Give maidens a look in Belmont statebred stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. – Maidens have done quite well this year in juvenile stakes on this circuit, and that trend could continue Sunday at Belmont Park when New York-bred 2-year-olds are featured in the Bertram F. Bongard for males and the Joseph A. Gimma for females.
Each race is worth $150,000 and is scheduled for seven furlongs. The Bongard, which drew a field of six, goes as the second, while the Gimma, which drew a field of seven, goes as the fourth.
In the Bongard, Tizquick is the only maiden in the field but ran well enough to be considered against five maiden winners in this spot. Tizquick, a son of Tiz Wonderful, finished second to Upstart in a 5 1/2-furlong race Aug. 15. Upstart came back nine days later to win the Funny Cide Stakes.
Noting that Tizquick had some gate issues, and not wanting him to fall too far behind going 5 1/2 furlongs in his debut, trainer John Kimmel said he instructed jockey Junior Alvarado to “help him get on his way.” Tizquick wound up sitting third behind dueling leaders, made a three-wide bid for the lead, and was simply outfinished by Upstart.
“He’s got such a big stride, if we can let him get into a more comfortable rhythm, I think that would suit him better,” Kimmel said.
Headlining the competition are Saratoga Heater, a maiden winner in the slop Aug. 31 at Saratoga; Market Conduct, a debut winner at Saratoga on Aug. 10; and Bullheaded Boy, coming off a third to Upstart in the Funny Cide.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Market Conduct. Trainer Chad Brown is 5 for 11 with a $3.63 ROI over the past five years with 2-year-olds in dirt sprint stakes for New York-breds. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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My Super Nova is the only maiden entered in the Joseph A. Gimma, but she ran a winning race in her debut Aug. 29 at Saratoga, getting caught late by Temper Mint Patty, who is back in this field. My Super Nova finished nearly nine lengths clear of the rest of the field.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Temper Mint Patty. Trainer Dale Romans is 5 for 12 with a $8.30 ROI over the past five years with 2-year-olds making their second career start on dirt following a winning debut. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
“Probably didn’t have her 100 percent tight, but I felt like she had done enough that we should go ahead and run,” trainer George Weaver said. “If she caught a softer group, we probably could have won.”
In addition to Temper Mint Patty, My Super Nova will have to face Myfourchix, who won the Seeking the Ante Stakes as a maiden, and Hard to Stay Notgo, who ran second as the 3-5 favorite in the Seeking the Ante after a good-looking debut victory Aug. 6.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Hard to Stay Notgo. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens is 4 for 10 with a $2.12 ROI over the past five years when adding Lasix for the first time to horses that finished in the money in their prior start. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Bertram F. Bongard
Key contenders
Saratoga Heater (Beyers: 79-44)
◗ Despite racing greenly, he rolled to a 2 1/4-length victory in the slop Aug. 31 at Saratoga. That was his first start with blinkers added.
◗ He has been transferred from Al Stall to Lisa Lewis.
“We’ve done a little bit of work together, and he told me to watch this colt because I would probably be getting him,” Lewis said. “I know they liked him in his first start, and he was green, then they put the blinkers on him. He was still a little green in his next start, but it could have been just the mud.”
Tizquick (Beyer: 70)
◗ He has worked three times after finishing second to repeat winner Upstart in his debut at Saratoga.
“Junior breezed him the other day and loved him,” Kimmel said. “He’s a high-energy horse and has taken extra work at the gate and in the paddock.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Banana Thief. Trainer Steve Asmussen is winless in five starts over the past five years with 2-year-olds moving from turf to dirt following a maiden victory. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Joseph A. Gimma
Key contenders
Hard to Stay Notgo (Beyers: 75-53)
◗ She gets Lasix for the first time after finishing a dull second in the Seeking the Ante Stakes after a good-looking debut win at Saratoga on Aug. 6.
◗ Sweetpollypurebred, the runner-up in the Aug. 6 race, came back to win a maiden race at Belmont on Sept. 12.
My Super Nova (Beyer: 73)
◗ She pressed the pace when second to Temper Mint Patty in her debut.
◗ Over the last three years, trainer George Weaver is 3 for 15 with seven in-the-money finishes with 2-year-olds making their second career start.
◗ Weaver also has Majestic Bloom entered but anticipates scratching her to await a turf race.