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G3 Peter Pan could be springboard to prestigious summer stakes for Bishops Bay

by NYRA Press Office

• G3 Peter Pan could be springboard to prestigious summer stakes for Bishops Bay
• Impressive maiden winner Cynane likely for trip to Ascot
• Saratoga stakes on the horizon for Frank’s Rockette; Candy Man Rocket looks to make amends in G3 Runhappy
• Belmont Park Week 3 stakes probables

The undefeated Bishops Bay will make his graded stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan, a nine-furlong test for sophomores, at Belmont Park.

The Peter Pan is the traditional local prep for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 10. For information and details on hospitality offerings, ticket packages and pricing for the 2023 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which features 16 stakes events from Thursday, June 8 through Saturday, June 10, visit BelmontStakes.com.

Trained by Brad Cox for owners Spendthrift Farm, Steve Landers, Martin Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing, Kueber Racing, Big Easy Racing, Rick Kanter, Michael J. Caruso and WinStar Farm, the Uncle Mo colt enters from two consecutive wins at Fair Grounds Race Course.

Bishops Bay earned a field-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure in his career debut going six furlongs on February 18, turning back a deep stretch challenge from eventual graded stakes-winning stablemate First Mission by three-quarters of a length. He returned one month later to defeat winners going a two-turn mile-and-70-yards, where he clipped heels going into the first turn. The talented bay established tactical position down the backstretch and was able to fend off stablemate Demolition Duke for a narrow neck score.

A strong performance from Bishops Bay could make him a candidate for high-caliber events in the summer, according to Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey.

“He’s a horse we’ve been really excited about even prior to his first start and he’s shown a ton of talent,” Toffey said. “The thought is to try and stretch him out in preparation for some of these Classic-type races that second half of the year and the Peter Pan seemed like the right spot to try to do that. So far, he’s been very exciting. He handled the stretch out with no problem, so we’ll see how he handles that big track at Belmont. What he’s been running against, what he’s been beating and the numbers he’s been running have been very, very impressive. He’s a very exciting horse that could be any kind.”

Toffey spoke volumes of Bishops Bay’s multiple Champion-producing sire Uncle Mo, who was a Champion in his own right. The 2010 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt also produced Spendthrift’s Kingsbarns, who captured the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 25 en route to a tiring 14th in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

“[Uncle Mo] is a nice horse and both himself and Kingsbarns are nice individuals themselves. They happen to be very athletic, correct and very talented,” Toffey said.

Acquired for $450,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Bishops Bay is out of the Grade 1-placed Pioneerof the Nile mare Catch My Drift.

Bishops Bay breaks from the outside in the nine-horse field and will be piloted by regular rider Florent Geroux.

Kingsbarns was undefeated going into the “Run for the Roses.”  He was a close second to the outside of pacesetting Verifying, who set torrid opening fractions in the Derby, but ultimately dropped out of contention nearing upper stretch and finished 25 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Mage.

“We’ll play it by ear and see how he comes out of the race,” Toffey said. “As one might guess, he was pretty tired coming out of it. He’s still a fairly lightly-raced horse. I think we’d be inclined to take a breather, regroup and go from there.”

Toffey said he remains hopeful that Kingsbarns could be a major contender in important two-turn races for sophomores this year, based off his run in the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby.

“He’s proven he can run two turns at a distance of ground. I think the Derby is a race that you throw out,” Toffey said. “He just went too fast too early. After a first half like that, he pretty much had no shot. I don’t think he’s a horse we have to cut back on. We’ll look at all options, but we know he’s capable of running a mile and three-sixteenths. He proved that in the Louisiana Derby.”

Kingsbarns, an $800,000 purchase, is out of the Tapit mare Lady Tapit, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Gozzip Girl.

Toffey added that the Pletcher-trained Major Dude, a last-out third in the Grade 2 American Turf on May 6 at Churchill Downs, is not out of the question for the 10-furlong Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational on July 8 or the Grade 1, $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational at 1 3/16-miles on August 5.

“We’ll see how he is over the next week or so and figure out a game plan from there. But I certainly wouldn’t rule those out,” Toffey said. “I haven’t talked to Todd about that yet. We’ll just see how he came out, but by all accounts he’s come out of the race nicely.”

Major Dude saved ground along the rail under Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the American Turf and was asked in upper stretch when in the clear, but was outfinished by one-two finishers Webslinger and his stablemate Far Bridge.

“He was working with Kingsbarns and working really well. He ran a really nice race and I thought we had it at the top of the stretch,” Toffey said. “He had a great ground-saving trip and things opened up for him. He was able to split horses and he just ran into some hot horses and didn’t quite get it done. He’s another one that we can have a good rest of the year with.”

Major Dude is by second crop sire Bolt d’Oro, who stands at Spendthrift for a $35,000 stud fee.

“They seem to perform well on any surface, which isn’t too surprising with him being a son of Medaglia d’Oro,” Toffey said of Bolt d’Oro. “Medaglia got plenty of really, really nice dirt horses, and yet he was hugely successful internationally. I think Bolt seems to be filling those shoes nicely.”

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Impressive maiden winner Cynane likely for trip to Ascot

VinLaur Racing Stables, West Paces Racing and Rainbow’s End Racing Stable’s Cynane [pronounced kee-nah-nay] is likely bound for Royal Ascot off a strong debut victory on Thursday at Belmont Park. Trained by Tom Morley, the daughter of Omaha Beach provided her sire with his first winner in the five-furlong maiden special weight over the Widener turf course.

Ridden to victory by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, Cynane led at each point of call under confident handling and kicked clear down the lane to fend off the bid of post-time favorite Sam’s Treasure to her outside. She crossed the wire 2 3/4 lengths the best and stopped the clock in 57.61 seconds.

Morley said the talented filly will now be pointed to the five-furlong Group 2, £115,000 Queen Mary for juvenile fillies on June 21.

“That’s the plan at the moment,” said Morley. “She came out of the race really well and she’s got a great mind and really good appetite – she was screaming for her feed tub last night. She jogged sound this morning, so we’ll start putting plans in place to go to the Queen Mary.”

Cynane arrived in Morley’s barn after starting her training at King’s Equine in Ocala, Florida over the winter. Morley said she has impressed him ever since she began breezing over the Belmont training track in March.

“She has never missed a beat - not only with us, but with Raul Reyes in Ocala,” said Morley. “You only get one shot to go to Ascot with these horses and to get there, you have to never miss a day and be good enough to win on debut. Full credit to her, because she has a wonderful temperament and is good as gold.”

Though Cynane’s sire was a three-time Grade 1-winner on dirt, her affinity for turf can be attributed to her strong female family. Her dam, the Arch mare Burning Arch, was a two-time winner at one mile on the lawn and is a half-sister to Cat’s Claw, who won the Waya at 1 1/2 miles on the Saratoga Race Course turf. Cynane’s second dam, the Phipps Stable-bred stakes-placed Chili Cat, is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning turf specialist Point of Entry, as well as Pine Island, a dual Grade 1-winner on dirt.

“She’s got a really, really good female family and is from a really good American turf line from the Phipps family,” said Morley. “She has every right to be a good horse and hopefully she can be.”

Cynane’s royal pedigree attracted attention at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she hammered for $250,000. Bob Scavetta, the managing partner of Rainbow’s End Racing Stable, purchased a minority share in the filly on the recommendation of Morley, who has trained for the partnership since 2016.

“We’re very pleased to have that share. Tom is a master of putting personalities of owners together,” Scavetta said, with a laugh. “Tom loved the filly, and his eyes are the best. It’s a great relationship.”

The filly is named after the Macedonian princess Cynane, a half-sister to Alexander the Great who was a fierce warrior trained in martial arts. Morley said the name is fitting for a horse who is equally feminine as she is audacious.

“It’s quite a sweet name, but if you look up who Cynane was as a person, she was not sweet at all,” Morley said. “It’s a warrior name, it’s fierce and feminine – I think it’s a great name.”

Scavetta said Cynane has the potential to bring him on a once-in-a-lifetime journey.

“We’ve got to consider going to Ascot with her, but the only hook is we have a grandson graduating that week,” said Scavetta. “I’m sure he would understand if papa wasn’t there.”

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Saratoga stakes on the horizon for Frank’s Rockette; Candy Man Rocket looks to make amends in G3 Runhappy

Owner Frank Fletcher said his multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire mare Frank’s Rockette could have some Spa days in her future, targeting graded stakes engagements at Saratoga Race Course this summer for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Frank’s Rockette has won 10 stakes – five at graded level – over seven different ovals, including the Grade 3 Victory Ride and Grade 2 Gallant Bloom here during her sophomore campaign. The bay daughter of Into Mischief appears to still be in top form during her 6-year-old campaign having won both of her starts this year. After an eight-length romp in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie on March 11 at Gulfstream Park, she cut back to six furlongs to capture the April 29 Roxelana at Churchill Downs.

Fletcher said the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap on July 26 and the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina on August 26 are potential future targets for the talented Frank’s Rockette. She garnered previous Spa success when taking the Grade 2 Prioress during her 3-year-old year and finished a close second to Kimari in last year’s Honorable Miss. Additionally, she finished second in both the Grade 2 Adirondack and Grade 1 Spinaway during her juvenile campaign.

“She’ll probably go to Saratoga. Billy likes to run her about every 60 or 70 days. She’s 6-years-old and that’s why she’s still winning because he doesn’t run her as often,” Fletcher said. “She’s a phenomenal mare and I always know when she goes in the gate, that something good is going to happen because she never throws in a clunker. She’s one of my favorites.”

A Kentucky homebred, Frank’s Rockette is out of the graded-stakes winning Indian Charlie mare Rocket Twentyone. She has an unraced 2-year-old full brother named Top Gun Rocket. Through a consistent 27-12-9-3 record, she has amassed $1,408,733 in earnings.

On Saturday, Mott and Fletcher will team up in the Grade 3, $175,000 Runhappy with graded stakes winner Candy Man Rocket. The lightly-raced 5-year-old son of Candy Ride finished an uncharacteristic last-of-10 in the last out Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap on April 15 at Oaklawn Park which followed a win in the six-furlong Gulfstream Park Sprint on February 25.

“He got all worked up before the race and started sweating and the crowd got to him that day,” Fletcher recalled. “I hope he’ll do a lot better over there.”

Candy Man Rocket announced his presence during his sophomore season when capturing the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis in March 2021 at Tampa Bay Downs. After unplaced finishes at two-turn graded stakes level, he cut back to six furlongs and finished a close second in the local Gold Fever in May 2021. He did not race again until the following February, capturing a seven furlong allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park in what ended up being his only start as a 4-year-old.

Fletcher said a hoof problem was the reason for the gaps in his form.

“That’s the only problem he’s ever had, but he’s fine now. He’s back and ready to go,” Fletcher said. “I think we’re still learning a lot about him. His feet were bothering him which is why he took almost a year off. He’s got a big heart and he loved running down there in Florida. We’re still figuring him out as we go along. I’m anxious to see what he does in this next race.”

Candy Man Rocket breaks from post 4 in the Runhappy under regular rider Junior Alvarado.

Fletcher provided an update on his graded stakes winner Rocket Can, who finished ninth under Alvarado in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. There, the son of Into Mischief stalked the pace from seventh before advancing into fifth. He appeared poised to make a big run around the far turn but flattened out, finishing 11 lengths behind the victorious Mage.

“I don’t know what the next step for him is. He ran hard, the jockey told me that he just got tired there at the very end,” Fletcher said. “We would have loved to have won it, but we were tickled to death and very pleased with what he did. We’ll probably give him some rest now and I think he’ll be able to win some big races.”

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G3 Delaware Oaks among long term possibilities for Promiseher America

Trainer Ray Handal said Hoffman Thoroughbreds and Tom McCrocklin’s Promiseher America, last-of-14 in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs, has returned to his Belmont Park stable and will get a breather for the time being with the long-term goal being graded stakes events on the East Coast throughout the summer.

By 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, Promiseher America provided Handal with his first graded stakes win as a trainer when capturing the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack at 26-1 odds. She endured a troubled trip in the Kentucky Oaks, where she was bothered by Southlawn to her inside coming into the first turn and was never a factor throughout the rest of the journey.

“It was a rough race. She lost all of her chances in that first turn,” Handal said. “But we’ll live to fight another day. She came back in good shape, happy and healthy.”

While Handal was unsure of the whereabouts of her next start, he did mention the Grade 3, $300,000 Delaware Oaks on July 1 at Delaware Park and the Grade 3, $250,000 Monmouth Oaks on July 29 at Monmouth Park as possible future landing spots.

“She’s back here and I’m going to give her a little letdown after the race and come up with a plan,” Handal said.

Bred in Kentucky by Robert and Lawana Low, Promiseher America is out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Promisedyouheaven, whose dam Hurricane Bernie is a half-sister to dual Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Mizdirection [2012-13]. She was bought for $75,000 at the 2022 OBS April Sale.

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Belmont Park Week 3 stakes probables

Saturday, May 20

$150K Paradise Creek

Probable: Charging (Brad Cox), Funtastic Again (Wesley Ward), Inflation Nation (Christophe Clement), Son of a Birch (Tom Morley), Vacation Dance (John Kimmel)