Americanrevolution may not show elders much respect in Empire Classic

ELMONT, N.Y. – Americanrevolution may be the only 3-year-old in the field, but his recent form suggests he’s the horse to beat in Saturday’s $300,000 Empire Classic Handicap for New York-breds at Belmont Park.

The Empire Classic, run at 1 1/8 miles, is the richest of six stakes scheduled for Empire Showcase Day, a card of 10 races exclusively for New York-breds. Typically, there are eight stakes on the program, but due to concerns over rain and its impact on the turf course, New York Racing Association officials postponed the Ticonderoga and Mohawk stakes until next Friday and Saturday, respectively. Oddly, there are still four turf races carded for Saturday.

Americanrevolution, a son of Constitution trained by Todd Pletcher, is 3 for 3 against New York-breds, including victories against 3-year-olds in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes and the Albany Stakes at Saratoga this past summer.

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His connections, which include owners WinStar Farm and China Horse Club, ran Americanrevolution in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby, where he finished a respectable third behind Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon.

“The Pennsylvania Derby was an ambitious move for a horse that’s pretty lightly raced going up against seasoned horses,” Pletcher said. “I thought he made a good account of himself against that group, so it just makes sense to give this a try.”

With rain forecast Friday and possibly lingering into Saturday, Americanrevolution will likely have to deal with a wet track.

“He’s given me the impression he’ll handle an off track,” Pletcher said.

Mr. Buff – the winner of the last two Empire Classics, 17 for 47 overall, and the reigning two-time New York-bred champion older male dirt horse – will seek to regain his past glory in the Empire Classic. Since winning the Jazil and Stymie to begin 2021, Mr. Buff has lost his last three, including a last-place finish in the Evan Shipman Stakes versus New York breds.

“He’s been breezing good, he looks good, we’ll see if he still has that desire to go out and compete,” trainer John Kimmel said. “He ran two crappy races going into this last year and he turned his form around. I always do think he does prefer the cooler weather. He’ll have some wet racetrack conditions to deal with but he’s handled it okay.”

Mr. Buff, the 122-pound highweight, will break from post 3 under Junior Alvarado.

Sea Foam won the Evan Shipman at Saratoga, giving Michelle Giangiulio her first win as a trainer. Sea Foam is coming off an eighth-place finish in the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup going 1 1/2 miles at Parx. Sea Foam, Mr. Buff and Three Jokers all look like they could be part of the pace.

Captain Bombastic, whose previous success has come sprinting, will try to stretch out to 1 1/8 miles here. He is coming off a win in the one-mile Polynesian Stakes at Laurel Park on Sept. 18.

Wild Banker and Danny California complete the field.

Empire Distaff Handicap

Bank Sting, scratched from the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park in July after acting up in the gate, will look to keep her four-race winning streak going when she heads a field of 10 entered in the $250,000 Empire Distaff Handicap at 1 1/16 miles.

Bank Sting’s winning streak has come against New York-breds. In February, Bank Sting returned from a 14-month layoff to win a maiden race at Aqueduct. She followed that with two allowance wins at Aqueduct before winning the Critical Eye Stakes over a muddy Belmont main track in May.

She was then pointed to the Molly Pitcher but acted up badly in the gate, cut herself in several spots, and was scratched.

“It looked like she was in a car accident,” trainer John Terranova said.

Terranova gave Bank Sting ample time to heal, got her back on the work tab in mid-September, and put six works into her leading up to this. Terranova said he was hoping to have gotten a race into Bank Sting before this race but ran out of time.

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Three of Bank Sting’s four wins this year have come over a wet track, conditions that are likely in play Saturday.

Make Mischief may be the horse to beat. She is coming off a narrow loss in Saratoga’s Fleet Indian Stakes after breaking awkwardly and ending up farther off the pace early than she prefers. Make Mischief made an early move to the lead but got run down late by Byhubbyhellomoney, who is also in this field.

Ice Princess is 3 for 5 over a wet track, including a four-length open-company allowance win at Saratoga in August. Most recently, she finished second in the John Hettinger Stakes on turf.

Trinni Luck brings a three-race winning streak into the Empire Distaff for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. She is 2 for 2 over a wet track, including an open-company allowance win going 1 1/16 miles here on Sept. 17.

Completing the field are Mrs. Orb, second in this race last year, Sharp Starr, Dancing Kiki, Vienna Code, and Maiden Beauty.