Belmont at the Big A: Stakes Previews

Dandy Handyman fresh and ready for $120K Awad

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Maram LLC’s Kentucky homebred Dandy Handyman will make his stakes debut in Saturday’s $120,000 Awad at 1 1/16-miles over the inner turf for juveniles, at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

The Awad is part of a stacked card that includes the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso, a one-turn mile for 3-year-olds and upward offering the top-four finishers a free nomination and starting fee in the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile slated for December 3 at the Big A. Also featured Saturday are the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up and the $120,000 Pumpkin Pie at seven furlongs on the main track for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Dandy Handyman will look to provide trainer Keri Brion with just her third stakes win on the flat. Brion, an accomplish hurdles trainer, conditions the reigning Champion Steeplechaser in The Mean Queen, who won a pair of Grade 1s on the NYRA jumps circuit last year.

Brion sent out Sa’ad to win the Flat at Great Meadows in May and Agitare to capture the John Forbes Memorial in October at Far Hills – flat races contested from a standing start. A win by Dandy Handyman on Saturday would mark a first stakes win on the flat for Brion from the starting gate.

“I think I have a bit of an edge running horses in those races up and down and around hills the way I train,” Brion said. “Those races were great to win, don’t get me wrong, but I’d like to get my name out there as a flat trainer as well.”

Brion, who won a turf sprint last month at this meet with Heymakit’sjack, previously worked as an assistant for Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard, who enjoyed tremendous success in both disciplines. During her tenure with Sheppard, Brion said she was able to work with 2008 Champion Grass Mare Forever Together and 2009 Champion Female Sprinter Informed Decision, as well as Cloudy’s Knight, who was named Canada’s Champion Grass Horse in 2007.

“I was there during those good horses and have that knowledge which helps. Everyone knows I can train a jumper, but now it’s about showing I can train flat horses as well,” said Brion. “I always wanted to do both, but you need the horses. I’ve been lucky enough this year to get some nice stock with this 2-

year-old being one of them.”

Dandy Handyman posted an impressive 22-1 debut upset on September 7 traveling one mile over firm Colonial Downs turf. The Outwork dark bay, with Kevin Gomez up, rallied into modest fractions from eighth-of-10 and 11 lengths off-the-pace to best the Chad Brown-trained favorite Take Me to Jimmy by a head in a final time of 1:38.13.

“He broke very well and Kevin gave him a great ride,” Brion said. “I told Kevin not to hustle him early and just let him find his stride. He’s so big. I just said to make sure to get him out and get him running late and he’ll come running.

“Did I think he’d win first out – I did not,” added Brion, with a laugh. “He was a little bit immature and I thought he’d need the run, but he just has a lot of natural ability. He showed a massive turn of foot down the lane and he’s matured a lot since that run. I think you’ll see a more mature horse in every way on Saturday. He’ll appreciate any added distance.”

Brion has entered Dandy Handyman in multiple spots since without racing, including scratching from an off-the-turf edition of the Laurel Futurity on October 1.

“We think very highly of him,” Brion said. “If I had been able to get another run into him, we might have taken a shot at the Breeders’ Cup, but this is a very good spot for him. If he’s as good as I think he is, I think he’ll be right there.”

Dandy Handyman worked a bullet five-eighths in 1:00 flat on Tuesday over the Fair Hill synthetic in company with recent maiden special weight winner Kitten Around.

“That was probably the best he’s worked yet,” Brion said. “He was under his exercise rider with a jockey on another 2-year-old, who had just broke his maiden at Presque Isle. He was all over that horse, so he’s really coming to hand now.”

Dandy Handyman is out of the Ten Centuries mare American Lights, who is a half-sibling to the Brown-trained Maram, who captured the 2008 Grade 3 Miss Grillo at Belmont Park ahead of a win in that year’s listed Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita Park.

Brion credited Karen Woods [Maram LLC.] and the Wycoff family [Three Diamonds Farm] as owners to provide her burgeoning barn with flat stock. While currently overseeing a full stable of 45 horses at Fair Hill, she said she expects that number to reach as high as 75 in the New Year with a 60-40 split of jumps-to-flat horses.

“We’re having a nice go of things and it’s starting to be noticed. I’ve had a couple calls from flat owners, so it’s really exciting,” Brion said.

Trevor McCarthy will pilot Dandy Handyman from post 3.

New York-bred Let’s Go Big Blue [post 6, Eric Cancel], trained by George Weaver for Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcell’s August Dawn Farm, closed from last-of-10 to win on debut traveling 1 1/16-miles against fellow state-breds in August over the Saratoga turf.

The Cairo Prince grey, bred in the Empire State by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding, followed with a closing third in the one-mile Nownownow at Monmouth Park. With Eric Cancel up, Let’s Go Big Blue exited the inside post in the Nownownow and saved ground in seventh-of-9, advancing with purpose through the final turn, but was forced to angle out for the stretch run to finish three lengths back of the victorious Webslinger.

Out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Giant Win, the $220,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase is a half-sibling to Grade 1-winning millionaire Pinehurst.

Gatsas Stables, R.A. Hill Stable and Steven Schoenfeld’s Freedom Trail [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] enters from a rallying head score on September 25 in a Belmont at the Big A turf route.

Trained by John Terranova, the $150,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase saved ground from 9 1/2-lengths off-the-pace in the 1 1/16-mile test before swinging seven-wide for the stretch run to secure the narrow win.

The Collected bay is out of the War Front mare Freedom, who is a half-sibling to multiple Grade 1-winners Hoppertunity and Executiveprivilege.

Harrell Venture’s Virginia-bred Sendero [post 2, Flavien Prat], a $300,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, enters from a stylish maiden victory in the restricted Jamestown on September 7 at Colonial.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the City of Light bay was second in his

July debut at the same distance and course before drawing off to a 2 1/4-length win at second asking.

Rounding out the field are maiden winners El de Chimi [post 7, Javier Castellano] and Conman [post 1, Dylan Davis], who finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Nownownow; as well as maiden winner Noble Huntsman [post 5, Manny Franco], who ran fourth last out in the Grade 2 Pilgrim for trainer Mitchell Friedman.

The Awad is slated as Race 4 on Saturday’s 10-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Contact: Keith McCalmont

Meraas sharp for Big A debut in G3 Bold Ruler

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Maitha Salem Mohammed Belobaida Alsuwaidi’s Group 3-winning sprinter Meraas could be speed of speed in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and upward, at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

The Bold Ruler co-headlines a stacked card that includes the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso, a one-turn mile for 3-year-olds and upward offering the top-four finishers a free nomination and starting fee in the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile slated for December 3 at the Big A. Also featured Saturday are the $120,000 Awad at 1 1/16-miles on turf for juveniles and the $120,000 Pumpkin Pie at seven furlongs on the main track for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Meraas finished a pacesetting third in his North American debut in a six-furlong optional-claimer in September at Saratoga Race Course.

With Antonio Fresu up for trainer Chad Summers, Meraas blitzed through splits of 22.14 seconds and 44.76 over the fast main track. But the 5-year-old Oasis Dream gelding could not maintain the tempo in his first start from a seven-month layoff, finishing 4 1/2-lengths back of Elite Power, who exited that race to win the Grade 2 Vosburgh here. The runner-up of that event, Hoist the Gold, has since completed the exacta in a Churchill Downs allowance and the Perryville at Keeneland.

Summers said he was proud of the effort from Meraas to stay on strong in his first start off the layoff while under pace pressure from the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Foolish Ghost, who faded to fifth.

“In hindsight, he might have been a work short. We went a little fast,” Summers said. “Antonio said he was trying to give him a little breather and Kendrick was in second and smooching at his horse and every time our horse heard the smooch, he wanted to take off again.

“I thought he ran admirably off the long layoff,” added Summers. “We always thought he would come on from that race and this is the next spot.”

Meraas entered his Spa debut from a three-quarter length score in the Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint in February at Meydan for former conditioner Musabbeh Al Mheiri. He had made his first 12 starts on either grass [10] or synthetic [2] for conditioner Mark Johnston, but found rejuvenated form when trying the Meydan dirt, besting a field of 11 by 4 3/4-lengths in December while under top weight of 137 pounds ahead of his Group 3 score.

Meraas has worked swiftly every other week over the Belmont dirt training track in preparation for the Bold Ruler, including a bullet five-eighths breeze in 59 seconds flat on October 7 followed by a bullet five furlongs in 59.40 on October 19.

“He’s training super. He galloped out tremendously two works back,” Summers said of the October 7 breeze. “With a horse like him that’s so brilliantly fast, he’s not a horse that you want to breeze once a week. We give him time between his breezes and let him be happy. He just does it on his own.”

Summers said he had initially wanted to come back in the Vosburgh on October 8, but with that race increased in distance by one furlong to seven-eighths this year, he decided to wait for the Bold Ruler to take advantage of his gelding’s abundant speed.

“His first step isn’t his fastest but it’s after he gets into his rhythm, he’s naturally fast,” Summers said. “He’s super fresh coming into this race and he’s been ready to go for a few weeks now. We’re very excited about Saturday.”

Flavien Prat has the call from the inside post carrying 125 pounds.

West Point Thoroughbreds and Marvin Delfiner’s graded-stakes winner Jaxon Traveler [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 125 pounds] could be the one to push Meraas on the front end for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

The 4-year-old Maryland-bred Munnings colt was a gate-to-wire winner of the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint in May at Pimlico Race Course before switching to turf and landing third in the restricted Ben’s Cat on July 30 at Laurel Park. He enters from a distant second to Sibelius in the six-furlong Lite the Fuse on September 10 at Pimlico.

The ultra-consistent Jaxon Traveler, who boasts a record of 18-6-7-4 for purse earnings of $598,810, has finished second in both previous Big A starts, including in last year’s Gravesend.

Dublin Fjord Stables, Racepoint Stables, Kevin D. Hilbert and Thomas E. O’Keefe’s multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Drafted [post 2, Trevor McCcarthy, 125 pounds] will look to close into the expected fast Bold Ruler pace.

Trained by David Duggan, the late-running gray finished a distant third last out in the aforementioned Vosburgh over a fast Big A main track. Drafted was third throughout the Vosburgh as Elite Power marked the half-mile in 47.68 and six furlongs in 1:11.87, drawing off to a 5 3/4-length score in a final time of 1:23.98.

“He came out of it in good shape. The flow of the race didn’t quite suit his style, but he came back fine,” Duggan said. “We know his running style – he needs a fast pace and needs to be off it – but the dynamics of the race didn’t play into his wheelhouse. We altered his style to try and give ourselves a chance, but the winner is an exceptional horse.”

Duggan said the potential pace battle should benefit Drafted.

“We’ll probably get a little more pace in this race and that plays better for us. The last race was cat-and-mouse and it just didn’t play in our favor,” Duggan said. “He’s a true late-running sprinter. That’s his gig. Even though he’s had decent numbers [at] seven-eighths, his main thing is having pace to run into. He always finishes well when he has that pace.”

The 8-year-old Field Commission gelding has posted a record of 7-3-1-1 this year, including Grade 3 wins in the seven-furlong Toboggan in February at Aqueduct and the six-furlong Runhappy in May at Belmont. He finished a distant fifth when ambitiously placed in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Forego in August.

“He’s in a good rhythm this year and shown up every time at his right level,” Duggan said. “We tested the waters a little too deeply at Saratoga and found where we belong. There’s a series of races here in the next few months that fit where he belongs.”

Duggan is enjoying a resurgence this year with a record of 47-13-5-4 for purse earnings of $829,330 – nearly doubling his win and purse totals from last year when he sent out 51 starters. His record at the Belmont at the Big A meet is a solid 8-3-0-2.

“We’ve had a great year,” Duggan said. “It all comes down to the quality of the horses you have and keeping them consistently running well. We’ve been lucky enough to have the right horses and have them in the right spots.”

Trainer Norman Cash has entered a trio of contenders in Eastern Bay [post 7, Javier Castellano, 121 pounds], Jalen Journey [post 10, J.D. Acosta, 123 pounds] and Steinbeck [post 6, Dylan Davis, 118 pounds].

Eastern Bay, trained and co-owned by Cash and Lola Cash, closed from last-of-5 to finish second in the Vosburgh under Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano.

The 8-year-old E Dubai gelding also completed the exacta in his only other graded attempt, finishing a nose behind Laki in the 2020 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Pimlico.

Bred in Maryland by Nancy Lee Farms, Eastern Bay, an 18-time winner, has posted a record of 10-6-2-0 this year for purse earnings of $316,507. Four of his wins this year have come in optional-claimers at Laurel Park.

Jalen Journey, a 7-year-old With Distinction ridgling also owned by Cash with Lola Cash, was elevated to victory in last year’s Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash following the disqualification of Wondrwherecraigis.

Cash claimed Jalen Journey for $50,000 out of a winning effort at Colonial in July and the Florida-bred bay paid immediate dividends when elevated to victory in the Chesapeake following the disqualification of Necker Island.

A veteran of 26 starts, Jalen’s Journey has posted a record of 10-3-2, including a Grade 1-placing when third in the 2019 Bing Crosby at Del Mar.

Built Wright Stables’ sophomore Kentucky-bred Steinbeck, a $650,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, has posted a record of 14-2-2-1.

The Frosted gray, who will be making his stakes debut, garnered a career-best 91 Beyer two starts back in a six-furlong allowance sprint against older company at the Big A. He enters from a last-of-12 effort in a nine-furlong optional-claimer on October 20 at Keeneland.

Karen Zimmerman’s multiple graded stakes-placed Runninsonofagun [post 8, Kendrick Carmouche, 118 pounds] has hit the board in four consecutive graded events for trainer John Toscano, Jr.

The Gun Runner sophomore completed the exacta behind Charge It in the one-mile Grade 3 Dwyer in July at Belmont ahead of third-place finishes in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Amsterdam and seven-furlong Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial this summer at the Spa. Last out, Runninsonofagun closed to complete the trifecta in the six-furlong Grade 2 Gallant Bob on September 24 at Parx.

Rounding out the 10-horse field are Factor It In [post 3, Jorge Ruiz, 121 pounds], last-out winner of the restricted Challedon on October 1 at Laurel for trainer Carlos Mancilla; graded-stakes placed Greeley and Ben [post 5, Jorge Vargas, Jr., 123 pounds], a 21-time winner conditioned by Jeffrey Englehart; and multiple graded stakes-placed Repo Rocks [post 9, Andrew Wolfsont, 121 pounds] for trainer Gregory DiPrima.

The Bold Ruler is slated as Race 9 on Saturday’s 10-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Contact: Keith McCalmont

kmccalmont@nyrainc.com
 
Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Morello returns to the Big A in G2 Kelso

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Craig Taylor and Diamond T Racing’s Morello returns to the site of his lone graded stakes victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso for 3-year-olds and upward going a one-turn mile at Belmont at the Big A.

The Kelso offers the top-four finishers a free nomination and starting fee in the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile slated for December 3 at the Big A. Also featured on the stacked program are the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and upward, the $120,000 Awad at 1 1/16-miles on turf for juveniles and the $120,000 Pumpkin Pie at seven furlongs on the main track for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Morello, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, put himself on the map over the winter by registering two stakes victories at the Big A. The son of Classic Empire made both his sophomore and stakes debut with a win in the Jimmy Winkfield on February 6 before making a victorious return to the Big A in the Grade 3 Gotham one month later.

Two distant sixth-place finishes in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 9 and the Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun on June 11 at Belmont Park prompted Morello’s connections to give him a freshening. He returned to action in style by besting allowance company on October 8 Laurel Park.

Morello has since trained forwardly under the watchful eye of Asmussen’s Belmont-based assistant Toby Sheets, recording a half-mile breeze in 50.22 seconds over the training track.

“The plan was to give him some time off, let him be a horse, and let him get back into training with Toby. He did an outstanding job with him over the winter and right around this time,” Dave Lyon of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds said. “We feel like we’ve got ourselves a fresh horse and we have to remind ourselves that he’s still only 3-years-old, so we’re hoping the best is in front of him.”

Dylan Davis will pick up the mount from post 3.

Trainer Robert Falcone, Jr. will saddle John Grossi’s Racing Corp.’s Empty Tomb, who enters off a 1 3/4-length allowance optional claiming triumph on October 7 at Delaware Park. The win was the 6-year-old Speightstown chestnut’s first start since finishing a distant ninth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup on January 29 at Gulfstream Park, which was won by last year’s Kelso winner Life Is Good.

Empty Tomb was claimed by Falcone, Jr. for $80,000 in August 2021 and made his third start for his current trainer a winning one, defeating stakes-winner First Constitution by three-quarters of a length in a November 28 allowance optional claimer going one mile at the Big A. He then finished second in the Queens County here on December 19, which prompted his connections to try the heavy hitters in the Pegasus World Cup.

“I left it up to the owners, so we decided to take a shot in the Pegasus,” Falcone, Jr. “He came out of there with a little bone bruising, and he was moving a little bit uncomfortably. After that, we decided to give him time off to get him back on track and that helped him out a lot.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr., a two-time Kelso winner, will pilot Empty Tomb from post 2.

Pocket 3’s Racing’s Shackqueenking appears to be heating up as he ships by way of the Mid-Atlantic region to attempt his fourth straight triumph for trainer Gary Capuano. The 4-year-old Shackleford gelding earned a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure in the last out DTHA Governor’s Day Handicap on October 1 at Delaware Park following two allowance optional claiming triumphs at the Wilmington oval.

Shackqueenking, who brags a 16-7-2-4 record, will race at Aqueduct for the first time since finishing a distant eighth in the Grade 3 Withers last February.

Angel Suarez, who is unbeaten in five starts aboard Shackqueenking, retains the mount from post 1.

Trainer Bill Mott will saddle Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber and Jerold Zaro’s Baby Yoda following a 10 3/4 length triumph on October 7 at Belmont at the Big A.

The gelded son of Prospective has earned four trips to the winner’s circle this year, all at different racetracks. In the spring, Baby Yoda conveyed the force against starter allowance company at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, respectfully, before defeating allowance optional claiming company at Saratoga in the summer.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, a three-time Kelso winner, will ride Baby Yoda from post 6.

Graded stakes winner Title Ready boasts field best earnings of $779,443 through a record of 34-5-6-6 for trainer Dallas Stewart.

Title Ready, by More Than Ready, will attempt to provide owner Charles Fipke with his second Kelso win after the British Colombia native won in 2012 with the Barclay Tagg-trained Jersey Town. He will seek to regain winning form, having gone 0-for-9 since capturing the Grade 3 Louisiana last January at Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots.

A Kentucky homebred, Title Ready is out of the Monarchos mare Title Seeker, making him a half-brother to graded stakes winner and millionaire producer Seeking the Title. His second dam is undefeated Hall of Famer and 1988 Horse of the Year Personal Ensign.

Emma-Jayne Wilson will ride Title Ready from post 4.

Completing the field is the Norman Cash-trained Double Crown [post 5, J.D. Acosta] who enters off one week’s rest, having finished fourth in the Maryland Millions Classic last Saturday. The son of Bourbon Courage is cross-entered in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance on Saturday at Delaware Park.

The Kelso honors Allaire duPont’s five-time Horse of the Year [1960-64] who is considered to be one of the greatest thoroughbreds in racing history. Trained by Carl Hanford, the durable Kelso raced from age 2 and retired at age 9, having won five straight editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup as well as three runnings of both the Woodward and Whitney Handicaps.



The Kelso is carded as Race 5 on Saturday’s 10-race program. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Contact: Ryan Martin