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Bay Ridge victory a strong starting point for Fingal’s Cave

by NYRA Press Ofiice

• Bay Ridge victory a strong starting point for Fingal’s Cave

• Be Your Best to freshen after G1 American Oaks placing

• Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet Week 1 stakes probables

Alifyfe Racing’s graded stakes-placed Fingal’s Cave appeared to have a daunting task ahead of her when racing from a 432-day layoff against stakes company in Thursday’s $100,000 Bay Ridge, but responded to the challenge with ease as she posted a frontrunning 4 3/4-length victory in the one-mile test for New York-bred fillies and mares at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“It [the layoff] was longer, and the plan was to have her back over the summer and it got delayed,” said trainer David Donk. “It was the goal to get to a race and we targeted this race a couple of months ago. Fortunately, she was able to do it and she came through with flying colors.”

Ridden by Jose Lezcano, the 4-year-old Carpe Diem bay was engaged in an early battle for the lead with Bustin Bay through an opening quarter-mile in 23.30 seconds before Venti Valentine was asked to take up second position and apply pressure through a half-mile in 46.52. Fingal’s Cave easily shook off her rival at the top of the lane and drew clear when asked by Lezcano, coasting under the wire in a final time of 1:37.45 and earning a 79 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She came out of it well and cooled out well, and it wasn’t as hard of a race as I thought it might be,” said Donk. “She galloped out well, too, and I was pleased with it all. It was easy enough and wasn’t a hard race on her and she was certainly fit enough to handle it, which is the main thing.”

Fingal’s Cave made her first start since a game runner-up effort in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Raven Run last October at Keeneland where she was squeezed at the start and trailed the field 9 1/4 lengths off the pace before moving four-wide into the stretch and making a strong run down the lane. She rallied past all but one foe, finishing four lengths behind the victorious Wicked Halo. Fingal’s Cave was later diagnosed with bone bruising and subsequently dealt with a minor foot issue before returning to regular training with Donk at Belmont Park.

Donk said he is still discussing future plans with the filly’s owner, but said the Ruffian this spring at Belmont at the Big A could be a long term target. Donk also did not rule out a potential return trip to Keeneland for the Grade 1 Madison on April 6, or a try in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie on February 17 at Laurel Park.

“I’m not quite sure what we do from here. The focus is going to be from April to November I think, so we’ll see,” said Donk. “There will be a lot of discussion. Maybe it’s too far-fetched, but a race that intrigues me is the Ruffian at a flat mile in the beginning of May. [The Madison] is a good possibility – it’s not an easy race, but who knows. We’ll just have to see. We’re just pleased she came back and ran so well.”

Bred in the Empire State by Chester and Mary Broman, Fingal’s Cave has banked $370,500 in total purse earnings with wins in 5-of-6 lifetime starts, including an additional state-bred stakes score last August in Saratoga Race Course’s Fleet Indian. A $75,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, Fingal’s Cave’s third dam is Antespend, a multiple graded stakes-winner who produced Grade 1-winner Friends Lake and graded stakes-winner Seeking the Ante.

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Be Your Best to freshen after G1 American Oaks placing

Trainer Horacio De Paz said Michael J. Ryan’s Irish homebred Be Your Best will enjoy a little downtime in Florida after picking up her second Grade 1-placing with a runner-up effort in Tuesday’s American Oaks at Santa Anita Park.

The sophomore daughter of Muhaarar, who was a closing second to Anisette in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in August, tried a frontrunning approach in the 10-furlong American Oaks but could not stave off her familiar foe Anisette, who won by 1 3/4-lengths.

Be Your Best stayed in California after a troubled eighth-place finish in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby against males on Breeders’ Cup Saturday at Santa Anita.

“We kept her out there since we were targeting that race and figured it would be easier for her instead of traveling back and forth,” De Paz said.

De Paz said Tuesday’s pacesetting tactics came about due to the lack of speed in the compact field of five.

“It was just the way the race shaped up. There was no pace in the race, so we figured wherever she broke that's where we would have to let her be,” De Paz. “The other thing is Santa Anita closes the racetrack for training when it rains out there. So, she had been jogging and tack walking which is not her usual and she was obviously fresh for her race.”

Be Your Best won the P.G. Johnson last September at Saratoga Race Course and has competed exclusively in graded company in nine starts since topped by her Grade 1 placings and a close runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Wonder Again in June at Belmont Park.

“You have to respect her. She tries and has been running against nice fillies,” De Paz said. “The way the race shaped up was not necessarily her style, but those were the circumstances dealt out to us.”

De Paz said Be Your Best, who has banked $344,250 through a 11-2-3-1 record, should improve as a 4-year-old.

“She'll have to face older now, but the other thing is she's still eligible for the ‘2X’ so she's got great starting spots to get started and then we can target stakes races,” De Paz said. “We learned a lot from her this year- she obviously prefers firmer ground and she doesn't like to run too close between races, so hopefully she can continue to progress forwardly and mature to next year.”

De Paz is hopeful that Barry Schwartz’s New York-homebred Awesome Czech can reach the levels attained by Be Your Best this year.

The 2-year-old Mendelssohn filly graduated at third asking in September here while making her turf debut against fellow state-breds. She made her next two outings in open-company stakes at the Big A, finishing fifth in the Chelsey Flower in October and a pacesetting second in the Tepin on November 17 when defeated a neck by Memorialize.

“I'm not sure if she'll be as good as Be Your Best, but her last race was impressive. The race before that was [impressive] too considering she had a troubled trip,” De Paz said. “I think she'll develop and be OK. She just got better and better every start.”

De Paz will look to close out his 2023 campaign on a high note when he saddles the 9-year-old Greeley and Ben in Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Gravesend, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

The 25-time winner, owned by Darryl E. Abramowitz, won the Dave’s Friend on December 23 at Laurel Park to score for the second time in just his third start of the campaign.

“The owner was thrilled. He spent a lot of time getting him ready to come back for this race,” De Paz said of the hard-knocking gelding that joined his barn just this year. “I've dealt with a lot of young horses but a 9-year-old was a first for me. So, trying to get him back to the races was good but I didn't know if we would make it and the schedule and the form he would be able to come back to, but he's taught me a lot since we had him.”

Although Greeley and Ben will not be able to compete on the NYRA circuit as a 10-year-old, De Paz said the Greeley’s Conquest gelding will continue to race in 2024.

“He's in good form right now and we'll continue to run him,” De Paz said.

Greeley and Ben, who will exit post 3 in rein to Dylan Davis, has banked $981,138 through a 42-25-7-2 record.

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Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet Week 1 stakes probables

Saturday, January 6 – to be drawn Monday, January 1

$150 Jerome – Offering 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points

Probable: Drum Roll Please (Brad Cox), El Grande O (Linda Rice), Guanare (Rick Dutrow, Jr.), Regalo (Brittany Russell)

Possible: Air Cav (Cox), Bergen (Cox), Dune Road (Carlos Martin), Khanate (Todd Pletcher), Speed Runner (Pletcher)

$150K Ladies

Probable: Comparative (Cox), Know It All Audrey (Oscar Barrera, III), She’s Mo Bubbly (Pletcher)

Possible: Ain’t Broke (Rice), Evidencias (Christophe Clement), Rayya Valentine (Chad Summers), Sweet Willemina (Scott Lake)