Sterling Silver, dominating winner of last year’s Johnstone Mile Handicap at Saratoga Race Course, headlines star-studded group of New York-breds running Wednesday on New York Showcase Day. Coglianese Photo.
The 2025 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival kicks off in style Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course with New York-breds in the spotlight. New York Showcase Day leads off the five-day stand at the Spa, along with the Grade 1 Beverly Steinman Handicap over jumps.
The Showcase Day portion of the card features nine races for New York-breds, including six stakes worth $200,000 apiece.
In partnership with New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., Opening Day of the Belmont Festival will tip off with an I Love NY-Breds baseball cap giveaway. The first 10,000 fans to enter with paid admission will receive a free, white baseball cap featuring the NYTB and 2025 Belmont Stakes logos in tribute to the New York-bred industry.
Admission gates open at 11 a.m. with first post scheduled for 12:40 p.m.
The Saratoga Special, set for its 25th season this summer, will be on the scene to capture all the action and present a new Showcase Special for the first of two signature days for New York-breds this year at the Spa. Enjoy.
Worth Repeating
“It’s a tremendous opportunity to kick off this year’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival with a New York Showcase Day card to highlight the quality of competitive racehorses produced in the Empire State when the racing world and media will be focused on Saratoga. New York-breds compete and win at every level around the world. Featuring a card with six state-bred stakes races and lucrative purses at a historic venue such as Saratoga Race Course shows why it pays to breed and race in New York.”
New York Thoroughbred Breeders Executive Director Najja Thompson.
By the Numbers
1: New York-bred champion from the 2024 season entered on Showcase Day – Bank Frenzy, who runs in the $200,000 Commentator Stakes.
5: Entries for trainer Jimmy Ferraro on Showcase Day, the most for any conditioner. Ferraro’s runners include Mama’s Gold in the $200,000 Commentator and Howling Wind in the $200,000 Bouwerie.
5: Entries apiece for McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds’ resident stallions Central Banker and Solomini
6: Number of runners out of Freud mares entered Wednesday.
6: Stakes on Wednesday’s Showcase Day card.
8: Finalists for New York-bred championship honors in 2024 entered on Wednesday’s card – Accelerating, Antonio of Venice, Bank Frenzy, Landed, Mama’s Gold, Silver Skillet and Sterling Silver.
27: Total stakes run during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
62: Trainers with runners entered on Showcase Day.
100: Entries on Wednesday’s card, including the seven in the Grade 1 Beverly Steinman.
$784,428: Earnings for Commentator entrant General Banker, the most of any New York-bred male on the card.
$1,046,051: Earnings for Critical Eye entrant Sterling Silver, the most of any New York-bred on the card.
$1,200,000: Purses for the six stakes.
$11,275,000: Purses for the 27 stakes at the Festival.
As for the races …
Race 1. Beverly R. Steinman Hudle Handicap (G1). $150,000, 4-year-olds and up, 2 3/8 miles over national fences. Post time 12:40 p.m. No New York-breds in the field but a competitive field of seven to kick off the day.
Mo Plex, winner of the Grade 3 Sanford last summer at Saratoga, runs in Wednesday’s Mike Lee Stakes. Coglianese Photo.
Race 2. Mike Lee Stakes. $200,000, 3-year-olds, 7 furlongs. Post time 1:13. Seven line up for the first stakes of the Showcase Day portion of the card, including graded stakes winner Mo Plex, stakes winners Soontobeking and Prince Valiant and one-time classics hopeful Calling Card.
Race 3. Maiden special weight. $90,000, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 5 1/2 furlongs, turf. Post time 1:46. Miss Im Pulsive moves to the grass after solid debut sprinting on the dirt last time out for Amelia Green. Willful Mama, a daughter of War of Will out of 2024 New York Broodmare of the Year In Spite of Mama, shortens up in her fourth start on the grass for owner-breeder Buck Butler and trainer Mike Maker.
Race 4. Commentator Stakes. $200,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/8 miles. Post time 2:19. Drake’s Passage won last year’s renewal for the late Christophe Clement and will become Miguel Clement’s first New York starter in this year’s renewal. He prepped for this with a fifth in a 1-mile open optional-claimer last month at Aqueduct. Bank Frenzy looms large from the outside. Last year’s champion older dirt male looks to bounce back from fourth in Grade 3 Westchester and rattling off four straight wins in late 2024 and early 2025.
Race 5. Allowance. $95,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles, turf. Post time 2:51. Sounds Like a Plan didn’t miss by much last time against open company in the Woodhaven Stakes. Son of Twirling Candy drops back to allowance ranks for Horacio De Paz and meets the likes of Pay the Juice, Leon Blue, The Paddock Pastor and Courtly Banker.
Bernieandtherose looks to extend win streak to five in Wednesday’s Bouwerie Stakes. Coglianese Photo.
Race 6. Bouwerie Stakes. $200,000, 3-year-olds, fillies, 7 furlongs. Post time 3:26. Bernieandtherose looks to keep win streak intact for owners and breeders Robert Rosenthal and Brad Bernstein and trainer Dominick Schettino. She’s won four straight, including back-to-back stakes. Accelerating, winner of last year’s Seeking the Ante and disappointing in her two tires this spring at Oaklawn, returns to the Empire State and looms a threat while Charlotte’s Heart switches to the main track for the first time.
Race 7. Kingston Stakes. $200,000, 4-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles, turf. Post time 4:02. The Freud gelding Schlomo makes his stakes debut off back-to-back wins for trainer Bill Mott and takes on field of experienced runners led by Hush of a Storm, Born Dancer, Clear Conscience, Be of Courage and Itsallcomintogetha.
Race 8. Critical Eye Stakes. $200,000, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles. Post time 4:37. Back to the main track for next-to-last stakes on the card. Landed, who figured to be favored, will come out of the race according to published reports and that leaves field of eight if they all go. Sterling Silver, who packs a strong resume and big bankroll; and Bernietakescharge, who scored a blowout win two starts back before fading in the mud last time, look toughest of that group.
Silver Skillet, a multiple New York-bred champion nominee in 2024, bids for third win in four starts at Saratoga in the Mount Vernon Stakes. Coglianese Photo/Susie Raisher.
Race 9. Mount Vernon Stakes. $200,000, 4-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/16 miles. Post time 5:12. Silver Skillet returns to defend her title, albeit last year’s event was run on the main track after rains washed away the Showcase Day grass races. Daughter of Liam’s Map is equally good on grass, with three wins and two seconds in 11 tries. Reunites with Joel Rosario and potentially caps a big emotional day for the Clement family. Won’t be easy with the likes of Whatlovelookslike, Awesome Czech, Can’t Fool Me and Spinning Colors also in the field.
Race 10. Maiden special weight. $90,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles, turf. Post time 5:47. Coach Case, a son of Slumber, makes second start after good try in debut on the grass for the late Christophe Clement. Plenty of players in the field with Sir Oscar, English Castle, Spirit of the Law, Hello Newman, Moe Eighty Eight, Mission Hill and Sir Lawrence all looking like threats.
