Bishops Bay nets career-best 107 BSF for G2 Cigar Mile H. victory
Aqueduct Racetrack Notes
- Bishops Bay nets career-best 107 BSF for G2 Cigar Mile H. victory
- Zany earns 89BSF for G2 Demoiselle
- Brown hopes Paladin another star in the making after G2 Remsen victory
- Just Beat the Odds makes the grade in G3 Elite Power
- Sunday Boy celebrated a day early with $500K NYSSS Great White Way score
- Braverthanubelieve improves to 2-for-2 in $500K NYSSS Fifth Avenue
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – KAS Stable’s Bishops Bay was awarded a lifetime-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure for his gritty neck victory over the pacesetting Mika in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the 5-year-old Uncle Mo bay stalked in second behind Mika through splits of 23.10 seconds, 45.72 and 1:09.63 and was still four lengths behind at the stretch call. Flavien Prat, who is a perfect 6-for-6 aboard Bishops Bay, roused his charge into the stretch and the determined multiple graded stakes-winner responded to gain with each stride, using every inch of the Big A’s stretch to reel in the Mike Maker-trained Mika and secure the win in a final time of 1:34.62.
Dustin Dugas, Cox’s Belmont Park-based assistant, said the pairing of Prat with Bishops Bay has been a key to the horse’s success this year.
“He seems like he knows where the wire is, and so does Flavien,” Dugas said. “He times things perfectly. He’s a great rider and fits him perfectly.”
Dugas added that Bishops Bay’s win was satisfying for the entire team.
“Everybody loves him, and the whole team has been lucky to share in wins with him at other tracks. He always makes us sweat it out,” Dugas said, with a laugh. “He came back good as can be, jogged up good and no worse for wear.”
Close margins are the usual for Bishops Bay, who has had four of his five stakes wins come by margins of less than one length. In March, he was a neck winner of the restricted American Pharoah at Oaklawn Park ahead of a half-length score in the Grade 3 Westchester in May at the Big A. He romped to a five-length win in Monmouth Park’s Grade 3 Salvator Mile in June before finding the winner’s circle again two starts later for a local three-quarter-length victory in the Grade 3 Forty Niner on November 2 ahead of the Cigar Mile.
With a 13-9-3-0 record and $977,800 in total purse earnings, Bishops Bay now sets his sights on the Group 1, $20 million Saudi Cup on February 14 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia, the home base of his owner who bought him for $1.3 million at this year’s Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale.
Bred by WinStar Farm, Bishops Bay is out of the dual graded stakes-placed Pioneerof the Nile mare Catch my Drift and is a half-brother to the Cox-trained Grade 2-winning millionaire Catching Freedom.
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Zany earns 89BSF for G2 Demoiselle
Repole Stable’s Zany drew off by 8 1/2 lengths when providing Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher with a record-extending 10th victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle, a nine-furlong route for juvenile fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Demoiselle awarded the top-five finishers with a respective 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on the first Friday in May at Churchill Downs.
Zany traveled in second position early within a half-length of the lead through the half-mile in 48.16 seconds and three-quarters in 1:12.46. From there, Zany went clear with ease and widened her lead, ears pricked as she completed the course in 1:50.55.
The performance earned a career-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure in just Zany’s second start, improving upon a 76 for a dominant 6 1/2-length debut graduation sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on November 2 at Gulfstream Park.
“That was excellent. She looked very good this morning,” Pletcher said. “She seemed to take it all in stride. I thought that was very impressive, to go from 6 1/2 furlongs to a mile and an eighth to win convincingly. That was the kind of performance we were hoping for.”
Pletcher said the American Pharoah chestnut will ship back to Palm Beach Downs.
“We’ll get her home. Nothing in mind yet,” Pletcher said regarding a next start. “Obviously not looking to run her back real soon.”
Michael Tabor’s Life and Times, a 4-year-old Justify gelding, also stole the show when improving to 2-for-2 with a 6 3/4-length allowance romp going a one-turn mile in Race 7. The bay graduated in his debut over course and distance on November 1 here, earning a 104 Beyer first-out and backing it up with a 100 on Saturday.
“You always worry when you are going from a one-start maiden win to an allowance race with conditions, most horses in the race have run 10, 12, 14 times,” Pletcher said. “You are giving up experience. That was a big step from the maiden race to that, but I thought he handled it extremely well.
“We’ll take him down to Florida,” Pletcher continued. “There’s nothing here for him [in New York], the Stymie is going to be at the end of February, so we’ll probably get down there, see how he trains and see how ambitious we want to be. We’ve got some options.”
Pletcher updated on Renegade, who was a two-length second to Paladin in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen. The race awarded 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top-five finishers towards the Kentucky Derby in May, and fellow Pletcher-trainees Courting and Grittiness were fourth and fifth.
“I thought Renegade ran really well,” Pletcher said. “A lot of the horses on the outside got pretty crowded into the first turn. He got hung pretty wide on both turns. I thought he ran a big race. Happy with the way he came out of it. Same thing: we’ll bring him down south and come up with a plan.”
Renegade, an Into Mischief bay owned by Robert Low, Lawana Low and Repole Stable, has a budding rivalry with Paladin. The pair faced off prior to the Remsen in a one-turn mile maiden on October 17 here - Renegade crossed the wire first but bumped with Paladin late and was placed second following a stewards’ inquiry.
Whisper Hill Farm, breeder Stonestreet Stables and Windancer Farm’s Courting, a $5 million purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, closed from ninth for a seven-length fourth in the Remsen. The Curlin chestnut is a full-brother to multiple Grade 1-winner Clairiere out of the multiple Grade 1-winning Bernardini mare Cavorting.
“He probably took the worst of it into the first turn,” Pletcher said. “I thought he put in a couple good runs throughout the race. I think maybe it was a better effort than it looks on paper.”
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Brown hopes Paladin another star in the making after G2 Remsen victory
Over the past decade, several of five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown’s Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen contenders have gone to successful careers at racing’s highest levels, including 2024 Champion 3-Year-Old Colt Sierra Leone [second in 2023] and subsequent Grade 1-winner Zandon [second in 2021].
Now, the veteran conditioner hopes Paladin can follow in their footsteps and continue his upward trajectory after a handy two-length win in the nine-furlong route for juveniles on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack. In victory, the son of Gun Runner was awarded the maximum allotment of the 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Derby awarded to the top-five finishers.
Ridden to victory by Flavien Prat, Paladin emerged from post 2-of-11 and stalked in third along the inside as Day One Starter marked splits of 23.32 seconds, 47.47 and 1:12.53 over the fast footing. Renegade, who was disqualified from a victory over Paladin on October 17 here, made an early four-wide move after tracking in seventh early under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and passed a group of rivals that included Paladin, but the Brown trainee showed maturity to wait for his cue from Prat.
Approaching the stretch, Prat angled Paladin seven-wide to make a clear run for the lead while keeping well away from Renegade in hopes of preventing another bumpy stretch run, and was successful as the two familiar foes eventually pulled away from the rest of their rivals with Paladin showing superior momentum and driving to victory in a final time of 1:50.97. He earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure for the win.
Brown said he was pleased to see Paladin deliver the strong effort despite losing a shoe during the race.
“He looks good – he lost his right front shoe in the race, so we’ll give him a few days and get him down to Payson Park next week,” Brown said. “Overall, he looks like he’s in good shape. It’s nice to see that he got a lot of experience that will help him down the road. This horse is for real. He’s a serious horse, and to get his career started with two wins off the bat – we couldn’t ask for more.”
Paladin not only shares the same sire as Sierra Leone, but common ownership as he races for the Coolmore partners of Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, along with Peter Brant and Brook Smith, who were also partnered on Sierra Leone. Summer Wind Equine, who bred the colt in Kentucky, remained a partner on Paladin.
While it may still be too early to compare talents, Brown said developmentally, Paladin may even be ahead of where Sierra Leone and Zandon were at this point in their juvenile campaigns.
“He’s running faster figures than any of them in the past,” Brown said. “He’s a little ahead of where they were to be honest. He’s got good forward, positional speed, all things that are very good things to work with going forward.”
Brown noted his gratefulness to the colt’s owners for continuing to send him quality horses, especially after the recent retirement of stable star Sierra Leone.
“It’s rewarding because you send a great horse home, and you hope to have a replacement right away,” Brown said. “They’ve supported me with plenty of expensive prospects in recent years, so to be able to keep it going and have a new, fresh horse on the Derby trail and a potential exciting stallion prospect – which is the broader plan here – is [exciting]. I feel I am doing my part in keeping something in the pipeline for the whole big picture here.”
Paladin is out of the unraced Tapit mare Secret Sigh, a half-sister to stakes-winner Kareena. His second dam India was a dual graded stakes-winner and is a half-sister to stakes-winner Pilfer, dam of Grade 1-winner Angela Renee and multiple graded stakes-winner To Honor and Serve, winner of the 2010 Remsen.
Another exciting juvenile prospect for Brown is Hit The Bid Racing Stable’s Schoolyardsuperman, who graduated at third asking in Race 2, a one-mile maiden tilt, on Saturday’s card at the Big A.
Ridden to victory by Manny Franco, the son of Practical Joke pressed the pace early before lengthening his margin at every point of call and drawing off to a 5 3/4-length score in a final time of 1:36.68. He was awarded an 86 Beyer for the victory.
Brown said he was pleased to see the colt bounce back from an unfortunate debut in September here, where he clipped heels after a half-mile and fell. He returned on October 26 to finish a game second ahead of his win Saturday.
“He ran great and we always thought a lot of that horse,” Brown said. “He had that accident the first time out and it hampered his development – I felt he would have won comfortably first time out, and it’s taken him a couple starts to get over that. Now, he looked like his old self yesterday. That’s how he trained all summer.”
Brown added he will take some time in deciding the colt’s next target.
“He came out of it fine and we’ll see how he trains and go from there,” Brown said. “I don’t know if he’ll try a stake or try an allowance going two turns. I’m not sure.”
On Thursday at the Big A, Brown will send out the Grade 3-placed Maggie Go for her return from a four-month respite in Race 1, a one-turn mile optional claimer in what will be her first start on dirt.
Owned by Michael Dubb, Andrew Rosen, John Stuart and Michael Caruso, Maggie Go was last seen finishing a distant sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Ballston Spa on August 8 at Saratoga Race Course. That effort came on the heels of a two-length second to stablemate Whiskey Decision in the Grade 3 Eatontown in June at Monmouth Park, where she made her barn debut after winning a Group 2 and placing in a pair of Group 1s in her native Argentina with trainer Nicolas Martin Ferro.
“I flirted with putting her on the dirt earlier this year because she trains so good on it, but looking at her form in South America, she was running well on the turf,” Brown said. “She ran OK on it [here], but her dirt works were always impressive, so I’m excited to see her on it.”
Prat will ride the 4-year-old daughter of Winning Prize from post 3 in the five-horse field.
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Just Beat the Odds makes the grade in G3 Elite Power
Donna Wright’s Just Beat the Odds broke through at graded level with an elite effort in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Elite Power, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Gregg Sacco, the 5-year-old Munnings dark bay was gelded ahead of his current campaign, beginning in March here off a nearly one-year layoff to score by six lengths in a key local optional-claiming sprint that registered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure. There, he covered 6 1/2-furlongs in 1:16.65 in powerful fashion with the second [Twenty Four Mamba], third [Reasoned Analysis] and sixth-place finishers [He’smyhoneybadger] all coming back to win next out.
Just Beat the Odds landed a neck second in April here over sloppy and sealed footing when bested by graded stakes-winner Surveillance, who led gate-to-wire in the six-furlong optional-claimer.
On Saturday, racing from a nearly eight-month layoff, Just Beat the Odds went to post as the mutuel favorite in the Elite Power and was hustled to the front by jockey Manny Franco. Just Beat the Odds set splits of 22.46 seconds and 45.64 over the fast main track, putting away the pressing Acoustic Ave and edging clear to a 2 3/4-length score in a final time of 1:09.99.
“Our plan was to go to the lead. I thought the race lacked a little pace on paper, but once the gates open, tactics can change,” Sacco said. “We didn't expect an easy lead but he got it and then Acoustic Ave pressed on him and put a head in front, so we were happy that he regained the lead after being headed and took off. Doing that off an eight-month layoff was pretty impressive.
“He worked well going into the race but it was still a long layoff against quality horses that were dead fit,” Sacco added. “So, there's always some reservations in the back of your mind if you have them tight enough - but obviously, he was.”
Sacco said Just Beat the Odds is an improved horse since being gelded.
“He used to be late switching his leads but he's right on cue now and it's made a big difference. He's always had the talent, but everything is coming together now,” Sacco said.
Sacco indicated that Just Beat the Odds is likely to come under consideration for a pair of upcoming local sprint stakes, including the seven-furlong Listed Toboggan in January and the six-furlong Grade 3 Tom Fool in February.
“He came out of yesterday’s race super. He walked good this morning and ate up. He loves Aqueduct, so those two races will definitely be on the table for him,” Sacco said.
Bred in Kentucky by Red Oak Stable, Just Beat the Odds is out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Bella d’Oro, a half-sister to dual Grade 3-winner Belleski.
The Elite Power, previously offered as the Runhappy during the Belmont at the Big A spring meet, is named for the 2022-23 Champion Male Sprinter Elite Power, who won nine of his final 10 starts for Hall of Fame-trainer Bill Mott, including back-to-back editions of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint from 2022-23.
Donna Wright and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Crazy Mason has hit the board in 13-of-18 career starts [18-5-3-5, $584,470] and was again in the money in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap for 3-year-olds and up.
The 4-year-old Coal Front colt utilized his customary closing tactics to rally from fifth-of-6 and 12 lengths off the pace to land a 4 1/2-length third behind Bishops Bay, who put a neck in front of the pacesetting Mika. Crazy Mason, who entered from a rallying second in the local Grade 3 Vosburgh in September, earned a career-best 99 Beyer for his Cigar Mile effort.
Sacco said he had hoped for a more pressured pace, but when the Gustavo Rodriguez-trained Phileas Fogg took back, the anticipated complexion of the race changed.
“It was tough to make up ground on yesterday's track. I thought the Rodriguez horse would show more speed and that it would be a little hotter pace,” Sacco said. “That said, he ran his race and got a career-top 99 Beyer yesterday after a long campaign. He was rolling in the lane and made up a lot of ground but just couldn't catch the top two - and that's taking nothing away from Bishops Bay and Mika.”
Crazy Mason, who made the grade in the Grade 2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets here in April, is likely to return for a title defense of that event.
“We'll discuss it with the Reeves and the Wrights this evening. He's had a long campaign and run some dynamite races for us, and we look forward to next year with him so he may get a 45-60 day break in Ocala to freshen him up and come up with a plan that could include the Carter,” Sacco said.
Crazy Mason has put together an 8-3-1-3 record this season, including a rallying 1 3/4-length third to the victorious Book’em Danno in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga Race Course earlier this summer. He was a four-length third in the Spa’s 6 1/2-furlong True North in June and a 5 3/4-length sixth in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby going six furlongs in July at Del Mar.
“He's answered the call for us every race, but we want to get him in the winner's circle and put together a string of wins with him,” Sacco said. “We think he's capable of it and hopefully he can do it at five.
“He's run well at Saratoga,” Sacco added. “That race [the Forego] would probably be something circled for us next as well as the Met Mile which we actually skipped this year to go in the True North.”
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Sunday Boy celebrated a day early with $500K NYSSS Great White Way score
DiRico Racing and Breeding’s Sunday Boy closed wide from 10th-of-14 and 7 3/4-lengths off the pace to land Saturday’s $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juveniles, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Jim Ryerson, the Central Banker bay had hit the board twice in five prior starts before cutting back from a runner-up effort traveling a one-turn mile here in November to graduate in style under regular pilot Chris Elliott. Sent to post at odds of 12-1, the 2 3/4-length score over Combat Mission earned a career-best 65 Beyer Speed Figure.
Ryerson said Sunday Boy benefited from staying off the swift pace of 22.50 seconds and 45.71 half-mile set by odds-on favorite Parker Boone, who finished fourth.
“He got the pace set up. I lost him in the turn, but it all worked out,” Ryerson said. “I think Chris was looking to not get in trouble with him and he elected to go out. He made a real strong run from the five-sixteenths pole - that was impressive. It was a great day for us.
“Sunday Boy came out of it great,” Ryerson added. “I don't know any future plans yet. We'll talk to the owners and see.”
Ryerson noted that Sunday Boy got a lot out of his runner-up effort to the Rudy Rodriguez-trained Talk to Me Jimmy in November here.
“I thought he ran pretty well against Rudy's horse the time before - that was a good race and I think that was a big help to us yesterday coming off of that race,” Ryerson said.
Sunday Boy is a full-brother to dual surface stakes-winner Sunday Girl, who is entered in the Garland of Roses here later this afternoon for trainer David Duggan. Ryerson said the talented sibling’s success led him to trying Sunday Boy on turf this fall, his best result coming with a three-quarter length fourth when sprinting six furlongs in September ahead of an off-the-board effort around two turns in October in an event won by future stakes-winner Jaxer.
Ryerson said he will consider options on both surfaces for Sunday Boy next year.
“I think things are still open for him,” Ryerson said. “I think they can change a little from 2-to-3-year-olds and, to me, he can run on both surfaces which will be interesting down the road because there's some stallion races as a 3-year-old. I think he can go a little further on the turf than the dirt, but we're just happy he was able to get done what he got done yesterday.”
Ryerson has enjoyed a strong campaign with his New York-bred 2-year-old turf fillies for DiRico Racing and Breeding, including a stakes win for Sweet Montreal in the Joseph A. Gimma in September here and a head second in the Key Cents from Cosmic Candy Girl. The connections also have the well-regarded maiden Saint Margaret looking to break through.
Ryerson also trains Anthony Perri’s Funny Factor, a 2-year-old New York-bred son of The Factor, who landed a one-length third last out in the Notebook over one-mile of firm turf on November 14 here.
“I had some goals with those horses. I thought they fit the New York-bred program, and this horse [Sunday Boy] has really come around and saved his best for last,” Ryerson said. “The two fillies and Funny Factor for Tony Perri did really well - very strong on turf for them - but this guy came around on the dirt, which was good.”
Ryerson indicated that Sweet Montreal and Cosmic Candy Girl are turned out at Travis Durr Training Center in South Carolina where they will be legged up for a 3-year-old campaign, while Saint Margaret is currently turned out in Kentucky and will come back to his stable in the New Year for her sophomore season. Funny Factor is turned out at Hunters Run in New Jersey and will also return to New York for his sophomore campaign.
Ryerson noted his appreciation for Saturday’s lucrative NYSSS Great White Way that saw Sunday Boy take home the $275,000 winner’s share of the $500,000 purse.
“First of all, the program overall and the dates we get to run, and the surfaces we get to run on for a lot of the year gives you a lot of alternatives. This kind of money to run in this race, it’s a lot of money. There isn’t a state that has a great racing program and doesn’t have a great breeding program. You have to do both and do whatever you can to encourage the in-state program, and races like this do that,” Ryerson said.
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Braverthanubelieve improves to 2-for-2 in $500K NYSSS Fifth Avenue
Tristar Farm’s Braverthanubelieve wheeled back quickly to capture Saturday’s $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired 2-year-old fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by John Ortiz, the Honest Mischief dark bay graduated in a six-furlong sprint for New York-bred fillies in her November 22 debut here. Braverthanubelieve closed stoutly under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario on Saturday to win by 1 1/4 lengths over the favored Hot Currency in a final time of 1:23.92.
“She came out of the race in great shape,” Ortiz said. “She cleaned up everything, was laying down, and after her bath she had a good walk. We jogged her on the road, and she was sound, so we are happy to continue with her.”
Ortiz said he was confident for the step up in class, but still in awe at the performance.
“We went to dinner last night, probably watched the replay 10 times, over and over again,” said Ortiz. “We thought that was a phenomenal performance. I think she is obviously talented, showed a lot of skill, and how powerful and strong she is by wheeling back in two weeks as a 2-year-old. We are going to give her a nice little break, send her to the farm for maybe two, three weeks, she deserves a Christmas vacation. Then we’ll bring her right back after Christmas to aim for the next spot.”
Ortiz is keeping a string of horses in New York as he develops a presence with his brother and assistant Daniel overseeing the group. This move has already been rewarding, with Braverthanubelieve as well as Doc Sullivan capturing the NYSSS Thunder Rumble on November 22 at the Big A.
“We are New Yorkers, so I hope it works well for us. It feels like we are home, my brother was born in Elmont, I’ve been here since I was 5-years-old,” Ortiz said. “It feels like we fit and belong here.”
Tristar Farm’s Doc Sullivan breezed a solo half-mile in 51.45 seconds on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track. The 4-year-old Solomini dark bay was scratched from Saturday’s Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap as he targets the $125,000 Alex M. Robb, a one-turn mile for New York-breds 3-years-old and up, on December 26 here.
“We gave him a nice easy maintenance work. He was ready to run yesterday, but we wanted to go with the New York series. We are focused on [common opponent] Bank Frenzy right now, making sure we finish the year with a win,” Ortiz said.