Belmont at the Big A Notes 10/13

NYRA PRESS OFFICE —-

Belmont at the Big A Notes

Spaliday earns 89 BSF for G2 Sands Point score; quartet of Breeders’ Cup hopefuls work Saturday at Belmont
Jody’s Pride re-routes to G3 Pebbles
D’Angelo mulls Twirling Queen’s options
Unbeaten May Day Ready readying for Breeders’ Cup action
Irad Ortiz, Jr. posts 4,000th career win

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Peter Brant’s newly-minted graded stakes-winner Spaliday earned a career-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure for her rallying neck victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point, a nine-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the daughter of More Than Ready was last-of-7 and 12 lengths off the pace through the first half-mile but improved position steadily into the final turn with a five-wide trip engineered by Manny Franco. She needed every inch of Aqueduct’s stretch, but collared pacesetter Macanga late to notch the victory in a final time of 1:47.47.

Brown said he was impressed with the effort from the talented bay.

“She looks good today,” Brown said. “I thought she did great. She found herself pretty far back, but I was proud of her with the way she ran that horse down.”

Spaliday improved off a fourth in the Grade 2 Lake Placid in August at Saratoga Race Course and added to her first stakes conquest in July when taking Monmouth Park’s Boiling Springs by 1 1/4 lengths. Spaliday is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning New York-bred and 2014 Champion Grass Mare Dayatthespa, whom Brown trained to three Grade 1 victories, including the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Brown also noted Brant’s Shade of Pale, who finished last in the Sands Point, returned from the effort in good order. The maiden-winning daughter of Demarchelier was making her first start against winners.

“She looks fine. I maybe just overreached a bit with her,” Brown said. “We’ll regroup into an allowance with her.”

On Saturday, Brown sent out a quartet of Breeders’ Cup aspirants to work over Belmont Park’s dirt training track, led by Grade 1 Classic hopeful Sierra Leone. The sophomore son of Gun Runner covered a half-mile in 48.67 seconds.

Brown said he was pleased with the effort from the $2.3 million yearling purchase for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing and Brant.

“He looks super, and the horse is really training well,” Brown said.

Sierra Leone looks to cap a sophomore campaign that saw him land a Grade 1 victory in the Blue Grass in April at Keeneland ahead of strong Grade 1 placings when a narrowly-beaten second in the Kentucky Derby, and third in both the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets and DraftKings Travers at Saratoga. He also finished a game second to next-out Travers-winner Fierceness in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun.

Brown said he has seen Sierra Leone continue to train with the same class he has shown all year.

“He’s continuing to improve in his works and he’s very professional,” Brown said. “I’m very happy with him.”

In another area of the sophomore division, Brown has a leading Grade 1 Dirt Mile contender in Klaravich Stables’ Domestic Product, who was last seen capturing the seven-furlong Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial in August at the Spa. The son of Practical Joke worked a half-mile in 48.50 seconds in a move Brown described as “excellent.”

“He’s been doing great and is going into the Breeders’ Cup the right way,” Brown said.

Like his Brown-trained sire, Domestic Product’s campaign includes wins in the Grade 3 Dwyer and the Jerkens, but the talented dark bay will look to finish three better than his accomplished father in the Dirt Mile, where he finished fourth in 2017.

Klaravich Stables will also be represented at the Breeders’ Cup by talented sprinter Ways and Means, who is targeting the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Sprint. Also a daughter of Practical Joke, the bay filly won the Grade 1 Test presented by Ticketmaster in August at the Spa and was a last-out winner of the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom on September 29 at the Big A.

Ways and Means posted her first work back from the Gallant Bloom with a half-mile in 48.70.

“A little maintenance work. She’s not a real flashy work horse when you work her by herself,” Brown said. “It was her first work back and she looks good. I’ll do something a little more serious next week.”

Rounding out the set of Breeders’ Cup workers was Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael Caruso’s dual graded stakes-winner Zulu Kingdom, who had his first work back since winning the Grade 2 Pilgrim on September 28 at the Big A. The son of Ten Sovereigns worked a half-mile in 49.50 in company with Pilgrim third-place finisher Early Adopter.

“He’s doing great, and I’ve been really impressed with his development,” Brown said. “He’s only two and is well-traveled. He’s impressive, that horse.”

Zulu Kingdom, whose perfect 3-for-3 record includes a debut win in France for trainer Andre Fabre and a successful American debut in the Grade 3 With Anticipation in August at the Spa, earned a berth into the Grade 1 Juvenile Turf for his Pilgrim victory as part of the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.

Brown also noted that Klaravich Stables’ Idea Generation, who earned a berth into the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf with a win in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl in August at the Spa, will not be making a trip to the Breeders’ Cup this year. The daughter of Dubawi was last seen finishing last-of-6 in the Grade 3 Waya on October 4 at the Big A.

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Jody’s Pride re-routes to G3 Pebbles

Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable’s Grade 1-placed Jody’s Pride was slated to make her turf debut October 11 in the local six-furlong Listed $150,000 Glen Cove but did not re-enter when the race was pushed back one week.

Instead, the Jorge Abreu-trainee will target the Grade 3, $175,000 Pebbles, a one-mile turf test for sophomore fillies on November 8 at Belmont at the Big A.

“I’m going to run her next month going long,” Abreu said. “The more I thought about it, I didn’t want to cut her back in distance. I’ll give her two more breezes before that race.”

The American Pharoah dark bay boasts a 5-3-1-0 record over dirt, including a pair of off-the-turf victories to start her career that includes a 10 1/2-length maiden romp last August at Saratoga Race Course ahead of a 3 1/4-length score in the local Listed Matron in October.

She completed her 2-year-old campaign with a close second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies where she finished a neck back of Just F Y I.

Jody’s Pride returned in March with a victory in the Listed Busher Invitational here before finishing a distant seventh last out in the Grade 1 Ashland on April 5 at Keeneland.

“I think she’s going to love the turf,” Abreu said.

At least one of the two works for Jody’s Pride will come in company with recent Grade 1 Frizette winner Scottish Lassie, who Abreu owns in partnership with Sportsmen Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Photos Finish, and Corms Racing Stable.

The McKinzie dark bay finished third in her September debut at Saratoga Race Course before graduating in style here under Jose Lezcano in the one-turn mile Frizette with a nine-length romp over Snowyte. The winning effort garnered a 90 Beyer Speed Figure and provided a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to be contested at 1 1/16 miles on November 1 at Del Mar.

“She’s doing great. She came out of the race in great shape,” Abreu said. “I’m going to breeze her on Sunday with Jose up – she’ll work with Jody. She’ll then come back again [to breeze] the following week and fly out on the 27th.”

Scottish Lassie, out of the Bodemeister mare Bodebabe, was purchased for $85,000 at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

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D’Angelo mulls Twirling Queen’s options

After not drawing into the Grade 2 Franklin on Sunday at Keeneland, trainer Jose D’Angelo is left with a decision to make regarding the next start for the streaking Twirling Queen.

Campaigned by GU Racing Stable, the sophomore Twirling Candy bay has won her last four starts and is entered in Saturday’s seven-furlong dirt Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland and Friday’s Listed $150,000 Glen Cove, a six-furlong outer turf test for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

“We’re thinking – I’m trying to make the right decision with her. She is doing pretty good, she is very unlucky not to draw in,” said D’Angelo. “She’s ready to run. I’m waiting to talk to my owners and make the right plan for her.”

Last-out, Twirling Queen won the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Coronation Cup on July 12 at the Spa.

“I was very confident in her. She’s a horse that makes training easier. She’s very smart and a nice horse,” D’Angelo said. “She’s ready. She hasn’t run since the Coronation Cup, so we are just waiting.”

Twirling Queen began her career for trainer Norm Casse with a win on dirt, and moved to D’Angelo’s care in her fifth start to begin her current win streak which features a 4-for-4 record on turf and synthetic.

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Unbeaten May Day Ready readying for Breeders’ Cup action

KatieRich Stables’ 2-year-old filly May Day Ready is a perfect 3-for-3, with her last-out win in the Grade 2 Jessamine on October 4 at Keeneland earning a “Win and You’re In” berth for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 1 at Del Mar.

Trained by Joe Lee, who earned his first graded score in victory, the Tapit bay previously captured the one-mile Listed Juvenile Fillies on September 8 at Kentucky Downs after graduating on debut going 1 1/16 miles in August at Saratoga Race Course.

May Day Ready has returned to Lee’s Belmont Park base and will likely breeze once before heading west.

“She’s doing great. She is really, really doing well. The greatest thing about her is the way she travels. She went down to Kentucky Downs, even when we went to Saratoga, she traveled up there really well,” said Lee. “It took 20 hours to get to Kentucky Downs, a little longer than we anticipated, but she was fresh. We trained her a couple of days, actually [trainer] Joe Sharp got on her and said ‘I bring a lot of horses down here, I have a good idea of who gets over the turf, and she is going to like it.’”

After the Kentucky Downs effort, May Day Ready was pointed to the Grade 2 Miss Grillo, a “Win and You’re In” event at Belmont at the Big A, but pivoted to Keeneland when significant rainfall pushed that race back one week.

“It was 21 days until the Miss Grillo, unfortunately things changed a little bit, so we shipped to Keeneland, and wow, she shipped great again. I’ve traveled with horses all over the world, and knock on wood she travels well to Del Mar, but I’ve never seen a horse travel as well as she does,” Lee said. “I’ve been around a lot. She came out of it sound and is fresh and happy. Let’s see if we get lucky.”

Lee said the talented prospect has shown impressive maturity at this stage, including during the Jessamine where she was bothered early and five lengths back in eighth position under Frankie Dettori, but able to collar stakes-winner Totally Justified to win by a nose.

“She went to the track snorting, tail over her back, feeling really good. She ran well, she was bumped and checked in the first turn,” said Lee. “I’ve got to give it to her and to Frankie, too, he got it done as well.”

Lee said he was pleased about the “Win and You’re In” to compete on the world stage.

“It’s nice. That was good. That makes it a lot easier for the owner to think about going. It can get expensive, hotels for people that go, staff, cars, it can get to be an expensive venture. The ‘Win and You’re In’ kind of takes a little bit of the sting out of it,” Lee said.

“She is neat,” he added as May Day Ready gnawed softly on his hand.

May Day Ready was a $325,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the Group 3-winning More Than Ready mare Nemoralia, who was third in the 2015 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

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Irad Ortiz, Jr. posts 4,000th career win

Irad Ortiz, Jr., a five-time Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Jockey, captured his 4,000th career win aboard Good Temper in Sunday’s first race at Keeneland.

Trained by Will Walden for owner Mark Stanley, Good Temper showed the way in the 1 1/16-mile dirt route for juvenile fillies, drawing off to win by 1 3/4-lengths as the odds-on favorite.

“I just have to thank God first. I started in New York in 2011, and they opened their home for me, supported me big time every day,” said Ortiz, Jr. to Keeneland publicity. “I feel like they respect me as one of them, so I have to thank all the trainers and owners who gave me the opportunities. Without them nobody would probably know me right now.”

Ortiz, Jr., who is represented by agent Steve Rushing, secured the milestone at Keeneland but he was quick to acknowledge his New York roots.

“I hit this number at Keeneland, one of the greatest places in horse racing. I have a lot of friends here and am happy they can take a picture with me. I couldn’t be happier than this,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “And we would love to do it in New York, too, because they’ve been seeing me growing since day one. We are happy to be here, too.”

Ortiz, Jr., a 20-time Breeders’ Cup winning rider, reached the milestone just three years after notching his 3,000th winner with Saratoga Kisses on October 7, 2021, at Belmont Park. According to records provided by Equibase, the 4,000 victories include 95 wins from the 32-year-old rider’s homeland of Puerto Rico.

Ortiz, Jr. has enjoyed tremendous success on the NYRA circuit, winning the year-end title on three occasions [2014, 2015 and 2017]. His individual NYRA meet success includes winning the Angel Cordero, Jr. Riding Title as top Saratoga jockey six times [2015, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024]; as well as leading the way at the Belmont spring/summer meet [2014, 2018, 2020, 2022]; the Belmont fall meet [2014-2018, 2021-22]; the Aqueduct fall meet [2015, 2017, 2019, 2021], the Aqueduct spring meet [2017, 2018] and the former Aqueduct inner track title [2012-13, 2013-14, 2017].

Since starting his career in 2011, Ortiz, Jr. has never won less than 150 races in a year, and he is on pace to crack the 300-win mark for the 10th consecutive campaign. He has topped all North American jockeys in wins since 2017 and has shown the way in total purse earnings on five occasions [2018-20, 2022-23].

He enjoyed a tremendous 2023 campaign by surpassing his own purse earnings record when banking $39,193,365 through a 1560-366-269-248 ledger topped by Breeders’ Cup wins with Elite Power [Sprint], Goodnight Olive [Filly & Mare Sprint] and White Abarrio [Classic] to earn his fifth Bill Shoemaker Award as the outstanding rider at the 2023 Breeders’ Cup.

The veteran rider is enjoying yet another impressive campaign in 2024, leading all riders in wins with 256 and also in purse earnings with more than $27 million in the bank. He has posted Grade 1 wins this year with Leslie’s Rose [Ashland], Vahva [Derby City Distaff], Chili Flag [Just a Game], Book’em Danno [Woody Stephens], Cogburn [Jaipur] and Howard Wolowitz [Franklin Simpson].

Ortiz, Jr. is a two-time Belmont Stakes winner, notching a dramatic nose score in 2016 aboard Creator and doubling his tally in 2022 with Mo Donegal. Among the many top horses he has been associated with are 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, 2019 Champion Older Dirt Male Vino Rosso, 2017 Champion Turf Female Lady Eli and 2022 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Nest.

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