Ashley T. Cole Photo

City Man targets G2 Fort Marcy

by NYRA Press Office

• City Man targets G2 Fort Marcy
• Chad Brown goes two deep in pursuit of second Woodhaven score
• Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet Week 5 stakes probables

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles and Patty Searles’ popular New York-bred City Man is scheduled to make his next start on May 6 in the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy at nine furlongs over the Belmont Park turf.

The 6-year-old son of Mucho Macho Man, bred in the Empire State by Moonstar Farm, enjoyed a highly prosperous 2022 campaign, securing five stakes victories. Three starts after capturing the open company Danger’s Hour last April in his 5-year-old debut, he secured his first graded stakes triumph in the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple at Saratoga Race Course, earning a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure. He ended last season on a high note, racking up three consecutive stakes scores in the state-bred Ashley T. Cole and Mohawk at Belmont at the Big A before taking the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale on New Year’s Eve at Gulfstream Park.

City Man finished off-the-board in his seasonal debut last out on January 28 in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream. He had his second work back Friday, breezing a half-mile in 51.66 seconds over a fast Big Sandy for trainer Christophe Clement.

“That’s the plan,” Clement said when asked about the Fort Marcy. “He worked with Trevor McCarthy this morning. He won five stakes last year, he’s a very fine horse and he loves New York. He’s doing great and he’s happy. He seems to still show a lot in the morning, so we’ll find out in the afternoon.”

City Man, who finished a respective second and fourth in the last two editions of the Fort Marcy, was defeated five lengths by the victorious Atone in the Pegasus World Cup Turf. Clement says he plans to, “turn the page and move on” from the troubled effort, where City Man was toward the rear of the field and wide the whole journey.

Clement is hopeful that City Man can provide more success for owners Dean and Patti Reeves, who scored five stakes triumphs at last year’s Saratoga meet. This year, Clement has already won three stakes with Reeves-owned horses, including Big Everest in the Danger’s Hour at Aqueduct Racetrack as well as with Big Invasion in the Silks Run and Breath Away in the Sanibel Island – both at Gulfstream. 

“They’re very good owners and they’ve been very lucky. They put themselves in the position to be successful,” Clement said.

City Man, out of the City Zip mare City Scamper, is closing in on millionaire status, boasting $987,120 in earnings from a record of 27-9-5-3. He was bought for $185,000 out of the Off The Hook consignment at the 2019 OBS April Sale.

Michael Dubb and Louis Lazzinnaro’s Inflation Nation will make his sophomore debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Woodhaven, a one-mile test for sophomores over the Big A inner turf.

The Speightstown chestnut enters off a pair of stakes efforts over the Big A outer turf, including a third-place finish in the November 5 Atlantic Beach which followed a close fourth in the Grade 3 Futurity on October 9.

Clement said there is a question mark on the distance as he has never raced beyond six furlongs.

“He’s doing well. He was supposed to run six furlongs, but the race did not fill,” Clement said. “It’s a fun race to try and stay at the mile. I’m not sure if he does stay the mile, but it’s a good race to try it out.”

Inflation Nation is out of the Galileo mare Urban Ball, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner and producer Perfect Soul.

Inflation Nation, breaking from post 5 as the 2-1 second choice, will be piloted by Dylan Davis.

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Chad Brown goes two deep in pursuit of second Woodhaven score

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will have two chances to secure his second consecutive score in the $100,000 Woodhaven, a one-mile turf test for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Brown, who won last year’s edition with Unanimous Consent, will saddle Klaravich Stables’ stakes-winning New York-bred Neural Network for his turf debut and Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Michael Kisber and William Rucker’s Belouni for his second American start off a seventh-place finish in the March 4 Colonel Liam at Gulfstream Park.

“They’ve both been doing fine, so we’ll see how they do,” said Brown.

Neural Network was last seen claiming victory in the one-mile state-bred Gander on February 25 over the Big A main track after Maker’s Candy crossed the wire first but was disqualified and placed second due to interference in the stretch. The son of the Grade 1 Preakness-winning Brown alumnus Cloud Computing graduated impressively on debut in a seven-furlong state-bred maiden in November before finishing a closing fourth in the Jerome on January 7 going the Woodhaven distance over a good main track.

The dark bay colt, bred by Milfer Farm, worked a half-mile in 49.74 seconds over the Belmont Park dirt training track on Saturday.

“We’ll try the turf because he’s always given us the impression that he’ll like it,” said Brown. “He was here all winter and we were just waiting for the turf to open. He did fine on dirt and won that stake last out, but we’ll see if he can move up a notch on the turf. We were just waiting for the right time to try it.”

Belouni, a French-bred son of Fast Company, made his American debut and first start for Brown last out in the one-mile Colonel Liam. There, he was squeezed at the start and trailed in last-of-8 throughout before swinging eight-wide in the final turn and running evenly down the lane to finish seventh. The bay colt was stakes-placed in his native France for previous conditioner Christophe Escuder, finishing a game second in Criterium de Lyon in September at Lyon-Parilly.

“He came up and has been training fine here,” said Brown. “I don’t think he cared for the turf down there [at Gulfstream], so we’ll see how he does on this course. I like the horse, so I’m hoping he can turn it around.”

Belouni worked a half-mile in 48.20 on Saturday over the turf at Payson Park Training Center.

Manny Franco has been tasked with the ride aboard Neural Network [5-2] from the outermost post 6 while Jose Ortiz will pilot Belouni [9-5] from post 4.

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Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet Week 5 stakes probables

Saturday, April 29

$100K Memories of Silver

Probable: Bulsara (Michael Trombetta), Hang the Moon (Michael Stidham), Juniper’s Moon (Anthony Dutrow), Lady Beth (Chad Brown), Queen Picasso (Christophe Clement), Royalty Interest (Brown)

Possible: Thirty Thou Kelvin (John Terranova), Unified Alliance (John Servis), Violet Gibson (Saffie Joseph, Jr.)

Sunday, April 30

$100K Affirmed Success (NYB)

Probable: Amundson (Rob Atras), Listentoyourheart (Ray Handal), Lobsta (Gary Sciacca), Scocciatore (Rudy Rodriguez), Sheriff Bianco (Linda Rice)

Possible: My Boy Tate (Michelle Nevin)