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Creative Minister breezes half-mile in preparation for G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets

by NYRA Press Office

• Creative Minister breezes half-mile in preparation for G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets
• Make Mischief posts 99BSF in Critical Eye; Golden Glider, Pappacap breeze for BSRF
• Giacosa looks to Saratoga after Mount Vernon victory; Galaxina to target NYSSS Cupecoy’s Joy

Fern Circle Stables, Back Racing and trainer Kenny McPeek’s Magdalena Racing’s Creative Minister recorded his first breeze over Belmont Park’s main track on Tuesday, sailing through a half-mile in 48.33 seconds in his penultimate work for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 11. 

McPeek, who sent out Sarava for a 70-1 upset score in the 2002 Belmont Stakes, said he was pleased with the breeze from Creative Minister, who arrived in New York on Wednesday.

“This horse is all class. It was a nice little maintenance half-mile and wasn’t anything complicated,” said McPeek. “We just wanted to let him stretch his legs a little over the track. I think historically it’s a track you’ve got to get used to. I had luck with Sarava training him up there immediately after the Preakness.” 

Creative Minister stepped onto the main track at 5:35 a.m. Eastern with Heman Harkie aboard and stood quietly near the first turn of Big Sandy, ears forward and observing the action around him for about 10 minutes. Harkie then schooled the son of Creative Cause around the first turn and spent a considerable amount of time allowing him to get familiar with his surroundings.

Harkie and Creative Minister continued on to the backside and began the half-mile drill under a light haze and muggy temperatures in the low 70s. NYRA clockers caught Creative Minister marking off a quarter-mile in 24 seconds over the fast track, rolling through without much urging from Harkie. Rounding the turn and heading for the wire, Harkie remained still aboard the grey colt who continued a steady rhythm down the stretch to complete the work in 48.33 seconds, galloping out five-eighths in 1:01 flat. 

“He’s a smart horse. He’s a really smooth traveler,” said Harkie, who has been galloping Creative Minister for the past few days. “You ask him, he’ll take you where you want to go. He handled the surface pretty good. I really like him. He’s got a long, nice stride. It feels great for a rider like me to get on a horse like that. It was such an amazing breeze.” 

McPeek said he is satisfied with Creative Minister’s preparations thus far over Big Sandy. 

“He’s been walking through the paddock every day and galloping a mile and a quarter every day or so with lighter gallops in between,” McPeek said. “Pretty simple stuff.”

Creative Minister was last seen finishing an even third in the Grade 1 Preakness on May 21 where he was defeated 3 1/2 lengths by Early Voting. He stalked the pace in fifth under Brian Hernandez, Jr. on an inside path before angling out in the turn and making a bid for the lead. He held position well to secure show honors by 2 3/4 lengths over returning Belmont Stakes rival Skippylongstocking. Hernandez, Jr. will retain the mount for the Belmont Stakes.

“It was another big step forward for him,” McPeek said of the Preakness effort. “He showed he fits in with some of the better 3-year-olds in the nation.” 

Out of the Tapit mare Tamboz, Creative Minister is a half-brother to three graded stakes placed runners in Dolder Grand, Oceanwave and Battalion Runner. Six of Tamboz’s eight foals to race have earned at least one stakes placing. Creative Minister was bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm. 

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Make Mischief posts 99BSF in Critical Eye; Golden Glider, Pappacap breeze for BSRF

Gary Barber's Make Mischief matched a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure for her authoritative four-length score in Monday's $200,000 Critical Eye Handicap, a one-turn mile for state-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on Big Apple Showcase Day.

Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Into Mischief bay earned a 99 Beyer for a 10 1/4-length romp in her seasonal debut on April 14 at the Big A in an open optional-claimer, but faltered in her next effort when fifth in the Grade 2 Ruffian over a muddy and sealed main track on May 8 at Belmont.

Dylan Davis, aboard for her last three efforts, put Make Mischief into the race Monday and tracked the early foot of Mashnee Girl before taking command in the turn and drawing away to a smart score over Bank Sting. 

"I was proud of her. I thought she trained better than ever this winter and her first race reflected that," Casse said. "Her second race was a bit dull. It was a much tougher field, but she just never got into the race. Yesterday, you knew from the beginning she was on her game."

Casse said he and Barber will now consider all options for the multiple graded stakes placed Make Mischief, who finished third in the Grade 1 Acorn in June at Belmont. A NYRA circuit option could be the Grade 2, $200,000 Shuvee at nine furlongs on July 24 at Saratoga Race Course.

"Gary and I are having that conversation on whether to stretch her out or not. We’ll look at all the options," Casse said. "From a broodmare standpoint, she's Grade 1-placed and now we want to make her a graded-stakes winner. She came out of the race in good order."

Make Mischief was bred in the Empire State by Avanti Stable.

Golden Glider, owned by Barber in partnership with Manfred and Penny Conrad, breezed five-eighths in 1:01.55 Sunday over Big Sandy in preparation for the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 11.

"He's not a flashy workhorse. He's very workmanlike and I thought it was a good breeze for him," Casse said.

The Ghostzapper chestnut won his first two career starts, closing from last-of-12 on debut in November at Woodbine Racetrack ahead of an optional-claiming score in January at Tampa Bay Downs. Golden Glider was off-the-board in a trio of graded starts on the Kentucky Derby trail in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis [5th], Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby [4th] and Grade 1 Blue Grass [4th]. 

He enters from a distant second to We the People in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Peter Pan, the traditional local prep for the Belmont Stakes, which was contested over a good and sealed main track. The top-two finishers of the Peter Pan had their Belmont Stakes entry and starting fees waived.

"I was hoping to get a fast track the other day to see how he got over it, so you come out of there not knowing where you stand because of the racetrack," Casse said. "But I thought he showed a lot of determination to be second. Obviously, the winner was phenomenal, but you have to question how much of his effort was aided by the racetrack, too. I guess we'll figure that out on Belmont Stakes Day."

Golden Glider is following a similar path to Casse’s 2019 Belmont Stakes-winner Sir Winston, who also graduated at Woodbine and competed in the Tampa Bay Derby [5th] and Blue Grass [7th] before earning a free berth in the Belmont via the Peter Pan [2nd].

Casse said he is buoyed by Golden Glider's improving Beyer figures, having matched up 87s in his last two starts.

"His numbers are always improving. We'll be a longshot but he got a free berth and earned his way in there, so we'll give it a try," Casse said.

Davis, who won his first NYRA riding title at the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet, will look to secure his first victory in a Triple Crown race.

Rustlewood Farm's graded stakes winner Pappacap breezed a bullet half-mile in 47.47 Sunday over Big Sandy in preparation for the Grade 1, $400,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores on Belmont Stakes Day.

"That's him. He likes his job," said Casse of the quick breeze.

Pappacap, by Gun Runner, won the Grade 2 Best Pal in August at Del Mar and has subsequently hit the board in the Grade 1 American Pharoah [2nd] in October at Santa Anita, the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile [2nd] in November at Del Mar, the Grade 3 Lecomte [3rd] in January at Fair Grounds and a pacesetting second under Flavien Prat to Jack Christopher last out in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on May 7 at Churchill.

"I thought it was a good race, he just got beat by a freakish type horse," Casse said. "He broke running and Flavien felt when he broke like that he wasn't going to take him back. We're cutting back another eighth and I'd be shocked if he was on the lead going seven-eighths, but I'm not one to give the rider instructions. We'll leave that up to Flavien."

Casse has a number of possible starters at the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, including D.J. Stable's Stayhonor Goodside, who is targeting the $150,000 Tremont, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for juveniles on Thursday, June 9.

The Honor Code bay notched a 5 1/2-length debut score sprinting 4 1/2-furlongs over the Woodbine Tapeta on May 21.

"He was just impressive. We liked him and always thought he could run from the get-go, so that wasn't a shock for us," Casse said.

Paul W. Tackett's Miss Majorette will target the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental, a six-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares on Friday, June 10.

The 5-year-old Twirling Candy mare made her first start for Casse last out, closing to finish second in the six-furlong License Fee on May 1 at Belmont. The effort, which garnered an 87 Beyer, was Miss Majorette's seasonal debut.

"I thought she ran extremely well. She got held up in traffic or she would have been a lot closer," Casse said.

Casse also has multiple graded stakes placed Proven Strategies nominated to the Grade 1, $400,000 Jaipur, a six-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up on Belmont Stakes Day.

The veteran conditioner said Tracy Farmer's Adora, a debut winner in May at Woodbine, will miss the $150,000 Astoria on June 9 at Belmont and point to the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville, a six-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies on Opening Day July 14 at Saratoga.

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Giacosa looks to Saratoga after Mount Vernon victory; Galaxina to target NYSSS Cupecoy’s Joy

Owner, trainer and co-breeder Jim Bond’s Giacosa was a determined winner off a six-month layoff in Monday’s $125,000 Mount Vernon travelling 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old daughter of Tizway will now look for a repeat win in the Yaddo Handicap on August 26 at Saratoga Race Course. 

“We’ll do right by her and point her to the Yaddo and see what sets up in between,” said Kevin Bond, Jim Bond’s son and assistant. “She’s been ready for a while. We took our time with her and she rewarded us. It was really exciting yesterday.”

Giacosa got her nose down just in time to nab the victory over a game Classic Lady after stalking the pace in fourth and improving position throughout under Luis Saez, who won 2-of-5 stakes on Monday’s Big Apple Showcase card. She stopped the clock in a final time of 1:34.05. 

The dark bay mare entered the Mount Vernon from a narrow defeat in the Forever Together in November at Aqueduct where she was bested a neck by graded stakes placed Flower Point. Giacosa has displayed an affinity for Saratoga, posting a 3-for-4 record at the Spa that includes her Yaddo score and a pair of allowance victories. 

Bond said that Giacosa’s Mount Vernon win was redemption after a disappointing performance in the 2021 Ticonderoga in her last go around the Belmont lawn. 

“She loves Saratoga and she’s run pretty well at Belmont. Everyone was a little perplexed with her run in the Ticonderoga,” said Bond. “It was a different kind of going that day. It’s tough to explain, but the grass was a little different that day. I watched her bobble a couple times. I’m not sure if there was a thicker cut to it or if it was softer, but I think she likes a firmer going.”

The Bond stable celebrated another stakes win earlier in the year when Ascendant Farms’ promising sophomore Galaxina upset the 6 1/2-furlong NYSSS Park Avenue at odds of 24-1. The New York-bred daughter of Giant Surprise finished second on debut to multiple stakes-placed Stone Creator and broke her maiden at second asking en route to her Park Avenue victory. 

Bond said Galaxina will make her next start in the seven-furlong NYSSS Cupecoy’s Joy on June 19 over the Belmont Widener turf. 

“She’s doing great. We’re actually pointing her for the Stallion Series on the 19th. She’s got some pedigree on the mare’s side that suggests the turf,” Bond said. “We actually galloped her over it and our main rider said that she likes the grass more than the dirt in his opinion. So, we’ll take a chance over the grass with her.

“We’ve got nothing to lose and can test the waters a bit,” Bond added. “She’s just getting better and better. She’s a big filly, so we’ve been taking our time with her and making sure the whole years pans out right. I’m excited to see her on the grass and how she does.” 

Out of the Lawyer Ron mare Strange Magic, Galaxina hails from the family of 2008 Eclipse Award Champion Grass Mare Forever Together, her second dam a half-sister to the multiple Grade 1-winning mare.