Dakota Gold could get perfect setup in Hudson Valley Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Danny Gargan was perplexed why his horse, Dakota Gold, was so far back in the early stages of the May 29 Kingston Stakes, a race in which he ultimately finished third, beaten a half-length.

“I didn’t expect him to be sitting way last,” Gargan said. “I don’t know why he was back there. But I thought he ran unbelievable to make up that ground.”

Looking at the field for Monday’s $125,000 Hudson Valley Stakes at Belmont Park, Gargan said it may not be so bad for Dakota Gold to be back early on in a field with several early speed types.

“It looks like there’s a lot of speed,” Gargan said. “Sitting last might be the place to be this time.”

With seemingly so much speed, shortening up to a mile, and the way he appears to have trained since the Kingston, Dakota Gold may be the horse to beat in the Hudson Valley, a turf race for New York-bred males being run for the first time.

Gargan noted that in his younger days Dakota Gold would sometimes play around in his races. Gargan said that in the Kingston, Dakota Gold showed more focus, especially the way he finished.

“I thought his race was real professional,” Gargan said. “When he tipped him out, he came running.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard for the Kingston and two of Dakota Gold’s four career victories, is aboard Monday from post 2.

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Jerry the Nipper was part of a moderate, albeit contested pace, in the Kingston, where he was beaten a nose by the millionaire City Man. The race was Jerry the Nipper’s first start in six months.

Monday, Jerry the Nipper might be better suited to a stalking trip, similar to what he had when winning an open allowance on dirt at Aqueduct last November.

Jerry the Nipper, a son of Liam’s Map trained by Todd Pletcher, has seemed to elevate his game since being transferred to the turf last fall.

City Man would have been favored in this spot, but trainer Christophe Clement said the horse needed more time and will skip this race for a start in Saratoga. Instead, Clement will run the four-time dirt stakes winner Senbei in what will be the 4-year-old’s turf debut. Senbei is by Candy Ride out of a Western Cat mare, Sweet Aloha, who never raced on turf and who has not thrown a turf winner.

Trainer Mike Maker has the uncoupled entry of Somelikeithotbrown and Call Me Harry. Somelikeithotbrown, an earner of $1.6 million, has gone off form on turf, but gets blinkers and shows a couple of sharp works at the Churchill Downs Training Center.

Call Me Harry is a five-time winner on turf, but most recently won an off-the-turf allowance race on April 30 at Aqueduct.

Hush of a Storm and Ruse look like the potential speed in the field. Cold Hard Cash also could be a pace-presser in his first start since running third in the Grade 2 Red Smith at 1 3/8 miles last November at Aqueduct.

The Hudson Valley goes as race 8 on a nine-race card that begins at 1:05 p.m.

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