingsport Farm, Time to Roll was a $270,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale and is out of the Grade 3-placed Medaglia d’Oro mare My Galina. His third dam is multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Stellar Jayne.
On Friday at the Big A, One Nine Hundred was a 4 1/2-length winner of a six-furlong optional claimer that garnered a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure. Trained by Tom Morley, the 4-year-old Dialed In colt made his second start off a four-month respite, and improved from a third in a November 20 optional claimer going the same distance over a muddy and sealed Churchill Downs main track.
Migliore said One Nine Hundred has the potential to be a prominent player in upcoming sprint stakes at Aqueduct.
“I won’t commit the trainer to anything, but we know when this horse is right, he can run with anyone in that division,” Migliore said of the colt that is co-owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Steven Rocco.
Along with the trio of recent breakout winners, Adelphi also has a few seasoned stakes-level horses on their roster, including Group 2-placed Pandagate and stakes-placed Bettrluckythangood.
Pandagate, co-owned with Madaket Stables, Corms Racing Stable and On The Rise Again Stable and trained by Miguel Clement, was a standout sophomore in the New York-bred dirt division, taking Aqueduct’s Gander, Saratoga’s Albany and Finger Lakes Racetrack’s New York Derby in 2024.
That year, he also took the partnership on the trip of a lifetime to Meydan Racecourse to run a respectable third in the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby, finishing 6 3/4 lengths behind the victorious Forever Young.
Last year, the son of Arrogate made just one start, finishing a flat fourth in an open-company allowance in August at Saratoga. Migliore said the ridgling will be back this year, with hopes he will find his best form again after the layoff.
“It was an unbelievable 3-year-old year for Pandagate winning three stakes and taking the partnership to Dubai,” Migliore said. “He has been our main stable star, and it was unfortunate he’s had some on-and-off things that delayed his campaign last year, and that he came out of his one race and needed time off again. We still think a lot of him, and we’re hoping he can put together a sound and healthy campaign in 2026.”
Migliore added Pandagate, bred by Fred W. Hertrich, III, recently returned to training at WinStar Farm where he will have a few works before rejoining the Clement barn this spring.
Bettrluckythangood also looks to make a splash in the New York-bred turf division this year after capping his 5-year-old campaign with a game second to next-out Grade 1-winner Rhetorical in the West Point presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital on August 24 at the Spa for Clement.
Co-owned by Randy Stasi, Jared Brechman and Jay Stasi, the Lookin At Lucky chestnut made three starts last year, and last visited the winner’s circle for a nose score in a November 2024 state-bred optional claimer at the Big A. Bred by Windylea Farm, Bettrluckythangood looks to commence a campaign this spring that Migliore hopes will include stakes success.
“He’s down in Ocala and will rejoin Miguel in about a month or so,” Migliore said. “That will gear him up for New York-bred grass stakes throughout the year. He ran such a good race against Rhetorical in the West Point, and we were very proud of his effort that day. That performance probably wins a lot of New York-bred turf stakes. We gave him his winter break to get fresh for this season, and the Clement barn does such an outstanding job with conditioning these horses into much later ages than you see with some other trainers.”
Bettrluckythangood holds a career record of 13-3-3-3 with total purse earnings of $252,450.
***
One Nine Hundred earns 104 BSF in Aqueduct win; Morley stakes stars Donegal Momentum, Attfield back for more
Steven Rocco, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Adelphi Racing Club’s One Nine Hundred was awarded a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure for his 4 1/2-length victory in a six-furlong optional claimer on Friday at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Tom Morley, the Dialed In 4-year-old was making his second start off a four-month respite, and entered from a pacesetting third in a November 20 six-furlong optional claimer over a muddy and sealed main track at Churchill Downs.
On Friday, the bay bobbled at the start under Jose Lezcano, but recovered quickly and dueled for early command with Vettriano. One Nine Hundred stuck his head in front as the first quarter elapsed in 22.66 seconds and never looked back, driving strongly into the turn and down the lane to win under a hand ride in a final time of 1:09.84.
“He’s in really good shape. He did grab a quarter on the back of his left front coming out of the gate when he stumbled, but that seems to be clearing up well,” Morley said. “It was a breakout performance from a horse who has always shown an abundance of talent. He obviously enjoys racing at Aqueduct, but I don’t think he ran badly at Churchill Downs at all. He’s been threatening since that race to run the way he did and you’re always quietly confident and hopeful, but until they’ve produced it, you need to see it in the afternoon. I thought he was fabulous.”
Joe Migliore, Head of Racing and Partnership Operations for Adelphi Racing Club, said the partnership is excited to get the year started with such a strong victory.
“I think we knew even before he began his career that One Nine Hundred was potentially a very exciting horse for us,” Migliore said. “We are just thrilled that we have such a nice horse, and I think he’s really just now starting to put it all together. Tom has done such a great job of being patient with this horse and he has always known this horse was capable of a performance like that if we did right by him.”
One Nine Hundred graduated at third asking in March over the same course and distance, kicking clear to a seven-length romp under Lezcano. He went on to finish a pacesetting fifth in the Listed Chick Lang in May at Pimlico Race Course before bouncing back with a tidy optional claiming score in July at Saratoga Race Course.
“He’s a much more mature horse now than he was this time last year,” Morley said. “He was pretty headstrong as a 3-year-old. He wanted to always do a little more than I wanted him to. He’s still a strong galloper, but he’s physically matured over the last six months and we’re beginning to see the fruition of the patience his ownership group has shown.”
Morley added he is relishing this latest victory before committing to any future targets. Upcoming sprint stakes offerings at Aqueduct include the six-furlong Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool on February 28 and the seven-furlong Grade 2, $300,000 Carter during the Aqueduct spring meet on April 4.
On December 26, Morley sent out Titletown Racing Stables’ Kentucky homebred Interstatelovesong to a strong five-length graduation at second asking in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for juvenile fillies. The daughter of Bolt d’Oro took command early under Ricardo Santana, Jr. and widened her margin to six lengths at the stretch call, drawing clear under a drive to complete the course in a final time of 1:19.87.
“A very nice filly who always worked well and is a big, scopey type,” Morley said. “I felt the allowance race yesterday was [back] a bit too quick – we weigh our horses a lot, and she hadn’t quite regained her race weight. She’s a very nice filly and hopefully she has a bright future in front of her.”
A potential target for Interstatelovesong, who scratched from an optional-claiming tilt here Saturday, could be the seven-furlong $135,000 Ruthless for sophomore fillies on January 31 at the Big A.
Morley added he recently welcomed back a group of turf specialists after freshenings, as Grade 3-placed stakes-winner Attfield returned to Belmont Park, and graded stakes-winner Donegal Momentum has resumed tack walking at Fair Hill. Both horses concluded their 2025 seasons with stakes wins in New York, with Attfield taking Aqueduct’s Listed Central Park in November and Donegal Momentum winning the Listed Bernard Baruch in August at the Spa.
“We’re just starting to bring them back. Attfield looks fantastic and will probably have a work next week,” Morley said. “Donegal is at Fair Hill and Bruce Jackson is very happy with him. We are beginning to bring back in, over the next three weeks, a lot of the grass horses. They’ve had a nice break.”
***
Ortiz to send Doc Sullivan south with G1 Pegasus World Cup looming
Trainer John Ortiz updated Sunday morning that he will ship Tristar Farm’s New York-bred Doc Sullivan to Florida in hopes of a possible shot in the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on January 24 at Gulfstream Park. Doc Sullivan was listed among the reserve invitees for the race when second invitations went out on Wednesday.
“I think we are going to play it safe, put him on a van tomorrow to Gulfstream and see what happens,” Ortiz said. “There’s a couple options obviously down there. Doc Sullivan has proven he is able to compete in open company. He ran in a Grade 1 at Saratoga and a Grade 3 at Aqueduct. I don’t know why we wouldn’t consider keeping him in open company after two back-to-back wins against state-breds. He is very confident.”
The Pegasus World Cup is contested at nine furlongs and offers a “Win and You’re In” berth for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in October at Keeneland.
Doc Sullivan is 0-for-3 at nine furlongs but is in top form with back-to-back stakes wins versus restricted company. The 5-year-old Solomini dark bay won the seven-furlong NYSSS Thunder Rumble and the one-turn mile state-bred Alex M. Robb, in November and December, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
“I’m not worried about the distance, this is a very versatile horse,” Ortiz said. “He can go anywhere from probably 6 1/2 furlongs to a mile and an eighth against the right company. I think he is in a good set-up for that race [the Pegasus World Cup] after two sprint races, I think he is going to have plenty of energy to be up close and stalk.”
Doc Sullivan, bred by Seamus Coughlan, joined the Ortiz barn in July from the care of trainer Michael Miceli and won the seven-furlong John Morrissey by a head over Grade 1-placed The Wine Steward in July at Saratoga Race Course. He went on to post fourths at that distance in the Grade 1 Forego at the Spa and the Grade 3 Vosburgh presented by Army Mule in September at Belmont at the Big A.
“After his last race, we sent him to the farm for 12 days for a little R and R. He came back a couple days ago, he’s been training really well,” said Ortiz. “He did a two-minute lick this morning and is right on target, we’ll ship down there and see what happens.”
One to keep an eye for the same connections is the New York-bred Moe Eighty Eight, a 4-year-old Solomini gelding who trounced a seven-furlong state-bred optional claimer by 12 1/4 lengths on December 27 at Aqueduct. The final time of 1:22.65 over the good dirt earned a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure.
“No major plans right now. He ran a very impressive race, 109 Beyer, he went to the farm, got a little R and R and is back,” Ortiz said. “I’m not pushing him to do anything back [quick] because I don’t want him to bounce from that number. I think we can continue this route if we give him the space he needs and opportunities to keep improving.”
Moe Eighty Eight made five of his first six starts on turf and has dominated his two starts since returning to dirt in November at Aqueduct. Ortiz and his father, Carlos, worked for Hall of Fame-trainer Bill Mott and recall the Hall of Famer Cigar, who made 11 of his first 13 starts on turf before winning 16 consecutive dirt races.
“After this horse won on dirt, my Dad called me and said he reminds me of Cigar,” Ortiz said, with a laugh. “Cigar was on turf, then he got on the dirt. This is homage to the school where we came from with Bill Mott and honoring Cigar. It is funny to say that, but I like the comparison.”
A logical next local spot for Moe Eighty Eight, bred by Crossed Sabres Farm, would be the $135,000 Say Florida Sandy, a seven-furlong sprint for state-breds on Valentine’s Day.
Tristar Farm’s New York-bred Braverthanubelieve, winner of the local $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue on December 6, is now 2-for-2 with a debut graduation on November 22 here sprinting six furlongs versus fellow state-breds. The sophomore Honest Mischief dark bay, bred by Paul Michael Giacopelli MD, has options open and could look to pick up Kentucky Oaks points in the one-mile Listed $200,000 Busher on February 28 here offering 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points to the top-five finishers.
“Obviously she is a New York-bred and we can stay on that route, she won impressively as well off a two-week turnaround. We sent her to the farm, gave her 30 days after that and she has come back looking the part. We will see as we get closer if we’ll keep her in state-bred company or try to get some Oaks points,” Ortiz said.
***
Mailata points to G3 Gotham off 19-length romp at Parx
Cash is King and LC Racing’s Pennsylvania homebred Mailata was a dominant 19-length winner of Parx Racing’s Future Stars on December 30, and will now likely point to a try on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in Aqueduct Racetrack’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on February 28, a 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifier.
Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., the Maximus Mischief bay was cross-entered in Aqueduct’s Jerome on January 3, but Reid, Jr. opted to keep the colt at his home base of Parx Racing instead. The decision resulted in Mailata posting the facile victory over a pair of rivals in the seven-furlong Future Stars, giving him a stakes double after taking the state-bred Pennsylvania Nursery by 3 1/2 lengths on November 26 over the same course and distance.
Reid, Jr. said Mailata will likely skip the nine-furlong Listed $200,000 Withers on January 31 in favor of the one-turn mile Gotham to give the colt some extra time between races.
“It’s not 100 percent certain and we’ll see how it comes up, but I don’t think we’ll go to the Withers,” Reid, Jr. said. “We’re leaning towards the Gotham – the Withers is a little tight for us and it would be a big jump going [from seven furlongs] to the mile and an eighth. I do think he’s perfectly capable of it [the distance], but the more sensible thing is to just give him a little more time and shoot for the one-turn mile race.”
Mailata, who is on a three-race win streak since adding blinkers, is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Bouquet of Gold and is a half-brother to Jeanne Marie, a stakes-winner for the same connections.
Reid, Jr. added that multiple stakes-winner Maximus Meridius could try to defend his title in the Listed $150,000 Toboggan on January 31 at the Big A on the heels of back-to-back stakes wins at Parx in the Let’s Give Thanks in November and the Blitzen last out on December 31.
Owned by LC Racing, Cash is King and Wellesley Stable, the Maximus Mischief 5-year-old won last year’s Toboggan by a neck over Runninsonofagun and holds a 6-2-2-0 record at the Big A. Reid, Jr. said it is possible the bay gelding skips the Toboggan and waits for the six-furlong Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool on the February 28 Gotham card.
“He really likes Aqueduct, so we’re thinking about the Toboggan, but we are also leaning towards a bit of a break for him, too, and going to the Tom Fool,” Reid, Jr. said. “We’ll probably bring the pair of them up there for Gotham Day.”
Maximus Meridius, who also won the Big A’s Listed Gravesend in 2024, has put together a consistent 21-8-6-1 record with $644,430 in total purse earnings.
***
Star Sweeper possible for Listed $200K Withers
Bran Jam Stable and David W. Clark’s Star Sweeper could return to stakes company in the Listed $200,000 Withers, a nine-furlong route for sophomores on January 31 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Withers offers 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.
Trained by Louis Linder, Jr., the Rock Your World colt graduated on debut in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint on September 20 at Parx Racing with Paco Lopez at the helm. Star Sweeper was off the board in his next two outings, including a fifth in the one-mile Rocky Run at Delaware Park and an eighth in the James F. Lewis, III at Laurel Park on November 8.
Last out, with Angel Rodriguez aboard for the first time on Christmas Eve at Parx, Star Sweeper pressed the pace of Bootleg Runner in the 6 1/2-furlong optional-claiming sprint, collaring the leader by the stretch call and powering clear to a 2 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:20.12. The winning effort earned a career-best 62 Beyer Speed Figure.
“We’re considering the Withers. He broke his maiden first time out and we had Angel on him last time. He saw how Paco rode him and did the same. He really ran big last time and he breezed really good after that,” noted Linder, Jr. of a five-eighths breeze in 1:01.59 on January 6 at Parx.
Star Sweeper was purchased by Linder, Jr. for $40,000 at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where he worked in 10.3 seconds. He is out of the Tapit mare Tapless, a half-sister to 2020 Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap-winner Combatant.
Linder, Jr. said he expects Star Sweeper will be able to handle the added distance of the Withers.
“I think he will. I think he will relax and wait for his cues and that's what will really help him,” Linder, Jr. said. “ He's got the attitude and everything he does, he does easy. He's a little immature mentally yet, but he's getting there. He's not a paper bag in a windstorm like he used to be. He's settled down and going through his paces as we ask him.”
Star Sweeper was the third-highest earning progeny last year of Rock Your World, who was the fourth-leading first-crop sire by both wins and earnings. Rock Your World’s leading money earner last year, the Kenny McPeek-trained filly Taken by the Wind, is entered in the Silverbulletday on Saturday at Fair Grounds.
Linder, Jr. and owners Bran Jam Stable and David W. Clark could also be represented on the January 31 Big A card by Courage On Tap in the $135,000 Ruthless, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies. The connections won this event last year with Volleyballprincess, who romped by 10 lengths at odds of 10-1.
Courage On Tap, a Tapiture bay, was claimed for $40,000 out of a runner-up effort in a one-mile maiden tilt on October 21 at Parx that saw both third-place Ivy Girl and fourth-place Tush Push graduate next out.
Linder, Jr. also noted that a good-effort by Bran Jam Stable and David W. Clark’s two-start maiden Haunting Echoes in a Wednesday maiden special weight at Parx could result in a quick turnaround for the Ruthless.
“If she runs well with the blinkers on, she'd be a possibility,” Linder, Jr. said.
Linder, Jr. also noted that New York-bred maiden sophomore filly Into Hijinks, who scratched out of Race 9 on Saturday here, is in good order.
“She came off the van a little stiff and we had to scratch from Aqueduct on Saturday. She's fine this morning,” Linder, Jr. said. “I don’t know how far she wants to go, but she's a decent one and has a lot of upside.
Linder, Jr. and owners Bran Jam Stable and David W. Clark will look to kick off a local stakes streak on Saturday here with Grade 1-placed Ourdaydreaminggirl in the $135,000 Ladies, a nine-furlong route for older fillies and mares.
“We're excited about our prospects in this race coming up and through the summer with her,” Linder, Jr. said.
Entries for the Ladies are being taken today.