Hudson lures classy group of sprinters
ELMONT, N.Y. – With multiple Grade 1-winning New York-bred sprinter Palace headed to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, the $150,000 Hudson Handicap – the last of eight stakes to be run on Saturday’s Empire Showcase Day card at Belmont Park – appears to be a wide-open event.
Big Business, Weekend Hideaway, and Noble Cornerstone all competed in Grade 1 stakes during the Saratoga meet, and though defeated, each ran pretty well. Captain Serious, Moonlight Song, and Chapman add depth to a contentious 6 1/2-furlong dash, which drew a field of 11.
Weekend Hideaway beat several of these in the John Morrissey Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 15 and came back 15 days later in the Grade 1 Forego to finish sixth, beaten 5 1/4 lengths by Palace. Weekend Hideaway chased the pacesetting Zee Bros that day, and jockey Javier Castellano had to check on Weekend Hideaway when Zee Bros drifted out in front of him in upper stretch.
“It had an impact on his finish of the race,” trainer Phil Serpe said. “The horse is doing well. He worked well for the race. Hopefully, he gives a good account of himself.”
Big Business finished second to Palace in the Forego after finishing second to Weekend Hideaway in the John Morrissey. Big Business returns to Belmont Park, where he is 5 for 8.
Noble Cornerstone has won three of his last four races, with his only loss in that span coming in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop, where he was beaten 4 1/4 lengths by the winner, The Big Beast.
Key contenders
Weekend Hideaway (Last 3 Beyers: 89-97-93)
◗ He has 2 wins and 2 seconds in his last 4 starts in New York-bred sprint races.
◗ He is 2 for 2 at the Hudson distance of 6 1/2 furlongs.
◗ He may have to deal with some early pace pressure from Moonlight Song.
Noble Cornerstone (Last 3 Beyers: 95-87-100)
◗ He won an open-company, first-level allowance race here Sept. 27 (Jockey Club Gold Cup Day) after finishing fourth in the King’s Bishop and winning a statebred second-level allowance at Saratoga.
“The King’s Bishop was actually better than it looked,” trainer Tom Morley said. “He got caught very wide on the turn. I think that was a good race, though they didn’t run a great time. He was liable to go backwards a little bit off the race he ran in the two-other-than at Saratoga.”
◗ He blew out three furlongs in 34.55 seconds over the main track Tuesday.
“I feel like I’m going into this race probably better than I did the King’s Bishop,” Morley said. “He didn’t have a hard race on Jockey Club Day. He got trapped in behind horses, and he really only got to run the last eighth of a mile.”
Big Business (Last 3 Beyers: 89-93-92)
◗ He has yet to run back to his dominant third-level allowance win here going a mile in June, when he earned a career-best 103 Beyer.
◗ He shortens up after a third-place finish as the 4-5 favorite in allowance race behind the Empire Classic-bound duo of Beautyinthepulpit and Eye Luv Lulu.