Palace, La Verdad Steal Show on Empire Showcase Day
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There were no shortage of compelling storylines on Saturday at Belmont Park, with all eight New York-bred stakes races on Empire Showcase Day delivering memorable results, including wins by the classy Linda Rice-trained pair of Palace and La Verdad, as well as another climactic showdown between turf warriors Lubash and Kharafa.
Rice's decision to run Breeders' Cup contenders Palace and La Verdad on Empire Showcase Day paid off with a pair of victories as Palace rallied for a half-length score in the $150,000 Hudson Handicap and La Verdad remained undefeated in six 2015 starts with an easy 3 3/4-length win in the $150,000 Iroquois.
Palace returned to the winner's circle for the first time this year in what likely will be his penultimate race, rallying from sixth to edge Captain Serious by a half-length in the 6 ½-furlong Hudson. The 6-year-old son of City Zip, sixth in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint, raced in midpack as Captain Serious and Ostrolenka led the field of nine through fractions of 22.49, 45.44 and 1:09.30. Swinging wide on the turn, Palace collared Captain Serious and Weekend Hideaway a furlong out and gained the lead a few yards before the wire. His time for 6 ½ furlongs was 1:15.68.
Palace, pre-entered in the Sprint, returned $2.60 as the 4-5 favorite and earned $90,000 for owner Antonino Miuccio.
La Verdad, pre-entered in both the Filly & Mare Sprint and the Sprint, flashed a new dimension in the Iroquois, sitting off the early pace, swinging wide to grab the lead turning for home and then cruising under the wire in 1:15.96 for the 6 ½ furlongs. The 5-year-old Yes It's True mare, who won her five previous starts this year in front-running fashion for Lady Sheila Stable, returned $2.60 as the 3-10 favorite in the field of 10 fillies and mares.
"It was a tough week; they weren't easy decisions," said Rice. "But one thing I know about horse racing - it's not easy to win [especially] if you don't take what's right in front of you. What we do from here, I'm sure the next couple of days will help us decide. We have several options. We might take one or both [La Verdad and Palace] of them to the Breeders' Cup but more than likely we'll go to the Fall Highweight with one and the deFrancis Dash with the other. There's nothing wrong with winning. We have the time to think things over."
While Lubash had finished second in the 2011, 2013 and 2014 editions of the $200,000 Mohawk, the win had long-eluded the son of Freud, now 8.
In an unprecedented fifth attempt in the Mohawk, however, Aliyu Ben J Stable's Lubash got the better of a familiar foe, digging in to post a head victory over defending champion Kharafa to set an inner turf course record.
"It's fun, the two horses," winning trainer Chrisophe Clement said of the rivalry. "He [Kharafa] is tough to catch with an eighth of a mile to go, but it worked out. Sometimes you get lucky and that's it. Nice horse. He's been second three times, but it was time to win it."
Lubash, who returned $9.10 for a $2 win wager, completed 1 1/16 miles over firm ground in 1:39.08, passing Roman Envoy's record of 1:39.38 set in 1992, with Junior Alvarado aboard for the ride.
"He relaxed today and he was there for me," said Alvarado. "By the time we hit the five-sixteenths pole, I knew I had a lot of horse and I was just trying to find who to follow to get through. We turned for home and I got a little room, he did the rest."
In an unprecedented fifth attempt in the Mohawk, however, Aliyu Ben J Stable's Lubash got the better of a familiar foe, digging in to post a head victory over defending champion Kharafa to set an inner turf course record.
"It's fun, the two horses," winning trainer Chrisophe Clement said of the rivalry. "He [Kharafa] is tough to catch with an eighth of a mile to go, but it worked out. Sometimes you get lucky and that's it. Nice horse. He's been second three times, but it was time to win it."
Lubash, who returned $9.10 for a $2 win wager, completed 1 1/16 miles over firm ground in 1:39.08, passing Roman Envoy's record of 1:39.38 set in 1992, with Junior Alvarado aboard for the ride.
"He relaxed today and he was there for me," said Alvarado. "By the time we hit the five-sixteenths pole, I knew I had a lot of horse and I was just trying to find who to follow to get through. We turned for home and I got a little room, he did the rest."
In the $300,000 Empire Classic Handicap, the richest race on Saturday'sprogram, a hot early pace and a return to Belmont benefitted the aptly named Empire Dreams, who parlayed a great ride by Manny Franco into a narrow victory over upstart Royal Posse.
A 4-year-old son of Patriot Act, Empire Dreams entered the Empire Classic off a third-place finish at Saratoga Race Course in the Evan Shipman, a race won by Royal Posse. Despite a tenacious run from Royal Posse, the dark bay gelding reversed the decision with ease, sweeping by at the top of the stretch and staving off a determined bid from his rival to prevail by three-quarters of a length.
"We always thought that the 1 1/8 miles might've been a little out of his realm, but he was much the best today," said Albertrani, who trains Empire Dreams for West Point Thoroughbreds. "It worked out perfectly. He came into the race doing really well and Manny gave him a perfect ride, just nice and patient. There was a good pace in front of us and he just reeled them in."
Empire Dreams upped his bankroll to $674,001 and returned $9.70 on a $2 win wager. He completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.35.
Treadway Racing Stable's Wonder Gal emerged from the midst of a five-wide wall of horses entering the stretch and pulled clear to a 2 ½-length victory over Temper Mint Patty in the $250,000 Empire Distaff Handicap.
It was the first victory since last July for the 3-year-old Tiz Wonderful filly, who after breaking her maiden facing state-breds went on to finish second or third in five of seven starts in Grade 1 or Grade 2 company.
Saturday, under Jose Lezcano, she was content to run in third behind Carameaway, who led through an opening half-mile in 45.55. Moving up on the turn, Wonder Gal struck the fore leaving the quarter-pole and went on to complete the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.31.
She returned $5.80 for a $2 win bet as the 9-5 second choice in the field of eight.
Team D's Get Jets and Repole Stable's Super Surprise picked up the first stakes wins of their respective and young careers in the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow and Maid of the Mist for 2-year-olds at one mile on the main track.
In the Sleepy Hollow, Get Jets rallied from off the pace with leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. The Scat Daddy colt reeled in a pacesetting Fish Trappe Road in the final yards, taking the colts' division by 1 ½ lengths as the even-money favorite for trainer Tony Dutrow.
Get Jets completed the mile in 1:36.21 and returned $4.10 for a $2 win wager.
Later in the afternoon, the aptly named Super Surprise turned in an unexpected effort with a maiden-breaking score in the Maid in the Mist at 17-1.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the daughter of Giant Surprise was bumped at the start and held wide through much of the race but had enough drive to edge Frosty Margarita by three-quarters of a length.
Super Surprise paid $36.20 to win, after finishing the mile in 1:37.46.
In the Sleepy Hollow, Get Jets rallied from off the pace with leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. The Scat Daddy colt reeled in a pacesetting Fish Trappe Road in the final yards, taking the colts' division by 1 ½ lengths as the even-money favorite for trainer Tony Dutrow.
Get Jets completed the mile in 1:36.21 and returned $4.10 for a $2 win wager.
Later in the afternoon, the aptly named Super Surprise turned in an unexpected effort with a maiden-breaking score in the Maid in the Mist at 17-1.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the daughter of Giant Surprise was bumped at the start and held wide through much of the race but had enough drive to edge Frosty Margarita by three-quarters of a length.
Super Surprise paid $36.20 to win, after finishing the mile in 1:37.46.
To close out the day, trainer Bruce Levine sent out sisters Invading Humor and Distorted Beauty to a 1-2 finish in the $200,000 Ticonderoga at 1 1/16 miles on turf for fillies and mares.
Sent off at odds of 29-1, Invading Humor gave jockey Jose Lezcano his third win of the day and back-to-back stakes wins, hitting the wire 1 ¾ lengths in front of her younger sister after setting a controlled early pace.
A 5-year-old daughter of Invasor, Invading Humor completed the distance in 1:40.09 and returned $60.50 on a $2 win wager. Her career earnings now stand at $500,944 for owner Bloodlines Racing Partnerships.
Source: NYRA Press Office
Source: NYRA Press Office
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