Genesee Valley pits Ferraro father vs. son
Score one for the home team. The $50,000 Genesee Valley Breeders’ on Saturday is the rare Finger Lakes stakes that didn’t draw any downstate shippers.
An evenly matched field of seven will square off in the Genesee Valley, a 1 1/16-mile race for New York-bred 3-year-olds and up. Favoritism could go to either Baime or Fox Rules. Baime is trained by Michael Ferraro, and Fox Rules is conditioned M. Anthony Ferraro, Michael’s 53-year-old son.
Baime, a 5-year-old owned by Barry Schwartz, has returned from a seven-month layoff in top form. He began his season with six-furlong allowance victories over open company at Finger Lakes in June and July and then took his act on the road to Presque Isle Downs in August.
Baime stretched out to a mile in a $42,000 allowance race over Presque Isle’s Tapeta surface. He raced forwardly from the start but was denied by Dynamic Strike in the stretch and finished second at 10-1, beaten three-quarters of a length. The win was Dynamic Strike’s second straight at Presque Isle.
Fox Rules is 11 for 33 in his career but 8 for 9 at Finger Lakes. He tired to finish fifth in second-level optional-claiming races at Belmont and Saratoga in his two most recent starts, but before that, he drilled an open allowance field at Finger Lakes by 7 1/2 lengths. Look for a return to form Saturday.
Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes, race 4
Key contenders
Baime (Last 3 Beyers: 88-92-88)
◗ Although Baime has made 18 starts dating to July 2013, this will be his stakes debut.
Fox Rules (Last 3 Beyers: 73-74-84)
◗ He won the Genesee Valley last year and finished second in 2013. His biggest win came in the $160,000 New York Derby at Finger Lakes in 2012.
Crackerjack Jones (Last 3 Beyers: 50-99-82)
◗ He earned a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure two starts back for trainer Christopher Progno while winning an open-company allowance race.
◗ At 5-1, he was half the price of Baime in an August allowance race at Presque Isle while making his synthetic-track debut but was never a factor and finished eighth.
No supplements for 3 stakes
Finger Lakes issued a notice Wednesday stating that no supplemental entries will be accepted for the New York Breeders’ Futurity, Aspirant Stakes, or Lady Finger Stakes.
The release reads: “Please be advised due to wording on the original nomination form for foals of 2013 there will be no supplemental entries accepted. ... The original conditions will stand, and only horses meeting both sustaining payments will be eligible to enter.”
The release went on to list the eligible horses for each race.