Dakota Gold brings Breeders' Cup talent to restricted Spectacular Bid
ELMONT, N.Y. – Dakota Gold, who finished fifth as the default favorite in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, will make his 3-year-old debut in Sunday’s $150,000 Spectacular Bid division of the New York Stallion Stakes at Belmont Park.
The Spectacular Bid, for 3-year-olds, and the $150,000 Cupecoy’s Joy, for 3-year-old fillies, both at seven furlongs, are the co-features on a 10-race Father’s Day card that begins at 1 p.m. Both stakes are for progeny of New York-based stallions.
Dakota Gold inherited the favorite’s role for the BC Juvenile Turf after Albahr flipped in the gate and was scratched as was, mistakenly, his Godolphin Racing stablemate Modern Games. Ultimately, it was determined that Modern Games would be allowed to run, but for purse money only. Dakota Gold was sent off the 5-2 favorite based on his victory in the $500,000 Nownownow Stakes at Monmouth Park. Dakota Gold finished fifth, 2 1/4 lengths behind Modern Games, who won the race going away.
“I thought he ran a great race in the Breeders’ Cup,” said Danny Gargan, trainer of Dakota Gold. “When that horse flipped over, he flipped towards him, swinging his legs toward him. It frazzled him a little bit and he broke a little flat.”
Gargan had Dakota Gold back on the work tab in February, but when he came off the track after a breeze at Palm Meadows in Florida he reared up. When he came down he cut himself on a hind leg and required stitches. Dakota Gold returned to the work tab in April, and he’s had an uninterrupted work schedule leading to his return.
“He’s not an impressive work horse,” Gargan said. “Put him in company, he does something. If he’s not in company he doesn’t do much. He was under the radar as a baby – nobody was high on him – which is why I got him.”
Gargan said Dakota Gold should be fit enough to go seven furlongs against restricted company.
“He’ll run big,” Gargan said.
Irad Ortiz Jr., back from Royal Ascot, rides Dakota Gold from post 2.
While Dakota Gold is returning from a 226-day layoff, Surprise Boss wheels back 15 days after winning a second-level allowance for statebreds going six furlongs here. Surprise Boss, a son of War Dancer trained by Juan Vazquez, is 3 for 3 on turf, but will be running as far as seven furlongs on the surface for the first time.
Marinara Sauced rallied from 20 lengths back to win a maiden race at first asking here May 21. A son of Laoban trained by Chad Brown, Marinara Sauced was off slowly and took advantage of a tiring pacesetter to get the victory.
Completing the field are Barrel of Quests, a maiden winner on turf two back, Maseta, Mo Dancin, One Time Willard, and the maiden Buckortwo.
The Spectacular Bid goes as race 4 on the card.
Cupecoy’s Joy Stakes
Galaxina, a 24-1 winner of the $200,000 Park Avenue Division of the New York Stallion Stakes on dirt April 24 at Aqueduct, will transition to turf for the first time in Sunday’s $150,000 Cupecoy’s Joy Division of the NYSS.
Galaxina is 2 for 3 with a second on dirt, but trainer James Bond felt this was a good time to experiment on the turf, with a few turf opportunities on the horizon at Saratoga later this summer. Galaxina, who is from the family of 2008 champion female turf mare Forever Together, did work once on turf under jockey Trevor McCarthy, and the decision was made to give it a try in a race.
“I liked the way she moved,” Bond said of Galaxina’s turf work. “Trevor was pretty happy with her. There’s nothing on paper that would scare you. She’s in good form, she’s doing very well. It’s worth taking a shot.”
Trainer Richard Schosberg sends out the uncoupled entry of Silken Dollar and Shinfull in this spot. Silken Dollar, a daughter of Central Banker, won her turf debut going seven furlongs May 30. Shinfull, a daughter of A Shin Forward, is 0 for 2, including a second to favored Lisa’s Vision here June 4. Both are forward-running types, but Schosberg said he would let Luis Saez on Silken Dollar and Flavien Prat on Shinfull ride their own race.
“It’s not an ideal situation for a trainer, but you don’t want to take anything away from either one,” Schosberg said. “They’re both individuals and have different owners and we’ll leave it up to the riders riding them.”
Shinfull is one of four maidens of the 11 entered for turf in the Cupecoy’s Joy. They include Robyn and Eli, who could go favored given the fact she is trained by Brown. Robyn and Eli finished second, beaten a half-length, in both her starts and has not raced since December.
Morning Matcha is a three-time winner and has never run on turf. She did finish second in a stakes run on synthetic. She is coming out of a sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico.