Empire Friday
Real Writing on Racing 💯
🎪 The weather couldn’t have been better yesterday, a nice respite from the sauna that was last week. Hopefully the rest of the week will be as nice as Thursday. A ton of New York bred races on tap for today, seven of the ten including three stakes races. Naj Thompson will be busy for sure!
🎪 Rob Atras won a pair of races after a pretty chilly first half of the meet. Angelinka (Fr) grinded out a win in the second, a $32000 claimer going 5.5 on the grass, as the 8/5 favorite. He also won the fourth with Ghost Giant, a NY bred allowance race going a mile on the inner turf. The margins of the two victories were a neck and a head, showing how small the the difference is between winning and losing in this game.
🎪 I saw trainer Leah Gyarmati before the 5th race as asked her how her horse, Top Envoy, a first time starter by Honorable Dillion, was training. She said he was was ready to run but had never shown all that much in the mornings and that they were trying on the grass because his female family was much better on turf. When I asked if he could win, she laughed and said I just hope he doesn’t embarrass us. Well he was ready to run, the turf angle seemed to work well and the gelding sure didn’t put any shame on his connections good name as he pulled off the 34-1 upset. He broke alertly under JJ Castellano, who had him forwardly placed behind On Palm Sunday, who opened up a 9 length lead on the backside. He moved to the front nearing the quarter pole and opened a lead that he maintained to the wire. Sometimes horses will surprise you in a good way…
🎪 Len Lo Lady, who hadn’t been seen at the races since March of 2021, made a triumphant return by capturing the 8th, a filly starter allowance going 7 furlongs on the dirt. Trained by Dale Romans for longtime client Robert Baron, the Speightstown filly was Romans first 2022 Spa winner in only 4 tries.
🏆 The Galway was a listed stakes for three year old fillies going 5.5 furlongs on the Mellon Turf course. Going in it seemed to be a wide open race with a full field of relatively equally matched contenders. Eventual winner, Poppy Flower was exiting two good races, a win in the Stormy Blues at Laurel in June, going 5f on turf, and a runner up effort opening Day in the Coronation Cup after some early trouble. Sent off at a generous 4-1 under Jose Ortiz, the filly by Lea trained by Bill Mott, was well back early before swinging to the outside to commence a strong stretch rally to turn the tables on Empress Tigress who had beaten her in the last.
💨 The fastest horse in Harness Racing history is in action tonight at Hoosier Park in Indiana. Bulldog Hanover faces 9 others in the Dan Patch Stakes for older pacers, fresh off of brief layoff since breaking the world record at month ago at the Meadowlands pacing an unbelievable 1:45.4
🎙 My co-host on the Going in Circles Big Monday show, Mr Barry Spears, is in town and we will be on Steve Byk’s At the Races show today sometime after 10:30. If you miss the live version, you can catch the replay in the archives section at www.SteveByk.com or click Here
Day 22 (18 racing days to go)
Evan Shipman Handicap $125,000 1 Mile Dirt NYB’s
Bankit - the rarely seen international grade 2 to New York bred stakes move, the Asmussen trainee returns to US action after an unsuccessful try at the Godolphin Mile back in March in Dubai. Always a tough customer in NY bred company, gets the services of Rosario and lands in a race that appears to have ample pace to set up his late run. A logical contender though the price may give some pause as the six year old only has six lifetime wins in 33 starts and not much form this year as a six year old.
Brooklyn Strong - was third in Saginaw last out at Belmont though was never a real threat. Hasn’t been in good form for awhile though with potentially a hot pace in front of him, perhaps he could pick up some pieces late.
Three Jokers - last year at four was a solid NY bred performer, quickly winning through his NYB conditions before running second in this event and the Ashley T Cole before bombing in the Empire Classic. This year he has been toiling in the open NW1x allowance ranks with limited success. Has tactical speed which should help in this one mile Wilson chute race and Johnny V taking the call won’t hurt. Mixed signals.
Therisastormbrewin - potentially the pace setter, he set swift and contentious fractions when leading for most in Saginaw last out before conceding late to Market Alert. Record at a mile is 8-3-1-2 though is O-2 at the Spa. Saez sticks which is always a positive though trainer Rodriguez is mired in a meet long slump, 42-0-5-6 going into yesterday. Presence of other confirmed front runner, Sea Foam complicates matters.
Tiergan - wheels back off of the Morey claim a week ago for $45000, the second consecutive tagging for him as he was also claimed in his previous start for the same price. Obviously is fit and fast enough to be a contender, the main question is the short turnaround off of a blowout win on a super hot day? Has plenty of mile experience, 14-3-6-3 which is good for 86% on the board at the distance. Also should get good trip behind pacesetters and though Morey has been quiet at Spa so far (6-0-2-0) he has 28% off the claim strike rate and is 29% in stake events with a sample size of 35 starts. Adds to the puzzle.
Market Alert - captured the Saginaw in latest albeit with very favorable set up. Jose Ortiz will be looking for a similar trip, hoping that perhaps a fast pace will materialize once again. Might trip out once again at nice price.
Sea Foam - defending Evan Shipman champ, is a confirmed front runner and the tactics employed by Carmouche here may determine how this race will go. From the outside post, you’d expect him to be aggressive and try to grab the early lead coming out of the chute as his listed lines where he doesn’t get the lead aren’t good. The thing is that this years edition is a one turn race and the vast majority of his success has been at two turns. Loves Saratoga (6-4-1-0) but all four wins were at 1 1/8 and the presence of similarly styled, Therisastormbrewin, who also only wins on the lead makes this a tough call. Leaning against in here.