Susie Raisher Photo

Dakota Gold dictates the tempo in $150K NYSSS Cab Calloway

by Keith McCalmont

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Dakota Gold made every pole a winning one in Wednesday’s $150,000 NYSSS Cab Calloway, a one-mile inner turf test for eligible New York-sired sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Danny Gargan, the Freud chestnut has now won 4-of-6 career starts, including stakes scores in the open-company Nownownow in September at Monmouth Park and the NYSSS Spectacular Bid in June in his seasonal debut at Belmont Park.

He entered the Cab Calloway from a stalking second in the Rick Violette on July 21 here when bested a head by Practice Squad.

“We played around with the field last time and it got me beat. I couldn’t take that chance today,” Gargan said. “I think he’s a little better if he stalks, but I didn’t want to take any chances today. Let’s just go and get it out of the way – that was our plan and it worked out. Next time, we’ll try the open company and I probably won’t send him [to the lead], it depends on the pace scenario.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. hustled Dakota Gold to the front from post 6 and marked off splits of 23.82 seconds and 49.18 over the firm going with Cagney tracking in second to the inside of He’s Got It.

Dakota Gold maintained command into the turn as He’s Got It launched his bid with Barrel of Quests following that one’s wide move. Marinara Sauced, who had saved ground near the back of the pack throughout, advanced late in the turn and was angled three-wide by Manny Franco to take dead aim at the leader. But there would be no reeling in a resolute Dakota Gold, who prevailed by one length in a final time of 1:37.20.

Marinara Sauced picked up the next biggest slice by 2 1/2-lengths over Born Dancer with Barrel of Quests, He’s Got It, Shinsun, Cagney and Silent Running rounding out the order of finish. Tetragrammaton and Stop the Spread were scratched.

The victory continued a memorable meet for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, who have enjoyed stakes scores here this summer with Isolate in the Tale of the Cat, providing trainer Tom Amoss with his 4,000th career win; and with trainer Christophe Clement, who saddled City Man for a victory in the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple; as well as a double with Big Invasion, taking the Mahony and the Grade 3 Quick Call presented by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.

“It’s been a hell of a meet. We’ve had eight winners all together. I remember the day when I begged for just one win up here, and that wasn’t far back,” said Dean Reeves, who operates Reeves Thoroughbred Racing with his wife, Patti. “It’s been unbelievable, but there has been a lot of work done by a lot of good people on our team before we got here. Jimmy Gladwell and Nellie and Chetley Breeden [of Two Springs Farm in Micanopy, Florida] did a lot of work preparing these horses. We gave them the time off and then when they got here, their trainers did just a great job of getting them ready for these races. We were really gunning for Saratoga. That’s when I’m going to be here, and we wanted to run and win some races here.”

Dakota Gold graduated in an off-the-turf maiden special weight in September at Saratoga ahead of his stakes score at Monmouth Park. He completed his 2-year-old campaign with a close fifth-place finish as the mutuel favorite in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf won by Modern Games in November at Del Mar.

Gargan noted Dakota Gold will return to open company next with potential targets being the Grade 3 Bryan Station on October 29 at Keeneland or the Grade 2, $300,000 Hill Prince on October 22 at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

“He's run the Breeders' Cup. He got beat by three-lengths with Modern Games. That's a tough race. If he can run that race every single day, he can compete against anybody," said jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Marinara Sauced, trained by Chad Brown, was a rallying debut winner in May at Belmont ahead of a good third in the Spectacular Bid. He entered from a fifth-place finish in a state-bred turf route against older company.

Franco said the moderate tempo hampered his gelding’s chances.

“I expected more pace in front of me. The second part of the race they slowed things down too slow, but my horse was running anyway,” Franco said.

Bred in the Empire State by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Ron Bowden, Dakota Gold banked $82,500 in victory, while improving his record to 6-4-1-0. He paid $2.60 as the 1-5 mutuel favorite.

Live racing continues Thursday at Saratoga with a nine-race card, featuring the $150,000 NYSSS Statue of Liberty in Race 9. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.