Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Dakota Gold is set to make his return racing at Belmont Park in Sunday's $150,000 Spectacular Bid division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series for eligible state-sired sophomores going seven furlongs over the Widener turf.
Trained by Danny Gargan, Dakota Gold enters off a seven-month hiatus, last racing as the post-time favorite in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Del Mar. The stakes-winning son of Freud showed tactical speed down the backstretch and finished fifth beaten 2 1/4 lengths behind purse-money only winner Modern Games.
“He lost a little bit of his kick he normally had, but he still ran well,” Gargan said of his Breeders' Cup effort. “I thought he ran very well to only get beat three lengths by those good horses. We turned him out this winter to let him grow up. He's not a very big horse and he filled out a lot, so the time really helped him. We're looking for a good race and after that, we'll springboard into something else.”
Prior to the Breeders' Cup, Dakota Gold captured the one mile Nownownow on September 26 at Monmouth Park, just four weeks after winning at first asking in an off-the-turf Saratoga Race Course maiden event.
“He's a lot better on the grass,” Gargan said. “He did run well that day, we were happy with him. He ran big and his second race was even better. He moved forward. He was off for a while and you're always worried when they haven't run in so long. But he's doing really well. Hopefully we get a big performance. We got Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] riding him. That's always a bonus when you have Irad on your horse in a stake at Belmont on the grass.”
Gargan said the Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar is a long term goal for Dakota Gold.
Bred in New York by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Ron Bowden, Dakota Gold is out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Dakota Kid, who is a half brother to Grade 1-winning millionaire Dakota Phone. He was bought for $83,000 from the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Sale.
Dakota Gold will emerge from post 2 under Ortiz, Jr.
Louis Lazzinnaro's Marinara Sauced arrives off a deep-closing debut triumph over a yielding Widener turf on May 21. The Chad Brown-trained son of Laoban was 20 lengths back in last down the backstretch and catapulted from nine lengths back in seventh at the stretch call to mow down his rivals and win by a head.
Purchased for $35,000 from the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearlings Showcase Sale, Marinara Sauced is out of the Bodemeister mare Anna's Angel – a half ister to Grade 1-winners Daaher and Spun Sugar. He is bred in the Empire State by Southern Equine Stables.
Returning rider Manny Franco will have the call from post 5.
Trainer Linda Rice will saddle two contestants in pursuit of a second NYSSS Spectacular Bid coup.
Barry Schwartz's homebred Maseta was a close fourth travelling one mile in a state-bred allowance event on May 13 in his second start this year. The bay son of Japan earned black type when third in the open company Central Park in November at Aqueduct.
Maseta, who adds blinkers, will be ridden by Eric Cancel from post 3.
Mo Dancin arrives off a fourth-place finish in his stakes debut in the NYSSS Times Square on April 23 at Aqueduct. The son of Laoban broke his maiden at first asking going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct in March for a $40,000 tag.
Breaking from post 6, Mo Dancin will be ridden by Jose Lezcano.
Completing the field are Buckortwo [post 1, Dylan Davis], One Time Willard [post 4, Luis Saez], Barrel of Quests [post 7, Jose Ortiz], and Surprise Boss [post 8, Kendrick Carmouche].
Morning Matcha Tries Turf In Cupecoy's Joy
LC Racing, Cash is King, and Gary Barber's stakes winner Morning Matcha will try turf for the first time in Sunday's $150,000 Cupecoy's Joy division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series.
A bay daughter of Central Banker, Morning Matcha will cut back to sprinting after a last-out run at nine furlongs in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan on May 20 where she finished an even sixth in the field of 13, beaten 8 1/4 lengths by Interstatedaydream.
“I thought the effort was very good,” said trainer Butch Reid, Jr. “I really thought that if she had switched leads on time and not scrambled for a few seconds there, she would have definitely hit the board. We weren't discouraged by it at all. We still think she's a top filly.”
Morning Matcha has been a model of consistency, finishing on-the-board in 9-of-11 lifetime starts and earning a stakes victory in the Main Line on March 8 at Parx Racing.
“For a horse that only cost $18,000, she really is competing against the best. When we've had her in the right spots, she's gotten the job done,” said Reid, Jr. “We couldn't be any happier with her. We're looking forward to running her in the next couple [Stallion Series Stakes].”
Morning Matcha has made all but one of her starts on dirt and tried synthetic in September when she finished a game second in the Finest City at Presque Isle Downs. She closed well from off the pace to be defeated 3 1/4 lengths by You Look Cold.
“She's doing well. She's coming into the race in great shape. We're really happy and this is going to be a new experience for her. Her father won a stakes on the turf and her mother won some races on the turf,” Reid, Jr. said. “There is reason to believe she'll handle the turf. We wanted to throw her a curveball a little bit. She's been running long of the dirt and an elongated sprint on the grass might be the thing to mix her up a little.”
Morning Matcha will emerge from post 12 with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard.
Ascendant Farms' New York homebred Galaxina will make her turf debut for trainer Jim Bond after making her first three outings on dirt.
A daughter of Giant Surprise, Galaxina enters from an upset victory in the NYSSS Park Avenue division in her stakes debut on April 24. The bay filly stalked the pace in second under returning rider Trevor McCarthy for the first half-mile in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint before coming away with a narrow lead at the top of the stretch and drawing away to a one-length score at odds of 24-1 over Starship Laoban.
Galaxina finished second on debut to dual stakes-placed Stone Creator before graduating at second asking in a seven-furlong state-bred maiden at the Big A. She earned a career-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure for her Park Avenue effort.
“She's a big filly who has improved in leaps and bounds,” said Bond. “She's a fun filly and exciting to be around.”
Galaxina could enjoy the grass with good turf pedigree on her dam's side, her third dam, Constant Companion, produced Grade 1-winning Champion Grass Mare Forever Together.
Bond said Galaxina worked well in a half-mile over Belmont's inner turf in 49.45 seconds on June 5.
“She's doing really good. She worked on the turf and we were happy with it,” said Bond. “We just hope she takes to it. I don't know how good she is, but she's bred for it and [cutting back in] distance isn't the question. The surface is the only question. Our fingers are crossed and we're just cautiously optimistic.”
McCarthy will guide Galaxina from post 4.
The well-traveled Freud filly Howdyoumakeurmoney has made an appearance at six racetracks and makes her Belmont debut for trainer Michael Trombetta. Owned by Commonwealth New Era Racing, the bay filly was last seen finishing fourth in the Star Shoot at Woodbine Racetrack, defeated just 2 1/2 lengths after going wide and losing position at the stretch call.
Howdyoumakeurmoney's best finish this year was a third in the Serena's Song over Turfway Park's synthetic, beaten 7 1/2 lengths by Marissa's Lady after tracking throughout the six furlongs and never firing. Her lone turf win was a maiden-breaking score at second asking sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs in September at Saratoga Race Course.
Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for her maiden win, rides again from post 3.
Completing the field are Royal Dancer [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche], Dream Central [post 2, Jose Lezcano], Shigeko [post 5, Joel Rosario], Liberty Flame [post 7, Dylan Davis, blinkers on], Half Birthday [post 8, Javier Castellano], Silken Dollar [post 9, Luis Saez], Shinfull [post 10, Flavien Prat] and Robyn and Eli [post 11, Manny Franco]. Bank On Anna is entered for the main track only.
The post Dakota Gold, Morning Matcha Top Fields For Pair Off New York Stallion Stakes At Belmont appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
