Barry K. Schwartz’s Sharp Starr, upset winner of last year’s Empire Distaff, is back to defend her title Sunday. NYRA Photo.
By Tom Law
Empire Showcase Day always packs a punch and Sunday’s renewal is no exception.
One of the biggest days of the year for New York-breds features eight stakes on the 10-race card, run this year at the Belmont at the Big A meeting due to ongoing construction at Belmont Park. The team at The Saratoga Special is again privileged to preview all of the day’s races, and more, with a special edition of The Empire Showcase Special.
The Showcase Special offers the perfect primer for anyone heading to Ozone Park for the day’s action, or those watching from home. And we’ve thrown in some of the popular features you see every summer in The Saratoga Special.
Here’s the primer for Sunday, Oct. 30. Safe trips to all and good luck.
By the Numbers
1: Defending champ back to defend title Sunday – Sharp Starr (Empire Distaff). She’s joined by last year’s runner-up, Ice Princess.
5: 2021 New York-bred champions entered Sunday – Venti Valentine (Iroquois), Runaway Rumour (Ticonderoga), Bank Sting (Iroquois), My Boy Tate (Hudson), Bankit (Hudson)
5: Horses bred or co-bred by Hidden Lake Farm entered – Forever Amy (first), Naughty Nan (first), Agility (second), Bankit (Hudson) and Dr. Blute (Empire Classic).
6: Horses bred by Chester and Mary Broman entered – Montebello (Empire Classic), Im Just Kiddin (Maid of the Mist) and Arctic Arrogance, Donegal Surges, Starquist and Quick to Accuse (Sleepy Hollow). The Bromans also own Im Just Kiddin, Arctic Arrogance and Starquist.
7: Horses entered for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the most of any trainer
7: Entries by leading New York sire Central Banker – Lady Quinn and Central Speed in the first, Bankit in the Hudson Stakes, Bank Sting in the Iroquois Stakes, Dream On Cara in the Maid of the Mist Stakes, Dream Central in the Ticonderoga and Thtwasthenthisisnw in the Sleepy Hollow.
8: Stakes on Empire Showcase Day.
38: Stallions that bred mares in New York in 2022, according to statistics from The Jockey’s Club’s Report of Mares Bred. The Empire State was one of only two states without a decrease in stallion population year over year.
99: Horses entered in the 10 races carded for Showcase Day.
119: Mares bred by Sequel Stallions’ Honest Mischief in 2022, most of any stallion in New York this year.
113: Mares bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds’ Central Banker, New York’s leading sire in 2021 and on the way to another title in 2022, this year.
85: Mares bred by the late Combatant, who previously stood at Rockridge Stud, in 2022, third most in the state.
973: Mares bred in New York in 2022, an increase of 2.6 percent from 2021.
Bankit brings the biggest bankroll into Sunday’s Showcase Day card. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.
1,189,655: Dollars earned by Hudson contender and last year’s champion older dirt male Bankit, the most of any runner on the card. The 6-year-old son of Central Banker also has the most number of starts of any runner on the card with 35.
1,762,000: Dollars in purses offered on Sunday’s 10-race Empire Showcase Day card, including $1.6 million in stakes purses.
Worth Repeating
“Empire Showcase Day reflects the quality, popularity and continued growth of the New York-bred program. The New York racing and breeding community looks forward to each of these showcase days on the calendar, and we thank NYRA for acknowledging and supporting New York’s Thoroughbred breeding ecosystem.”
Najja Thompson, Executive Director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc.
Names of the Day
Sandrone, second race. We can always count on the team at Bond Racing Stable to come up with a wine-themed name. And Italian wine, to boot.
Therapist, Mohawk Stakes. Easy one. The veteran 7-year-old gelding is by Freud.
Mosienko, Iroquois Stakes. An all-time favorite by the hockey-loving members of The Special, 5-year-old Hat Trick mare is named for the former Chicago Blackhawks legend who recorded said hat track in 21 seconds in 1952.
Marvelous Maude, Ticonderoga Stakes. Michael Dubb and partners’ 4-year-old Slumber filly is named for Maude Walsh, who did many things over the years at NYRA including work in the Horsemen’s Relations department.
As for the races …
Race 1. 12:35 p.m. Showcase Day kicks off with a full field of 2-year-old fillies for 7-furlong maiden worth $77,000 on the main track. Disription, a $250,000 buy at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale, looks to improve off second to Stonewall Star last time in her third start while John Terranova unveils Central Banker firster Central Speed.
Race 2. 1:09. Switch to the grass for 6-furlong allowance over the outer course and – surprise, surprise – another big field of 12 vying for the $85,000 pot.
Multiple stakes winner and New York-bred champion My Boy Tate runs in the Hudson. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.
Race 3. 1:43. The $150,000 Hudson kicks off the stakes action. Last year’s champion male sprinter My Boy Tate makes just his second appearance in the 6 1/2-furlong event and takes on Bankit, who shortens up after three straight starts at 1 mile.
Race 4. 2:12. The $250,000 Empire Classic goes early on the card with a field of seven led by 3-year-old stakes winner Barese and 7-year-old veteran Sea Foam. Barese hasn’t been out since finishing second in the Albany at Saratoga while Sea Foam returns to the Big A, where he won the Alex M. Robb to end 2021. Dr. Blute, Brooklyn Strong and Montebello give the short field depth.
Race 5. 2:44. Back to the grass for $200,000 Mohawk. Great to have the turf stakes back on the card after they were moved to another weekend in 2021 because of wet weather. City Man goes for his fourth stakes victory of the season against familiar foes Sanctuary City, Cold Hard Cash and Jerry the Nipper – who chased him home last time in the Ashley T. Cole – along with veterans Rinaldi and Therapist. The latter makes his first start for George Weaver’s barn after racking up more than $775,000 with former connections.
Race 6. 3:16. Barry Schwartz’s homebred Bustin Stones filly Gone and Forgotten ventures away from Finger Lakes, where’s she’s been lights out her entire career, for the $150,000 Iroquois. Plenty of strong opposition await in 6 ½-furlong stakes, including last year’s dual New York-bred champion Bank Sting, stakes winner Venti Valentine, November Rein, Betsy Blue and Mosienko.
Race 7. 3:47. A warm welcome to the stars of tomorrow, starting with the $200,000 Maid of the Mist for 2-year-old fillies. The first four from the Joseph A. Gimma – Gambling Girl, Miracle, Les Bon Temps and Security Code – are here along with impressive maiden winner Banterra and last-out turf stakes runners Little Linzee, Im Just Kiddin and Recognize.
Giacosa, off since the Mount Vernon in May, returns in the Ticonderoga. NYRA Photo.
Race 8. 4:21. The champion female turf title hangs in the balance and the $200,000 Ticonderoga figures to go a long way in determining potential contenders. Runaway Rumour won the crown last year and looks for her first win of 2022 here against the likes of Mount Vernon winner Giacosa, Marvelous Maude, Finest Work and Dream Central.
Race 9. 4:53. Sharp Starr returns to defend her title with similar form that landed her a 3 ¼-length score last year. She’ll go two turns this time but has handled herself well at Aqueduct in 10 starts, finishing in the top three seven times. Brattle House returns to the New York-bred ranks and will be a top foe, along with Let Her Inspire U, Ice Princess and Sunset Louise.
Race 10. 5:23. Jackson Heights scored 24-1 win last time and tries to do it again in the $200,000 Sleepy Hollow for 2-year-olds. Son of New York-based Union Jackson takes on Arctic Arrogance and Donegal Surges, who chased him home last time, along with Canarsie, Starquist, Shadow Dragon and Quick to Accuse in deep field.
