Jockey Manny Franco shined brightest of all on a rainy Empire Showcase Day, winning three races as well as securing his 2,000th career win and the Belmont at the Big A fall meet jockey title as part of a special 10-race all New York-bred card.
Franco captured the $200,000 Mohawk in Race 2 aboard Spirit of St Louis to earn his milestone score and added a pair of wins on the undercard to cap a terrific meet.
It was also a day to celebrate owner William “Buck” Butler's Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama, who produced a pair of stakes winners on the card in My Mane Squeeze [Maid of the Mist] and Rotknee [Hudson].
“This New York program–I love it,” said Butler. “I'm really enjoying it and enjoying the success that I've had with my mares. It's just great. I'm three generations in with this horse. Mama Theresa [second dam] is my linchpin here, and In Spite of Mama has given me nothing but runners.”
In Spite of Mama has produced two other winning foals in Lookin for Trouble and Mama's Gold. She is out of the multiple stakes-placed New York-bred Carson City mare Mama Theresa, who has six winning progeny led by the Grade 3-placed dual stakes-winner A Freud of Mama.
Sunday's lucrative program featured eight stakes worth $1.6 million and was topped by the $250,000 Empire Classic and $250,000 Empire Distaff in which each welcomed new stakes winners.
Straight Arrow, trained by Michael Dini for owner Laura Barrish, made his stakes debut a winning one to close out the day in the Empire Classic, a nine-furlong route for 3-year-olds and up.
With Jairo Rendon up for trainer Michael Dini, the Arrogate gray tracked 1 1/2 lengths back on the outside in third as Lobsta and Cicciobello battled up front through fractions of :23.03 and :46.87 over the muddy and sealed main track.
Straight Arrow advanced with purpose through the final turn and took command at the top of the lane with Sheriff Bianco and Un Ojo chasing in vain. Straight Arrow continued to find more and crossed the wire a 2 3/4-length winner in a final time of 1:50.51.
Sheriff Bianco completed the exacta by a head over his Linda Rice-trained stablemate Un Ojo with Cicciobello, Drake's Passage, Olympic Dreams, Barese, Lobsta and Curlin's Wisdom rounding out the order of finish. Aggregation was scratched.
Straight Arrow entered from a dominant nine-length score in a one-turn mile off-the-turf optional-claiming event for state-breds on October 15 in which he secured a field-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.
“We ran him back in 14 days, but to me he's like a 3-year-old going to the Kentucky Derby (G1). He's lightly raced and I really don't train hard,” Dini said. “The meet is coming to an end and he's a hard horse to train. It took two years to get him to the races.
“We'll probably take him Florida now because he's a hard horse to train,” Dini added. “I can't leave him. We'll bring him back up in the spring.”
Straight Arrow, out of the Numerous mare Lulu's Number, is a half-brother to the multiple graded stakes-winning New York-bred millionaire Disco Partner. Bred by Patricia Generazio, Straight Arrow was acquired for $30,000 at this year's Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale. He banked $137,500 in victory while improving his record to 7-4-1-0 and returned $7 for a $2 win bet.
Know It All Audrey, with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano up, overtook pacesetting Ichiban just inside the final sixteenth to score a 2 3/4-length win in the Empire Distaff, a nine-furlong route for fillies and mares in Race 5.
The victory marked a first stakes win for the filly and Three Player's Stable, who co-own the 4-year-old Shackleford bay with trainer Oscar Barrera III, as he also enjoyed his first trophy presentation as a conditioner.
Ichiban led the field through splits of :24.42, 49.41, and 1:13.84 over the muddy and sealed main track with Know It All Audrey tracking from second position to the inside of Sunset Louise. Castellano tipped Know It All Audrey off the rail for the stretch run and the determined bay reeled in the game Ichiban to win in a final time of 1:51.57.
Bred by Geraldine Mazza, the consistent bay was claimed for $16,000 out of a winning effort last September. Know It All Audrey earned her first stakes win in her fifth attempt, banking $137,500 in victory while improving her record to 24-7-5-3. She returned $10.80 for a $2 win bet.
The stakes action kicked off in Race 2 with the $200,000 Mohawk as Franco secured his 2,000th win and 200th career stakes score, guiding Spirit of St Louis to a half-length win in the in the 1 1/16-mile race over yielding inner turf for 3-year-olds and up.
Longshot Ruse led the field through splits of :24.90, :51.57, and 1:16.37 with Spirit of St Louis stalking to his outside from second and multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire City Man saving ground in third.
Franco gave Spirit of St Louis his cue midway through the final turn and the dark bay responded in kind, taking command at the stretch call with plenty in reserve to stave off the outside run from City Man in a final time of 1:44.90. It was three-quarter lengths back to Jerry the Nipper in third with Ruse and Dakota Gold completing the order of finish. Call Me Harry, Kaz Sugar Bank and Noble Huntsman were scratched.
Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, the 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro gelding entered from a win in the state-bred Ashley T. Cole. Trained by Chad Brown for owners Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Richard Schermerhorn, Spirit of St Louis banked $110,000 in victory while improving his record to 7-4-2-0. He paid $4.50 for a $2 win bet.
William Butler's homebred My Mane Squeeze, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up for trainer Mike Maker, overtook pacesetter Cara's Time in deep stretch en route to a three-length score in the $200,000 Maid of the Mist, a one-turn mile for juvenile fillies in Race 3.
Cara's Time led the field through splits of :23.97 and :48.74 over the fast and sealed main track with My Mane Squeeze rating comfortably in third position. Caldwell Luvs Gold, the 2-5 mutuel favorite, advanced through the turn to the inside of Valentine Gift and to the outside of Bernietakescharge as My Mane Squeeze held her position along the rail through three-quarters in 1:14.04.
Ortiz tipped My Mane Squeeze off the rail for the stretch run and took aim at the leader, taking over inside the final eighth of a mile to score in a final time of 1:38.73. Cara's Time earned place by a nose over Caldwell Luvs Gold with Bernietakescharge, Valentine Gift, Lika Rolling Stone and Kaz' Rose rounding out the order of finish. Tricky Temper was scratched.
The Audible bay was a maiden winner at second asking at Saratoga Race Course and entered from a distant third-place finish behind the victorious Cara's Time and runner-up Caldwell Luvs Gold in the Joseph A. Gimma on September 24 here in her stakes debut. In turning the tables on her familiar foes, My Mane Squeeze banked $110,000 and kept her in-the-money record perfect through a ledger of 4-2-0-2. She returned $12.20.
In Race 6, a late surge by the Jose Ortiz-piloted Amanda's Folly was enough to secure victory over the game pacesetter Silver Skillet in an off-the-turf edition of the $200,000 Ticonderoga originally scheduled at 1 1/16-miles over the inner turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.
A compact field of five contested the 43rd running of the Ticonderoga, which was run as a one-turn mile over a muddy and sealed main track. Amanda's Folly, owned and trained by Linda Rice, stalked to the outside in second as Silver Skillet splashed through an opening quarter-mile in :23.91, the half-mile in :47.57, and three-quarters in 1:12.39.
Ortiz sent Amanda's Folly after Silver Skillet in the turn but was initially rebuffed as Sweetie made her bid up the rail. It appeared that Silver Skillet had turned back all challengers inside the final 70 yards, but a courageous Amanda's Folly made one last attempt and earned the neck score in a final time of 1:37.80. Silver Skillet held place by three lengths over Sweetie with Itsakeyper and Saratoga Chrome rounding out the order of finish. Spungie, Whatlovelookslike, Can't Fool Me, Runaway Rumour and Waterville were scratched.
Bred by Lambholm, Amanda's Folly banked $110,000 in victory and improved her record to 17-5-4-1. She returned $5.30.
The classy multiple graded stakes-placed Sterling Silver avenged her disqualification from victory in the Gallant Bloom (G2) last out with a rallying score in the $150,000 Iroquois, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for fillies and mares in Race 7.
Trained by Tom Albertrani for owner Mark T. Anderson, the 4-year-old Cupid gray advanced down the backstretch to track from the outside in second position under Castellano as Leeloo led the way through sharp intervals of :22.67 and :46.03 over the muddy and sealed track.
Leeloo led through the turn and attempted to kick away from the field at the top of the lane, but Sterling Silver would not be denied the neck score in a final time of 1:16.47. It was a further 6 3/4-lengths back to Captainsdaughter in third with Cairo Sugar, Funny How, Vallelujah and Bank On Anna rounding out the order of finish. Security Code was scratched.
Bred by Mallory Mort and Karen Mort, Sterling Silver added to past stakes scores in last year's Franklin Square and Bouwerie. She earned graded black type last year when second in the Prioress (G3) and third in both the Gallant Bloom and Victory Ride (G3). She banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 18-6-3-3 and returned $2.80.
Race 8 saw Barry Schwartz's homebred El Grande O draw off to a 1 1/4-length victory in the $200,000 Sleepy Hollow, a one-turn mile for juveniles.
Trained by Rice and confidently handled by Ortiz, the Take Charge Indy colt was hustled from the inside post to challenge for the lead with Solo's Fury marking the opening quarter-mile in 22.82 seconds over the muddy and sealed going.
El Grande O took over heading into the turn as Dylan Davis gave Aggelos the Great his cue and began to cut into the lead with a serious turn-of-foot along the rail. El Grande O led by 5 1/2-lengths at the stretch call as Aggelos the Great's bid petered out with longshot B D Saints, who broke poorly, making a wide, late run from the back of the pack. But there was no catching El Grande O, who scored in a final time of 1:37.98.
The Rice-trained B D Saints completed the exacta by 5 1/2-lengths over Aggelos the Great with Wine Responsibly, Mischief Joke, Two's a Crowd, Bonne Chance, Skyler's Starship and Solo's Fury rounding out the order of finish. Detective Tom was scratched.
El Grande O finished second in both the open-company Skidmore and state-bred Funny Cide before romping to an 8 1/4-length win over Aggelos the Great in the Betram F. Bongard on sloppy and sealed going. He arrived from a distant off-the-board effort in the Champagne (G1) on October 7. He banked $110,000 in victory while improving his record to 8-3-3-1 and returned $3.30.
In Race 9, owner-breeder William Butler and trainer Mike Maker teamed up to garner their second win on the card as Rotknee surged to an impressive one-length victory in the $150,000 Hudson in Race 9, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up
With Jose Lezcano up, the Runhappy colt chased Today's Flavor through an opening quarter-mile in :21.77 but took command through a half-mile in :44.23 to boast a 5 1/2-length lead at the stretch call. Ny Traffic and Win for Gold, who hopped at the start and trailed, chased gamely down the lane, but there was no denying Rotknee who covered the distance in 1:16.23. Ny Traffic earned place honors by 2 3/4-lengths over the late-running Thin White Duke with Win for Gold, Ocean's Reserve, Amundson and Today's Flavor completing the running order. Jemography and Be the Boss were scratched.
It was the fourth state-bred stakes score for Rotknee following success last year in the Damon Runyon, Mike Lee and Ontario County. He banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 14-8-2-0 and returned $10.80.
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