Month: October 2023

A field of seven 2-year-old New York-breds representing some of the top stables in the country are set to face off in the 61st running of the $161,547 New York Breeders' Futurity on Monday at Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack (FLGR).

Trust Fund, from the barn of Todd Pletcher; Tall Paul, trained by Bob Baffert; Whatchatalkinabout, from the Wesley Ward stable; and Mischief Joke for trainer Mike Maker headline the six-furlong sprint. The Futurity is scheduled as the eighth race on the nine-race card, with first-race post time set for 1:15 p.m.

The talented assembly of 2-year-olds drew many of the country's best jockeys to Finger Lakes to ride in the race. Irad Oritz Jr., Jose Ortiz, Joel Rosario, Manny Franco, Kendrick Carmouche and Katie Davis are making the trip to Farmington.

Throughout the years, some top New York-bred runners launched their stakes careers in the Futurity, including the legendary Say Florida Sandy in 1996 enroute to career earnings of $2,085,408, and the great filly Proud Puppy in 1988. She earned $407,543 during her career.

This year's renewal of the Futurity brings together two of the top three finishers from the $99,388 Aspirant Stakes, an annual prep for the Breeders' Futurity.

Trust Fund and Tall Paul were involved in the three-horse blanket finish in the Sept. 25 stake that was won by Canigetaloan. The rivals are two of the main contenders in the Monday feature.

Trust Fund hails from the Pletcher barn. The Hall of Fame trainer has won the Futurity three times, including twice with horses who prepped for the race by winning the Aspirant.

Beaten by just a head in the Aspirant despite racing widest around the turn, the son of Practical Joke will retain the services of jockey Jose Ortiz, who is currently fourth in the nation in purse earnings.

Trust Fund has made three lifetime starts, including his maiden victory at Saratoga in his career debut and a sixth-place finish in the $200,000 Funny Cide at Saratoga. He was a $150,000 yearling purchase at the Fasig-Tipton New York Bred yearling sale.

Tall Paul, favored at even money in the Aspirant, will be making his fourth start. The Baffert trainee finished a head behind Trust Fund in that race and had the worst of the trips, taking it right to early leader Antonio of Venice and then fighting gamely right down to the wire.

The Frosted colt was a $475,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s March sale by longtime Baffert clients Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, the latter for whom the colt is named.

Like Trust Fund, Tall Paul broke his maiden against state-breds on Aug. 12 at Saratoga.

Irad Ortiz Jr. is listed to ride.  Ortiz is currently the nation's leading jockey in wins with 307 and purse earnings with $29,872,239.

The 2-1 morning-line favorite is Whatchatalkinabout. Third in his most recent start, the Funny Cide for New York-breds, the son Dialed In will enter the starting gate as a first-time gelding.

The Ward trainee was an $82,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling sale.

Jockey Joel Rosario, 2021 Eclipse Award-winning rider and winner of more than 3,500 career races, will make his first-ever appearance at Finger Lakes. Rosario is currently ranked sixth in the nation in purse earnings.

The other rider from the current top 10 standings who will compete in the Futurity is Manny Franco, who knows a little about winning the race.

Franco, ninth in the standings, won the Futurity in 2021 with Senbei and in 2022 aboard Acoustic Ave. Both were trained by Christophe Clement. He rides Mischief Joke for Maker on Monday.

In addition to the Futurity, Racing Secretary Jerry Richards has also carded the annual renewal of the Leon Reed Memorial Stakes as the third race. The six-furlong sprint for older New York-breds has a purse of $50,000.

Flying Emperor is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Reed Memorial, which is named in honor of the former FLGR employee who tragically passed away in a starting gate accident in 2005. The 2-1 program choice will be under the direction of Emanuel De Diego.

Emanuel De Diego will ride the 6-year-old gelding for trainer James Wright. Flying Emperor has defined consistency at his home track, finishing first or second in 21 of his 22 starts at FLGR.

Andre Worrie, the track's leading rider in 2022, is set to return to competitive action on Monday. Worrie has missed the last nine weeks with an arm fracture. He is listed to ride Started With Stars in the first race.

Complimentary Finger Lakes programs for Monday and all Finger Lakes cards can be downloaded at https://www.equibase.com/content/CustomPPs/FingerLakes/FingerLakes0925.pdf.

There will also be a promotion on Monday with Daily Racing Form where the Finger Lakes on-line DRF past performances can be accessed at no charge.

About Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack: In operation since 1962, the facility added gaming to its offering in 2004 and expanded again in 2013 by adding 33,000 square feet with a $12 million expansion. FLGR is highlighted by over 1,100 gaming machines, the 448-seat Buffet, Remedy Bar & Lounge, as well as live and simulcast thoroughbred racing. Gaming doors open at 8 a.m. and racing doors open at 11:30 a.m. daily. For more information, visit www.fingerlakesgaming.com.

The post New York Breeders’ Futurity: Trust Fund, Tall Paul Among Top 2-Year-Olds In Finger Lakes’ Feature appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A pair of stakes featuring veteran timber jumpers headline this Saturday's National Steeplechase Association doubleheader in New York and Virginia.

At the Genesee Valley Hunt Races in Geneseo, N.Y., the only steeplechase in the Empire State outside of the NYRA flat tracks, three races worth a collective $50,000 have been carded, all over timber. Topping the day is the $25,000 Genesee Valley Hunt Cup at 3 ½ miles. The other races are a $15,000 maiden and a $10,000 allowance restricted to amateur or apprentice riders. Both of those events are at 3 miles.

In the four-horse feature, the standout is Ballybristol Farm's Andi'amu, the 2019 and 2022 National Steeplechase Association timber champion, now trained by Neil Morris. The 13-year-old French-bred remains highly competitive. A winner of 11 races – nine stakes – in 17 outings since 2018, Andi'amu has finished second four times. In his 2023 debut, Andi'amu won the Middleburg Hunt Cup. In his first outing since placing in the Virginia Gold Cup in May, Andi'amu contended before tiring to finish third in the Brown Advisory stakes at Shawn Downs two weeks ago. Tuscany Racing's Monbeg Stream, trained by leading conditioner Leslie Young who is coming off a six-win weekend on September 30 and October 1, captured three straight before being pulled up in the Willowdale Steeplechase in May. In his prior start, he won the Maryland Grand National.

Kiplin Hall's Renegade River, trained by Paige Reynolds, has made the most of a pair of 2023 stakes starts, with a close second to Monbeg Stream in the Grand National and a score in the Willowdale Steeplechase in Pennsylvania over that foe in April.

Charlie Fenwick's Royal Ruse hasn't won a race in three and a half years, but enters the Hunt Cup off a career-defining second in the historic Maryland Hunt Cup in April for trainer Sanna Neilson.

For complete entries, click here: https://nationalsteeplechase.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Genesee-Valley-overnights.pdf. Post time is 1 p.m.

The races are only part of festivities at Genesee. Friendly, leashed dogs are welcome, and there are canine events such as terrier and wiener-dog races, a jumping contest, agility courses, sled-dog demos, plus a parade of the Genesee Valley Hunt foxhounds. For kids, there are stick-horse races and pony rides; adults can partake in wine and craft beer tastings. The festivities began at 10 a.m.

Nearly 400 miles South of Genesee, eight races have been carded for the 69th Virginia Fall Races at Glenwood Park in Middleburg. First run in 1955, the meet carries $205,000 in purses for a mix of timber and hurdle races.

Anchoring the program is the $50,000 National Sporting Library & Museum Cup stakes at 3 ¼ miles. The race has gotten a purse bump of $20,000 over last year.

A field of seven is expected, including The Hundred Acre Field's Cracker Factory, who captured the race last fall for trainer Mark Beecher. The eight-year-old is coming off a come-from-behind victory in the Brown Advisory stakes over Elusive Exclusive and champion Andi'amu at Shawan Downs two weeks ago.

The wildcard in the race is Dolly Fisher's venerable star Schoodic, trained by her son, Hall of Fame conditioner Jack Fisher. The 13-year-old, a multiple stakes winner of nearly half-million-dollars over hurdles and timber, returned recently after 17 months on the sidelines to run a hard-charging second, beaten 2 ½ lengths by Chosen Mate in an allowance race at Shawan Downs. A model of consistency over his 11 years on the track, Schoodic has 13 top-three finishes in 15 starts since April 2019.

Leslie Young, sends out Leipers Fork Steeplechasers' Tomgarrow, the 2021 timber champ. Tomgarrow began 2023 with a win in the My Lady's Manor stakes, and had won four of his previous five outings coming into the Virginia Gold Cup in May, where he fell.

Fat Chance Farm's Flaming Sword, trained by Richard Valentine, was second in the Willowdale Steeplechase, and set the pace for 2 miles in the Brown Advisory at Shawan before tiring to finish last. Valentine also saddles Jacqueline Ohrstrom's Hafajay, who makes his first start in more than two years. The lightly raced British-bred 10-year-old broke his maiden over timber at Winterthur in 2021.

Upland Partners' Shootist, trained by Todd McKenna, makes his first appearance at Middleburg. The nine-year-old son of Smart Strike is stakes placed over timber. He was third in the Maryland Grand National and competitive in the four-mile Maryland Hunt Cup before tiring and being pulled up at the 18th fence.

Rounding out the field is Stooshie, a winner of two of his past four starts for leading owner Irv Naylor and trainer Cyril Murphy. The 10-year-old broke his maiden at the Virginia Fall Races in 2022 and outfought multiple stakes winner Storm Team in an allowance event at the Old Dominion Hounds meet in April. He lost his rider in his only other start this year, in the Steeplethon stakes at Great Meadow.

Besides the timber stake, the card consists of two $30,000 maiden special weight hurdles; a $30,000 handicap for horses rated at 115 or less; a $20,000 maiden starter allowance for horses who have run for a claiming tag of $20,000 or less; a $20,000 maiden contest over timber; a $25,000 steeplethon over mixed obstacles; and a training flat finale. Post time is 12:30 p.m.

For complete entries, click here: https://nationalsteeplechase.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Middleburg-revised-1.pdf

You can watch all of Saturday's races via live stream from the link on the NSA homepage, www.nationalsteeplechase.com. The stream is sponsored by Brown Advisory.

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