Heavily favored D I Wire goes wire to wire in New York Breeders' Futurity
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D I Wire didn’t have it quite as easy in his second stakes start at Finger Lakes, but the juvenile colt still proved overwhelming in the $176,000 New York Breeders’ Futurity on Monday. Jockey Paco Lopez, now 2 for 2 in his career at the New York track, broke sharply again and had plenty left in a 1 1/4-length, gate-to-wire victory.
Last month, trainer Kelly Breen shipped D I Wire to Finger Lakes for the $100,000 Aspirant, a 5 1/2-furlong race he won by 2 1/4 lengths after leading by about as much all the way around the track.
Lopez was aboard for his first Finger Lakes victory that day and understood the assignment again at six furlongs on Monday, coaxing the 2-5 favorite along on the front end through an opening quarter-mile in 22.62 seconds and half-mile in 45.17. Most of his four statebred rivals were well out of it on the backstretch and never contended.
Silver Knight, a last-out maiden winner trained by Melanie Giddings, was expected to keep D I Wire honest on the front end, and though he successfully chased closer in second, he never made a convincing case for a victory.
The 8-5 second choice cut into the margin in the stretch but was always second best. He finished 5 1/4 lengths ahead of Big Poppy, who easily took third for trainer Anthony Ferraro.
D I Wire completed the six-furlong distance in 1:11.33 and paid $2.82 to win. Breen, who had previously shipped three horses to Finger Lakes between 2014 and 2022, has now won two races at the track in the past month.
Jack Betta Be Rite
Victory Hall cemented her status as a Finger Lakes specialist on Monday, returning to the track to win the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths. In three career starts at Finger Lakes, she has now earned two stakes victories and a runner-up finish.
Trainer Tom Morley said he immediately took notice of his 3-year-old filly’s fondness for the upstate New York track when she bounced back to finish second in the $75,000 New York Oaks in July. When she regressed again in the $200,000 Fleet Indian at Saratoga next time out, Morley quickly thought to bring her back to Finger Lakes for another attempt against New York-bred fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.
With a perfect stalking trip under Reylu Gutierrez, who rode her to victory in the $45,000 Shesastonecoldfox at Finger Lakes as a juvenile, the 6-5 favorite emerged from a briefly tight spot with a strong bid on the far turn. The 24-1 pacesetter Ekwanok, who completed the opening quarter-mile in 24.76 seconds and half-mile in 49.47, offered little resistance against the eventual winner.
Intentious, the morning-line favorite who drifted up to 6-1 for Jonathan Buckley, started slow but gradually advanced from last in the field of six fillies and mares. She challenged Victory Hall turning for home and made a race of it for a time, but she ultimately could not sustain her bid. Victory Hall completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:46.04 and paid $4.44 to win.
Intentious, finished 3 1/4 lengths clear of her stablemate Ekwanok, who easily held third to pick up another minor prize for Buckley.
Genesee Valley Breeders' Stakes
Half the field scratched from the $50,000 Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes on Monday, leaving Rhymes Like Dimes and jockey Michael Davila Jr. to scamper home to a 4 1/4-length victory.
Davila, a journeyman rider based at Finger Lakes for more than two decades, has now earned four career stakes victories. He won two on back-to-back days in September 2001 and another in May 2018.
Rhymes Like Dimes also gave local trainer Timothy Murphy his first stakes victory since 2016. Based in Florida for much of his early career, the gelding made his way to Murphy in May 2024, winning 3 of 21 starts before breaking through for his first stakes victory on Monday. He went off as the longest shot in the statebred field of four and paid $11.74 to win.
Cicciobello, the front-running 3-5 favorite trained by Oscar Barrera III, carried a short lead into the stretch after completing the opening quarter-mile in 23.75 seconds and half-mile in 47.59. He could not hold off the Murphy-trained outsider, however, as Davila saved all the ground while advancing from last and drew away in the stretch. Rhymes Like Dimes completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:46.91.
Seams Like Destiny, a gelding trained by Troy Smith, finished third, a half-length behind Cicciobello.
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