New York-bred City Man could attempt to shine bright in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave on August 13 following his first graded stakes victory in Friday's Grade 3 Forbidden Apple at Saratoga Race Course.
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles and Patty Searles' City Man, who recorded a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure in the Forbidden Apple, has earned at least one stakes victory each year dating back to 2019, where he captured Saratoga's Funny Cide over the main track during his 2-year-old season for trainer Christophe Clement.
But Friday marked the first time the son of Mucho Macho Man has won two stakes events in the same year. In his 2022 debut, he captured the April 9 Danger's Hour over the turf at Aqueduct.
“I went by and saw him this morning and he looks like he's ready to go again,” said co-owner Dean Reeves. “To get to win at Saratoga is special, and to me it's always great when it's a Mucho Macho Man foal that we bought as a 2-year-old. This horse has done really well for us.”
Mucho Macho Man, who captured the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in 2013 and finished third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby two years prior, also was owned by Reeves, who noted that his best progeny have an affinity for grass. In addition to City Man, leading Mucho Macho Man offspring include Grade 1-winner on turf Mucho Unusual, turf stakes winner Belle Laura and He's a Macho Man – who finished second in the 2019 Breeders' Stakes on the Woodbine turf.
“Strangely enough, Mucho Macho Man's progeny have run well on turf, but if push came to shove, we could run him on dirt as well,” Reeves said.
Reeves said City Man could be at his best at this stage of his career, which is why the Fourstardave could be a viable option for his next start. Should he contest the prestigious one-mile turf test, it would be his second attempt at a Grade 1 win after finishing ninth in last year's Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park.
“His 5-year-old year is off to a bang and we may try a Grade 1 with him next,” Reeves said. “I have seen him really develop. We gave him about three months off through the winter and I think he really relaxed and got himself ready to go at it again. I'm sort of starting to believe that a mile might be his best distance. He had such a nice burst and finish in yesterday's race that I think he can be very competitive. Christophe and I are going to see how he looks in a week or two because that race is about three and a half weeks out. If we can make it, we may just take a shot at that race.”
Reeves said 2020 champion turf male Channel Maker could attempt to win the the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational for a second time on August 27 at the Spa.
Channel Maker has been a participant in the last four editions of the Sword Dancer, capturing the 2020 edition on the pathway to Eclipse Award honors. He was a last out winner of the Grand Couturier on July 4 at Belmont Park, where he fended off a stretch confrontation from Solider Rising to pick up his ninth career stakes win.
A victory in the Sword Dancer would make Channel Maker only the sixth horse of at least 8-years-old to win a flat Grade 1 on the NYRA circuit per Equibase statistics which date back to 1976. John's Call captured the 2000 Sword Dancer at age 9.
“That horse still has that competitive spirit,” said Reeves, who owns Channel Maker with R.A. Hill Stable, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber. “When the gate opens, you're going to have to come get him. He showed that in his last race, I thought he was done. He looked at those horses and said, “Not today.' He's quite the competitor. When we were watching, I thought that horse was going to go by us. Channel Maker just found out what he had to do.”
Channel Maker, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, is known for flaunting early head-high front-running fashion and has been piloted to stakes victories by a handful of riders, including Jose Ortiz, Joel Rosario, Manny Franco, and most recently, Luis Saez.
“The jockeys have to understand that he does run with his head high. He likes to get out on the pace and relax,” Reeves said. “He's hardheaded so you can't fight him. Those jockeys have done a great job with him. Luis did a great job getting him in position and when he turns for home he still has a lot left.”
Reeves added that Big Everest, a two-time winner over Belmont's Widener turf this summer, could try stakes company next out for Clement. The 4-year-old English-bred son of The Gurkha broke his maiden on the inner turf at Saratoga last July in his lone start at the Spa. He earned a career-best 92 Beyer for his win on July 9 in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer.
“He may be about ready for a stake race,” Reeves said. “He's put in two nice efforts back to back. We were concerned about if he could get the distance, and he showed us that he can. I think that really opens up a lot for us. He came back well and I think we'll start to look for something.”
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