Jose Gomez celebrates front-running score by the War Dancer filly Mz Big Bucks in Sunday’s Cupecoy’s Joy division of the NYSS. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.
J & N Stables’ Mz Big Bucks emulated her older full brother Dancing Buck this spring – and took it a step further Sunday in the Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Belmont Park.
Coming off a maiden victory on the dirt after making her debut on the turf – just like Dancing Buck did back in late 2020 – Mz Big Bucks improved to 2-for-3 with a 2-length victory in the Cupecoy’s Joy at 7 furlongs on the grass. Michelle Nevin trains the 3-year-old daughter of War Dancer, and she also trained eventual Grade 3 winner and $432,670-earner Dancing Buck.
“They both broke their maiden on an off track and came back on the grass,” Nevin said.
Jose Gomez rode Mz Big Bucks, the 9-1 sixth choice who went to the front from the break and repelled a few challengers in the stretch to pick up $82,500 for her connections. Mz Big Bucks won in 1:21.88 over the firm turf.
Gomez rode Mz Big Bucks in her prior two starts, a fourth going 6 furlongs on the grass in her debut April 8 at Aqueduct and then a 1 ½-length victory in a 6-furlong off-the-turf maiden May 4 at Aqueduct. Mz Big Bucks led the latter the entire trip and Gomez liked his position when the bay filly came away well from the gate in the Cupecoy’s Joy.
“Last time, she was on the lead as well, so I just let her come out of there,” Gomez said. “I knew there was speed in the race, so I just wanted to play the break and she broke like a rocket. I came right down onto the rail and tried to slow her down as much as I could, and she felt like a winner every step of the way.”
Mz Big Bucks led through early splits of :23.11 and :46.17 with Maggie T, Little Linzee and Joeybignose giving chase. Mz Big Bucks turned for home on an open lead, repelled the mild threat of Little Linzee before opening up by 3 lengths in midstretch and past 6 furlongs in 1:09.65.
“She broke so sharp and he [Gomez] looked so comfortable, I was feeling pretty good about it,” Nevin said.
Gomez took Mz Big Bucks in hand in deep stretch and cruised to the finish clear. Little Linzee held second, three-quarters of a length in front of Red Moon with Midtown Lights fourth. Joeybignose, Camp Akeela, Bea Bea Kaz, 5-2 favorite Stolen Future, Les Bon Temps, Dream On Cara and Maggie T completed the field.
“It seemed like nobody wanted [the lead], so I took it and we led every step,” Gomez said. “I kept feeling her running and going. On the grass, there’s always closers coming to get you, but I peeked over and didn’t see anyone coming so I said, ‘Oh yeah, we got it.’ ”
Bred by J & N Stables and Elizabeth Jameson, Mz Big Bucks is the fourth winner out of the multiple stakes-placed New York-bred Catienus mare Frivolous Buck. She’s the dam of Brockmoninoff, a New York-bred gelding by Smart Bid who won three times and earned $126,193 and three winning full siblings in Dancing Buck, Buckfortwo and Mz Big Bucks.
Dancing Buck won last year’s Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes during the Belmont at the Big A meeting and also finished second in the Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. He earned championship finalist honors for champion New York-bred turf male and champion New York-bred male sprinter in 2022.
Frivolous Buck, a four-time winner who earned $222,374 over four seasons, did not produced a foal in 2021 or 2022 but is the dam of a New York-bred colt by War Dancer named Shenanigans Buck born April 12.
War Dancer, a Grade 2-winning 13-year-old son of War Front, stands for $7,500 at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Stillwater. He ranked fifth on New York’s general sire list with progeny earnings of more than $709,000 heading into Sunday’s racing, after finishing third on the same table in 2022 and landing the Empire State’s top freshman sire title in 2020.
