Red Knight (right) holds off Gufo in the final yards of the Kentucky Turf Cup Saturday. Coady Photo

By Paul Halloran

You can’t really call Red Knight a late bloomer, because the 8-year-old had won nine races and earned almost $900,000 heading into Saturday’s Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs.

You can now call him a Grade 2 winner, millionaire ($1,210,388) and Breeders’ Cup Turf qualifier after the New York-bred chestnut gelding took the lead late in the stretch and held off multiple Grade 1 winner and favorite Gufo to win the 1½-mile race by a nose.

“It was fantastic,” said owner and breeder Tom Egan. “When Red is right, he lets you know it. We went back to the barn after the race and he was animated.”

The race was a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, but Red Knight is not Breeders’ Cup nominated, meaning Egan would have to pay a supplemental fee.

By Pure Prize out of the Skip Away mare Isabel Away, Red Knight had only one graded stakes win prior to Saturday, in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland in 2020, but he had run second in five graded stakes, including the 2020 Kentucky Turf Cup, won by Arklow. Red Knight had lost to Arklow four times in five tries, but turned the tables Saturday, as Arklow contested the pace and finished sixth.

Breaking from the hedge, Gerardo Corrales had Red Knight ninth of 12 after a half-mile that pacesetter and eventual last-place finisher Keystone Field ran in :49.72. He was still seventh after a mile, but improved to third with a quarter-mile to run before making the late move and holding off Gufo, who had won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga two weeks ago. Another Mystery finished third. The final time was 2:26.96.

Heading into the Kentucky Turf Cup, Red Knight, one of four Mike Maker trainees in the race, had run only once this year, winning the Colonial Cup listed stakes at Colonial Downs July 27. Red Knight had been trained by Bill Mott until being moved to Maker this year.

“He was virtually done when I sent him to Chad Stewart in Ocala last September,” said Egan, a hotwalker and groom for the Phipps Family in Florida in the 1970s. “He turned him out for 100 days and put him back into training and he told me he wants to be a racehorse again. I called Mike Maker and asked him if he would train the horse. I know he’s had great success with older turf horses.”

Foaled March 26, 2014 at Keane Stud in Amenia, Red Knight is one of five winners produced by the late Isabel Away, whom Egan bought for $60,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September Yearling sale. She only won once in 11 starts, but has produced two stakes winners. Egan recalled paying $5,000 to breed Isabel Away to Pure Prize in 2013.

“The New York (breeding) program is fantastic. It doesn’t limit you,” Egan said, noting that Somelikeithotbrown won a stakes race earlier in the card. “It gives you other options. Why not breed in New York?”

Isabel Away’s first stakes winner was Macagone, who won 11 races and earned $654,981 in a 47-race career that included two wins in the Danger’s Hour Stakes for Trinity. Other winners for Isabel Way are Birchwood Road, a full-brother to Red Knight and $252,002 earner on the New York circuit and beyond; Jaye Jaye, the winner of her first two starts before trying stakes company; and Rossellini, a filly by Freud who sold for $40,000 as a yearling at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

Trinity Farm has won 29 races since 2005 and Saturday’s purse put the ownership over the $2 million mark in career earnings.

Red Knight broke his maiden in a state-bred race at Belmont in 2017. He finished first or second in his first seven starts and closed his 4-year old year by winning the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Gulfstream. He was second in the Grade 2 Elkhorn and Grade 3 Red Smith (to Sadler’s Joy) in 2019.

As a 6-year-old in 2020, he finished second in the Kentucky Turf Cup and the Red Smith sandwiched around the win in the Sycamore. He was winless in five starts last year, with his best finish a second to Arklow in the Grade 2 Louisville Stakes in May. After running sixth in the John’s Call at Saratoga in August, he was given 11 months off before returning victoriously at Colonial Downs.

Somelikeithotbrown streaks to victory in the WinStar Mint Million at Kentucky Downs Saturday. Coady Photo

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Wheeling back on only two weeks’ rest after winning the West Point Stakes at Saratoga, Somelikeithotbrown raced to victory in the Grade 3 WinStar Mint Million Stakes at Kentucky Downs Saturday.

The Hot Pink Stables and Sand Dollar Stables-bred took up his customary position on the front end in the 1-mile race with Atone putting on some pressure in second. Still racing relaxed even with that one on his hip, Somelikeithotbrown set fractions of :23.48 and :46.93 through the first half-mile before it was time to pick up the pace.

Jose Ortiz started hustling the winner as they turned into the long stretch and Atone stuck right with him. Mr. Dumas also tried to join the fight in the stretch with everyone else watching from a few lengths back but having rivals on both sides encouraged Somelikeithotbrown to slip into another gear. He pulled away in the final sixteenth to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:33.88, pricking his ears at the line to lead home a Mike Maker-trained exacta over Atone with Mr. Dumas settling for third. Maker was also fourth with Field Pass.

It was Somelikeithotbrown’s second attempt at this race after finishing second last year.

The Skychai Racing and David Koenig-raced 6-year-old is now the winner of 10 of 28 races with eight wins at the stakes level, led by two Grade 2 wins, for $1,647,018 in earnings.

Foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, Somelikeithotbrown has been a stalwart for the New York-bred program since his juvenile campaign and has taken home a New York-bred championship each year he’s raced. In addition to his wins, the Big Brown son has also placed in two Grade 1 starts.

Named as a weanling by his owners – something they admitted they rarely do – Somelikeithotbrown is out of Marilyn Monroan. The daughter of Tapit raced for Hot Pink Stable, Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable but her best result on the track was a second in eight starts. She has been a better broodmare with two of four runners winning at least one stakes and all four hitting the board. That other stakes winner is the New York-sired (by Mission Impazible) Kentucky-bred Jolting Joe, who not only won the Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes in 2020 but also placed in two open stakes in Florida that year.

This is also the extended family of champion Stevie Wonderboy and Grade 3 winner Theskens’ Theory, both half-siblings to his winning granddam Summer Scene.

Marilyn Monroan has a 2-year-old Hard Spun filly named Varsity Blonde and foaled a filly by Mendelssohn this year before going to Nyquist. Somelikeithotbrown’s sire Big Brown (winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes) stands at Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions in Stillwater. Somelikeithotbrown is his second-leading earner behind Grade 1 winner Dortmund ($1.9 million).

Dancers for Token takes the field all the way to win Monday’s Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

Glas-Tipp Stable’s homebred Dancers for Token made a winning return to stakes company Monday, going all the way on the lead to take the $50,000 Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes at Finger Lakes.

The 6-year-old son of Big Brown, sent off as the 3-1 third choice in the field of five reduced by four scratches, set all the pace under Luis Perez for his second win in three starts this season. A winner of a 1-mile and 70-yard allowance-optional two starts back June 7 and second in a similar race at the same distance July 25, Dancers for Token improved to 5-for-24 with $163,260 in earnings.

Trained by Jonathan Buckley, Dancers for Token went to the front early in the 1 1/16-mile Genesee Valley and opened up a 1 1/2-length lead through the opening quarter in :25.37. He extended the margin to 2 lengths at the half in :50.22 with 7-5 favorite Uno and 8-5 second choice Six Percent chasing in second and third.

Dancers for Token continued to roll on the lead through 6 furlongs in 1:14.44, opening up 4 lengths and eventually by 5 1/2 in midstretch. Six Percent made no dent in the gap in deep stretch but held second, 5 1/2 lengths behind the winner. Simply checked in 6 ¾ lengths behind the runner-up in third, with Anything Pazible and Uno completing the field. Dancers for Token won in 1:46.32.

Dancers for Token is out of the New York-bred Gold Token mare Token Bay, who was campaigned in partnership by Glas-Tipp and Caladon Farms on the NYRA circuit from 2006 to 2008.

Token Bay’s first foal, the New York-bred Raffie’s Majesty gelding Raffies Bay, won for Glas-Tipp and trainer Robbie Davis and earned $66,069. She’s produced three other foals, including the unraced 2-year-old Big Brown colt Ollie Can Dance.

Dancers for Token improved to 4-for-9 at Finger Lakes. He started his career on the NYRA circuit with Davis and finished ninth in the 2019 Albany Stakes as a maiden at Saratoga Race Course on Big Apple Showcase Day. Dancers for Token broke his maiden going 1 mile on the main track in early June 2020 at Belmont Park before adding two more wins in allowance company at Finger Lakes in 2021.

Big Brown, champion 3-year-old male and winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2008, stands for $5,000 at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions in Stillwater.

Thin White Duke (5) gets up in time to win Friday’s $150,000 Lucky Coin at Saratoga. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law

Phil Gleaves watched Thin White Duke walk from the saddling stalls to the outer walking ring of the paddock before Friday’s $150,000 Lucky Coin Stakes and marveled at the gelding he bred, owns and used to train.

“Just like strutting into Madison Square Garden. Like him,” Gleaves said, pointing to a small white button on his lapel of the human Thin White Duke, the late rockstar David Bowie.

Thin White Duke continued his strut about 15 minutes later, into the winner’s circle after his late-running victory under John Velazquez in the 5 ½-furlong co-featured turf stakes on the final Friday card of the 2022 Saratoga meet.

Gleaves, an unabashed Bowie fan who owns Thin White Duke with Steve Crist, Ken deRegt and Bryan Hilliard, wore the pin when the New York-bred Dominus gelding finished a fast-closing third in the Grade 3 Troy Aug. 5. He figured why not sport it again.

“Second time wearing it,” Gleaves said, on his way to the Carmen M. Barrera Horsemen’s Lounge for champagne with his wife Amy. “Steve, the last time he came up with Ken he brought a bag of them. About 12 or so. I threw it on for the Troy and today I said, ‘I’m going to grab that pin again.’ She put it on me in the parking lot right over there and I had a good feeling.”

Gleaves trained Thin White Duke for his 2- and 3-year-old campaigns. The gelding won the Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga and Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes at 2 before some physical issues limited his sophomore campaign. He made only three starts last year, finishing well back in each, before some time off.

Gleaves retired after last year’s Saratoga meet and turned to David Donk, another former assistant to the late Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens, to condition Thin White Duke and a few other horses he trained and/or owned in partnership. After finishing 10th in a dirt sprint in mid-March at Aqueduct, Thin White Duke has made seven straight starts on the grass with two wins, a second, a third and two fourths.

Thin White Duke’s last three races – all at 5 ½ furlongs on the turf at Saratoga – are arguably his three best.

“Obviously, he ran huge last time with a big Beyer number,” Donk said. “If he came close to that, he was going to be real tough today. I guess he did. I didn’t really look at the time.

“He just really improved and certainly appreciates sprinting. Johnny gave me a great ride. A lot of fun to win it for Phil, Steve, Ken and Bryan. I’m honored to have him.”

Velazquez, aboard two starts back in the runner-up effort in an open-company allowance eight days before the Troy, put Thin White Duke fourth early as 2-1 favorite The Critical Way set the pace just ahead of Proven Strategies and Dancing Buck.

Thin White Duke raced 3 1/2 lengths off The Critical Way’s opening quarter in :22.71 over the firm going and was still almost 2 lengths as Proven Strategies and Dancing Buck made a run at the leader turning for home. Dancing Buck came away with the lead just past the eight pole as The Critical Way and Proven Strategies retreated and Voodoo Zip and Joel Rosario made a run to daylight on the hedge.

Velazquez, who blamed himself for moving “a little too late,” stayed busy on Thin White Duke in the center of the course and edged past fellow New York-bred Dancing Buck just at the wire to win by a nose in 1:03.43. Fauci also made a late run from sixth early to finish three-quarters of a length back in third.

“I was waiting for Joel in the back. I’m thinking, ‘If he comes, I’ll go with him,’ ” said Velazquez, winning his 200th Saratoga stakes. “The other horse (The Critical Way) almost got loose. I was waiting for a horse behind me. I just told Dave, ‘Man, I was a little too patient waiting for Joel and he never showed up.’ We know he has a good kick, I was just hoping it was enough to catch up.”

Thin White Duke improved to 4-for-18 with three seconds and five thirds and boosted his bankroll to $426,501.

“One of the greatest riders of all time,” Donk said. “I’ve only been around two riders that ever criticize themselves when they win, and that’s Johnny and Ramon (Dominguez), so we’ll take those all the time. It wasn’t a big pace today. If you get there you get there. I’m just happy if they run well. I’ve been on the other side a lot, but that’s, that’s all we can ask.”

Foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs, Thin White Duke is out of the unraced Distorted Humor mare Aberdeen Alley. She’s the dam of Saratoga stakes winner Miami Cat, stakes-placed winners I Aint’s Gonna Lie and Now Is and winners Dunnotarr, Fortythreeoeight N, Yes And Yes and Sweet Summer Sweet. Yes And Yes finished fifth in the Troy and is entered in Tuesday’s Woodford Reserve Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial Downs.

Aberdeen Alley was euthanized in 2019 after suffering an injury and Gleaves lost Now Is to a heart attack while training in 2021. The last foal produced by Aberdeen Alley, a filly by Freud born in March 2019 and named Our Abbey Road, was also euthanized following complications from hernia surgery in late August.

Make Mischief turns for home well in control of Friday’s Yaddo Handicap. NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law

Mark Casse wants to give Make Mischief a run on the turf. Seriously, he does. 

He said as much this week, in the days leading up to the Yaddo Handicap. He said it again Friday with 15 minutes to post for the $200,000 stakes for older New York-bred fillies and mares. 

“I really want to try her on the grass sometime, but I’ll take this,” Casse said, this being a rained-off and scratch-laden field of five going 1 mile for a $110,000 first-place check. 

Casse said it again after Make Mischief powered to an 8 1/2-length victory over Ice Princess in 1:37.63 over the muddy and sealed main track. A week removed from being crowned champion New York-bred 3-year-old filly, Make Mischief won for the seventh time in 20 starts and boosted her bankroll to $746,150 for owner Gary Barber. 

“I actually wanted to run her on the grass,” Casse said in the winner’s circle. “She worked really well on the grass. The mare is 4-for-4 to produce (winners on the grass). We’ll wait for another day.

“As soon as they said it was off-the-turf my confidence rose. I wasn’t sure how many had scratched but I knew there would be a few.”

Friday’s late-morning rainstorm moved the Yaddo to the main track and shortened it from 1 1/16 miles to 1 mile out of the Wilson Chute. Only four fillies and mares showed up in the paddock to take on Make Mischief, who went to the post 3-5 under Dylan Davis. 

Wasp, the 5-2 second choice who drew in as a main track only runner, took the early lead from Make Mischief under Flavient Prat and led through splits of :24.63 and :47.50. Davis was content to led Wasp clear from the outside, give up his inside position and stalk from the outside. 

“I broke sharp and after that I was going to take an easy lead,” Davis said. “Flavien opted to come to me early. I just let her have it. I wanted to be comfortable and she was comfortable on the outside.”

Make Mischief took the lead on the far turn with little argument from Wasp and opened up. She and Davis led by 6 in midstretch and cruised from there as Ice Princess edged Wasp for the place spot by three-quarters of a length. 

Mario and Dawn Martinez of Avanti Stable, who bred Make Mischief out of their Speightstown mare Speightful Lady, were on hand for the filly’s latest victory. 

“She’s a nice filly. It was an easy race for her,” Mario Martinez said. “After getting 3-year-old filly for New York, she’s just been doing better and better.” 

Foaled at Song Hill Thoroughbreds in Mechanicville, Make Mischief improved to 3-for-5 this season. She opened the season with an allowance win in April at Aqueduct and won the Critical Eye Handicap on Big Apple Showcase Day in May at Belmont.

Make Mischief is one five winners out of Speightful Lady, who was purchased in foal to Uncle Mo by Martinez for $75,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale.

Speightful Lady delivered her first foal a few weeks later, the Uncle Mo colt later gelded and named Motown Rhythm. He was her first winner, along with $220,450-earner Speightful Kitten, the $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling Jody’s Song and the $115,000 Saratoga select yearling Crescent Lady. Speightful Lady is also the dam of an unraced 2-year-old filly by Union Rags named Speightful Lily, who turned in her first 3-furlong breeze in :38.66 Friday at Saratoga. She’s the dam of a Goldencents colt named Speightful Storm bred by Avanti and Song Hill born Feb. 19. She was bred to Mendelssohn in 2022.

Somelikeithotbrown scores first victory on dirt in West Point

Somelikeithotbrown, already a four-time New York-bred champion, picks up his first win on dirt in Friday’s West Point Stakes at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.

Somelikeithotbrown also picked up a New York-bred championship last Friday night – his fourth – and added another stakes to his resume with a victory in the rained-off $174,000 West Point to close the stakes portion of the Showcase Day card. 

The 6-year-old son of Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions’ Big Brown was voted New York-bred champion at 2 and 3 and as turf male the last two seasons and he won for the first time on dirt Friday over two opponents in the 1-mile West Point. The longest price on the board at 5-2 behind odds-on favorite and recent Evan Shipman winner Bankit and 8-5 second choice Jerry The Nipper, Somelikeithotbrown won by 6 lengths under Jose Ortiz in 1:37.68. Bankit finished second, 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Jerry The Nipper. 

Somelikeithotbrown came into the West Point with 20 of 26 starts on the grass, along with four on synthetic tracks. He’d raced just once on dirt and that run gave trainer Mike Maker plenty of confidence. 

“It [coming off the turf] didn’t bother me,” Maker said. “I knew it would be a short field. He ran fourth as a 3-year-old in the Blue Grass. A mile and an eighth was probably a bit too far for him. We figured we’d give it a shot. I talked to the ownerships and they said, ‘If you feel he’s doing well enough, let’s run.’ ”

Bred by Hot Pink Stables and Sand Dollar Stables and campaigned by Skychai Racing and David Koenig, Somelikeithotbrown won his seventh stakes in the West Point. 

“It’s been a while since he ran on the dirt,” Ortiz said. “He’s shown tremendous ability over the turf. Mike has done a tremendous job with him since he was a 2-year-old. … He’s got great form on turf and he ran good today on dirt, but it’s a three-horse race. It’s nice to know that if you’re going in on turf, and if it rains, which happens a lot, you can run on the dirt.” 

Somelikeithotbrown, a three-time graded stakes winner and multiple Grade 1-placed, earned $110,000 for the West Point and padded his bankroll to $1,316,248.

Foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, Somelikeithotbrown is one of two New York-bred stakes winners for the Tapit mare Marilyn Monroan. She’s also the dam of Jolting Joe, who is 3-7-6 in 28 starts for $180,590 in earnings. Marilyn Monroan is also the dam of the 2-year-old Hard Spun filly Varsity Blond and a filly by Mendelssohn born Feb. 22 in Kentucky.

Maple Leaf Mel returns 16 days after maiden victory to take Seeking the Ante to kick off Showcase Day. NYRA Photo.

By Paul Halloran

Jeremiah Englehart was struggling with how to break the news to Bill Parcells that he would not be at Saratoga Race Course August 10 for the debut of Parcells’ filly, Maple Leaf Mel.

“This is his locker room,” Englehart said of the Hall of Fame coach. “When I missed her run the first time, I was watching a Mets game with my kids. He said, ‘I could see myself telling Mr. (Wellington) Mara, I’m not going to be able to make the NFC Championship game this week because I gotta take my kids to a Mets game.’ ”

Parcells actually took the news in stride and it was all good when Maple Leaf Mel rolled to a 5-length win in the maiden special weight for New York-breds. It was even better Friday when the daughter of Cross Traffic made it 2-for-2 – this time with the trainer front and center – with a 3 1/2-length score in the slop in the $194,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes to kick off Saratoga Showcase Day.

“We knew she was a talented filly,” Englehart said. “She handled another test, coming back on short rest and she handled the off track. I thought Joel (Rosario) put her in a super spot. When you ask her, she goes.”

Maple Leaf Mel, who was bred by Joe Fafone and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, is the fourth foal and now third multiple winner out of City Gift. She battled with Song Parody early Friday before taking the lead going down the backstretch of the 6 1/2-furlong stakes for 2-year-old fillies. Longshot Lady Mine took over second on the far turn and appeared as if she might pose a serious threat, but Rosario had plenty of horse left, something which was obvious to the astute Parcells.

“I know Joel pretty well,” Parcells said. “I’ve seen what he does and how he behaves. He’s worked the horse, he’s been on the horse. I knew he had horse left.”

Parcells, who celebrated his 81st birthday Monday, was pleased to be back in the Saratoga winner’s circle.

“It’s the best,” he said, when asked to compare winning a horse race with his myriad of gridiron accomplishments. “It’s nice to be my age and have something like this to get you as excited as this.”

Englehart said he was smitten when he saw Maple Leaf Mel, an $18,000 yearling at Keeneland last September, at the Fasig-Tipton Midtlantic May 2-year-olds in training sale.

“You want to have those horses that when they come out of the stall and they show them to you, you get stars in your eyes,” he said. “Maybe that’s a little dramatic, but she was one of those horse that gave you that good feeling.”

Robbie Medina, who buys a lot of horses for Parcells, and trainer George Weaver were all on board and they went to $150,000 to add her to Parcells’ August Dawn Farm roster.

They named her for Englehart’s assistant, Ontario native Melanie Giddings, which Englehart figured might give him a leg up in getting the horse into his barn. The plan worked and Maple Leaf Mel is doing her namesake, a Stage 4 cancer survivor, proud.

“I talked her into coming up here last year just to live again, to get going again,” Englehart said. “She probable hated me for it because it was a lot of work. We’re like brother and sister. You can have an argument but you still love ’em. I trust her more than anyone.”

After the impressive debut win, open company was a consideration for the second start, but the connections were looking for Maple Leaf Mel to get more of a stern test before taking that leap.

“The first race wasn’t a contest,” Parcells said. “We wanted her to be in a little better scuffle. We’ll talk about the next one.”

It will be yet another conversation with the coach that Englehart values, even if they are not all cordial.

“I tell anyone, you haven’t been yelled at until you’ve been yelled at by a two-time, Super Bowl-winning, Hall of Fame football coach,” he said. “I’m a better person for knowing him and being able to work with him. In the last four years of our friendship the life lessons I’ve gotten from him is like having another dad.”

Mr Amore Stable’s homebred Andiamo a Firenze rolls in Funny Cide

Andiamo a Firenze, a half brother to Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire, adds Funny Cide to growing resume Friday at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.

When you have horses coming into a state-bred race off an open stakes in which they were very competitive, the result is often predictable. That was the story of Friday’s $200,000 Funny Cide Stakes.

Andiamo a Firenze, a homebred younger brother of nine-time graded stakes winner and $2,730,350-earner Firenze Fire, rebounded from a third in the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes July 16 and rolled to an easy victory as the odds-on favorite in the race named for the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness champ.

“He ran great today,” said owner and breeder Ron Lombardi of Mr. Amore Stable. “The last race was a little disappointing. He got tired. Kelly got him back to where he needed to be and I think today he showed what he’s all about.”

Trainer Kelly Breen said the ability to run in a state-bred stakes race such a big purse was the perfect opportunity for the son of Speightstown and the fourth winning foal out of the Langfuhr mare My Every Wish.

“We increase our purse and get to run against New York-breds, so it’s a win-win for us,” Breen said. “This gives him great experience and is maybe a confidence booster. He did run hard the last time and he was tired after that race.”

I’m Wide Awake set a blistering pace, completing the first quarter-mile in :21.29. Belt Parkway tracked him in second and it is no coincidence that the pair finished fifth and sixth in the six-horse field. Irad Ortiz Jr. had Andiamo a Firenze a close third heading into the far turn of the 6 1/2-furlong race, took the lead as they straightened for home and the horse showed his class in winning by 5 1/2 lengths in 1:18.72.

“They went very fast, :21.1,” Lombardi said. “Irad knew he had the horse and when he asked him to go by, he put them away quite easily.”

If all goes well, Andiamo a Firenze will try to follow in his brother’s footsteps by winning the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes Oct. 1 in the Belmont at the Aqueduct fall meeting.

“We’ll celebrate today and hopefully he comes out of this well and the Champagne is in our  sights and we’ll move him forward,” Lombardi said.

Breen thinks his colt can build off of Friday’s performance.

“This is a great steppingstone,” he said. “The timing was great, everything about it. We nominated to the Hopeful as a back-up plan if this race didn’t fill. Today he ran fast early and just kept on going.”

Bossmakinbossmoves delivers big win for his connections in Friday’s Albany Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day. NYRA Photo.

By Paul Halloran

If the East Avenue Racing people thought they were a lock for Most Raucous Winner’s Circle at Saratoga Race Course this year, the Clear Stars Stable folks would like a word.

Two weeks after East Avenue turned up the volume in their celebration of Vallelujah’s state-bred allowance win, Michael Sternklar and his group from Clear Stars raised the roof when Bossmakinbossmoves overcame a terrible start to win the Albany Stakes for 3-year-olds on Saratoga Showcase Day.

“One time in the paddock another trainer came up to me and said, ‘If I don’t win I hope you guys do because there’s nothing like watching your team celebrate,’ ” Sternklar said.

Hopefully, that trainer was around Friday.

By Laoban out of the Bernardini mare Marshtini and owned by Clear Stars Stable, Mitre Box Stable and trainer Rick Schosberg, Bossmakinbossmoves hopped at the start of the 1 1/8-mile Albany and was immediately trailing the four-horse field by 2 lengths. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. allowed the gelding to get into his stride while not losing touch with the field down the backstretch.

“He jumped at the break,” Ortiz said. “Our plan was to let the speed go and make the last move, so I don’t panic. I let the horse get his stride and let him do his thing. He was moving on his own and doing good.”

Ortiz had Bossmakinbossmoves, who was bred by McMahon of Saratoga and Spruce Lane Farm and foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs, about 5 lengths behind the triumvirate of Price Discipline, Barese and Montebello, who were all 2-1 odds or less, down the backstretch. He made an inside move on the turn, then swung wide and powered past Barese and Montebello at the sixteenth-pole to win by three lengths in 1:51.29 and ignite the mayhem.

Bossmakinbossmoves, a $52,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall yearling sale, was bought by Clear Stars for $75,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midtlantic May 2-year-old sale. The third winning foal out of Marshtini, he broke his maiden in the mud at Aqueduct last December, but lost seven straight heading into the Albany. Schosberg removed the blinkers for the previous race, resulting in a second behind Price Discipline, giving the connections some confidence.

“We took the blinkers off,” Schosberg said. “We took a lot of the equipment off of him and he’s settled down. We’ve been training him at Clare Court and he’s really relaxed over there. I think he’s matured and his last race showed it, but this was a wonderful surprise.”

Sternklar started Clear Stars 17 years ago on a suggestion from his best friend and University at Albany roommate Rich Honen.

“We were splitting $5 bets and Rich said, ‘some day, we’ll be able to own horses,’ ” Sternklar said. “In 2004 or 2005 he calls me up and says, ‘you know, we’re not poor anymore. We can actually do this.’ I guess we can.”

Equine artist Michael Geraghty introduced Sternklar to Schosberg and they have been together since. Their first win was with Zippy Shannon in the Schenectady Stakes at Belmont Park in 2006 and they won the inaugural Seeking the Ante Stakes in 2014 with Myfourchix. Last year, A Bit o’Irish Sass brought home the New York Oaks at Finger Lakes.

Nothing, however, compares to what occurred on Union Avenue Friday.

“Of all of them this is the best,” Sternklar said, “because this is Saratoga and it’s a horse that, frankly, no one thought was going to win. “These people around me, this community we’ve built at Clear Stars, I love them all.”

Clear Stars has 14 horses in training, all New York-breds.

“What isn’t appealing about the NY program?” said Sternklar, a Saratoga Springs resident and CEO of a healthcare benefits company. “If you’re going to race in New York, financially there are such benefits. You can race for purses that are bigger than stakes races in 47 states around the country. This is a friends and family group. If you’re into a community of people who like to feel like you’re an owner and not just an investor, That’s who we are. We’re about having fun.”

That was evident Friday.

Fingal’s Cave stays perfect in Fleet Indian

Fingal’s Cave runs record to 4-for-4 with gritty score in Fleet Indian on Showcase Day. NYRA Photo.

David Donk has given John Velazquez a leg up on many a winner, so he was feeling pretty anxious when the Hall of Fame jockey aboard Let Her Inspire U led the field into the stretch of the Fleet Indian Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies Friday.

“She had to work for it today,” said Donk, wearing his customary New York Jets hat in the winner’s circle. “That’s a Hall of Famer in front.”

Jose Ortiz is pretty good in his own right and he had enough horse underneath him to catch the frontrunner and keep Fingal’s Cave’s record a perfect 4-for-4 in the Fleet Indian.

“You don’t plan on them being undefeated,” Donk said. “We know she is a nice horse. She’s got a lot of class.”

By Carpe Diem out of the Mineshaft mare Barbie On a Budget, Fingal’s Cave was bred by Chester and Mary Broman and foaled at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown. Alifyfe Racing bought her privately for $85,000 after she was bought back for $75,000 at the 2021 OBS April 2-year-olds in training sale.

“I worked with bloodstock agent Marette Farrell,” said Alistair Fyfe, who owns the racing partnership. “She thought she was a very nice mover.”

Fingal’s Cave had some minor issues and was sent to Kentucky to Becky Maker, who recommended giving her time to develop. She won a state-bred maiden special at Belmont in May and an allowance in June by a combined 17 1/2 lengths. Donk stretched her to 1 1/8 miles to win an open allowance at Saratoga July 29, setting her up for the Fleet Indian start.

“David still thinks there is a lot to come,” said Fyfe, who has been in the ownership game for about 20 years and won his first stakes Friday. “We haven’t been really pushing her. We’ll probably take a little swing for fences next time and see where we can go.”

Let Her Inspire U set honest fractions of :24.19, :48.15 and 1:12.34 while maintaining a half-length lead over Fingal’s Cave down the backstretch. Velazquez extended the lead to a length around the turn as Ortiz took aim and favorite Venti Valentine drooped back. Fingal’s Cave finally got a head in front at the sixteenth pole and won by a half-length in 1:15.59.

“When we hit the three-eighths pole, things started getting serious,” Ortiz said. “ The other filly kept engaging with me. Every time Johnny asked her she kept on giving it. Finally, I got head-to-head with the other horse. My filly had run a mile and an eighth, the other one hasn’t. So, I rode her with a lot of confidence from the eighth pole to the wire and she got the job done.”