Belmont: Court Dancer, Wired Bryan solid favorites in juvenile stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park could get off to a chalky start, as Court Dancer and Wired Bryan will be clear favorites in the Joseph A. Gimma and Bertram F. Bongard, a pair of $150,000 stakes for 2-year-old New York-breds.

The Gimma and Bongard, both at seven furlongs, are the first two legs of an all-seven furlong early pick four that also includes prohibitive favorite Cluster of Stars in the Iroquois, and a $90,000 maiden special weight scheduled for the Widener turf.

Court Dancer is the even-money choice against six other fillies in the Gimma, based on two promising starts thus far for George Weaver. After a lengthy debut maiden win at Saratoga, she was a very respectable fourth in the Grade 2 Matron, in which she chased a fast pace and was beaten less than three lengths.

“She had shown speed in the mornings, so what she did first time out wasn’t totally unexpected,” said Weaver.

Linda Rice, who has vaulted to third in the fall meet standings with 15 wins through Columbus Day, sends out the two most logical threats to the choice in the uncoupled Champagne Ruby, who is owned by her father, Clyde Rice; and Miss Narcissist.

Champagne Ruby is the lone dual winner in the lineup, having garnered her maiden win on the synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs, and the Shesastonecoldfox Stakes at Finger Lakes first time on dirt.

Miss Narcissist was fractious at the gate and finished off the board when bet to favoritism for her unveiling at Saratoga, but later at the meet wired maidens with blinkers on.

“She was very rank the first time we ran her at Saratoga,” said Rice. “She was green, high-strung, kind of a hotwire to be around. In her second race she put it together. We put her in the Matron, but I felt it was too much, too soon. We took her out of there and prepped her for this race. It’s not ideal to go from 5 1/2 furlongs to seven-eighths with a horse who is a little rank and unratable, but we have been giving her nice, slow workouts, and I think she’s going to put in a good race.”

Wired Bryan has outside post

Wired Bryan breaks from the outside post against seven rivals in the Bongard, and he is the 6-5 choice to add another $90,000 to his bulging bankroll for Michael Dilger.

With wins in the Grade 2 Sanford at Saratoga and the rich New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes, Wired Bryan has already earned nearly $450,000.

“He’s a very straightforward horse, and we’re very lucky to have such a nice horse so soon after starting,” said Dilger. “It’s a dream start, you know. First runner ever at Saratoga, it’s a graded stake, first runner in a graded stake, and he wins.”

Sol the Freud, a full brother to Grade 1 winner Franny Freud, is the second choice based on two promising efforts at Saratoga for trainer David Cannizzo, a former assistant to Dale Romans, Scott Lake, and Bruce Levine.