Joseph, Maker like their chances in pair of New York-bred juvenile stakes
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It can be hard to assess the strength of juvenile maidens coming out of flashy debut victories, but trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has several reasons to believe that Bravaro will be a deserving favorite in the $200,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday.
“He was very impressive first time out,” Joseph said. “He sat behind horses, and once he was able to get room, he finished off the race well. So he’s stretching out to a mile, and I think it should work in his favor.”
The Sleepy Hollow will be the first of nine statebred stakes on a 12-race Empire Showcase Day card at Aqueduct. The mile-long juvenile race will challenge four of its six runners to stretch out to a route distance for the first time, including Joseph’s promising colt.
In his debut at Aqueduct on Sept. 28, Bravaro delivered a highly precocious performance at six furlongs in an $80,000 maiden special weight for New York-breds, settling off the pace early before circling the field on the far turn to win by a length.
Not only did the Upstart colt earn a 77 Beyer Speed Figure for his performance, but the two runners who finished behind him will run as maidens in the Sleepy Hollow on Saturday. Fourth and One, a gelding trained by Jeremiah Englehart, made his debut as the runner-up in the $150,000 Funny Cide at Saratoga before finishing behind Bravaro in September.
“He came up with a very, very good figure,” Joseph said. “I think the visual was equally as impressive. The horse had shown promise before he ran, but you still have to go do it. Hopefully, he can do it again.”
Max Money finished well behind Bravaro and Fourth and One last time out, but the colt will still take a shot in stakes company for Mike Maker.
Two colts in the field earned their maiden victories at a mile in their second starts, taking advantage of Aqueduct races that were taken off the turf on Sept. 26. Neither runner were behind a step that day, as Time to Roll prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths for trainer Horacio De Paz and Gaming Wizard ran off at will in a 13 1/2-length score for Kenny McPeek.
Froutien rounds out the field of six for trainer Todd Pletcher. In his second start against statebred rivals, the colt stretched out to seven furlongs and weathered an early duel for the lead to win an $80,000 maiden special weight by 1 3/4 lengths. In his debut at Saratoga on Aug. 15, he finished third behind Arctic Beast, who has since rattled off a pair of stakes victories for Maker.
Maid of the Mist
Maker always seems to have a say in the New York-bred juvenile ranks, and Letmecounttheways will give him another live chance in the $200,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes on Saturday. The filly is coming off a sharp 5 1/2-length victory in her debut, and her speed could be an even more potent weapon as she stretches out to a one-turn mile.
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“We’ve been high on her since day one, and her debut didn’t disappoint,” Maker said. “Expect a big effort from her.”
Before she ran a step on Sept. 27, the word seemed to be out on Letmecounttheways. In a deep field of 12 statebred fillies in an $80,000 maiden special weight at Aqueduct, Maker’s first-time starter went off as the 9-5 favorite and ran clear all the way to the wire, earning a 79 Beyer Speed Figure in her commanding debut.
The Maid of the Mist will present new challenges for the filly, related to both class and distance, but it’s arguable that no other entrant in the field of eight has a better last start to build on. Maker said that he expects her to use her early speed again from the far outside post, this time under jockey Joel Rosario.
Five runners will enter the Maid of the Mist with prior stakes experience. Liberty’s Advance has come closest to winning one when she finished second by a half-length in the $116,528 Lady Finger at Finger Lakes last month. The filly was making her debut for trainer Charlie Baker and finished 3 1/2 lengths ahead of the Anthony Ferraro filly Mobelladream, who will also run in the Maid of the Mist.
Rina’s Revenge will make her third start for McPeek after the trainer took an ambitious shot in the Grade 1 Frizette last time out. The filly finished eighth by 10 3/4 lengths that day, a disappointing follow-up to a 4 3/4-length debut victory against statebred rivals at Saratoga on Aug. 28.
Trainer Todd Pletcher entered two fillies in the Maid of the Mist who will be rematched after running in the $150,000 Seeking the Ante at Saratoga in August. Angel Gift has not run since her 12 3/4-length defeat while finishing fifth in the Seeking the Ante, but Grazie fared slightly better that day, finishing third, and switched to turf last month, finishing third again in the $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma.
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