Breadman switches to dirt for Sleepy Hollow; Party At Page's goes longer in Maid of the Mist

ELMONT, N.Y. – Though Breadman was an impressive debut winner on turf a month ago at Belmont Park, trainer John Terranova isn’t ready to label him a grass horse.

“Just a good horse, athletic horse,” Terrranova said when discussing Breadman. “I don’t know what his preferred surface is going to be ultimately or if he’ll be able to handle both, but we’re going to see now. Just a talented colt, very nice.”

Terranova will give Breadman the opportunity show how talented a dirt horse he can be when he runs him in Saturday’s $150,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes for New York-bred males going a mile at Belmont Park.

The Sleepy Hollow is one of eight stakes to be run on the 11-race New York Showcase Day program that begins at noon.

Breadman is a son of Constitution who brought $340,000 at the Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale in 2019 – the same sale that Tiz the Law was purchased from. Breadman, owned by Eric Fein, broke a step slow in his debut, but quickly put himself in a good position and then rallied four wide in the lane under John Velazquez to get the victory.

“He’s a little immature, he was messing with the gate guys a little bit, gnawing at them and wasn’t paying much attention when he broke,” Terranova said. “He put himself up into the game and then he switched off.”

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Terranova said he had Velazquez work Breadman over Belmont Park’s main track on Monday, and the horse went a half-mile in 48 seconds.

“Johnny worked him over the dirt the other day for us and he said ‘Let’s run him,’ ” Terranova said. “I liked what I saw. He’s just a nice horse.”

Velazquez will ride Breadman from post 4 in the seven-horse field.

Richard Lugovich, the breeder, owner, and trainer of Hold the Salsa, believes his horse is a turf horse. Yet, he’s raced exclusively on dirt, winning a maiden race at Belmont in July and the Bertram F. Bongard going seven furlongs here in September.

Lugovich said he started him on dirt because the horse was ready to run in July and that’s the surface that was available to run on. Lugovich said his horse did not like Saratoga, where he was twice defeated in stakes.

Lugovich believes Hold the Salsa will appreciate the mile and expects him to be closer to the pace in what looks to be a field devoid of speed.

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“He doesn’t have to make that big of a run, he’ll be close enough anyhow,” Lugovich said.

Masked Marauder, second on turf and third on dirt in his two starts, Let’s Workout, Boss Bear, Brooklyn Strong, and Eagle Orb complete the field.

Maid of the Mist Stakes

Exercise rider Jen Wolfe told trainer Jeremiah Englehart she thought Party At Page’s would be effective coming from off the pace. Party At Page’s rallied from fourth to win the Lady Finger Stakes on Oct. 5 at Finger Lakes.

Wolfe told Englehart she believes Party At Page’s can be effective at a mile. Englehart will put Wofle’s theory to the test when he runs her back in Saturday’s $150,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies.

“She was right before about being able to come from off the pace. I figure I’d give her the chance to be right again,” Englehart said.

Englehart said he wasn’t necessarily planning to run Party At Page’s back after the Lady Finger Stakes, but she came out of the race so well that he put a planned break on hold.

After drawing the rail in each of her first three starts, Party At Page’s will break from post 3 under Luis Saez on Saturday.

Trainer John Kimmel wasn’t necessarily planning on running Frost Me back two weeks after she won her maiden, but “you wouldn’t know she ran,” he said.

Frost Me is actually cutting back in distance after winning an off-the-turf maiden race going 1 1/16 miles under Jose Ortiz on Oct. 12.

“Jose said she’s a lot better than she showed,” Kimmel said. “He said when she made the lead she was looking at everything. She’s a very talented horse that’s going to improve the next time you run her with that experience under her belt.”

Chasing Cara did well to finish third in the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes after blowing the break. Her stablemate, Cara’s Dreamer, is 0 for 5 but was second to Frost Me.

Trainer Mark Hennig sends out Infringement and Mashnee Girl. The maiden Laobanonaprayer ships up from Delaware.