D I Wire could have company up front in New York Breeders' Futurity
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Trainer Kelly Breen and jockey Paco Lopez will try to raid Finger Lakes a second time when the juvenile colt D I Wire returns for the $176,000 New York Breeders’ Futurity on Monday. The juvenile colt is coming off a gate-to-wire victory in the $100,000 Aspirant and should be prominent again in another short field.
“It’s the general progression,” Breen said. “He won last time out at five and a half. He shipped and did everything right, so we’re gonna try for a repeat.”
Before D I Wire’s 2 1/4-length victory in the Aspirant, for which he earned a 71 Beyer Speed Figure, Lopez had never taken a mount at Finger Lakes, while Breen had shipped three horses between 2014 and 2022 without success. They will carry on with the 4-5 morning-line favorite on Monday.
D I Wire is not the lone speed in the five-horse field, as he was in the 5 1/2-furlong Aspirant, but he could be the fastest of the potential front-runners. All five statebred juveniles will be stretching out to six furlongs in the New York Breeders’ Futurity.
Silver Knight, the 5-2 second choice trained by Melanie Giddings, went to the front in his first start at Finger Lakes last month, powering home to defeat three rivals for a 15 1/2-length maiden victory. He had previously run twice at Saratoga and failed to make the lead in either start.
Trainer Paul Barrow will take his chance against the boys with Pwr of Persistence, a filly who finished a distant fourth in the $100,000 Lady Finger last month.
Jack Betta Be Rite
In 11 career starts, the 3-year-old filly Victory Hall has never done better than when she attempted two turns at Finger Lakes in July. Trainer Tom Morley took notice and will bring her back for the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes on Monday.
“I thought she handled the two turns at Finger Lakes incredibly well, ran very, very well two starts back,” Morley said. “She’s won stakes at 2 and 3. She’s won at Finger Lakes. This looks like a logical spot for her to run in.”
Though she won the $135,000 Maddie May at Aqueduct when she made her first start for Morley in March, it’s fair to say Victory Hall has not had the best campaign at Aqueduct or Saratoga this year. She lost her other four starts at those tracks by a combined 88 1/4 lengths, most recently going a touch too far at 1 1/8 miles in the $200,000 Fleet Indian in August and finishing a distant fifth.
But in the $75,000 New York Oaks at Finger Lakes in July, the 3-year-old filly relished the two-turn, 1 1/16-mile distance and rallied for a game second, earning a 73 Beyer and finishing 2 3/4 lengths behind Venetta. That same rival defeated her by 12 1/4 lengths in the $200,000 Bouwerie at Saratoga in June.
Victory Hall also earned her first stakes victory at Finger Lakes for former trainer John Ortiz, winning the $45,000 Shesastonecoldfox last November.
Back at 1 1/16 miles in the Jack Betta Be Rite, Morley said he is happy to have drawn the rail, where Victory Hall can save ground in the field of seven statebred 3-year-old fillies.
“She’s doesn’t mind taking dirt,” Morley said. “She’ll be very happy down on the inside.”
The Finger Lakes-based contenders Zi End and Intentious will rematch after finishing heads apart in the $50,000 Arctic Queen last month.
Genesee Valley Breeders’
Trainer Ilkay Kantarmaci said he is not sure if Dr. Kraft will run in the $50,000 Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes on Monday, but his stablemate, the 3-year-old colt Stickupwithoutagun, is all set to face older rivals at a longer distance in search of his second straight stakes win.
“I don’t know about the distance, but I think he should be able to handle two turns,” Kantarmaci said.
Since Kantarmaci claimed Stickupwithoutagun for $75,000 in August, the New York-bred has made two very different starts in stakes company. He was understandably up against it when he finished 19 3/4 lengths behind Englishman in the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens, but he was far more comfortable in the $50,000 Ontario County at Finger Lakes and edged clear to win the six-furlong sprint by 1 1/2 lengths.
With a statebred stakes victory under his belt, the 3-year-old will stretch out in the 1 1/16-mile Genesee Valley, potentially setting the pace against older horses from the rail. His main rival on the front end will likely be Kolomio, a Charlton Baker trainee seeking his first victory since January 2025.
“They only have one race, so I have no other choice,” Kantarmaci said. “It’s not like I really want to run him longer.”
Dr. Kraft, a 6-year-old trained by Kantarmaci, would be the likely favorite in the field of eight New York-breds coming off a 5 1/2-length statebred allowance victory at Saratoga. The trainer said he might give him time off instead.
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