D I Wire should have easier time in Aspirant Stakes

Paco Lopez has never ridden at Finger Lakes in his nearly 22,000-race career, but the jockey is prepared to make the trip for the juvenile colt D I Wire in the $100,000 Aspirant Stakes on Monday. The Kelly Breen-trained New York-bred will likely have an easier time after a tough stint at Saratoga.

“I don't know if Paco Lopez has ever ridden at Finger Lakes, but he's planning on going,” Breen said. “He's a quick horse and I hope he likes the track. He doesn't seem to mind traveling and we shipped up to Saratoga for both his races.”

In July, D I Wire made his debut in a statebred maiden special weight at Saratoga and never trailed for a 1 1/4-length, gate-to-wire victory. Breen tried him in the $200,000 Funny Cide earlier this month, but he didn’t stack up and faded to fifth by 12 1/2 lengths.

“This race really wasn't on my radar, seeing that I didn't usually run a 2-year-old back in two weeks,” Breen said. “We were happy with the way he came out of the race and he bounced back awfully quick, which was one of the only reasons we thought of running him at Finger Lakes.”

In a softer field of seven New York-bred juveniles at Finger Lakes, D I Wire is the 2-1 morning-line favorite and enters as the only runner with stakes experience. He could be the lone pacesetter in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint.

Trainer Anthony Ferraro entered three horses in the field, including Big Poppy, who won his Finger Lakes debut earlier this month with a 55 Beyer Speed Figure. His stablemates in the race are still maidens, with All About Soul cross-entered in a race at Belmont later this week.

Lady Finger Lakes

Sun Kissed Bliss, a sharp debut winner at Saratoga last month, will ship to Finger Lakes for her stakes debut in the $100,000 Lady Finger Stakes on Monday. The New York-bred is an overwhelming presence in the field of six statebred juvenile fillies.

“She was very impressive her first time out and came out of the race really good,” trainer Joe Sharp said. “The timing back in three weeks is a little quicker than we normally would, but I like the distance, and with her speed I think she should handle the configuration there.”

Breaking sharply under Kendrick Carmouche, who will also ride on Monday, Sun Kissed Bliss never trailed in a $115,000 statebred maiden special weight and drew away at the end, winning by 5 1/2 lengths with a 66 Beyer.

Sharp said the Mind Control filly is likely to use her early speed in another 5 1/2-furlong sprint, though she may not be alone.

All three fillies entered by Paul Barrow showed speed in their debuts, especially Pwr of Persistence, who peeled off to a 5 1/2-length score at Finger Lakes on Sept. 9. Sweet Sugar Pie finished 4 1/4 lengths ahead of her stablemate Cozzy Trickstress after dueling her in a maiden race on Aug. 25.

Ontario County Stakes

Trainer Ilkay Kantarmaci took his chance with Stickupwithoutagun in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens last month, but it’s time to get back to business. The 3-year-old colt will ship to Finger Lakes with decidedly brighter prospects against New York-breds in the $50,000 Ontario County Stakes on Monday.

After two disappointing efforts in statebred stakes for Kenny McPeek, Stickupwithoutagun got back to his winning ways in August, when he went straight to the front in a $75,000 starter/optional claiming race and won by 1 1/2 lengths.

Kantarmaci put up the hefty sum to claim him that day, and when the Jerkens came up light two weeks later, he took his shot at a minor prize in the five-horse field. He finished fourth by 19 3/4 lengths.

“I claim a lot of horses,” Kantarmaci said. “There were only a couple days this summer I didn't drop [a claim] at Saratoga. I'll shoot for something, so I need more horses.”

The six-furlong Ontario County will be Stickupwithoutagun’s shortest race since August 2025, when he earned his maiden victory in his second career start. He has run exclusively between seven furlongs and 1 1/16 miles in seven races since. The colt is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the field of eight New York-bred 3-year-olds.

“Last time, Manny [Franco] told me to try a shorter distance,” Kantarmaci said. “This came up, so we just want to take the shot with him.”

Valentine Crusader, a two-race maiden trained by Amelia Green, will return from a 13-month layoff. She lost both of her races last year by a nose.

Niagara Stakes

Oh, a statebred stakes winner at Finger Lakes last year, will return to the track for her 3-year-old debut in the $50,000 Niagara Stakes. She has not run since December, when she faltered in the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct.

“We kept hitting a couple bumps in the road, but she's ready to run,” trainer Michael Maker said. “This is just the best option out there to get her started.”

Oh last shipped to Finger Lakes in September last year, when she dueled on the front end and held on to win the $115,000 Lady Finger. She is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line in the field of seven New York-bred 3-year-old fillies, but she is a likely winner if she can get back to her best form.

Galileans Girl, the 2-1 favorite trained by Linda Dixon, has finished second on a sloppy track in back-to-back allowance starts at Finger Lakes. She won her last race on a fast track with a 66 Beyer Speed Figure in July.

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