City Man just gets up in time, finishing New York-bred 'grand slam'
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ELMONT, N.Y. -- The connections of City Man thought enough of the New York-bred to consider running him in the Grade 1 Manhattan on the June 10 Belmont Stakes Day card.
But after two defeats to begin the year, owner Dean Reeves and trainer Christophe Clement decided they wanted to get City Man back to the winner’s circle and figured Monday’s $125,000 Kingston Stakes would be the easier spot to get there.
Well, City Man got there, but it wasn’t easy.
Stuck behind horses turning for home, Joel Rosario found some running room in the five path in upper stretch and City Man was able to run down a game Jerry the Nipper to win the Kingston by a nose at Belmont Park.
It was a half-length back to Dakota Gold in third.
The win was the 10th from 29 starts for City Man and his ninth in a stakes race. He completed his own New York-bred grand slam of sorts adding the Kingston to previous victories in the Mohawk, West Point, and Ashley T. Cole, the other annual turf stakes for older statebred males.
“He always finishes his races well,” Clement said. “Two weeks ago, the choices were go for this race or train to the Manhattan. Obviously, this is a much easier race than the Manhattan. It’s nice to get back to winning ways. We can be a bit more ambitious next time.”
In the Kingston, Rosario had City Man sixth of seven behind a modest pace established by Rinaldi and pressed by Jerry the Nipper.
While Jerry the Nipper, under Jose Ortiz put Rinaldi away, Rosario had to find some running room. He went five wide in the stretch, City Man lengthened his stride, and got there in time.
“I was just looking for some place to go,” Rosario said. “The pace was not crazy fast. Christophe told me to take my time with him. At one point I decided to start riding him a little bit and then I had to figure out where to go.”
Rosario said he felt City Man was going to get by Jerry the Nipper easier than he did, “but the track’s a little speed-favoring and that probably carried him,” he said.
City Man, a 6-year-old son of Mucho Macho Man owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Peter and Patty Searles, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.45 and returned $3.40 as the odds-on choice.
Marvelous Maude on the wire in Mount Vernon
Marvelous Maude, in her first start off a seven-month layoff, came with a strong late run under Irad Ortiz Jr. to nail Runaway Rumour by a nose on the wire in the $125,000 Mount Vernon for New York-bred fillies and mares.
It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Sanura in third.
It was the first stakes win for Marvelous Maude, who was the beaten favorite in the John Hettinger and Ticonderoga stakes last fall at Aqueduct. It was also the first stakes win as a breeder for part-owner Michael Dubb, who raced the mare Wait Your Turn and the stallion Slumber, who won the Grade 1 Manhattan in 2015.
Marvelous Maude likely benefited from a rapid pace established by Freddymo Factor, who went an opening quarter in 22.64 seconds and then a quick second quarter, though the posted half-mile time of 43.99 for the half was omitted from the official chart of the race and was likely incorrect.
Ortiz saved ground early and said he moved a little sooner than he typically does on this filly because he was pretty far back and the race was only one mile.
“I think she’s much better going a mile and a sixteenth, mile and an eighth, so to give her her best chance, I had to keep her a little closer, move a little early and wide too, and she still got the job done,” Ortiz said.
Marvelous Maude, trained by Chad Brown and owned by Michael Dubb, Michael Caruso, and the Elkstone Group, and bred by Dubb, covered the mile in 1:34.08 and returned $5.10 as the favorite. Marvelous Maude is named for Maude Walsh, a former hospitality manager at the New York Racing Association.
Runaway Rumour, who beat Marvelous Maude by 1 1/4 lengths in the Ticonderoga last October, looked like she was going to win when she overtook Sangura in midstretch, but was just picked off on the wire.
“No excuses,” said trainer Horacio De Paz, who was starting Runaway Rumour for the first time since being given the horse by owner Larry Goichman.
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