State-Breds the Focus on NY Breeders' Showcase Day

A special Memorial Day card will see state-breds take center stage May 31 at Belmont Park, with six stakes worth a combined $900,000 highlighting New York Breeders' Showcase Day.

"The New York-bred program is full of tremendous opportunities for breeders and owners," said Thomas Gallo, president of New York Thoroughbred Breeders. "We're grateful in continuing to partner with the New York Racing Association in highlighting our top athletes on our New York Showcase days with lucrative purses and competitive fields. Especially at the Belmont Spring meet, as the New York Breeders' Showcase Day on Memorial Day will have fans in attendance to help celebrate and watch the best our Empire State has to offer."

Those fans in attendance will see trainer John Kimmel saddle a trio of stakes contenders, including the popular millionaire Mr. Buff, who will make his fourth appearance in the $200,000 Commentator Stakes, Race 4, in search of his first win in the one-turn mile for 3-year-olds and up.

Kimmel will also send out Secret Love in the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes and Dr. Blute for the $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes.

"It's a great day of racing and there's big purse money to be had. I'm hoping all three of my horses show up and have a good day," Kimmel said. 

Mr. Buff, an 11-time stakes winner, finished third last out in the May 1 Westchester Stakes (G3) under Edgard Zayas. Junior Alvarado, who has guided Mr. Buff to seven of his 17 career wins, will return to the irons. The duo will break from post 3.

"I think having his regular rider back aboard will help him," said Kimmel. "Last time, the rider didn't really know him and for him to go a half in :48 and not open up on the field when he can go :45; I'm not sure why he didn't open up. He got pressured on the outside and before he asked him to change leads, he went to the stick and this horse, when he gets to his outside lead, has a whole other gear."

Waterville Lake Stable homebred Sea Foam , who won back-to-back races against optional claimers last year before running third in the Empire Classic in October, will make his 6-year-old debut for trainer Christophe Clement. Sea Foam will be looking for his first stakes win since capturing the 2018 New York Derby and Albany Stakes.

"He's been doing well, it's just been a tough division with Mr. Buff the last couple of years, but that's just the way it is," Clement said. "He's been training well and we'll see what happens."

Sea Foam, with Jose Ortiz aboard from the outermost post 7, will face a talented field that includes four-time stakes-winner Bankit, Captain Bombastic, Yankee Division, Danny California, and Winners Laugh.

The card is completed by the $200,000 Critical Eye for fillies and mares 3 years old and up going a one-turn mile, the Bourwerie for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs, the seven-furlong Mike Lee for sophomores, the Mount Vernon for older fillies and mares going one mile over the inner turf, and the $125,000 Kingston for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Entries: Mount Vernon S.

Belmont Park, Monday, May 31, 2021, Race 6

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $125,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:34 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dancingwthdaffodls (NY)	Luis Cardenas	118	Eduardo E. Jones	30/1
2	2Giacosa (NY)	Luis Saez	118	H. James Bond	10/1
3	3Robin Sparkles (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	Bruce R. Brown	4/1
4	4Kilkea (NY)	Junior Alvarado	120	Mark A. Hennig	15/1
5	5Two Cent Tootsie (NY)	Dylan Davis	118	Thomas Albertrani	30/1
6	6Light in the Sky (NY)	Manuel Franco	118	Horacio DePaz	12/1
7	7Vienna Code (NY)	Eric Cancel	118	Andrew O. Williams	50/1
8	8Myhartblongstodady (NY)	Jose Lezcano	124	Jorge R. Abreu	9/5
9	9Pecatonica (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Thomas M. Bush	12/1
10	10Classic Lady (NY)	Javier Castellano	120	Christophe Clement	2/1

Entries: Kingston S.

Belmont Park, Monday, May 31, 2021, Race 8

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Inner turf
• $125,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dot Matrix (NY)	Eric Cancel	120	Brad H. Cox	6/1
2	2Rinaldi (NY)	Luis Saez	122	H. James Bond	3/1
3	3Cross Border (NY)	Manuel Franco	120	Michael J. Maker	7/2
4	4City Man (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Christophe Clement	7/2
5	5Mo Ready (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	120	Todd A. Pletcher	12/1
6	6Control Group (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	124	Wayne Potts	2/1
7	7Graded On a Curve (NY)	Javier Castellano	120	Chad C. Brown	6/1
8	8Therapist (NY)	Junior Alvarado	122	Christophe Clement	6/1
9	9Sanctuary City (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	120	James W. Ferraro	12/1
10	10Vintage Hollywood (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Orlando Noda	5/1

Entries: Critical Eye H.

Belmont Park, Monday, May 31, 2021, Race 9

• STK
• 1m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:12 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dancing Kiki (NY)	Javier Castellano	116	James T. Ryerson	30/1
2	2Singular Sensation (NY)	Jose Lezcano	119	Mark A. Hennig	8/1
3	3Timeless Journey (NY)	Manuel Franco	118	Christophe Clement	8/1
4	4Mrs. Orb (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Michael Miceli	3/1
5	5Eloquent Speaker (NY)	Luis Saez	118	Anthony W. Dutrow	15/1
6	6Espresso Shot (NY)	Eric Cancel	124	Jorge R. Abreu	7/2
7	7Love and Love (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	120	Michael Miceli	4/1
8	8Bank Sting (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	119	John P. Terranova II	6/1
9	9Good Credence (NY)	Junior Alvarado	119	Anthony R. Margotta, Jr.	6/1