Jockeys Dylan Davis and Jose Ortiz each captured a pair of stakes in the New York Showcase Day program Aug. 25 at Saratoga Race Course. The special 11-race all-New York-bred card featuring six stakes worth a combined $1.25 million also saw trainer Jorge Abreu win three races, including one of the featured events.
"It is a great program for New York breeders and owners. It is a very rich program," Ortiz said. "They put a lot of money into New York-breds here at NYRA, which is very important for the program to keep growing. I think it is in a great place right now. It is great - you could see a lot of horses today."
Ortiz bookended the stakes action taking the opening race with Kaleem Shah's Accelerating, who remained undefeated with a powerful gate-to-wire score in her stakes debut in the $200,000 Seeking the Ante, a six-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, to kick off the stakes action.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the Mitole bay bobbled at the start but recovered quickly to set splits of :22.69, :46.07, and :58.29 over the fast main track. In control throughout, Accelerating drew away to a four-length score in a final time of 1:11.31. Carmen's Candy Jar completed the exacta by 1 1/4-lengths over Central to Success with Trail of Gold completing the order of finish.
Video: Seeking the Ante S. (BT)
Davis, a native of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has won 29 races at the meet, including seven stakes wins. He continued his torrid summer by guiding the Christophe Clement-trained Pandagate from last-to-first in the featured $250,000 Albany, a nine-furlong test for sophomores.
"I love him very much," said Davis of the late-running Pandagate. "I started him from the beginning and Clement and the team do a very good job with him. He's already taken me across the world. He doesn't owe us anything. He's a really, really nice horse. He's big striding and he's very competitive in the New York series here."
Campaigned by Adelphi Racing Club, Madaket Stables, Corms Racing Stable, and On The Rise Again Stable, the Arrogate grey once again got the better of Doc Sullivan in replicating the exacta from last month's New York Derby at Finger Lakes.
Aggelos the Great led the five-horse field through splits of :24.25, :48.39, and 1:13.19 while being stalked by B D Saints as Pandagate watched from the back of the pack with Doc Sullivan right in front of him in fourth. Davis gave his charge the cue for a wide run through the final turn as Hall of Famer Javier Castellano took the ground-saving approach with Doc Sullivan. Pandagate was in charge down the lane with Doc Sullivan angled off the rail in pursuit to no avail as Pandagate scored by one length in a final time of 1:51.11. It was 5 1/4 lengths back to Liberty Central in third with Aggelos the Great and B D Saints completing the order of finish.
Video: Albany S. (BT)
West Point
The Albany score came one race after Davis guided Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Dakota Gold to a thrilling victory when nailing post-time favorite Spirit of St Louis at the wire of the $200,000 West Point, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf handicap for 3-year-olds and up.
Trained by Danny Gargan, the multiple stakes-winning Freud 5-year-old notched his first win since the Hudson Valley last July at Belmont Park, and avenged a fourth-place finish in this event last year when won by returning foe and fellow Reeves color-bearer City Man.
Expertly piloted by Davis, Dakota Gold emerged from the inside post and settled in last-of-five as Jerry the Nipper broke sharply from the outermost post and rocketed to the front to mark splits of :23.43, and :48.30 over the firm course with Itsallcomintogetha in second and City Man and Spirit of St Louis on even terms just behind.
Manny Franco, aboard Spirit of St Louis, shook his reins approaching the turn and his charge responded strongly, eating up ground with every stride to come into contention three-wide at the top of the lane as Itsallcomintogetha attempted to stick his head in front.
Spirit of St Louis took command at the eighth pole from a resolute Itsallcomintogetha, but Dakota Gold was unleashed down the center of the course and proved to have the superior moment, getting up just in time to win by a nose in a final time of 1:41.24.
City Man ran on well to grab third one length back with Jerry the Nipper completing the superfecta. Itsallcomintogetha faded to complete the order of finish.
Video: West Point H. Presented by Trustco Bank (BT)
Fleet Indian
Lael Stables' Landed led every step of the way to double up on stakes scores the $200,000 Fleet Indian for sophomore fillies going nine furlongs on the main track.
Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the daughter of Omaha Beach emerged well from post 2 to take the early command and mark splits of :24.75, :50.46, and 1:14.69 with Dolomite tracking in second. Landed maintained her advantage into the final turn with Dolomite pestering to her outside, but Landed dug in gamely to turn back the challenge and score by 2 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:51.99.
Dolomite held second three lengths ahead of the rallying My Shea D Lady with Call Her Bluff, Caldwell Luvs Gold, Sweet Brown Sugar, and Maggy's Palace completing the order of finish.
Bred by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable, Landed is a half sister to the multiple graded stakes-placed Venti Valentine, who finished sixth in the Yaddo.
Video: Fleet Indian S. (BT)
Funny Cide
R and H Stable's rising star Mo Plex remained undefeated with a gritty nose win over Soontobeking in the $200,000 Funny Cide, a six-furlong sprint for juveniles.
Trained by Jeremiah Englehart and piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr., the Complexity colt broke from the outermost post 7 and tracked from the outside of pacesetter In The Chase through splits of :22.43 and :45.89. In The Chase held a precarious lead late in the turn as Mi Bago threatened on the rail with Soontobeking blazing past that one to split In The Chase and Mo Plex to take the lead. But with right-handed encouragement from the Spa's leading rider, Mo Plex found another gear late to range up and secure the narrow win in a final time of 1:11.72. It was 2 1/2-lengths back to The Toner in third with In The Chase, McDiesel, Mi Bago and Smilensaycheese rounding out the order of finish.
Bred by Everything's Cricket Racing, the $45,000 Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase was a 10-length winner in his June 20 debut against fellow state-breds at Belmont at the Big A before notching a frontrunning one-length score in the six-furlong Sanford (G3) last out on July 13 here.
Video: Fleet Indian S. (BT)
Yaddo Handicap
Stakes action closed out with an upset win engineered by the prolific Jose Ortiz with Chris Larsen's Moonage Daydream in the $200,000 Yaddo Handicap for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf. It was the third victory on the card for trainer Jorge Abreu, who picked up allowance wins in race 3 with Silver Satin and in race 7 with Busy Morning.
The Candy Ride 4-year-old was aided by an honest tempo set by stablemate Venti Valentine, who was hard-sent from post 7 to take command through the first turn and mark splits of :23.82, :48.22 and 1:12.42 over the firm footing with Moonage Daydream tracking in second.
Post-time favorite Silver Skillet made a three-wide move at the top of the stretch, but spun her wheels as Moonage Daydream took charge from her fading stablemate and had enough in reserve to fend off the late rush of Marvelous Maude, winning by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:42.81.
Marvelous Maude nabbed place honors by a neck over Whatlovelookslike, who was a nose better than Stonewall Star. Silver Skillet, Venti Valentine, Lisa's Vision, and Spinning Colors completed the order of finish.
