NEWS: RACING

Here & There – Showcase Day 2020

Friday, October 23rd, 2020

Captain Bombastic, one of four winners from last year’s Empire Showcase Day card running back in 2020, goes in Saturday’s Hudson Stakes. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.

The Saratoga Special

Who’s ready for Empire Showcase Day? We definitely are and put together a special Here & There Showcase Day edition for the occasion, just like what you’d see on a warm summer day in The Saratoga Special. Special thanks, too, to the communications team at the New York Racing Association.

Names of the Day

Byhubbyhellomoney, fifth race. Bad Boy Racing’s 2-year-old filly is by Effinex out of Shocking Behavior.

Caumsett, fifth race. Michael Henning’s 2-year-old filly by The Factor. Causett State Historic Park Preserve, a state park on Lloyd Neck in Long Island, is an English-style estate with sports & recreation, nature trails & historical society in a manor house.

Ratajkowski, sixth race. Empire Distaff. Gary Broad’s 6-year-old mare won the race last year and we figure she’s named for Sports Illustrated and runway model Emily Ratajkowski, who had 26.8 million followers on Instagram as of Friday morning.

Rinaldi, eighth race. Mohawk Stakes. Jim and Tina Bond like to name the family’s horses for Italian wines and this year’s West Point winner is named for the late Giuseppe Rinaldi.

Somelikeithotbrown, eighth race. Mohawk Stakes. Last year’s New York-bred champion 3-year-old male and multiple graded stakes winners is by Big Brown out of Marilyn Monroan. He’s appeared in Names of the Day in the past but we can’t get enough.

 

By the Numbers

1:13.20: Tiz the Law’s 6-furlong workout time Friday morning at Keeneland. The New York-bred Belmont and Travers winner galloped out 7 furlongs in 1:25.40 and got his final quarter in :23.60 as he continues to prep for the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

4: Winners from the 2019 Empire Showcase program entered back Saturday – Ratajkowski, Critical Value, Captain Bombastic and Mr. Buff.

5: Entries sired by freshman sire War Dancer on Showcase Day, one more than fellow New York-based stallions Central Banker and Big Brown.

6: Runners bred by Chester and Mary Broman entered for Showcase Day, including Mr. Buff and Chestertown in the co-featured Empire Classic.

7: Entries for Jeremiah Englehart on Showcase Day, most of any trainer and one more than both Rudy Rodriguez and Christophe Clement.

109: Total entries for Empire Showcase Day card.

1,412,000: Dollars in purse money on the line on Showcase Day.

1,002: Mares bred by 37 stallions in New York in 2020 according to statistics released by The Jockey Club Friday morning.

123: Mares bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds’ Solomini in his first season in 2020, the most of any stallion in New York. Central Banker, who also stands at McMahon of Saratoga, bred 114 mares and Rockridge Stud’s Leofric bred 91 mares.

 

Worth Repeating

“He’s giving me every indication that he’s doing well. He’s training well and breezing well. Junior (Alvarado) gets on him for all his breezes and says he feels terrific. I can’t say anything negative about the way he’s coming into the race.”
Trainer John Kimmel on defending Empire Classic winner Mr. Buff

“It’s always nice to pick up New York-breds. The money there is really good and when you have a New York-bred you can go up there and get all the bonuses. The New York-bred program is intriguing right now.”
Mid-Atlantic-based trainer Danny Velazuez, who runs Laobanonaprayer in the Maid of the Mist and Brooklyn Strong in the Sleepy Hollow

“I’m not sure what that was because she’s never not done that [switched leads] but she’s also never had to run that hard. At Finger Lakes, it’s just a cakewalk for her.”
Trainer Chris Progno on Iroquois entrant Spin a Yarn’s runner-up effort in the Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series this summer at Saratoga

“She’s a missile.”
Jockey Kendrick Carmouche to Progno after breezing Spin a Yarn 5 furlongs in 1:01.22 Sunday at Belmont

“It’s a little quick back for her but we thought she wouldn’t have any issue with stretching out, so we’re going to give her a shot and go from there. A lot will depend on how the race shapes up. She’s pretty versatile and we can ask her to do different things.”
Trainer Jeremiah Englehart on Party At Page’s, who runs back on 19 days’ rest in the Maid of the Mist off her win in the Lady Finger at Finger Lakes

“The waters are going to get deeper and deeper every time, but we’ll just keep marching forward and keep our fingers crossed that he keeps getting better.”
Trainer Jim Bond on Rinaldi’s chances in the Mohawk

 

On the air

Empire Showcase Day will be part of Saturday’s America’s Day at the Races coverage on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. Coverage will run from noon to 5:30 p.m. ET on FS2 and MSG+.

 

 

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