Millionaire and multiple New York-bred champion Somelikeithotbrown headlines Friday’s $200,000 West Point Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day.
Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.

By Joe Clancy

New York-breds take center stage during Friday’s Saratoga Showcase Day featuring 11 races – all for horses bred in the Empire State – and six stakes.

The stakes lineup starts early at 1:05 p.m. with the $200,000 Seeking The Ante for 2-year-old fillies. The group features two $360,000 purchases – Song Parody and Miracle. The first sold at Fasig-Tipton July, joining the ownership group of Runnymede Farm, Peter Callahan and Paul Goodrich. The daughter of Practical Joke makes her first start for trainer Christophe Clement after winning her debut by 5 1/2 lengths at Belmont Park June 25 for Kelly Breen. Miracle, trained by Rodolphe Brisset for WinStar Farm and Siena Farm, won her debut by 6 lengths here July 27. Other Saratoga winners Lady Mine and Maple Leaf Mel join the field.

The $250,00 Albany for 3-year-olds goes as the third race. New York Derby winner Barese seeks his fifth win for trainer Mike Maker. The Laoban colt was fourth in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby before that and will have to deal with Price Discipline, who is a head from being undefeated in three starts.

Three-year-old fillies tangle in the $200,000 Fleet Indian, led by the 3-for-3 Fingal’s Cave from the David Donk barn. The daughter of Carpe Diem won her debut by 8 1/2 lengths and her second start by 9, both at Belmont, before winning an open-company allowance here July 29. That was her first start around two turns and she returns at the 1 1/8-mile distance Friday. Todd Pletcher counters with Let Her Inspire U, a $500,000 purchase last year who has won her last two including a state-bred allowance here July 22.

New York Oaks winner Galaxiana goes out for trainer Jim Bond while Venti Valentine gets some class relief after making three consecutive starts in graded company.

Andiamo a Firenze exits a third in Grade 3 Sanford and looms large in the Funny Cide Stakes. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

The $200,000 Funny Cide lured six 2-year-olds headed by Andiamo A Firenze, who was third in the Grade 3 Sanford here July 16. The lineup also includes Saratoga maiden winners Donegal Surges and Acoustive Ave.

The $200,000 Yaddo attracted a crowd of 11, plus one on the also-eligible list. Marvelous Maude rides a two-race winning streak into her stakes debut while Classic Lady looks to improve two spots on her third in the Yaddo’s last two runnings. She won the Dayatthespa here last summer for Clement. Make Mischief has never raced on the turf, but owns six wins including a score two back in the Critical Eye at Belmont.

Turf males meet in the $200,000 West Point, which drew Therapist, who has placed in the last three runnings of the race. Graded winner Somelikeithotbrown brings a $1,206,248 bankroll into his first West Point as Maker removes blinkers. Maker also entered fellow millionaire Cross Border, whose Saratoga record includes wins in the Lubash Stakes and Grade 2 Bowling Green in addition to three victories at the 2019 meet. Last year’s West Point winner City Man drops out of a win in the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple here July 15 for Clement.

The New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. will honor a quintet of the greatest New York-breds to compete and represent the program at Saratoga Race Course on Saratoga New York Showcase Day Friday, August 26.

Connections from all-time New York greats Fio Rito, Commentator, Fourstardave, Funny Cide, and Tiz the Law will each be honored following Friday’s fifth race at 3:21 p.m. on the day with a certificate of achievement for their racing career representing the New York-bred program.

The quintet was chosen by a distinguished panel of New York turf writers and represent the first class of honorees recognizing their importance in setting forth the New York-bred program.

Fio Rito: Two-time New York-bred Horse of the Year best known for his upset victory in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Race Course in 1982. He won 16 stakes overall, including the Grade 2 Michigan Mile and One-Eighth Handicap at Detroit Race Course. Bred and owned by Ray LeCesse, a bowling alley owner in Rochester, Fio Rito retired with 28 wins in 50 starts and earnings of $584,142 for trainer Michael S. Ferraro.

Commentator: Voted New York-bred Horse of the Year in 2005 and 2008 – the same seasons he won the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Race Course. Bred by Michael Martinez and campaigned by Tracy Farmer, who purchased him for $135,000 at the 2002 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale, Commentator won 14 of 24 starts with five other placings and $2,049,845 for trainer Nick Zito. In addition to his Whitney victories he won the Grade 2 Richter Scale Sprint Handicap in 2008 at Gulfstream Park.

Fourstardave: Nicknamed the “Sultan of Saratoga” for his penchant for winning at the Spa, Richard Bomze’s homebred Compliance gelding won at least one race in upstate New York annual from 1987 to 1994. The victories included the 1987 Empire Stakes on the dirt as a 2-year-old, three straight editions of the Grade 3 Daryl’s Joy Stakes from 1990 to 1993 and the 1989 and 1991 West Point Handicap. He retired with 21 victories in 100 starts, along with 34 placings, and $1,636,737 in earnings for trainer Leo O’Brien.

Funny Cide: Sackatoga Stable’s Distorted Humor gelding put the New York breeding program in worldwide headlines with his victories in the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He was named New York-bred divisional champion three straight years and New York-bred Horse of the Year during his Eclipse Award-winning season in 2003. Foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs and trained by Barclay Tagg, Funny Cide also won the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2004 at Belmont Park and Grade 3 Excelsior Breeders’ Cup Handicap in 2004 at Aqueduct. He retired in 2007 with 11 wins in 38 starts – including nine stakes – and earnings of $3,529,412.

Tiz the Law: Named New York-bred Horse of the Year in 2019 and 2020, Tiz the Law racked up victories in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at 2 at Belmont Park and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes at Belmont and Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga at 3. Foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson and purchased for $110,000 by Jack Knowlton of Sackatoga Stable, the son of Constitution also won the Grade 1 Florida Derby and Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes – both at Gulfstream – and finished second in the 2020 Kentucky Derby. He retired with six wins in nine starts and $2,735,300 for trainer Barclay Tagg.

Friday’s Saratoga New York Showcase Day, a racing card complete with exclusively New York-bred restricted races, includes six stakes – the $250,000 Albany for 3-year-olds, $200,000 Fleet Indian for 3-year-old fillies, $200,000 Funny Cide presented by Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for 2-year-olds, $200,000 Seeing the Ante for 2-year-old fillies, $200,000 West Point Handicap presented by Trustco Bank for 3-year-olds and up on the turf, and the $200,000 Yaddo Handicap for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up on the turf.

The 2022 season at Saratoga Race Course continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 5. For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com.

Gainesway Stable’s homebred Spendarella rolls to victory in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks. Benoit Photo

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Making her first start since an eye-catching second in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, Gainesway Stable’s homebred Spendarella returned to her winning ways Saturday with impressive win in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.

Looking to take her record to four wins in five starts, Spendarella settled comfortably in fourth just behind the leaders in the 1 1/8-mile stakes. Angled to the rail soon after the break by Tyler Gaffalione, that’s where Spendarella stayed down the backstretch in the spaced-out field with the eventual winner about 5 lengths off the leader for much of the run.

Spendarella swung a few paths wide around the turn and didn’t take long to show why she was the 6-5 favorite favorite as she cruised past the leader at the top of the stretch. The race was over from there with the only question being how many lengths she would win by. Spendarella  provided that answer – 4 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:47.09.

“We’ve always known that she’s going to grow into a beautiful filly and just get bigger and stronger as she goes and that’s what she showed today,” said Alice Clapham, assistant to Graham Motion. “I think [Gaffalione] had her in the perfect spot, he got tucked in coming off the chute and he said she was just waiting for him to say go and he said she still has another gear.”

The Del Mar Oaks marked the third graded stakes win for the 3-year-old, who won both the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream and Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland.

Foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson and bred by Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd., Spendarella is the first Grade 1 winner for Gainesway’s Breeders’ Cup Mile and French classic winner Karakontie.

Offered at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale, Spendarella was reported sold for $220,000 to Ballyfair Bloodstock out of the Gainesway consignment but has raced for her breeder in all five of her starts.

She is out of the winning Unusual Heat mare Spanish Bunny, who also produced Grade 1 American Oaks winner Spanish Queen and the Spendarella’s stakes winning and multiple graded stakes placed full sister Spanish Loveaffair from her three runners.

Spanish Bunny had a Kentucky-bred Uncle Mo colt this year and visited both Karakontie and Quality Road in 2022.

Golden Rocket and jockey Jose Gomez up the NYSS Statue of Liberty. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

By Tom Law and Timothy Littau

The biggest achievements of Alpha’s racing career came at Saratoga Race Course – to the tune of four wins in six starts including the Grade 1 Travers at 3 and Grade 1 Woodward at 4.

The former New York-based stallion played a role in another huge moment Thursday when his 3-year-old daughter Golden Rocket sprang a 33-1 upset in the $150,000 Statue of Liberty division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes. Claimed out of a Monmouth Park turf race this spring, Golden Rocket closed from sixth of eight under apprentice jockey Jose Gomez as the longest price in the field of eight.

“I feel great, it feels awesome,” said Gomez, who won his first stakes and race on the grass at Saratoga aboard the filly for the first time. “It’s the best feeling in the world.”

Owners Robert Lambe and Chad Anshelewitz were hoping for that feeling when they and trainer Patricia Farro claimed the chestnut filly for $16,000 June 3 at Monmouth.

Anshelewitz said looking at Golden Rocket’s speed figures played a role in the claim, along with watching her half-brother Matty’s Express win a New York-bred allowance at Saratoga last summer for Lambe.

“I know her very well and I know she’s going to finish,” Anshelewitz said. “We thought she’s going to give whatever her 100 percent is. If it’s good for third or fourth, or if she’s going to win, she’s going to give 100 percent. The 100 percent got her to the winner’s circle.”

Golden Rocket’s connections celebrate 33-1 upset in the Statue of Liberty. NYRA Photo.

Golden Rocket improved to 3-for-8 and boosted her bankroll to $117,135 with the $82,500 first-place check for the Statue of Liberty victory. She defeated Royal Dancer by a half-lengh with 9-5 favorite Busy Morning another 1 1/4 lengths back in third. Dream Central, bidding for her second stakes win of the meet after taking the Suzie O’Cain July 20, finished fourth. Golden Rocket won in 1:36.22 over the firm turf softened up just a touch after rain overnight Wednesday and periodically Thursday.

Bred by Ballybrit Stables and out of the Touch Gold mare Taty’s Gold, Golden Rocket started her career last September at Monmouth Park. She finished third in a 6-furlong maiden claimer, then resurfaced two months later and finished fifth in a similar 7-furlong maiden at Tampa Bay Downs.

Trainer Mike Dini switched Golden Rocket to the grass for her next start and she hasn’t raced on the main track since. She won a 1-mile maiden claimer on the grass in early January, finished second the day she was claimed and won a starter allowance July 3 at Monmouth. Golden Rocket came into the Statue of Liberty off a seventh in an open allowance July 23 at Monmouth.

“We knew she was New York-bred,” Anshelewitz said. “We got her in the barn, we saw she was all right and ran her in the starter. … We wanted to see if she was this caliber (and) she proved that obviously.”

Taty’s Gold won nine of 44 starts with 11 placings for $213,460 in earnings. Her first foal, the New York-bred Admiral Kitten gelding Matty’s Express, is 4-3-4 in 27 starts with $147,269 in earnings. He won a 1 1/16-mile allowance on the grass last summer and is entered as an also-eligible in a 1-mile claiming race Saturday at Monmouth.

Taty’s Gold is also the dam of Golden Oldie, a full sister to Golden Rocket who has won two of 17 starts and $43,721 for Ballybrit Stable and Dini. She’s entered in a 5 ½-furlong claiming race Monday at Colonial Downs.

Golden Rocket is from the fourth crop of Alpha, a son of Bernardini who started his stud career for Darley/Godolphin Racing at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson. Alpha won six of 22 starts and earned $1,815,667. A dead-heat winner of the Travers with Golden Ticket, Alpha also won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga, a maiden race in his first start as a 2-year-old in 2011 and the Grade 1 Woodward in 2013.

Dakota Gold cruises to front-running victory in Wednesday’s Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes. NYRA Photo.

By Timothy Littau

Dakota Gold gave Reeves Thoroughbred Racing its fifth stakes and eighth victory overall at the 2022 Saratoga Race Course meeting in Wednesday’s Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series.

“Eight winners all together. I remember the days when I begged for just one win up here, and that wasn’t that far back,” Dean Reeves said with a laugh after Dakota Gold scored a gate-to-wire win in the Cab Calloway. “It’s been unbelievable, but there was a lot of work done by a lot of good people on our team before we got here.

“They’ve done a lot of work preparing these horses, they gave them a lot of time off and then when they got here, our trainers just did a great job of getting them ready for these races and we were really gunning for Saratoga. That’s when I’m going to be here, and we want to run and win some races here.”

Dakota Gold, a son of Freud ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., led the field of eight every step of the way in the $150,000 mile stakes on the inner turf. Second by a head in the $125,000 Rick Violette Stakes July 21, Dakota Gold avenged that with a 1-length win in 1:37.20 over the firm turf.

“We played around with the field last time and it got me beat,” winning trainer Danny Gargan said. “I couldn’t take that chance today. He’s a little better if he stalks, but I didn’t want to take any chances today. Let’s just go and get it out of the way – that was our plan and it worked out. Next time, we’ll try the open company and I probably won’t send him [to the lead], it depends on the pace scenario.”

Dean Reeves is thrilled with the New York-bred program and the success that he has had in it, and is investing for the long-run.

“We think this is a great program and we will continue to buy New York-breds,” he said. “We bought a lot of nice ones at this past sale (Aug. 14-15), and we bought some as weanlings a year ago that we’re excited about. So, we should be pretty tough next year.”

In the short-term, Gargan is excited for Dakota Gold’s next start.

“There’s a race at Keeneland (Grade 3 $300,000 Bryan Station Oct. 29) that I’m looking at,” he said. “There’s a race at Aqueduct (Grade 2, $300,000 Hill Prince Oct. 22). There’s a couple of different options. He could show up at Keeneland going a mile for straight 3-year-olds. I’ll get with the team and think of our next plan. We’ll try something a little different, but I think he’s better at a mile.”

After that, lofty goals – Grade 1 goals – are in store for Dakota Gold.

“The Hollywood Derby (in November) is where we’re going to end the year,” Gargan said. “We’ll go to there, a straight 3-year-old race. He’s only 3, we’ll see where he ends up in his 4-year-old career. But this year we’re only going to keep him against 3-year-olds and after that Hollywood Derby he’ll go back to the farm in Ocala like we did last year, give him a couple months off and try to keep doing this again for another year.”

Freud, a full brother to Giant’s Causeway and 24-year-old son of Storm Cat, stands for $5,000 at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson.

An $83,000 purchase by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale, Dakota Gold boosted his earnings to $575,000 with Wednesday’s.

Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Ron Bowden, Dakota Gold was foaled at The New Hill Farm in Hoosick Falls and consigned by that operation when he sold for $83,000 as a weaning at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

Dakota Gold is one of three foals to run out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Dakota Kid, who is a half-sister to Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Dakota Phone and stakes-placed Black Hills Goldie. Each of Dakota Gold’s first five dams are stakes producers with his third dam also winning four career stakes races.

Dakota Kid has a New York-bred juvenile colt by Redesdale named Ramblin’ Wreck, who was purchased by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing for $140,0000 from The New Hill Farm at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. He finished sixth in his debut for Gargan, Reeves Thoroughbred Partners and Peter and Patty Searles Aug 11 at Saratoga. She foaled a New York-bred Mucho Macho Man colt in May 2021 and wasn’t bred in 2022.

Barry Schwartz’s homebred Bustin Stones filly Gone and Forgotten rolls to victory in Monday’s Jack Betta Be Rite at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

Gone and Forgotten stayed out of trouble early, jockey Luis Perez wasn’t tempted into a middle move and Barry Schwartz’s second-generation homebred filly rolled to victory in Monday’s $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes at Finger Lakes.

The 4-year-old daughter of Bustin Stones made her stakes debut in the 1 1/16-mile Jack Betta Be Rite and improved to 8-for-11 at Finger Lakes and for her career with a 5 1/2-length victory. Coming off a second in an open-company allowance two weeks ago at Finger Lakes – a loss that ended a five-race win streak going back to last October – Gone and Forgotten went to the post the 5-2 second choice in the field of eight New York-bred fillies and mares.

Perez allowed Gone and Forgotten to settle behind an early pace battle between Toolcat, Kateri Empire, Love and Love and Tax Me Naught into the first turn. Love and Love, the 9-5 favorite shipping in from Belmont Park for trainer Mike Miceli, led through the opening quarter-mile in :24.02.

The battle for the lead continued up the backstretch with four mares across the track, with Toolcat taking a slim lead over Love and Love before Tax Me Naught made a three-wide run to the front under Nazario Alvarado. Tax Me Naught opened up after a half in :48.42 and 6 furlongs in 1:14.09 just as Gone and Forgotten started her run.

Tax Me Naught continued to lead into the stretch but Gone and Forgotten built up too much momentum and ran past her at the eighth pole. Perez stayed busy on Gone and Forgotten in deep stretch and they drew off to an easy win for trainer Michael Ferraro. Gone and Forgotten earned $30,000 for the victory to boost her bankroll to $150,705.

Foaled at Schwartz’s Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, Gone and Forgotten is the third foal and first winner out of the stakes-winning Yes It’s True mare Little Rocket.

Little Rocket won five of 19 starts for Schwartz from 2012 to 2014. She won the 2014 Susan B. Anthony Stakes and finished third in that year’s edition of the Jack Betta Be Rite, both at Finger Lakes. She’s out of the Pentelicus mare How About Now, winner of the Grade 2 Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga in 1996 for Schwartz and trainer Mike Hushion.

Little Rocket was sold in foal to Tamarkuz for $19,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. She produced a filly by that sire in Turkey this April