Barese, Sea Foam invade for Genesee Valley Breeders' Stakes

Barese and Sea Foam won editions of the New York Derby, one of the biggest races at Finger Lakes, in their respective 3-year-old seasons. Both ship back to the Farmington, N.Y., track from the New York Racing Association circuit in search of another stakes score in the $50,000 Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile race for statebred 3-year-olds and up highlights an eight-race holiday Monday card, which begins at 1:15 p.m.

Barese won his first three starts for trainer Mike Maker, including statebred stakes in the Rego Park and Gander, before dabbling in open company. Over the early spring and summer of 2022, he finished fifth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, third in a New York Stallion Stakes division, and fourth in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby. He got back in the win column with a four-length score in the New York Derby in his first trip to Finger Lakes. He subsequently was second in the Albany Stakes; third against older New York-breds in the Empire Classic, beaten less than a length; and gave his best open-company performance when beaten a nose as the favorite in the Discovery for 3-year-olds. However, Barese has yet to recapture that form in 2023; he has just one allowance win from four starts.

Sea Foam, an 8-year-old trained by Michelle Giangiulio, has been unplaced in four starts this year, most recently finishing fifth in the Birdstone against open company on July 27 at Saratoga. However, he has an extensive past résumé in statebred stakes. He won the 2017 Notebook at Aqueduct; the 2018 New York Derby and Albany; was stakes-placed in 2019 and 2020 at Belmont and Aqueduct; won the 2021 Evan Shipman at Saratoga and Alex M. Robb at Aqueduct; and was again stakes-placed at both those tracks last year.

:: Bet with the Best! Get Free DRF PPs and Cashback when you wager. Join DRF Bets.

The most accomplished local runner meeting these two NYRA shippers is Lady’s Golden Guy. His 12 wins at Finger Lakes include the 2021 and 2022 editions of the Leon Reed Memorial.

New York Oaks

Entries will be taken on the holiday Monday for the $75,000 New York Oaks, which Finger Lakes is attempting to card for a third and final time this season.

A staple of the stakes season at Finger Lakes, the New York Oaks is now scheduled for Monday, Sept. 11, after failing to fill on both the original date of July 24 and the following week.

“We’re going to give it one last go,” racing secretary Jerry Richards said. “The New York Oaks is an important race for us on our stakes schedule, and we’re hoping now that Saratoga has closed down for their season, we’ll get a few more entries to make the race go.”

Nominations for the New York Oaks closed Aug. 30 with 25 eligibles, including Todd Pletcher’s multiple graded stakes-placed Miracle, most recently third in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks on July 1.

Also among the nominations were Ichiban, Amanda’s Folly, and Timely Conquest, any of whom would be back fairly quickly after they made up the trifecta in the Fleet Indian on Aug. 27 at Saratoga. Nominees Isabel Luvs Sugar and Waitwaitdonttellme are both stakes winners at Finger Lakes, with stakes winner Cairo Sugar also among the group.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.