Awesome Gent back with statebreds in New York Derby

The $150,000 New York Derby on Saturday is the second-richest race of the Finger Lakes season, trailing only the $200,000 New York Breeders’ Futurity in October. The Saturday card also includes the $75,000 Oaks.

Both the New York Derby and Oaks are for New York-bred 3-year-olds and will be run at 1 1/16 miles.

Favoritism in the 10-horse Derby likely will go to either Awesome Gent or Extinct Charm. Awesome Gent will be dipping back into the statebred ranks for trainer Todd Pletcher after making four consecutive stakes starts in open company. He won the Jimmy Winkfield in March and was fourth in the Grade 3 Bay Shore in April. Awesome Gent was ninth last out in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens. This will be his first start around two turns and beyond seven furlongs.

Extinct Charm was claimed for $80,000 by trainer Bruce Brown in late May and is owned by Epona Racing Stable and partners. Epona is managed by Albany, N.Y., native Brian Culnan.

In his first start for his new connections, Extinct Charm finished a hard-trying second to Donegal Moon despite racing wide in the Grade 3 Pegasus, a 1 1/16-mile race at Monmouth Park.

“He’s a horse the owners had their eye on,” Brown said. “There aren’t that many New York-bred 3-year-olds that want to go two turns, and we had this race coming up and then another one at Saratoga.”

Extinct Charm earned $30,000 of his purchase price back in the Pegasus, and a New York Derby win would put his owners well ahead of the game. The Saratoga race Brown alluded to is the $250,000 Albany, a 1 1/8-mile statebred stakes on Aug. 26.

Extinct Charm’s Pegasus effort earned him a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

“The last race in New Jersey was really just to keep him running so he wouldn’t have too much time between the claim and this race,” Brown said. “He really performed well that day.”

Hit It Once More, trained by Gary Sciacca, also is a contender in the Derby. Hit It Once More scored lengthy decisions in statebred maiden and allowance company in April and May. He mostly recently tired to finish fourth in the open Easy Goer on Belmont Stakes Day.

◗ Katniss the Victor and Wonderment are the fillies to beat in the Oaks, but both have question marks.

Katniss the Victor has proven herself at 1 1/16 mile and around two turns but hasn’t started since March for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Katniss the Victor missed by a nose to the Rodriguez-trained three-time stakes winner Frosty Margarita in the Maddie May in January and in February was third, beaten two lengths by Mo d’Amour, in the open Busher.

Wonderment won the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park in April for trainer Ken McPeek but is winless in her last four starts. Wonderment should show good early speed at this distance.