Flying Zee Well Represented in Bongard
Flying Zee Stables looks to be well
represented in both Showcase Day juvenile races with Western Tryst
The
Prize Fighter exits a third-place effort in the six-furlong Gold and
Roses Stakes at Saratoga on September 2 which followed a courageous
maiden victory going 5 ½ furlongs on August 13.
"He sat
back off a modest pace [in the Gold and Roses] and I think that may
have cost him a little at the end," said Serpe. "Considering it was his
first start off his maiden win, I thought it was a very good effort."
Western Tryst returns to dirt
in the Bongard after breaking his maiden on turf last time out on
September 22 at Belmont. He made two starts in Saratoga, finishing fifth
in a 5 ½-furlong maiden contest on the main track on August 6, then
running third in his second outing, 1 1/16 miles on the turf on August
20.
"He's been breezing on the dirt and he's really,
really working well," said Serpe. "The way these races come up, we're
taking a little shot, but it's not without some thought. We were happy
he won on the turf, and we're happy to give him another chance on the
dirt."
Night
Maneuver and stablemate Goodtime Boy both exit the same starter
allowance/optional claimer at Belmont Park on October 5. Night Maneuver
slipped up the rail to win by a half-length, while Goodtime Boy tired to
finish fifth.
"It was a starter allowance, but it was a
nice race, the way he showed courage to come up the rail," Martin said
of Night Maneuver. "He had nowhere to go, and [apprentice jockey Ryan
Curatolo] showed courage to stay with it. The horse seems to handle
everything. He's very professional for a 2-year-old. He never showed
much at all until he won at Saratoga. We thought, 'He doesn't look like
he's much horse. He's going to need to do some racing to get his act
together.' He surprised us the first time, and after that he's just been
training better and better."
Curatolo has the return
call from post 6 aboard Night Maneuver while Goodtime Boy has the
services of Jose Espinoza from post 7.
In the
seven-furlong Joseph A. Gimma in memory of Fleet Indian, Flying Zee's
Harbor Mist will face 10 other fillies including Wildcat Smile, winner
of the New York Breeders' Futurity against males on October 1 at Finger
Lakes.
Harbor Mist returns to the state-bred ranks off a
sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Frizette behind undefeated My Miss
Aurelia.
"It was a small field and from our
perspective to finish 1-2-3 in that race would have been beneficial
later on from a breeding standpoint," said Serpe. "The next step would
be to go back against state-breds and I think she'll be a lot tougher in
here. She ran great in Saratoga - two wins and a second - and we're
looking forward to her rebounding and running big on Saturday."
Runner-up
in her maiden outing, the daughter of Rockport Harbor was a 4 ½-length
winner in her second start on August 21 en route to a convincing 2
¾-length score in the Ann Clare Stakes on September 1. On Saturday, Ryan
Curatolo will ride Harbor Mist, 6-1, from post position 9.
The
Gimma will also feature a rematch between Shot Gun Pennie and Wildcat's
Smile, who finished 1-2 in the Lady Finger Stakes at Finger Lakes on
September 5.
In that meeting, Blue Devil Racing
Stable's Shot Gun Pennie set the pace and held off Francis J.
Paolangeli's Wildcat's Smile by 1 ¼ lengths. Shot Gun Pennie hasn't
raced following that effort, with Wildcat's Smile having returned to
defeat males in the New York Breeders' Futurity.
"We
were going to go against the colts [with Shot Gun Pennie in the New York
Breeders' Futurity], but we thought the race came up too tough," said
trainer Carlos Martin. "[Wildcat's Smile] came back and won that race
against the colts. I was kind of kicking myself after the race. Who
knows? [Wildcat's Smile] was able to sit [in the Breeders' Futurity]. We
went wire-to-wire the day we beat her."
Wildcat's Smile
was made the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the Gimma and will leave from
post 3 under Javier Castellano. Shot Gun Pennie - 9-2 on the morning
line and leaving from post 4 -gets the services of Rajiv Maragh.