Bongard next up for impressive maiden winner Moonachie

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Jeremiah Englehart won nine races for 2-year-olds at the Saratoga meet and few, if any, were more dominant than Moonachie, who took his debut by 10 lengths in a field of 10 New York-breds.

Friday, Moonachie will meet winners for the first time in the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes for statebreds going seven furlongs at Belmont Park. The Bongard drew a field of only five and may scratch down to four as Englehart said his other entrant, Cleon Jones, could wait for next month’s Sleepy Hollow Stakes here going a one-turn mile.

In his debut, on Aug. 28, Moonachie broke alertly under Jose Ortiz and widened his advantage at every call as he set fractions of 22.39 seconds for the quarter, 45.87 for the half and covered six furlongs in 1:10.88 under mostly hand urging.

“He was always training well but he probably exceeded what I thought he would do in his first start,” Englehart said. “It’s a little quick back for me, but he’s doing very, very well.”

Moonachie, a gelding by Central Banker owned by Hall of Fame football coach Bill Parcells, made up several lengths on Cleon Jones in a Sept. 7 workout.

“I wanted him to start two or three lengths behind Cleon, he ended up being eight lengths behind, and by the quarter pole he could have went by if he wanted to,” Englehart said. “Even after that, he’s rearing, bucking, kicking coming off the track. I think I could keep running him longer.”

Ortiz rides Moonachie on Friday.

Cleon Jones won his maiden at Saratoga in his second start. Next out, he finished second to City Man in the Funny Cide Stakes, where he ran a bit spotty but finished well while no match for the winner.

City Man, a son of Mucho Macho Man trained by Christophe Clement, went 2 for 2 at Saratoga, including a strong 4 3/4-length victory in the Funny Cide going 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 23.

“He’s trained forwardly. He had a nice work with Joel [Rosario] a few days ago,” Clement said. “He moves very, very well on the racetrack. I’m excited to see him run.”

After getting beat a head in a maiden race here in May, Theitalianamerican has run without success in three consecutive New York-bred stakes for trainer Gary Contessa. Theitalianamerican was scratched out of a maiden turf race Wednesday for this seven-furlong dirt race.

“I’m going to go with the known as opposed to the unknown,” said Contessa, explaining why he chose the dirt over the turf. “I think there’s speed in the race and I know he’ll love the seven eighths.”

Part of the speed will likely be supplied by Three Jokers, a debut winner going 5 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 23. Luis Saez rides Three Jokers from the rail.

With a short field, the Bongard was carded as the third race on Friday’s eight-race card, which begins at 3 p.m.