Met Mile draw: Fierceness, White Abarrio will face 3 others

After the New York Racing Association made a late call that lured one supplement, the Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap wound up with only five entrants for its Saturday renewal at Saratoga.

Fierceness and White Abarrio, who have a combined seven Grade 1 victories, headline the highly anticipated race on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Their presence may have scared off would-be opponents.

Click here for Saratoga entries and results.

“The Met Mile is coming up with a small field,” a text from the NYRA racing office said Saturday at 1:54 p.m. EDT. “Those interested in supplementing must do so by 4:30 p.m. today for a weight assignment.”

Two-time Grade 2 victor Raging Torrent and allowance winner Just a Touch also were entered for next Saturday’s race. Just a Touch also had been under consideration for the Stephen Foster (G1) on June 28 at Churchill Downs. Only nine other horses were nominated before last Saturday’s deadline.

Castle Chaos, a 7-year-old gelding who has won a maiden and two allowance races in 22 starts, was supplemented to the field. Trained and partly owned by Robert Falcone Jr., the son of Palace Malice is winless in his 10 starts since the fall of 2023, most recently finishing fifth in the Knicks Go Overnight Stakes on Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs.

It cost $7,500 for owners Sanford Goldfarb, Nice Guys Stables, John Fielding and Beast Mode Racing to add Castle Chaos with another $7,500 to enter and $7,500 more to start. Purse money will be divided $550,000 to the winner, $200,000 for second, $120,000 for third, $60,000 for fourth, $40,000 for fifth and $30,000 for each remaining finisher.

The 132nd Metropolitan Handicap for 3-year-olds and up is a win-and-you’re-in qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. It covers 1 1/2 turns out of Saratoga’s Wilson chute.

The race was drawn Sunday along with the rest of next Saturday’s card. The Belmont Stakes was the lone exception. It will be drawn Monday evening at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.