Donk taking shot in Great White Way Stakes that Geno will handle dirt
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Big Brown won his maiden on turf but became better known for his exploits on dirt when he won the 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
Trainer David Donk isn’t thinking that big with Geno, but he is hopeful the 2-year-old by Big Brown will take to the dirt like his father when he runs in Saturday’s $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series.
The Great White Way for males and the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division for 2-year-old females are restricted to progeny of New York-based stallions. The seven-furlong races are the richest of the winter meet, owing to an influx of money put into a number of NYSS races by the New York State Breeding and Development Fund beginning in 2019.
Geno trained well enough on dirt prior to his career debut that Donk said he debated whether to run him on turf or dirt first time. He won a six-furlong turf race on Sept. 19 by a neck, finished second in the Awad Stakes by a nose, and was sixth in the Central Park, beaten two lengths. The latter two stakes were against open company at 1 1/16 miles.
“The mother had won on the grass and my success with Big Brown [progeny] has been on the grass, but if I’m going to try him on dirt – and the owner agrees – might as well try him for $500,000 in a restricted race,” said Donk, who trains Geno for Mendham Racing Stable. “I’m hopeful.”
Geno drew post 6 in an 11-horse field that includes Maseta, who, like Geno, is trying dirt for the first time after making his first three starts on turf. Unique Unions, who drew the rail, is coming off an impressive maiden win on dirt in his most recent start. Unique Unions has the rail.
In the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division for 2-year-old fillies, Howdyoumakeurmoney, a stakes winner on synthetic, also will try to make the switch to dirt when she takes on 10 rivals. Howdyoumakeurmoney drew post 7 in an 11-horse field that is headed by Morning Matcha, a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of the New York stallion Central Banker. Morning Matcha, trained by Butch Reid, is coming off a 6 1/4-length allowance win going a two-turn mile at Parx Racing.