Saratoga Stakes Winner Runs At Belmont
Stay Thirsty, who marked himself one of the leading threeyear olds of 2011 in winning the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes and Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, is scheduled to make his four-year-old debut at Belmont Park today, Thursday, May 17, in the Vanlandingham overnight stakes.
The 1 1/16-mile Vanlandingham is scheduled as the day’s third race, with an approximate post of 1:54 p.m.
“He’s been training very well and we’ve kind of had a race around this time in mind for awhile, hopefully as a prep for the Suburban Handicap [Grade 2, $350,000 at 1 1/8 miles on July 7 at Belmont],” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “The main goal for the summer is the Whitney Stakes [Grade 1, $750,000, 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 4 at Saratoga]. We’re happy to have him back.”
Owned by Middle Village native Mike Repole, Stay Thirsty spent the first two years of his career partially overshadowed by his 2010 juvenile champion stablemate Uncle Mo, who has since been retired to stud. After winning last year’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack en route to a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby and a 12thplace showing in the Kentucky Derby, Stay Thirsty returned in the Belmont Stakes and was narrowly defeated by Ruler On Ice.
After his spectacular Saratoga meet, the son of Bernardini ran third in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont and a disappointing 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs last November.
“It’s been a long time since the Breeders’ Cup, we’ve got to start somewhere, and this is a good spot,” said Repole. “It’s fun to see him back in the entry box, even though this seems a little tougher than an average overnight stakes!”
On Thursday, Stay Thirsty (the 7- 5 morning line favorite) will face the lightly raced, but talented Trickmeister, whose only defeat in a half dozen career starts came in this year’s Grade 1 Donn Handicap on Feb. 17 at Gulfstream Park, his first and only start in 2012. Trickmeister was made the 8-5 second choice in the field of six.
The Vanlandingham field also includes stakes-winning New Yorkbred Swag Daddy (20-1), along with Sastre (50-1), Arthur’s Tale (10-1), and Joan’s Choice (7-2).
“Bringing Stay Thirsty back this year was a no brainer and I’m excited,” said Repole. “He won the Jim Dandy, the Travers, and I think he’s going to be one of a really, really good group of older horses this year.”
‘Valeski’ grows up in Peter Pan
After a pair of narrow defeats in Kentucky Derby prep races this spring at Fair Grounds Race Course, Mark Valeski earned his first graded stakes win last Saturday afternoon, May 12, at Belmont Park when he captured the 58th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes, the local springboard to the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes on June 9.
Caught wide out of the gate, Mark Valeski settled well off the rail in midpack as longshot Right to Vote swiftly guided the field through opening fractions of 22.71 and 45.35. Swung four wide turning for home, Mark Valeski was put to a drive through the stretch, wresting the lead away from the pacesetter just past the eighth pole and going on to a 1 1/4-length victory.
A determined Right to Vote held sway over Street Life, who closed from last to get third.
Mark Valeski’s final time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.31. Sent off as the 6- 5 favorite in the field of 10, he returned $4.70.
“The horse felt great and did everything right,” said winning jockey Rosie Napravnik. “I was a little worried about all the ground we were losing, but at the same time with the fast pace I didn’t want to tuck in and get stuck behind, because I knew I was on the best horse. When I pressed the button, even with all the ground we lost, he was much the best and ran great today. It should set him up very nicely for his next race.”
Napravnik also rode Mark Valeski to tough-luck losses in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes (a nose to El Padrino) and Grade 2 Louisiana Derby (a half-length to Hero of Order). Originally pointed for the Kentucky Derby, the Proud Citizen colt was rerouted to the Peter Pan after failing to dazzle owner Brereton C. Jones and trainer Larry Jones in what was to be his final pre-Derby work at Churchill Downs on Apr. 30.
“I kept thinking to myself ‘Well, if we win this thing by a bunch I’m going to wonder if I should have been at the Derby,’ but we made the right decision,” said Larry Jones. “He [Brereton C. Jones] did, to be honest with you, because he doesn’t have the Derby fever that we’ve got to be there, he said ‘Do what’s right for my horse.’ And we both agreed after we watched him work at Churchill that we weren’t just blown away by his work. The filly [Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can] had blown us away the day before, and it was the right choice.”
Mark Valeski has run his record to 3-2-0 from six starts and earned $430,952 and Larry Jones thinks his colt could be ready to take on the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes here next month.
“We’re going to Churchill with him, and then we’ll see how he comes out and whether we try to come back,” said Jones. “We’re sure not going to rule it out-we know where Belmont is.”
Good Morning Diva finished fourth, followed by Big Screen, The Lumber Guy, Hakama, Summer Front, Master Rick and Le Bernardin. Teeth of the Dog and Zetterholm were scratched.
New bosses at NYRA
C. Steven Duncker, chairman of the NYRA Board of Directors, announced that Ellen McClain, chief operating officer, has been named president. Kenneth Handal, acting general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer, has been named secretary. These elections were made pursuant to Article VII of the Bylaws of The New York Racing Association, Inc.
