Adam Coglianese
Bet down to thirty cents on the dollar to take the $150,000 Bertram M. Bongard Stakes on Empire Showcase Day, New York-bred juvenile standout Wired Bryan ran to his odds, staying comfortably ahead of his six rivals every step of the way to win a fourth stakes victory and boost his already healthy bankroll to $537,474.
A grey homebred for Stuart and Anita Subotnick’s Anstu Stables trained by Michael Dilger, Wired Bryan came into the Bongard sporting a stellar resume in five prior career starts, including a win in the Grade 2 Sanford and a perfect two-for-two record against state-breds. The only possible concern as he went to the post under regular rider John Velazquez was his outside draw at a time when inside speed was carrying the day on the Belmont main track.
Velazquez gunned Wired Bryan out of the gate to go the seven furlongs of the Bongard, and in no time cleared the field to gain the coveted rail spot. Opening up one length, then two on the competition, the grey carved out solid fractions of 22.86 and 45.79. Leading by two lengths at the head of the stretch, Wired Bryan extended his lead to five when shaken up a little by Velazquez, then cruised home to a comfortable three-length victory. Empire Dreams ran well to close from fourth into second, three lengths ahead of show finisher So Lonesome, who also closed. The final time for seven furlongs over the fast Belmont main track was 1:22.83, a full second faster than the fillies’ race. [VIDEO]
Adam Coglianese
Wired Bryan’s juvenile campaign has been nothing less than stellar. After winning on debut by 7 1/4 lengths against state-bred maidens at Belmont on June 19, he re-rallied to win the Grade 2 Sanford at Saratoga by 5 1/4 lengths on July 21. Returning in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on August 11, he fell short of victory by a nose after valiantly trying to run down pacesetter Corfu. The first horse to compete in all three graded juvenile stakes at Saratoga since City Zip swept the races in 2000, Wired Bryan closed out his Saratoga campaign with an off-the-board finish in the muddy Grade 1 Hopeful on Labor Day, but rebounded next out when he overwhelmed the field of the New York Breeders’ Futurity, the richest race of the Finger Lakes stakes program, on September 28.
After the Bongard, Velazquez, who has been aboard for every start except the Breeders’ Futurity, said, “It [the victory] wasn’t a surprise, we have to expect that. This horse has been running against a lot better horses. Today we broke from the outside, just kind of let him run out of there, got to the lead, and tried to save some horse for the end.”
Adam Coglianese
Trainer Michael Dilger, a Darley Flying Start graduate and assistant to Todd Pletcher for seven years before going out on his own this past January, said, “It’s a horse race, so you never know what can happen. He’s been holding his form real well. He’s been a consistent horse all year. Johnny [Velazquez] has ridden the horse, he’s won on him, he’s ridden against him and beaten him, he’s been beaten by him – he’s seen him from every angle. I told him to do whatever he thought was best. The horse is always going to break sharp, it was just a matter of whether someone else wanted the lead or not. He’s a naturally fast horse. I wasn’t concerned about seven furlongs on a fast track. His recent works have shown he’s progressing and maturing.”
As to the future, Dilger said, “We’ll see how he is during the week and go from there. We’ll winter in Florida, and who knows, maybe try to stretch him out [on the Triple Crown trail].”
Adam Coglianese
The grey’s record now stands at 6-4-1-0. His $537,474 earnings bankroll includes a $100,000 NYRA bonus as a 2-year-old maiden winner Belmont in the spring who went on to win a graded stakes later in the year on a NYRA track.
Wired Bryan is out of Red Melody a stakes-placed Kentucky-bred daughter of Runaway Groom ($92,543) who was an $180,000 2-year-old purchase in 1998 campaigned by Anstu Stables. Red Melody has six winning offspring from six foals to start led by Run Red Run (Afternoon Deelites), whose four stakes placings include a third-place finish in the 2007 Empire Classic ($198,628), and six-figure earners Jumping Jack Louie (Louis Quatorze) and Thescreenisred (Van Nistelrooy).
Red Melody currently has a yearling colt by Bernstein and a weanling colt by Tale of the Cat. She was bred to Dublin this year.
