Belmont Park Notes

NYRA PRESS OFFICE —-

• Albertrani, Godolphin send two for Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational
• Apprentice rider Declan Carroll to winter in New York
• Maker primed with upset potential on Joe Hirsch Classic Festival Saturday
• Tagg hoping to toast Champagne success
• Stidham looks for graded stakes prosperity with juveniles Alms, Embolden
• Gargan sends out Ice Princess in G1 Frizette; chasing cold exacta in Saturday maiden
• Pletcher seeking graded stakes glory with first time victors
• $1.8 million purchase Vintage Print makes career debut Saturday
• The Rookie Report: Well-bred juveniles make career debut on Sunday
• Clement looking to set Breeders’ Cup plans in motion starting Saturday
• Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Racing Festival offers final BC WAYI opportunities in New York
• Mandatory payout for Empire 6 set for Sunday; jackpot stands at 626K entering Friday

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Tom Albertrani will saddle a pair of improving contenders for Saturday’s fourth running of the $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational over the Widener turf course

Both owned by Godolphin, Final Frontier and Fully Vested are in search of their first stakes victory but have displayed consistent and competitive form in recent starts.

Final Frontier, a 4-year-old bay son of Ghostzapper, made his stakes debut in the Lucky Coin at Saratoga last, finishing second by 1 3/4 lengths to fellow Belmont Turf Sprint aspirant Shekky Shabaz. A full brother to dual Grade 1 winner and black type producer Better Lucky, Final Frontier defeated allowance company at the Spa two starts back by two lengths as the lukewarm favorite, where he recorded a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure

Fully Vested, a 5-year-old gelded son of Discreet Cat, has raced primarily on the main track but won over grass for the first time last out, where he was a wire-to-wire winner over the Mellon turf course at Saratoga.

“They’re both very competitive horses and they’re almost equally as good as each other on the right day,” Albertrani said. “Both are coming out of good races. Final Frontier has made a big step forward since he started his races on turf going shorter so we have a lot of confidence in him Both of his last races, he should be right about there at the end. Same with Fully Vested. He has enough talent himself to find the winner’s circle as well.”

Albertrani said the pace will determine Saturday’s race. Fully Vested has displayed more true speed in his efforts, while Final Frontier has more tactical speed.

“Pace scenario is going to make a difference of the outcome of the race but at least both horses have different running styles,” Albertrani said. “Fully Vested has more speed than Final Frontier, so I think we’re covered in both areas.”

Albertrani also sends out Woodslane Farm homebred Sadler’s Joy for the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. The 6-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy, winner of the Joe Hirsch in 2004, was narrowly beaten in his starts this year. He made his 2019 debut in the Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga, where he finished a troubled sixth beaten 1 1/4 lengths and followed up with a close runner up finishing a neck to Annals of Time in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer, which he won in 2017.

Sadler’s Joy was a distant third in last year’s Joe Hirsch to Channel Maker before finishing third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf behind world champion Enable.
“He’s coming into this weekend training really well, as always,” Albertrani said. “He was narrowly beaten his last start and had a little trouble in the Bowling Green which cost him a length and a quarter off a troubled trip. So, at least we’re seeing the horse came back from his seven-month layoff since the Breeders’ Cup and he’s run quite well since he’s come back. If he was fortunate to find a trip through and not find all that traffic, it would have made a difference in a placing or who knows, maybe even won the race.”

A veteran of 24 starts, Sadler’s Joy has amassed over $2.3 million in lifetime earnings with three graded stakes victories.

* * *
Apprentice rider Declan Carroll to winter in New York

As a young and up-and-coming rider, Declan Carroll is trying to go wherever his opportunities exist, which is why he will be moving his tack to New York for the winter.

Carroll, 20, is the son of David Carroll, a former trainer and current assistant for Mark Casse. His mother, Kim, also works for Casse.

Carroll began riding last September and secured his first mount at Woodbine before guiding his first winner, B Deb’s Fortune, to victory at Keeneland last October. He then moved his tack to Fair Grounds for the winter, where his father oversees Casse’s string of horses. While wintering at the New Orleans oval, Carroll rode 12 winners and often served as the exercise rider for subsequent Grade 1 Preakness winner War of Will.

He suffered a fractured vertebra in March, which forced him out of the saddle for three months, but returned in June to finish off the Churchill Downs meet. He finished fourth in the rider’s standings at Ellis Park with 19 victories.

“It’s been on my mind the past couple of months and I figured it would be a good place to go for the winter given the amount of opportunities,” Carroll said. “Being in New York, I could ride at Laurel and Parx on off days. It’ll be a bit busier. Fair Grounds was good but I just feel like in New York there are more opportunities for me.”

This season has been a successful one for Carroll, who has amassed over $1.1 million in earnings with 35 victories this year. He has finished in the money at a 32% rate.

Upon arriving in New York, Carroll will be represented by former rider Richard Migliore, who represented jockey Chris Landeros during the Saratoga meet this summer.

“I’ve met Mig a couple of years ago when I was galloping horses for Casse at Saratoga,” Carroll said. “He’s a great guy and should be in the Hall of Fame in my opinion. He can teach me, help me and we’ve talked about certain things. He’s got a great relationship with my dad and I think he can really help me improve as a rider.”

Migliore expressed excitement upon representing Carroll this winter.

“I go way back with his dad. Both of his parents are tremendous people and Declan is a really nice young man,” Migliore said. “He’s very talented and I’m excited to work with him and help him be the best rider he can possibly be.”

Carroll plans on coming to New York around October 16-17.

* * *
Maker primed with upset potential on Joe Hirsch Classic Festival Saturday

Conditioner Mike Maker, known for his prowess on the turf will be well represented in New York on Saturday with a pair of contenders for the Grade 3, $150,000 Matron for juvenile fillies on the turf and Grade 1 Belmont Derby winner Henley’s Joy returning to Belmont for a start in the Grade 2, $400,000 Hill Prince.

A 3-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and owned by Bloom Racing Stable, Henley’s Joy’s lone win this year from eight starts came in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational in July, the first leg of the newly inaugural NYRA Turf Triple Series where he bested a field of 14 going 1 ¼ miles to win by three-quarters of a length. Closing out the Series with a pair of fifth place finishes in the Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16 miles and the Jockey Cub Derby Invitational at 1 ½ miles. Cutting back to 1 1/8 miles for the Hill Prince, Maker said he likes his prospects going forward.

“He’s been doing really well since coming out of the Jockey Club Derby,” said Maker. “I don’t mind the fact that we drew the one-hole. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate but we’re looking to improve him off his last. We know he likes Belmont, and the mile and an eighth distance should hit him in between the eyes.”

In the Grade 3, $150,000 Matron, Maker will saddle A Freud of Mama for owner William Butler and Time Limit for Three Diamonds Farm.

A New York-bred son of Freud, A Freud of Mama finished sixth in her debut this past summer against fellow New York-breds at Saratoga Race Course and rebounded to win in her second start against fellow empire breds at the Matron six-furlong distance finishing 1 ½ lengths in front at the wire.

Time Limit, a daughter of Bustin Stones will try the grass for the first time in the Matron. After impressively wining her debut by 6 ¼ lengths on the dirt on June 23 at Belmont Park she finished fifth in the Stillwater on July 17 at Saratoga before running a game second in the Seeking the Ante on August 23 at the Spa. In her most recent start she ran fourth in the Joseph A. Gimma on September 18 at Belmont.

“They’re both training well into this so we thought we’d give them a shot,” said Maker. “I thought A Freud of Mama made a major improvement from her first to second start and with Time Limit we’ll see where we are with her.”

* * *
Tagg hoping to toast Champagne success

After earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure in his August 8 debut at Saratoga, Sackatoga Stable’s New York-bred Tiz the Law will make the jump to graded stakes competition in the Grade 1 Champagne on Saturday with a guaranteed all expenses paid trip to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on the line.

A son of Constitution, conditioner Barclay Tagg said he was so impressed with his 4 ¼ length debut win he wanted to take his shot in the Champagne.

“We were impressed with his debut,” said Tagg. “You never know how they’re going to run when you put some pressure on them. We had to make a decision. We could have waited for another New York-bred race, but we might as well try the Champagne. There really isn’t any pressure on us, so we’ll see where we stand.”

Tagg also provided an update on Dr. Edgar confirming that the graded stakes winner for owners Peter and Eloise Canzone will next point for the Grade 2, $200,000 Knickerbocker on Monday, October 14.

The 6-year-old Lookin At Lucky horse has two wins from six starts this year most notably winning the Grade 3 Appleton on March 29 at Gulfstream Park. In his most recent start, he faded to finish seventh in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga.

“He’s doing really well,” said Tagg. “He looks the picture. We haven’t won a race yet this fall meet, but we’re knocking on the door and hopefully we got some shots including him to look forward to.”

* * *
Stidham looks for graded stakes prosperity with juveniles Alms, Embolden

This weekend is sure to be a busy one for trainer Michael Stidham, who has graded stakes contenders all across the country, including a pair of juveniles slated for graded stakes action over the Belmont Park grass

Stidham sends out first out maiden winner Alms in the Grade 3, $150,000 Matron on Saturday afternoon for Godolphin.

The bay daughter of City Zip broke her maiden by 3 3/4 lengths on September 19 over the Widener turf in her career debut.

“Normally, we don’t wheel horses back this quickly but the race looked like a good opportunity. She came out of her last race in good shape and she’s ready,” Stidham said.

Stidham conditioned Alms’ half-sister Hallie Belle who was a two-time stakes winner over grass. Both are out of the Empire Maker broodmare Charity Belle.
“She’s similar to Hallie Belle in the sense that they’re both talented,” Stidham said. “She acts like she could be a touch better.”

On Sunday, Stidham entered Embolden in the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity, a six-furlong event over the Widener turf course.

Owned by Dare to Dream Stable, the Virginia-bred son of The Factor was second in his career debut at Monmouth Park behind Meru, who subsequently won the Smoke Glacken over the Jersey Shore oval. Embolden squared off against his Old Dominion State-bred counterparts at Colonial Downs in his following two efforts, both victories on the turf, the latter of which took place in the Jamestown.

“He was very impressive in his last two against Virginia breds, but I think he’s a very talented horse,” Stidham said. “Numbers wise he fits in very well. He’s always impressed us in the mornings. First time on dirt he got beat by a nice horse. His next two were impressive wins.”

Purchased for $95,000 from the Ocala Breeders Sales Company’s 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in April, Embolden is out of the multiple stakes winning Lion Hearted broodmare Silver Heart.

Elsewhere, Stidham sends out accomplished turf runner Synchrony in the Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope at Santa Anita on Saturday. The gray son of Tapit has won six graded stakes events over three different turf courses. He also has Godolphin’s Micheline entered in the Grade 1, $400,000 Darley Alcibiades at Keeneland on Friday afternoon. The Bernardini bay out of dual Grade 1-winning millionaire Panty Raid broke her maiden last out in the Sorority on September 1 at Monmouth Park.

* * *
Gargan sends out Ice Princess in G1 Frizette; chasing cold exacta in Saturday maiden

Trainer Danny Gargan is sitting on a big weekend at Belmont with Ice Princess a top contender in Sunday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette for juvenile fillies, along with a pair of talented colts debuting in Saturday’s nightcap.

Ice Princess, a grey daughter of Palace Malice, debuted on September 6 at Belmont splashing home by 12 lengths in an off-the-turf 1 1/16-mile New York-bred maiden event.

“I entered her thinking it would come off the turf,” said Gargan. “I had another filly I was going to run (Astoria Kitten) if it stayed on, and she came back and won last week. I think Ice Princess might be better on the dirt, but she runs on both surfaces and is pretty comparable either way.”

Flying P Stable, R. A. Hill Stable and Corms Racing Stable’s Ice Princess is out of the Awesome Again mare Happy Clapper, who is a full sister to Grade 3-winning long-distance router Ice Festival. Gargan said the sizable Ice Princess will likely flourish at longer distances

“She’s a two-turn type horse and I need to run her long,” said Gargan. “The only concern I have is the Frizette is a mile and I’d like it a lot better if it was a mile and a sixteenth. The further she goes the better. She’s a really big horse and will be the biggest horse in the paddock on Sunday for sure.”

The 72nd running of the Frizette will offer an all-fees paid berth to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies contested at 1 1/16-miles on November 1 at Santa Anita Park. It also serves as New York’s first prep race in the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks,” offering 10 qualifying points to the winner and 4-2-1 points to the second-through-fourth-place finishers for the 2020 Grade 1 nine-furlong contest on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

“I think when they start going a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter, she’s going to relish that. She’ll run all day,” said Gargan. “If she runs 1-2-3 in this race, we’ll consider the Breeders’ Cup; if she wins it’s a no brainer. The Breeders’ Cup is a mile and a sixteenth, going two turns out there. If she runs well here and makes up some ground and is finishing, we can think about going to the next one. It would be fun to get there.”

In Saturday’s 11th race at Belmont, a one-mile turf event for juvenile maidens, Gargan will saddle a pair of first-time starters in West Point Thoroughbreds’ Voodoo Zip and Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Don Juan Kitten.

Voodoo Zip, a City Zip bay, was purchased for $120,000 at the April OBS 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale. His second dam, Rhum, produced Grade 2-winners Central Banker and Gantry.

Don Juan Kitten, a grey son of Kitten’s Joy out of the Not For Love dam Romance Project, was purchased for $77,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“Both of them will be quality horses,” said Gargan. “We’ve done well with our 2-year-olds this year. It’s exciting. I’m not really a first-time out trainer. I usually get a race under their belt and go from there but I think both are talented.

“I think Don Juan Kitten will be a good horse down the road. He’s got a little maturing to do,” added Gargan. “Voodoo Zip is a little more mature and a little more focused. He’ll come out running. He will be forwardly placed because he’s pretty quick. I’d just like to get a good, solid race into them so they can move forward next time.”

R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch, and Corms Racing Stable’s Tax shipped out of Belmont for last weekend’s Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park but had to scratch after spiking a temperature.

“He spiked a temperature at Remington and we had to bring him home. He’s doing well,” said Gargan. “I trained him today and yesterday and he looks great.”

Gargan said he is considering a few options for the former claimer, who has excelled in graded stakes company in New York winning the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct and Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by NYRA Bets at Saratoga, while hitting the board in the Grade 2 Remsen and Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by NYRA Bets.

At Santa Anita, both the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic and grassy Grade 2, $200,000 Twilight Derby for sophomores on November 2 are under consideration; with the Grade 3, $200,000 Discovery on November 30 at the Big A as a potential fallback.

“We might train up to the Breeders’ Cup or there’s a straight 3-year-old race in California we could look at,” said Gargan. “We’re just waiting to see which way to go. The Discovery is an option as a last-case scenario.”

* * *
Pletcher seeking graded stakes glory with first time victors

Todd Pletcher will have several chances to give some of his up-and-coming 2-year-olds some black type this weekend across the country.

On Saturday, Pletcher will saddle Alpha Sixty Six in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont and will also send out impressive career debut-winner Gouverneur Morris at Keeneland in the Grade 1, $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity.

Team Valor and WinStar Farm’s Gouverneur Morris, a gray or roan son of freshman stallion Constitution was a nine-length winner of his career debut at Saratoga on September 2 as the heavy favorite.

Bred in Kentucky by Craig Brodgen, Carrie Brogden, Machmer Hall, and James F. Miller, Gouverneur Morris was purchased for $600,000 from the Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in March.

“We had been pretty high on him and I think we went into that race hoping for a good performance and he exceeded expectations,” Pletcher said.

On Sunday, Pletcher will saddle NK Racing’s Freewheeler in the Grade 3, $200,000 Futurity over the Widener turf at Belmont Park.

Bred in New York by John Lauriello, the City Zip chestnut defeated his Empire State-bred counterparts by 5 ¼ lengths on August 31 over the Mellon turf course at Saratoga and takes a big step up in class.

“Both Freewheeler and Gouverneur Morris came out of their debuts in good order and we’ve been targeting these spots since then,” Pletcher said. “Things have gone well since then. In these situations, stepping up from a maiden to a graded stakes and stretching out in distance, you never know until you do it. But we’re optimistic based on the way they’ve been training and how they came out of their races.”

Pletcher said WinStar Farm and China Horse Club’s impressive maiden winner Glory Road has been given time off and will likely join Pletcher’s contingent at Palm Beach Downs in Florida this winter.

The Commissioner colt rallied from eighth to win in his August 3 debut at the Spa by a neck, registering a 64 Beyer.

“Glory Road we had to back off of so he’s getting a bit of a break at WinStar. He’ll probably rejoin us at Palm Beach Downs in the next month or so,” Pletcher said.

Glory Road was purchased for $220,000 from the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the unraced Quality Road broodmare Highest Quality.

* * *
$1.8 million purchase Vintage Print makes career debut Saturday

Trainer Chad Brown will debut regally bred Vintage Print in Saturday’s seventh race – a one-mile maiden special weight for 2-year-olds over the Belmont Park main track.

Owned by Larry Best’s OXO Equine, the bay son of Curlin is the first offspring out of the Grade 1 winning Ghostzapper broodmare Molly Morgan. He was hammered down for $1.8 million at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale as the fourth largest purchase at the auction, where he was consigned by Summerfield.

“He just was the type of horse that got better and better every time you saw him,” said Summerfield’s Francis Vanlangendonck. “We knew he would be popular. The big thing that got people onto him was the way he handled everything. When they get in the back ring, there’s a lot going on and nothing seemed to bother him. He got shown so many times a day and never backed out. Larry told me that was a big thing for him; he just took it in and loved it. For a lot of those yearlings, it’s tough. You’re shown three or four times, they get tired and grouchy.”

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Vintage Print recently worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 over the Belmont Park main track on September 28.

“The first time I saw him was in May of his yearling year,” Vanlangendonck said. “They prepped him at Stonestreet and he was a nice horse the first time I saw him. I saw him again in July and September and he just seemed to develop and get better and better.”

Vintage Print will break from post 3 under jockey Manny Franco.

* * *
The Rookie Report: Well-bred juveniles make career debut on Sunday

Some top-class pedigrees are present in Belmont Park’s sixth race on Sunday afternoon – a six-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies over the main track.

Todd Pletcher will saddle Money Never Sleeps, a Red Oak Stable homebred daughter of Munnings out of graded stakes winning Essence of Dubai broodmare Unbridled Essence – a half-sister to Grade 1 winning millionaire Unbridled Mo, who also was trained by Pletcher.

Money Never Sleeps has spent the summer on the Saratoga work tab, most recently breezing five furlongs in 1:02.60 over the Oklahoma training track.
“She’s been training forwardly,” Pletcher said. “She trains like a filly that has good natural speed and it seems like she’s a compact made filly that we expect to be effective at sprint distances.

Pletcher said there no physical similarities between Money Never Sleeps and Unbridled Mo.

“Physically, not at all,” said Pletcher. “Unbridled Mo was all Uncle Mo; this filly is more like Munnings and Speightstown.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will pilot Money Never Sleeps for her career debut.
Godolphin also will send out a first timer with a regal pedigree in Lake Avenue. Named after one of the main roads in Saratoga Springs, the Tapit chestnut filly is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and is out of Godolphin’s dual Grade 1 winner Seventh Street – a half-sister to Group 1 winning multimillionaire Reynaldothewizard. Both are out of stakes winning broodmare Holiday Runner.
Lake Avenue recently recorded a three-furlong blowout in 35 seconds flat over the Belmont Park main track on October 2.

“She’s very well bred and has trained forwardly,” said Godolphin USA president Jimmy Bell. “She’s got plenty of talent and has been a lovely filly from day one. Seventh Street has some precocity and this filly does as well. Bill has done an excellent job of getting her going. She’s very well thought of. Bill has trained for Sheikh Mohammad in the past having trained Elusive Quality and some others. They’ve had a long history and we’re happy to have horses with him.”

Junior Alvarado has the call aboard Lake Avenue.

Woodford Stables, Team D and George Bolton’s Amazing Ride makes her career debut for trainer Tony Dutrow. Bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stable, the chestnut daughter of Candy Ride was a $525,000 acquisition from the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Lanes’ End. She is out of the Grade 1-placed First Samurai broodmare Endless Chatter whose dam Orate is a full-sister to the late multiple-champion producing stallion Pulpit.

Kendrick Carmouche will be aboard Amazing Ride.

OXO Equine’s Orsay, by American Pharoah, is on the also-eligible list for the loaded maiden event. Trained by three-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, Orsay is out of the millionaire multiple Grade 1-winner Life At Ten. Bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, Orsay will be piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr. should she draw into the field.

* * *
Clement looking to set Breeders’ Cup plans in motion starting Saturday

Currently in fifth-place in the trainer standings with six wins from 26 starts, conditioner Christophe Clement will look to saddle his first stakes winner of the Belmont fall meet with two chances this weekend in veteran New York-bred Disco Partner in the $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational and juvenile colt Tomato Bill in the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity.

Clement has won each of the previous three editions of the Belmont Turf Sprint, with Disco Partner going for his third straight and stablemate Pure Sensation winning the inaugural running in 2016.

Pure Sensation will train up to next month’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint having captured the Grade 3 Turf Monster at Parx Racing on September 2 in his most recent start. Clement said he will see how Disco Partner performs on Saturday before considering shipping to Santa Anita.

Disco Partner enters the Belmont Turf Sprint with three starts this year, including a third in the Grade 1 Jaipur Invitational on June 8 at Belmont which was followed by a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Troy at Saratoga. Last out, he posted a third-place finish in the Lucky Coin.

Clement said he is looking for Disco Partner to improve returning to Belmont, where he has nine wins from 15 starts.

“He’s been training well in the mornings and hasn’t had any issues,” said Clement. “We like our chances returning to Belmont where we know he likes it and we’ll make any future decisions based on how he performs on Saturday.”

Tomato Bill, a More Than Ready colt for owners George Bolton, Three Chimneys Farm, Barry Lipman, Lady Shelia Stable and David Lipman, won impressively in his debut on May 22 at Delaware Park in which he bested a field of five by 3 ¾ lengths.

He followed up with a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Sanford on July 13 at Saratoga before entering the Futurity where he will make his first start on the turf with an all-expenses paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on the line.

“He’s a young an improving colt who’ve we’ve seen steadily improving in the mornings heading into this race,” said Clement. “We want to take things one step at a time and being by More Than Ready we think he deserves a shot here to see how he will perform on the turf.”

Clement reported juvenile graded stakes winner Decorated Invader, who won the Grade 1 Summer, a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In event on September 15 at Woodbine is in good form following his win. Decorated Invader is tentatively scheduled to work on Sunday leading up to a start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

* * *
Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Racing Festival offers final BC WAYI opportunities in New York

The New York Racing Association will offer its final round of Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ events over the weekend, giving entrants their final chance to earn an all-expenses paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup on November 1 and 2 at Santa Anita Park.

Four Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series will take place this weekend during the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Racing Festival, beginning with the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne on Saturday, which will be followed by a trio of ‘Win and You’re In’ races on Sunday, including the Grade 1, $500,000 Flower Bowl, the Grade 1 $400,000 Frizette, and the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity. The Champagne winner will earn a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, while the Flower Bowl, Frizette, and Futurity will send their respective winners to the Filly & Mare Turf, Juvenile Fillies, and Juvenile Turf Sprint.

The NYRA circuit has already hosted 12 such races this year: the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps (Midnight Bisou, Distaff); the Grade 1 Jaipur (World of Trouble, Turf Sprint); the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap (Mitole, Dirt Mile); the Grade 2 John Nerud (Promises Fulfilled, Sprint); the Grade 1 Whitney (McKinzie, Classic); the Grade 1 Fourstardave (Got Stormy, Mile); the Grade 1 Ballerina (Come Dancing, Filly & Mare Sprint); the Grade 1 Sword Dancer (Annals of Time, Turf); the Grade 1 Personal Ensign (Midnight Bisou, Distaff); the Jockey Club Derby (Spanish Mission, Turf); the Grade 1 Vosburgh (Imperial Hint, Sprint) and the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup (Code of Honor, Classic).

Steve Asmussen is the only trainer to have won multiple Challenge Series races at NYRA so far this year, with Midnight Bisou in the Ogden Phipps and Personal Ensign and Mitole in the Met Mile. Other New York-based horsemen to have won include Shug McGaughey, Chad Brown, Carlos Martin, Jason Servis and Mark Casse, while out-of-town invaders Bob Baffert, Dale Romans, David Simcock and Luis Carvajal, Jr. have also picked up victories.

Carlos Martin’s star pupil Come Dancing, winner of the Ballerina and more recently the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom, has been in regular training at Belmont in preparation for her date in the Filly & Mare Sprint. On Thursday, the 5-year-old mare by Malibu Moon breezed four furlongs in 49.66 seconds over the Belmont training track.

“She worked really well, it was just a nice easy maintenance work,” said Martin, who trains Come Dancing for Blue Devil Racing Stable. “It was her first work back and only 11 days since the Gallant Bloom but she was just jumping out of her skin so I wanted to do something with her. She’s very fit and still plenty of time for the Breeders’ Cup. I’m pretty comfortable with her and optimistic with where she’s at.”

Other local Breeders’ Cup hopefuls include Midnight Bisou and Mitole, who had both been training at NYRA tracks prior to shipping out to Santa Anita earlier this week.

* * *
Mandatory payout for Empire 6 set for Sunday; jackpot stands at 626K entering Friday

A mandatory payout for the Empire 6 wager will be paid out following the conclusion of racing on Sunday at Belmont Park.

The 10-race card on October 6, the concluding day of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Racing Festival, will feature three graded stakes that are each part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series, highlighted by the 42nd running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Flower Bowl [Filly and Mare Turf]; the 72nd running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette [Juvenile Fillies] and the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity [Juvenile Turf Sprint]. The Breeders’ Cup will run November 1-2 at Santa Anita Park.

Entering Friday at Belmont, the Pick 6 jackpot stood at $626,093. The Empire 6 requires the bettor to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card. On non-mandatory payout days, if one unique ticket exists, then 100 percent of the net pool, plus the jackpot carryover if applicable, will be paid to the winner. If there is no unique wager selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, then 75 percent of the day’s net pool will be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races. The remainder will be added into the jackpot and carried to the next day’s Empire 6.

Sunday’s Empire 6 will commence with Race 5 at approximately 2:59 p.m. Eastern. The wager will feature all three stakes races, starting with the Futurity in Race 7, offering a six-horse field of juveniles going six furlongs on the Widener turf. Four Wheel Drive is the 9-5 morning line favorite.

The Flower Bowl, in Race 8, features seven fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/14 miles on the inner turf, and will see the Chad Brown-trained Sistercharlie go for her sixth consecutive Grade 1 victory. The 1-5 favorite will contest against stablemate Thais and two Graham Motion-trained contenders in Mrs. Sippy and Empress of the Nile.

The Frizette, a prestigious race for juvenile fillies, will follow in Race 9. A seven-horse field will look to earn qualifying points to the 2020 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs [10-4-2-1 points to the top-four finishers]. Hall of Famer trainers Bob Baffert, Steve Asmussen and Bill Mott each will saddle formidable contenders with Quality Response, Wicked Whisper and Frank’s Rockette, respectively.

The concluding Race 10 offers a full 12-horse New York-bred maiden field going seven furlongs in the Widener turf.