Matties Racing’s homebred No Chalk wins Monday’s Arctic Queen Stakes at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

By Paul Halloran

Just when it looked as if Gone and Forgotten was going to make it three in a row in the Arctic Queen Stakes at Finger Lakes Monday, along came the appropriately named No Chalk to pull off a mild upset.

Owned and bred by Matties Racing LLC and foaled at Saratoga Glen Farm in Stillwater, the 5-year-old daughter of Tapiture came from sixth in the nine-horse field and collared Gone and Forgotten three strides before the wire to win by a half-length. The $30,000 winner’s share brought her career earnings to $230,255 on the strength of six wins, 10 seconds and two thirds in 22 starts.

Gone and Forgotten, the 2022 and 2023 Arctic Queen winner who was claimed by Linda Dixon for Barry Ostrager at Saratoga August 2, chased pacesetter Small Pebbles and Honest Banker – the favorite by only $5 – through a quarter-mile in :22.88. Honest Banker took over midway on the turn, but Gone and Forgotten was right with her through a half-mile in :46.52.

Having gone by Honest Banker by the time they straightened for home, Gone and Forgotten kicked clear by 2 lengths and looked like he was on his way to the three-peat in this stakes for New York-breds, but Anthony Rodriguez and No Chalk kept coming and got up just in time for trainer Sal Iorio Jr. The final time for 6 furlongs was 1:12.49, with No Chalk paying $8.60 to win.

No Chalk became the first stakes winner for the Speightstown mare Justleavemealone, who also produced $120,579 earner Noble Behavior (Noble Causeway), $118,044 earner Stimulus Check (Tapiture) and Cat Lady Steph (Warriors Reward), a 1-race winner. The Matties brothers bred all four of the progeny of Justleavemealone, a $75 Keeneland yearling in 2009 who won three times in a 21-race career.

No Chalk broke her maiden as a 3-year-old at first asking at Aqueduct in 2022 and ran second in the Niagara Stakes at Finger Lakes later that year. She managed only one win in 2023, but was on the board seven times in nine starts. She was 1-6 this year heading into the Arctic Queen, but has now won two in a row after taking a $10,000 optional claimer at Finger Lakes August 14.

Pandagate outruns Doc Sullivan late to win Sunday’s Albany Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. NYRA Photo.

They didn’t need a party bus this time.

A little more than a month removed from making the 202-mile trek to Finger Lakes in a “party bus” to watch Pandagate win the New York Derby, the Arrogate colt’s many owners turned out in force Sunday for New York Showcase Day at Saratoga Race Course.

They brought the party without the bus – specifically in the Jim Dandy Bar area of the clubhouse’s first floor – and received a similar result. Pandagate won for the fourth time in six starts and second straight in the featured $242,500 Albany Stakes. The 1-length win over Doc Sullivan and three others in the 9-furlong Albany set off a wild celebration in the clubhouse that spilled into the winner’s circle when the gray colt came back under Dylan Davis.

“He made it a little bit interesting at the end there,” said Matt Cutair, who heads up the Adelphi Racing Club that co-owns Pandagate with Madaket Stable, Corms Racing Stable and On The Rise Again Stable. “It seemed like maybe he got to looking around just a little then when he heard the other horse he went on again. I could breathe again after that.

“Every Adelphi partner on the horse was here today. And every other partner is here as well. It’s the biggest winner’s circle I’ve been a part of. We had a big one in Finger Lakes when we took the party buses up there. That was cool, but this is like, insane.”

Joe Krong of the Amsterdam-based On The Rise Again Stable soaked in the scene with the nearly three dozen partners, friends and associates in the winner’s circle.

“Incredible,” Krong said. “My parents and I have been in this game forever. When I won a $12,500 claimer I felt like I won the Travers. Now I feel like I won the Kentucky Derby. I’m in Saratoga, with my family and friends and had this incredible moment. He ran well. The Clements are doing great with the horse. We don’t question anything they do.”

Trained by Christophe Clement and his son and assistant Miguel, Pandagate won the New York Derby as the 7-10 favorite. He also remained unbeaten in four starts against New York-breds, dating to a debut maiden win during the Belmont at the Big A meeting in October and the Gander Stakes in late February at Aqueduct.

The Gander victory convinced Pandagate’s connections to think big and they sent the colt out of the Sky Mesa mare Kitty Panda to Dubai for the $1 million UAE Derby in late March at Meydan. He finished third, beaten only 6 3/4 lengths by Japanese star and eventual Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Forever Young.

Pandagate didn’t return until the July 15 New York Derby, where he closed from fifth around the far turn to defeat Doc Sullivan by three-quarters of a length.

“That was terrific,” Miguel Clement said. “He is very consistent. He just keeps delivering every time, and I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet.”

Bred by Fred Hertrich III, who also co-bred maiden winner North End Lady with John Fielding to close Sunday’s card, Pandagate picked up $137,500 to boost his bankroll to $434,550.

Bloodstock agent Joe Migliore picked Pandagate out of the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale and Christophe Clement, agent, signed for the colt. Pandagate is the fifth foal out of the stakes-placed Kitty Panda. A homebred for Oak Bluff Stables and Clement, Kitty Panda won two of nine starts and finished third in the 2013 Bouwerie Stakes.

Hertrich purchased Kitty Panda in foal to Blame for $160,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale. Pandagate is one of three New York-bred winners out of Kitty Panda, also the dam of three-time winner and $151,380-earner Panster and the two-time winner Countable. Kitty Panda is also the dam of the Kentucky-bred 2-year-old City of Light colt City Panda. – Tom Law

•••

Landed storms to victory in Sunday’s Fleet Indian at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.

And that makes three.

Landed won her third consecutive race and second straight stakes taking the Fleet Indian Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Sunday. Owned by Lael Stable and trained by Wesley Ward, the New York-bred filly stretched her speed to 1 1/8 miles with another front-running gem under John Velazquez.

Landed led every step to easily hold off Dolomite and My Shea D Lady in the $200,000 stakes. Landed finished in 1:51.99. Bred by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable, the 3-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach and the Medaglia d’Oro mare Glory Gold improved her record to four wins from six starts for $290,410.

Final Furlong purchased Glory Gold’s daughter Espresso Shot at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred sale in 2017. The daughter of Mission Impazible won four stakes and $516,0625.

In 2018, Final Furlong purchased Glory Gold for $13,000 at Keeneland November. On her seventh time through the sales ring, Glory Gold was carrying Venti Valentine. The daughter of Firing Line went on to win six stakes and $893,600. She finished sixth in Sunday’s Yaddo, her first start on the turf. Two years year after producing Venti Valentine, Glory Gold landed Landed.

“Initially owning Espresso Shot and then partnering with Shaun (Nettleton) on the dam, Glory Gold, brought us Venti Valentine,” Final Furlong’s Vincent Roth said. “And now, we bred Landed. Just to be here with the owners of her as well was just an unbelievable experience on Showcase Day.”

Landed made sure of it.

“Every dream as a breeder is (to) get them into the big races, watch the family flourish,” Nettleton said. “We’ve been here for all the steps, and I remember visiting this horse when she was born in the winter at Saratoga. To be in the winner’s circle two times with her here, can’t ask for any more.”

Purchased for $220,000 by Sewanne Investments at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November mixed sale in 2021, the bay filly sold to Lael Stable for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings the following summer.

Landed broke her maiden at Aqueduct in November and finished second in the Maddie May at Aqueduct in February. She won an allowance race at Keeneland in April and added the Bouwerie at the Belmont Racing Festival in June at Saratoga.

“I was a little concerned coming from seven eighths to a mile and an eighth that she was going to be a little keen, but she actually came back to me pretty easy, she got a little hold on me, but nothing crazy. I was very happy with her,” Velazquez said. “I was pretty confident; she was going pretty easy. She doesn’t open up, I wait for them and then she goes again. I wait for them and she goes again. The last eighth of a mile, I get busy on her, ‘Come on, now you’ve got to run.’ Wait, wait, wait and then go.” – Sean Clancy

Spirit of St Louis, winner of the Hudson Valley last time out at Aqueduct, headlines field for Sunday’s West Point. NYRA Photo.

The biggest day of the summer season for New York-breds – and easily one of the most anticipated of the year – unfolds Sunday with the annual New York Showcase Day at Saratoga Race Course.

Eleven races are on tap, including six stakes worth $1.25 million. Everything starts at 1:10 and the first stakes, the $200,000 Seeking the Ante for 2-year-old fillies, goes as the opener.

The team at The Saratoga Special and This Is Horse Racing wanted to preview all the action and present the New York Showcase Special to set the stage. We’ll be back with another edition for Empire Showcase Day this fall at Belmont Park.

Here’s wishing everyone in the New York Thoroughbred industry a safe Showcase Day and prosperous rest of the year.

By the Numbers
1.715 million: Dollars in purses for the Showcases Day card, including $1.25 million for the six stakes.

115: Entries for Sunday’s Saratoga Showcase Day card – 95 in the body of the day’s races and 20 on the also-eligible lists.

56: Trainers with entries on the card.

22: Entries whose names start with S, including Silver Skillet, Spirt of St Louis and Stonewall Star.

10: Entries for trainer Jorge Abreu.

8: Entries for trainer Mike Maker.

7: Runners on the card sired by McMahon of Saratoga’s Solomini, including Smilensaycheese in the Funny Cide, Trail of Gold in the Seeking the Ante, Doc Sullivan in the Albany and My Shea D Lady in the Fleet Indian.

5: Runners on the card bred or co-bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, including morning-line favorite Accelerating in the Seeking the Ante.

5: Entries bred or co-bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds on the program, including Dakota Gold in the $200,000 West Point Handicap.

3: Stakes entries bred by leading New York breeders Chester and Mary Broman – Aggelos the Great in the Albany, Sweet Brown Sugar in the Fleet Indian and Spirit of St Louis in the West Point.

Worth Repeating
“Saratoga New York Showcase Day is a celebration of New York’s horse racing and breeding industry during the annual prestigious Saratoga Race Course meet. The entire card, including six stakes races for New York-breds, shows the depth and quality of our program with competitive purses and incentives. The day highlights why it pays to breed, own and race in New York. Each entrant has a unique and compelling story to tell and it’s a great day for our state breeders and owners and racing fans to cheer and wager in celebration of the continued rise of New York-breds.”
New York Thoroughbred Breeders Executive Director Najja Thompson

As for the races …

Accelerating, winner in her debut July 26, looks strong in Sunday’s Seeking the Ante. NYRA Photo.

Race 1. Seeking the Ante Stakes, $200,000, 2-year-olds, fillies, 6 furlongs. Post time 1:10 p.m. ET. The anticipated showdown between Bellacose, debut winner here July 17; and Accelerating, debut winner here July 26, won’t go with the former opting for next weekend’s Spinaway. Don’t overlook Carmen’s Candy Jar, fourth in the Schuylerville and back with New York-breds for Todd Pletcher.

Race 2. Maiden special weight, $90,000, 2-year-olds, 5 1/2 furlongs, turf. Post time 1:42. Full field of 10 juveniles here with a five also eligibles and a main track only. No problem at the entry box for this condition.

Race 3. Allowance-optional, $100,000, 3-year-olds and up, 7 furlongs. Post time 2:15. Multiple stakes winner Barese makes first start off the claim against solid field that includes Bourbon Chase, Dr. Kraft and others.

Race 4. West Point Handicap presented by Trustco Bank, $200,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles, turf. Post time 2:48. Back to stakes action and another short field unfortunately. Only five line up for one of longtime traditions at Saratoga, but it’s a solid group for sure with Spirit of St Louis on a win streak and City Man and Dakota Gold looking to get back on track.

Race 5. Albany Stakes, $250,000, 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 miles. Post time 3:21. The featured event of the day has the makings of a possible rerun of the New York Derby last month at Finger Lakes. Four of the first five are here, including the top three in Pandgate, Doc Sullivan and Skyler’s Starship.

Race 6. Maiden special weight, $90,000, 2-year-olds, fillies, 5 ½ furlongs, turf. Post time 3:53. Back to the grass and another overflow field – are we sending a trend? Ten line up and several others hope to get in. Charlotte’s Heart, a daughter of Authentic bred by 30 Year Farm, cost $725,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings. She makes her debut here for Mark Casse and Live Oak Plantation. Christophe Clement and Waterville Lake Stables bid for another win with homebred Tahlia.

Race 7. Allowance, $95,000, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/16 miles, turf. Post time 4:28. Big and balanced field that includes Lakeside Getaway, Island Fox, Midnight Concerto, Busy Morning and others.

Landed, winner of the Bouwerie Stakes at Saratoga in June, aims for Sunday’s Fleet Indian Stakes. Jetta Vaughns/NYRA Photo.

Race 8. Fleet Indian Stakes, $200,000, 3-year-olds, fillies, 1 1/8 miles. Post time 5:05. Bouwerie winner Landed, NYSS Statue of Liberty winner My Shea D Lady, New York Oaks exacta Caldwell Luvs Gold and Sweet Brown Sugar and Grade 2 placed Dolomite look to make some noise with morning-line favorite My Man Squeeze out after running at Charles Town Friday night.

Race 9. Funny Cide Stakes presented by Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, $200,000, 2-year-olds, 6 furlongs. Post time 5:42. Jeremiah Englehart talked about running Mo Plex back in the New York-bred ranks before and after he won the Grade 3 Sanford. Son of Complexity returns with state-breds here from the outside post in field of 10.

Race 10. Yaddo Handicap, $200,000, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/16 miles, turf. Post time 6:16. Nine line up for Saratoga tradition, including last year’s New York-bred champion turf female Silver Skillet. She takes on Whatlovelookslike, Moonage Daydream, Venti Valentine, Marvelous Maude and others.

Race 11. Maiden special weight, $90,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles, turf. Post time 6:49. Finish the day – and the week – with another full field on the turf course.

Mo Plex, winner of the Grade 3 Sanford opening weekend at Saratoga, runs in Sunday’s Funny Cide. NYRA Photo.

The Saratoga Special

Jeremiah Englehart debated whether to run both Bellacose and Mo Plex in 2-year-old stakes on Sunday’s New York Showcase Day program at Saratoga. He eventually opted to not run Bellacose, breezing the daughter of Audible Saturday morning instead of running in the $200,000 Seeking the Ante with eyes on the Grade 1 Spinaway on closing weekend. 

There was less debate – although some with the Grade 1 Hopeful on Closing Day still out there – for Mo Plex in the $200,000 Funny Cide Stakes. 

R and H Stable’s Mo Plex ran his record to 2-for-2 when he ventured out of New York-bred company and won the Grade 3 Sanford the first Saturday of the meet. Englehart said the 6-furlong Funny Cide was in the cards even before the son of Complexity won the Sanford, reiterated it after his front-running 1-length win and again Friday. 

“The plan was to come back in this race and it’s still the plan,” Englehart said. “There’s a good group of horses in there. He’s coming into the race very well. My biggest thing is, last time we asked him from start to finish. Probably for him we drew well again, being on the outside, which he’s been used to.”

Mo Plex drew the extreme outside posts in his 10-length maiden and Sanford, and again in the 10-member Funny Cide field. Irad Ortiz Jr. takes the return call on the 5-2 morning-line favorite. 

“I’m going to let Irad do what he wants to do from there,” Englehart said. “Hopefully he runs well, gallops out well and then we start trying to stretch him out for his next start.”

The Seeking The Ante leads off the Showcase Day card at 1:10 p.m.  Accelerating, a 4 1/2-length winner for Asmussen July 26 and the 8-5 morning-line pick before Bellacose breezed a half in :50.09 on the Saratoga main track Saturday, tops the Seeking the Ante field. She now takes on Schuylerville fourth Carmen’s Candy Jar, Saratoga maiden winner Trail Of Gold and Parx maiden winner Central To Success. 

The Funny Cide goes as the next-to-last of six stakes on the card and the ninth race with post time of 5:42 p.m. Trainer Mike Maker, who won last year’s Funny Cide with The Wine Steward, entered the duo of Smilensaycheese and Under Who’s Radar for Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher. Other major players in the Funny Cide include the Wesley Ward-trained Bostontonian, recent private purchase Mi Bago and Saratoga maiden winner In The Chase. 

The first three finishers from last year’s West Point Handicap – City Man, Spirit of St Louis and Jerry the Nipper – are back for this year’s $200,000 renewal. Spirit of St Louis finished 1 1/4 lengths behind City Man last year and hasn’t lose in five starts since. The 1-2 favorite on the morning line in the 1 1/16-mile stakes, Spirit of St Louis brings an 8-for-10 record for trainer Chad Brown. The West Point goes as the fourth race at 2:48 p.m.

Six New York-bred sophomores entered the featured $250,000 Albany Stakes, including the first three finishers in the New York Derby in 4-5 favorite Pandagate, Doc Sullivan and Skyler’s Starship. Pandagate returned from almost four months off to win the New York Derby by three-quarters of a length over Mike Lee winner Doc Sullivan. The Albany goes as the fifth race at 3:21 p.m.

The $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes for 3-year-old fillies opened up with the connections of Grade 2 My Mane Squeeze opting to skip the 9-furlong stakes in favor of Friday night’s Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks. That leaves a field of eight led by Bouwerie Stakes winner Landed, Grade 2-placed Dolomite and last year’s Seeking The Ante winner and recent New York Oaks winner Caldwell Luvs Gold. The Fleet Indian goes as the eighth race at 5:05 p.m.

The $200,000 Yaddo Handicap closes the stakes portion of the Showcase Day card as the 10th race at 6:16 p.m. Silver Skillet, winner of the off-the-turf Mount Vernon and the Port Washington on the grass in her last two starts, looks to improve to 3-for-3 on the turf at Saratoga as the 8-5 morning-line favorite. The daughter of Liam’s Map meets eight others, including Barry Schwartz’s homebreds Whatlovelookslike and Stonewall Star, Moonage Daydream and Marvelous Maude.

Sancrosanct, a 2-year-old bred by Burleson Farms, Mckenzie Bloodstock and Sequel Thoroughbreds, gives freshman sire Honest Mischief his first winner Wednesday at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.

New York-based freshman sire Honest Mischief secured his first winner Wednesday when Sacrosanct rolled to victory in the second race at Saratoga Race Course.

Honest Mischief, an 8-year-old son of Into Mischief out of the Grade 1-winning Seattle Slew mare Honest Lady, stands for $6,500 at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson.

Bred by Burleson Farms, Mckenzie Bloodstock and Sequel Thoroughbreds, Sacrosanct won his debut in a 6-furlong New York-bred maiden special weight by 3 1/4 lengths for trainer Brad Cox. Owned by Lady Sheila Stable, Jon Hansen and Schwing Thoroughbreds, Sacrosanct is out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Vibrato. He sold for $260,000 out of the Sequel Bloodstock consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale.

“We are thrilled with Sacrosanct’s debut,” said Carlos Manresa, Sequel’s director of operations. “It is always exciting when a homebred wins at Saratoga, particularly as the first winner for our young stallion, Honest Mischief. Having had the opportunity to break and train Sacrosanct before selling him at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale, we were confidant that he would be a competitive first-time starter.

“Sacrosanct was one of many fast-working juveniles for Honest Mischief and we look forward to seeing them as they make their first starts in the weeks and months to come.”

Bred and campaigned by Juddmonte Farms, Honest Mischief won four of nine starts with three seconds and a third for $287,464 in earnings. He won the Force the Pass City of Laurel Stakes and finished third in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga Race Course as a 3-year-old.