Belmont Park: Readtheprospectus enters Empire Classic in top form

[bc_video_id:307606:]ELMONT, N.Y. – A maiden entering this day a year ago, Readtheprospectus brings a seven-race winning streak into Saturday’s $250,000 Empire Classic at Belmont Park.

The Empire Classic, run at 1 1/8 miles on the main track, is the richest and last of 11 races restricted to New York-breds on an Empire Showcase Day program that will offer $1.612 million in purses to New York-breds. There are seven stakes, with purses totaling $1.25 million, three maiden races each worth $90,000, and a $92,000 allowance heat.

To accommodate the 11-race card, first post has been moved to 12:20 p.m., a half-hour earlier than usual.

Last year, when this day was known as New York Showcase Day, Readtheprospectus won a maiden race on turf by four lengths. He hasn’t lost since, winning six dirt races at distances from a mile to 1 1/8 miles. He missed most of the summer due to quarter-crack problems but came off a 110-day layoff to win the Spite the Devil Stakes going a mile here Sept. 19.

After sprinting on dirt and turf in his first three starts, Readtheprospectus has found his niche as a middle-distance dirt runner.

“What we found, really, it’s just the distances of the race with him,” said Chad Brown, who trains Readtheprospectus for Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence. “He’s versatile. He can run on turf or dirt really effectively. I believe he’s running so well on the dirt going long, I don’t want to change anything. As soon as we got to the route races, he really changed.”

Readtheprospectus, a son of Read the Footnotes, drew the outside post in this eight-horse field, and the off-the-pace runner should get some speed in front of him with Saratoga Snacks, Warrioroftheroses, and Spa City Fever in the field.

Saratoga Snacks, trained by Gary Sciacca for Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, finished second in this race last year to Lunar Victory. At the time, he was coming off an open-company allowance victory over Graydar, handing that graded stakes winner his only loss.

This year, Saratoga Snacks enters the Empire Classic having not run since a troubled third-place finish in the John Morrissey Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 1. He was scratched out of the Grade 1 Forego on Aug. 31, in part due to foot issues that have prompted Sciacca to equip his ridgling with glue-on shoes.

“His feet are excellent,” Sciacca said Thursday. “We put the glue-on shoes on him, and he’s worked out great in them.”

Naturally, Sciacca is somewhat concerned about attempting 1 1/8 miles off a 79-day layoff.

“It’s always a question,” Sciacca said. “Not many horses want to go a mile and an eighth. Hopefully, he can go a little bit easy early and save it for the end.”

Joel Rosario rides Saratoga Snacks from post 7.

Saratoga Snacks set the pace in last year’s Empire Classic. If he is to do that again Saturday, he likely will have to battle Warrioroftheroses for the lead. Though Warrioroftheroses was cross-entered in Friday night’s $50,000 Governor’s Cup Handicap at Charles Town, his connections plan to run him in New York.

Warrioroftheroses, a gelding by A.P. Warrior, is coming off a narrow loss in a minor stakes race at Delaware Park on Sept. 14.

“I’m really happy with him,” trainer Damon Dilodovico said. “He’s had a couple of nice breezes since his last race. Now comes the hard part, right? For $250,000, you’re going to have to do some running.”

Javier Castellano rides Warrioroftheroses from post 6.

A potential pace battle between Warrioroftheroses and Saratoga Snacks would not only help Readtheprospectus, but it would benefit Awesome Vision and Bigger Is Bettor.

Awesome Vision defeated Bigger Is Bettor in the Saratoga Sunrise Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga on Aug. 16. Awesome Vision then tried turf and finished last, beaten 5 1/4 lengths in the Ashley T. Cole Stakes. Now back on dirt, he should appreciate the distance, although he’s enjoyed most of his success in races contested around two turns.

“He either didn’t like it or it was an off day,” trainer Tom Albertrani said of the turf experiment. “We’ll switch back to the dirt and see if we can get him back on his best form.”

Bigger Is Bettor is another who prefers two turns, though he did win a one-mile allowance race here in June. He finished fifth in the Spite the Devil last out.

Moneyinyour Pocket and Zetterholm complete the field.

In addition to the 11 races, there will be a fall festival, complete with activities for kids, live music in the backyard, and a number of “Best of New York” vendors with products made in the Empire State.