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Pay the Juice steps up for $125K Bertram F. Bongard

by Mary Eddy

August Dawn Farm’s Pay the Juice will make his first effort in stakes company in Sunday’s $125,000 Bertram F. Bongard, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred juveniles, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the Omaha Beach dark bay enters from a 2 1/4-length victory in an off-the-turf state-bred maiden on August 16 at Saratoga Race Course. There, he pressed the pace early in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint before driving clear in the turn and widening his margin in the lane under Flavien Prat. The effort was awarded a 64 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pay the Juice debuted with a close third when sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf at Saratoga, finishing a half-length back of the victorious Out On Bail, who exited that effort to win the Skidmore at Saratoga and finish second in the Rosie’s at Colonial Downs.

McGaughey said the talented colt’s future may still lie on turf despite graduating on dirt.

"I think in the long run that he is probably going to be better on the turf,” McGaughey said. “But there aren't any turf races here for him, so we will run him in there. I think he can be very effective on the dirt, too."

McGaughey said the added distance in the Bongard “shouldn’t be an issue,” and that he was pleased with Pay the Juice’s most recent breeze when covering three furlongs in 36.42 seconds over Belmont Park’s dirt training track Sunday.

"He had a really good work,” said McGaughey. “I'm looking forward to running him."

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, Pay the Juice initially sold for $230,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and was later purchased by his owner for $200,000 at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. He is out of the stakes-winning Malibu Moon mare Out of Orbit.

Prat returns to the irons from post 3.

Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher, Angelo Carlesimo and JP Racing Stable’s Smilensaycheese [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] seeks to have his picture taken again after finishing seventh last out in the state-bred Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital won by Mo Plex on August 25 at the Spa.

Trained by Mike Maker, the son of Solomini was an impressive 4 1/2-length winner on debut with a frontrunning trip in a six-furlong state-bred maiden on August 3 at Saratoga, where he earned a field-best 73 Beyer. He contested the same distance in the Funny Cide, but broke out at the start to bump with rivals and never made up ground when eight-wide in the latter stages.

The $50,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase was bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds and Greenleaf Farm, and is out of the eight-time winning Include mare Picture Day.

Werner J. Stable, Dream Walkin Farms and Baccari Racing Stable’s McDiesel [post 7, Ruben Silvera] also looks to rebound from an off-the-board finish in the Funny Cide, where he finished fifth after a troubled trip that saw him hit the gate and race wide in the turn to finish 6 1/4 lengths behind Mo Plex.

Trained by Rudy Rodgriguez, the son of Twirling Candy dead-heated for second on debut in July on the Big A turf and exited to graduate by a neck in an off-the-turf state-bred maiden going one mile from the Wilson Chute at the Spa.

McDiesel was bred by EKQ Stables Corp. and was a $55,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Eastern Fall Yearling Sale. He is out of the Bernardini mare Delay of Game, a half-sister to the dam of multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Stanford.

MyRacehorse and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Manhattan Twist [post 4, Jose Ortiz] was a pacesetting winner on debut sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs against fellow state-breds on August 15 at the Spa.

Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, the son of Liam’s Map showed the way through splits of 22.47 seconds, 46.40 and 1:11.52 over the fast footing before keeping on comfortably in the lane to cross the wire 1 3/4 lengths in front in a final time of 1:18.21. He earned a 70 Beyer for the win.

Bred by Chesapeake Farm and W. S. Farish, Manhattan Twist was purchased for $150,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale and is out of the dual stakes-placed Lemon Drop Kid mare Bitter Lemon – a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Blind Date.

Like Manhattan Twist, Lady Sheila Stable, Jon Hansen and Schwing Thoroughbreds’ Sacrosanct [post 1, Manny Franco] enters from an impressive debut victory at Saratoga, capturing a six-furlong state-bred sprint on August 21 by 3 1/4 lengths after a stalking trip engineered by returning pilot Manny Franco.

Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the Honest Mischief bay earned a 64 Beyer for the win and looks to find success in the stakes ranks as his half-sister Navit did in Puerto Rico when capturing the Grade 3 Clasico Accion de Gracias in 2021 at Camarero.

Bred by Burleson Farms, Mckenzie Bloodstock and Sequel Thoroughbreds, Sacrosanct was a $260,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Completing the field are Eddie F’s Racing’s Buttah [post 6, Lane Luzzi], who graduated by 5 1/2 lengths last out on September 2 at the Spa for trainer Gary Sciacca; and horseOlogy Racing, Fred Rosen, Rome Boys Stable and Attara Glen Farm’s maiden Oath of Omerta [post 2, Dylan Davis], who finished third on debut for conditioner Jena Antonucci in the race won by Buttah.

The Bertram F. Bongard is slated as Race 3 on Sunday’s nine-race card, which co-features the $125,000 Joseph A. Gimma in Race 1. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

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