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Spotlight shines on New York-breds in Friday's New York Showcase Day at Saratoga

by NYRA Press Office

More than 100 New York-breds will take center stage at Saratoga Race Course on Friday for New York Showcase Day, featuring an all-state-bred card including six stakes worth $1.15 million.

An accomplished field of stakes winners will comprise the $200,000 Fleet Indian for 3-year-old fillies on the main track to kick off the day's stakes action as Race 3.

Headlining the five-horse field is Alpha Delta Stables' Sunset Ridge, looking to stay undefeated for trainer Chad Brown. Sunset Ridge will make her stakes debut after starting 3-for-3. After winning at three different distances from 6 ½ furlongs to a mile, she will be stretched out to 1 1/8 miles in drawing post 2.

Bonita Bianca is a three-times stakes winner for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, including last out in the New York Oaks on July 22 at Finger Lakes. The Curlin filly is 4-0-1 in six starts and will be making her first Saratoga start, breaking from the outside. Somekindasexy, saddled by Chad Summers, will again face stakes company after finishing fourth in the New York Oaks last out, leaving from post 4.

Two other entrants will be making their first stakes starts: Danielle's Pride, trained by Richard Metivier, from post 3 and Graham Motion trainee Five Each Way, breaking from the rail.

Gary Barber's What a Catch will try to pick up his second straight stakes win while breaking from the outside post in a field of eight juveniles on tap for the $200,000 Funny Cide at 6 ½ furlongs, carded as Race 5.

Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden in his two career starts by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the chestnut colt by Justin Phillip won his stakes debut in the Rockville Center by a length on July 15 at Belmont Park to back up his 5 ½-length maiden-breaking win on June 2.

Morning Breez and Analyze the Odds will take another shot at What a Catch following their respective second- and third-place finishes in the Rockville Center. Morning Breez, trained by Carlos Martin, will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. from post 6, while Analyze the Odds, also trained by Pletcher, will break from post 2 with Manny Franco in the irons.

Maiden winners Alien Invasion, Mr. Pete, Inalienable Rights, and Aveenu Malcainu will make their stakes debuts, as well as Bart Hone-trained Smokin Platinum, second in his unveiling on July 28.

Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' Fourstar Crook will bring her eight-race win streak in the 38th running of the $150,000 Yaddo for fillies and mares on the Mellon turf. The 5-year- old daughter of Freud has won her last four stakes races including the Grade 3 Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap, and the 2016 Yaddo. Javier Castellano will ride the Chad Brown trainee, from post 8 in the field of 10.

Completing the field is last year's Yaddo runner-up Flipcup for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; Bar of Gold, third in the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose last time out; Ack Naughty, who has two wins and one second in her last three starts; Freudie Annie, third in the 2016 Mount Vernon stakes; Barrel of Dreams; Jet Majesty; Feeling Bossy and First Charmer. Literata is entered for the main track only.

I Still Miss You will look to get back to the winner's circle, leading a field of nine in the $200,000 Seeking the Ante as Race 8. Winner of the Astoria in June, the Majestic Warrior finished second in the Lynbrook to Pure Silver, who returned to post a 9 ½-length victory in the Grade 2 Adirondack last time out. Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, I Still Miss You will depart from post 8 with Castellano aboard.

Also entered for the Seeking the Ante are: One Last Cast; Beaux Arts; Pauseforthecause; Miss Mystique; Cause We Are Loyal; Tudox Lifting Off; Newport Breeze; and Trouble for Skylar.

As Race 9, the $150,000 West Point, presented by Trustco Bank will once again featurelong-time rivals King Kreesa and Kharafa, who finished one-two respectively in last year's contest at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Multiple graded stakes winner King Kreesa will break from post 2 with regular rider Jose Ortiz. The 7-year-old gelding Kharafa will break from post 5 with jockey Joe Bravo.

The two face stiff competition in a field of 10 that also features Get Jets, coming off a game second in the $150,000 Forbidden Apple on July 15 at Belmont Park. The Scat Daddy colt draws post 3 with Velazquez. 

Rounding out the field is Royal Posse, a four-time winner at Saratoga, three of them in stakes, who breaks from the rail for trainer Rodriguez; All Is Number breaking from post 6 with Florent Geroux in the saddle; Black Tide with jockey Jose Lezcano from post 8; Changewilldoyagood from post 7 with rider Dylan Davis; Fox Rules from the outside post with jockey Kendrick Carmouche; Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott sends out Macagone from post 4 with jockey Joel Rosario; and Offering Plan from post 9 with Castellano.

Heading up the field for the $250,000 Albany to close out the day's stakesis Twisted Tom, winner of the New York Derby at Finger Lakes on July 22 last time out, following the Creative Cause gelding's sixth place effort in the G1 Belmont Stakes. The Chad Brown trainee will break from post 4 with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano aboard.

Also exiting the New York Derby are Broken Engagement, Pat On the Back, Can You Diggit and Dynamax Prime, who finished second, third, fourth and last, respectively. Rodriguez-trained Broken Engagement will break from post 5 with jockey Paco Lopez; trainer Ken McPeek's Pat On the Back draws from post 6 with Dylan Davis in the irons; Can You Diggit will be sent from post 3 for trainer Jimmy Jerkens with jockey Jose Ortiz; and George Weaver trainee Dynamax Prime breaks from the rail with jockey Rajiv Maragh. 

Rounding out the field is D'yer Mak'er, who breaks from post 2, and Minsky Moment, who will have the services of Irad Ortiz, Jr. and will break from the outside.