Bongard has feel of graded stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Grade 1 Champagne is not being run Sunday. It just feels that way.

Three of the top juveniles to run this summer at Saratoga were New York-breds, and all three – Championofthenile, Get Jets, and Sudden Surprise – are entered and expected to run in Sunday’s $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes going seven furlongs at Belmont Park.

With only five runners, the Bongard is carded as the third race. The $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma for 2-year-old New York-bred fillies also drew only five and has been carded as the first race. Also on Sunday is the Grade 3, $200,000 Miss Grillo Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on the turf.

Championofthenile, Get Jets, and Sudden Surprise are all nominated to the Champagne, but their connections thought this was the next logical step in their development.

Championofthenile, an $840,000 purchase as a 2-year-old in training, finished sixth on turf in his debut before coming back 18 days later to win a maiden race by six lengths on the dirt.

“It may not be the easier spot, but we have to make a choice,” trainer Linda Rice said of running Championofthenile in the Bongard rather than the Champagne. “Usually, running seven-eighths against New York-breds should be the right choice. We’ll see how it plays out in the long run.”

Rice said the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile could still be in play for Championofthenile, who drew post 5 for Sunday.

Get Jets has been targeting this race since his sharp debut win at Saratoga on Aug. 19. Tony Dutrow, who trains and is part-owner of the son of Scat Daddy, said he has no designs on the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Sudden Surprise, a son of Giant Surprise owned by Mike Repole and trained by Todd Pletcher, went 2 for 2 at Saratoga. He won a maiden race by 2 3/4 lengths on July 30, then came back four weeks later to take the Funny Cide Stakes by two lengths.

Manipulated, who won the Rockville Centre Stakes by four lengths in his debut in July here, and Steve’s Image, who won for maiden $50,000 claiming, round out the field.

Though she is a maiden, Super Surprise could go off favored in the Joseph A. Gimma based on her runner-up finish to She’s All Ready in the Seeking the Ante Stakes on Aug. 28 at Saratoga.

Super Surprise’s stablemate Surprise Cameo returns to dirt after winning a maiden race on turf in her second start.

Ben’s Girl, Frosty Margarita, and Melodic completed the field.

A field of 11 was entered for the Miss Grillo, including European imports Belvoir Bay and Llanita as well as Thrilled, the runner-up to Harmonize in the P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga.