Dream Central figures to get more respect in Suzie O'Cain Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Dream Central went postward at odds of 39-1 when she won her maiden in the seven-furlong Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Stakes on June 19 at Belmont Park. She will be a decidedly shorter price when she returns going 1 1/16 miles on turf in Wednesday’s $125,000 Suzie O’Cain Stakes, which is restricted to 3-year-old New York-bred fillies. The race drew a field of nine, three of whom are entered to run on the main track only.
Owned by the Eddie F’s Racing of Ed Fazzone, Dream Central entered the Cupecoy’s Joy winless in six starts, hence the long odds. But her trainer, Gary Sciacca, was encouraged when jockey Jose Lezcano came into the paddock full of confidence before the race. Lezcano was riding her for the first time that day.
“Lezcano was so positive that day,” Sciacca recalled. “He said he’d watched the replays of her races, saw she had a couple of bad trips, and told me he thought we were going to be okay in there. That if he could get her to settle a bit and make a run, he liked her.”
And that’s exactly how the race played out, with Dream Central settling midpack during the early going before rallying to outfinish Robyn and Eli by a neck to earn her diploma and become a stakes winner all in one fell swoop.
“I realize that wasn’t a tough stakes at all,” Sciacca said. “This race seems to be coming up stronger, but it’s still basically a one-other-than. I think she showed in her last start that she wants to go a little further, so the extra distance should help her. There are a couple of speed horses in the field, so there should be some pace, and Jose knows her now, which should be a plus for us, too. I really hope she runs well again because Eddie F is a local guy and it would mean the world to him to win a stakes up here.”
She’s a Mia is likely to go postward as the public’s choice and looms the one to beat. She comes into the race off a series of second-place finishes that included the Tepin Stakes in her juvenile finale while under the tutelage of Cleveland Johnson. She’s a Mia was transferred to the barn of trainer Christophe Clement for her 3-year-old campaign and appears to be sitting on her best effort yet on Wednesday after pairing up career-best 73 Beyer Speed Figures to open her 2022 season.
Solib, returning to statebred company after being haltered for $50,000 last month at Belmont Park, looms the one to catch breaking from the rail. She figures to receive some early pressure from Lisa’s Vision, who stretches out around two turns for the first time after winning her maiden going seven furlongs in her previous start.
Dufresne, who finished three-quarters of a length behind She’s a Mia in her last outing, and Classic Lynne round out the field if the Suzie O’Cain goes as scheduled on turf. Galaxina, a stakes winner on dirt, Caragate, and Reigning Chick are the main-track-only entrants.