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Belmont Park hosts the best of Empire State on Saturday

by NYRA Press Office

More than 100 New York-breds are assembled for a special 11-race card on Saturday at Belmont Park to celebrate the best of New York for the annual Empire Showcase Day.

In addition to eight stakes races worth $1.75 million, anchored by the $300,000 Empire Classic Handicap, Empire Showcase Day will be broadcast on the critically acclaimed Belmont Park Live, airing on MSG and MSG+ from 4-6 p.m. with live coverage and analysis of the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow, $250,000 Empire Distaff and the Empire Classic.

Empire Showcase Day will also mark the return of Taste NY to Belmont, an annual event that connects racing fans with the very best in New York-produced foods, spirits, and crafts. Craft vendors from the Tri-State Area will also be exhibiting. A fun-filled array of family activities including a pumpkin patch, decorating station and a Halloween themed haunted house will be on hand for families to enjoy from 12-4 p.m. Gates will open at 11 a.m., with the first race scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

The consistent Control Group, trained by Rudy Rodriguez for owners Michael Dubb and David Simon, will look to go one better in this year’s edition of the Empire Classic after completing the exacta behind the returning Twisted Tom, who will attempt to become the first back-to-back winner of the 1 1/8-mile race since Spite the Devil in 2004-05.

The 4-year-old Control Group, a bay son of Posse bred by Colts Neck Stable and Alan Goldberg, has hit the board in 16 of his 20 lifetime starts, including nine wins. He exited last year’s runner-up effort in the Empire Classic to win three consecutive stakes events over 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct, including the Grade 3 Discovery and the restricted Alex M. Robb and Mr. Sinatra. The win-friendly fellow has won two of his last three starts and was freshened following a pace-setting third in the restricted Evan Shipman on August 20 at Saratoga.

"He had a nice, solid breeze” Rodriguez said. “He's coming into the race good. The distance is good for him. We love to run him two turns as he’s more comfortable with that trip."

Irad Ortiz Jr., who has piloted Control Group to three previous wins, will have the call on the profitable colt who has banked $485,910 in purse earnings.

"He's comfortable there. Last year he was second or third the whole way around in the Classic,” said Rodriguez. “I'll let Irad ride the horse. He knows the horse well. Whatever the jockey decides to do is fine with me. Once they break from the gate, everything changes.”

Although Control Group has demonstrated remarkable consistency through three seasons of racing, Rodriguez said the colt could find another level.

“He's not matured the way I expected. I'd like him to be a little thicker, but he looks good,” said Rodriguez. “Hopefully he keeps growing and we can put a little more weight and muscle onto him.”

Twisted Tom, a 4-year-old gelding, won six of seven starts last season for Belmont Fall Championship meet-leading trainer Chad Brown including five stakes scores that saw the Creative Cause chestnut cross the wire first in the Private Terms, Federico Tesio, New York Derby and Albany ahead of his season-closing Empire Classic coup. The 4-year-old gelding is winless in two starts this season after finishing fourth in the Saginaw and fifth in the Evan Shipman.

The Empire Classic, slated as Race 10 on the 11-race program, features a talented 11-horse field that also includes recent stakes winners Can You Diggit, who captured the Evan Shipman; Pat On the Back who was runner-up in both the Affirmed Success and Commentator before taking down the Saginaw; Hit It Once More, victorious in the Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes at Finger Lakes; and Sea Foam who took the spoils in the New York Derby and Albany.

Blugrascat’s Smile, Calculated Risker, Evaluator, Mr. Buff and Wine Not complete the field.

"It's a big day not only for me, but for all the trainers in New York,” concluded Rodriguez. “We look forward to this day, it's a showcase day for all the owners and breeders in New York and it's definitely a very good day for NYRA."

In Race 2, a hard-knocking group of fillies led by the Linda Rice-trained Holiday Disguise will take aim at the $150,000 Iroquois, a 6 ½-furlong main track sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Holiday Disguise, a 4-year-old daughter of Harlan’s Holiday owned by Lady Sheila Stable, has won three of seven starts this campaign, including added-money wins in the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct and the Critical Eye at Belmont for trainer Linda Rice. Bred in New York by Dr. William B. Wilmot and Dr. Joan, M. Taylor, Holiday Disguise arrived at the Maid of the Mist off a deceptively good effort in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap when a wide-rallying fifth, defeated just three lengths.

Picco Uno, winner of the Union Avenue’s 2017 edition and this year’s Dancin Renee at Belmont, will also compete for trainer Jason Servis.

Highway Star, who returned off a break of more than three months with a sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap on September 23 at Belmont, will look for a return trip to the winner’s circle for trainer Rodrigo Ubillo.

Filibustin, Palladian Bridge, Pauseforthecause, Royal Inheritance, I Still Miss You, Frosty Margarita and Satisfy complete the field.

Offering Plan has hit the board in all five starts this campaign for Brown and will look to avenge his runner-up effort from last year when he returns in Saturday’s $200,000 Mohawk at 1 1/16 miles on Belmont’s inner turf, set for Race 3.

Last year, the Spring at Last dark bay went off as the prohibitive favorite in the Mohawk but could not reel in the front-running Black Tide. Offering Plan arrives at this year’s edition of the Mohawk from a rallying second in the Ashley T. Cole, which familiar foe Black Tide heisted.

Rounding out the full field of 9 entrants is Mo Diddley, Rapt, Hoboe, Kharafa, Mo Maverick, Red Knight, Black Tide and Tapitation. Singapore Trader and Papa Shot are listed as main track only entrants.

My Boy Tate and the streaking The Caretaker will square off in Race 4, a contentious field of nine in the $150,000 Hudson, a 6 ½-furlong sprint over the Belmont Park main.

Multiple stakes winner My Boy Tate, trained and part-owned by Michelle Nevin with Little Red Feather Racing, has won half of his 10 career starts, all part of a scintillating five-race win streak spanning from August 13, 2017 to February 19 that concluded with added-money wins in the Say Florida Sandy and Hollie Hughes at Aqueduct.

The Caretaker, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for owners Chester and Mary Broman, Sr., arrives at the Hudson off three consecutive wins, starting July 12 in a starter allowance at Belmont and includes an abbreviated 5 1/2-furlong off-the-turf sprint and a seven-panel score on Saratoga’s main track.

Multiple stakes winner Celtic Chaos, trained by Brad Cox for Zilla Racing Stables, and recent Affirmed Success winner Eye Luv Lulu, conditioned by Jason Servis for Michael Dubb, along with Charlton Baker’s multiple stakes winner Gold for the King add depth to a talented field.

Candid Desire, Long Haul Bay, Runaway Lute and Syndergaard complete the field.

Peter Brant’s Fifty Five will look to defend her title against a field of seven other competitors in Race 5, the $200,000 Ticonderoga, contested over 1 1/16 on Belmont Park’s inner turf in Race 5. The 4-year-old Get Stormy filly rallied last to first to win the 2017 Ticonderoga under Javier Castellano for Brown.

The ultra-consistent filly has posted in-the-money finishes in 14-of-15 career starts, with six wins, including a last-out two-length victory in the John Hettinger.

The lightly-raced 5-year-old La Moneda, trained by Tom Morley for Patricia L. Moseley, has won six of nine starts and arrives at the Ticonderoga from an impressive neck score in the grassy Yaddo while making her stakes debut at Saratoga. The bay daughter of Freud will be piloted by Junior Alvarado.

The field also includes Wegetsdamunnys, Lady Joan, Munchkin Money, Conquest Hardcandy, Lovely La La and War Canoe.

A dozen 2-year-old fillies are set to do battle in the $250,000 Maid of the Mist in Race 7, featuring stakes winner Maiden Beauty.

Maiden Beauty, a bay daughter of Revolutionary bred in New York by Sandy Glenn Stables, captured the Lynbrook on debut in the Belmont slop. The Gary Contessa trainee returned to finish second behind Party Like Grandma in the Seeking the Ante ahead of a troubled sixth in the Joseph A. Gimma.

Trainer Linda Rice will send out maiden winners She’s Trouble and Surge of Pride as well as maiden Galadriel’s Light; David Donk will saddle Elegant Zip and Sadie Ladie ships in from Fair Hill for conditioner Arnaud Delacour.

Time Warp, L.A. Page, Cartwheelin Lulu, Short Pour, Kept True and Shelly Ann complete the field.

In Race 8, the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow for 2-year-olds, the undefeated Dugout, winner of the New York Breeders’ Futurity on September 29 at Finger Lakes and the Funny Cide on August 24 at Saratoga, will make his Belmont debut for trainer and part-owner/breeder Larry Rivelli.

The grey son of Adios Charlie, based at Arlington Park, was three lengths clear of Futurity runner-up True Gold who was 1 ¾ lengths in front of double stakes winner La Fuerza, who completed the triple.

La Fuerza, trained by Todd Pletcher for Barry K. Schwartz, has won three of five starts including added-money wins in the Rockville Centre at Belmont and the Aspirant at Finger Lakes.

Although still a maiden after two starts for trainer Charlton Baker, True Gold, an also-eligible, is a half-brother to Baker’s four-time New York-based stakes winner Gold for the King, who will compete in the Hudson on Saturday.

Rounding out the field are Albie, Bankit, Bustin Hoffman, Just Right, Pipes, Poppy’s Destiny, Strive For a Cure, Riken, Market Bubble, Dashing Dan, Analyzethisandthat and Bustin to Be Loved. Scotty Brown is on the also eligible list with the aforementioned True Gold.

The $250,000 Empire Distaff, for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles, will go as Race 9, attracting a 12-horse field led by Frostie Anne for the Rodriguez barn.

The 5-year-old Frost Giant bay, bred by Mr. and Mrs. Grant L. Whitmer, has won 13 of 31 career starts while banking $438,998 in purse earnings for Michael Imperio, who co-owns with Rodriguez. She opened her stakes account on March 31 in the Sis City at Aqueduct and arrives at the Empire Distaff from a determined ½-length score in the Saratoga Dew.

“She's training really good, but the race is coming up pretty tough,” Rodriguez said. “I'm really pleased with how she's coming into the race. Hopefully she's sitting on another big effort."

English Soul, who opened her 2018 campaign with a win in the East View at Aqueduct for trainer Ray Handal, was a narrow nose winner of the Fleet Indian in her most recent effort.

Frost Wise, trained by Michael Dilger for George and Stephanie Autry, started her season with a nose victory in the 1 1/8-mile Bay Ridge at Aqueduct and has added two seconds and third in four subsequent starts. Last time out, when traveling one mile in the Critical Eye on May 28 at Belmont, the Frost Giant chestnut faded to last of nine. She has posted five works at Saratoga since September 1.

Also entered in the Empire Distaff are Pink Twist, Take Charge Aubrey, Rosy Jersey, Split Time, Hay Field, Tiznow’s Smile, Bluegrass Flag, Land Mine and Bonita Bianca.