Friday, October 19, 2012
Contact: NYRA Press Office
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- Jacobson gives Fiddlers Afleet spot in the spotlight in Empire Classic
- NYRA Rewards members can bet on UK, Irish racing beginning tomorrow
- Caixa Eletronica heads Pletcher trio for closing weekend stakes
- Spring to the Sky returns to dirt for G3 Bold Ruler
- Fields coming together for final weekend stakes
- Nihei mulling options for sharp 2-year-old turf winner Draw Two
- Live
ELMONT, N.Y. – When David Jacobson sent out Saginaw and Fiddlers Afleet to first- and third-place finishes in the one-mile Promenade All overnight stakes on September 23, the trainer learned he had not one but two strong contenders for the 1 1/8-mile Empire Classic, the centerpiece of tomorrow’s New York Showcase Day card.
After careful consideration, Jacobson has decided to have
Fiddlers Afleet, a 6-year-old who has raced for myriad trainers in his career, has won two of three starts at the Empire Classic’s distance, with victories in the 2009
Jacobson compares the 6-year-old son of
“Fiddler has already proved that he can go a mile and an eighth,” said Jacobson. “
In his first start for Jacobson, Fiddlers Afleet won the six-furlong Chasin’ Wimmin’ by 7 ¼ lengths in July at Belmont Park, then was a well-beaten seventh in the John Morrissey, won by Saginaw, in August at Saratoga. Later that month, the Gary Barber color-bearer rebounded to take the Clever Electrician at the Spa prior to the Promenade All.
The Empire Classic will be Fiddlers Afleet’s first start beyond one mile this year. He’ll be coupled in the Empire Classic with Big Business, a seven-length victor of an off-the-turf entry-level allowance for New York-breds on September 29.
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Beginning Saturday, October 20, NYRA Rewards customers will be able to wager on races from the
Saturday is British Champions Day at Ascot Race Course, where undefeated Frankel will attempt to extend his winning streak to 14 in the Group 1 Champion Stakes. The race, which likely will be Frankel’s final career start, is carded as the fifth event at
Wagering will open for NYRA Rewards customers at 9 a.m. and
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Caixa Eletronica, who at age 7 earned a career-high 107 Beyer Speed Figure when finishing second in the Grade 1 Vosburgh Invitational last time out, comes back next Saturday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Bold Ruler Handicap, a race in which he finished third last year.
“Seven furlongs is not a problem for him,” said Whit Beckman, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, of the Repole Stable color-bearer, who has earned more than $1 million this year. “He ran a very credible race last time out in the Vosburgh. It set up well for him. He’s one of those horses who is so versatile, no matter what distance, he seems to show up every time.”
The Pletcher barn will have two representatives in the other Grade 3 event on Saturday, the $150,000 Turnback the Alarm at 1 1/16 miles. Maristar, most recently fourth in the Grade 1 Beldame, will get some class relief while R Gypsy Gold returns after a brief freshening following her sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Invitational Handicap.
“Maristar didn’t run a bad race last time out; she was just a little overmatched,” said Beckman of the 5-year-old
R Gypsy Gold, who won the Endear overnight stakes at the Turnback the Alarm distance on July 4, was third in the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher prior to finishing 18 ½ lengths behind winner Love and Pride in the Personal Ensign.
“Like Maristar, that was probably a little bit out of her league,” said Beckman of R Gypsy Gold, who is owned by E Paul Robsham Racing Stables. “She’s doing really, really well right now, and 1 1/16 miles should suit her just fine.”
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Spring to the Sky, winner of the six-furlong Groovy overnight turf stakes on September 13, will return to the main track next Saturday in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler.
The 3-year-old Langfuhr colt began his career on dirt, breaking his maiden over a muddy
“Looking back, 1 1/8 miles was way too far for him,” said Bruce Brown, who trains Spring to the Sky for Anthony McCarthy. “He has been running really well on grass, but we thought we would give him one more shot on dirt as we plan for the future.
“If he runs big on the dirt, there are much more opportunities on dirt,” added Brown. “Or, he can go to grass full-time.”
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The Grade 3, $150,000 Bold Ruler for sprinters and the Grade 3, $150,000 Turnback the Alarm for fillies and mares on Saturday highlight the closing weekend for
Likely for the seven-furlong Bold Ruler, according to NYRA stakes coordinator Andrew Brynes, are Associate, who has been first, second or third in seven of eight starts since breaking his maiden last July; Godolphin Racing’s Buffum, unraced since finishing sixth in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap in July; Caixa Eletronica, a closing second in the Grade 1 Vosburgh Invitational last time out; Fort Loudon, who followed a second in the Grade 1 Foxwoods King’s Bishop with a seventh in the Vosburgh in his first start against older horses; Golddigger’s Boy, most recently fifth in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap; Little Drama, fourth in the Vosburgh; Spring to the Sky, returning to dirt following a victory in the Groovy overnight stakes, and Zero Rate Policy, eighth in the Vosburgh.
The 1 1/16-mile Turnback the Alarm is expected to attract All Due Respect, second to champion Awesome Feather in the Nasty Storm overnight stakes on September 20; Arena Elvira, returning to action from a six-month layoff after finishing third in the Grade 3 Sixty Sails Handicap at Hawthorne; Catch a Thief, runner-up in the Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses in July; Go Unbridled, most recently third in the Grade 1 Beldame behind Royal Delta and It’s Tricky; Maristar, fourth in the Beldame; Nefertini, unraced since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher on July 29 at Monmouth Park; R Gypsy Gold, who followed a third in the Molly Pitcher with a sixth in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga, and Thundering Emilia, seventh in the Grade 3 Athenia and Grade 2 Ballston Spa in her last two starts.
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Draw Two showed on Wednesday that he might be taking down big pots in the future with his 7 ¾-length maiden victory on the turf at
Making the third start of his career, the 2-year-old Macho Uno colt bided his time in fifth in the early stages under Javier Castellano, hooked four wide to commence his stretch run, and blew past his competition en route to the facile score in the 1 1/16-mile race.
It was kind of effort trainer
“He broke outside and ran on [in his debut race], but he was a little green,” said Nihei, who trains Draw Two for Dennis Narlinger. “With the weather and other factors, we couldn’t get into a race until the last day at
With turf racing winding down in
“We’ll take a look around,” said Nihei. “With the weather forcing us to be easy on him, we have the latitude to wait until his 3-year-old season or try to find a race for him.”
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New York Showcase Day from
Dave Johnson, the long-time voice of the Kentucky Derby on ABC Sports, will host, with racing journalist Bill Finley providing the commentary. The broadcast will feature live coverage of the races that go off between 4 and 6 p.m., plus delayed calls of the stakes run earlier in the day.
New York Showcase Day features seven stakes races for New York-breds, topped by the $250,000 Empire Classic. The Sirius broadcast has been sponsored by the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund.
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