City Man gets another shot at Cleon Jones in Sleepy Hollow

ELMONT, N.Y. – By virtue of his victory in the Grade 1 Champagne, Tiz the Law established himself as the top New York-bred juvenile colt or gelding. Still, the division has some depth to it, and several promising 2-year-olds will square off in Saturday’s $250,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes going a mile at Belmont Park.

New York-bred stakes winners City Man and Cleon Jones head the field of six entered in the Sleepy Hollow.

City Man beat Cleon Jones in the Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga and Cleon Jones returned the favor in the Bertram. F. Bongard here last month.

City Man looked to be getting a decent trip in the Bongard, but fell a head short to Cleon Jones. Three Jokers split those two to be second and is back in this field.

“I know he got beat last time, but it was a nice race,” said Christophe Clement, trainer of City Man. “He’s a little bit of a lazy horse in the morning, but he’s had two nice works where he started off slow and finished well.”

City Man, who will be ridden by Joel Rosario, will break from the rail.

After finishing fifth as the 4-5 favorite in his debut here in June, Cleon Jones has won two of three starts with a well-beaten second to City Man in the Funny Cide in between. Trainer Jeremiah Englehart said he is looking forward to stretching Cleon Jones out to a mile.

“I think the further he goes the better he will be,” he said.

Englehart also sends out Captain Bombastic, who would be wheeling back just three weeks after winning a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race by 2 1/4 lengths.

“It wasn’t really ideal timing for this race, but he worked really well last week. I’d like to give him a shot going a little further,” Englehart said.

Harris Bay, a son of Carpe Diem trained by John Kimmel, was a very professional debut winner going six furlongs on Sept. 15. Three Jokers, who set all the pace in the Bongard and was beaten only a head, and Mission Wrapitup, second in the Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes, complete the field.

Naked Avenger streaks into Maid of the Mist

Naked Avenger won the Joseph A. Gimma here on Sept. 18 despite falling back entering the far turn and failing to change leads and lugging in during the stretch run.

The next day, it was discovered Naked Avenger had a quarter crack. With the quarter crack repaired, Naked Avenger left Monmouth Park Thursday morning for Saturday’s $250,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies.

Trainer Tim Hills said Naked Avenger “had a small quarter crack that we were able to patch.”

“I think that maybe had something to do with her not changing leads,” he said. “Hopefully, we got that fixed. My blacksmith put a real good patch on.”

Hills said that as well as Naked Avenger had trained, she has raised it up a notch in the afternoon.

“She always trained well, I just think her races are a little more than we expected from her,” Hills said. “When the rider really rides her and gets into her with the whip, she really responds.”

Naked Avenger breaks from post 2 under Luis Saez.

Also shipping up from Monmouth are Good Credence, who in her third start won an off-the-turf maiden race by 6 3/4 lengths at Belmont on Sept. 6, and Saratoga Beauty, a 1 1/4-length maiden winner at Belmont on Sept. 14.

Critical Value won a six-furlong maiden race at Saratoga on Aug. 29 and has targeted this race since, according to Englehart.

“I do believe she wants to stretch out, so this was always her next race after her maiden win in Saratoga,” Englehart said. “Hopefully, she’s able to make that jump into stakes caliber.”

Junior Alvarado rides Critical Value from post 3.

Firenze Freedom is a half-sister to Firenze Fire, who is a three-time graded stakes winner over Belmont Park’s main track. Firenze Freedom, a daughter of Istan, won her maiden going seven furlongs here on Sept. 22.