Keeping tradition, 12-horse Barker kicks off stakes schedule, draws Lady's Golden Guy
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The Memorial Day card at Finger Lakes is highlighted by the 41st edition of the $50,000 George Barker Stakes, the traditional kickoff to the track’s stakes schedule. The six-furlong sprint for older New York-breds has become something of a traditional stop for Lady’s Golden Guy.
The 9-year-old elder statesman will be making his fifth consecutive start in the Barker – and is looking for an outright win in a bulky field of 12.
Lady’s Golden Guy, a homebred for trainer Debra Breed’s family, is a multiple stakes winner at Finger Lakes, having won the 2021 and 2022 editions of the Leon Reed Memorial Stakes. He has officially won 14 of 52 career starts and earned more than $350,000 the hard way.
He made his first start in the George Barker in 2022, finishing fourth. He was fourth again in 2023, and eighth in 2024. Last year, Lady’s Golden Guy led in the stretch of the Barker before being caught by Tacony Road, who crossed the line first by a length. Tacony Road was later disqualified for a medication violation, per the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit, giving Lady’s Golden Guy an official win and first purse money.
Lady’s Golden Guy is winless in six starts since, but showed promise after his winter freshening. In a May 5 allowance, his first start since October, he finished third, with evident interest, going five furlongs. Tacony Road, who he faces again Monday, was fourth.
The morning-line choices bookend the field for the Barker, with Antonio of Venice on the inside and Ten Cent Town on the outside. Both are coming in from the New York Racing Association circuit.
Antonio of Venice, who has earned well over $600,000, is trained by Rudy Rodriguez, who owns a piece of the gelding. He made one trip to Finger Lakes in the fall of 2023, finishing fourth in the Aspirant. He bounced back to win three of his next four outings, all in New York-bred stakes at Aqueduct. He has been in the top three in seven of his nine most recent outings, including a handy allowance win on April 23 at Aqueduct.
Ten Cent Town, off the board in two statebred stakes in 2023, has changed hands a few times since then and looks to be on a turnaround. He won by a neck on April 12 at Aqueduct, and was claimed for $35,000 by Brad Cox for owner Michael Dubb. In his first start for the barn – in a two-other-than New York-bred allowance/optional claimer – he was second by a neck on May 7.
Ten Cent Town won his lone prior start at Finger Lakes, in July 2023 under local native Reylu Gutierrez, who has a return call Monday. Cox has made just six prior starts at Finger Lakes, winning three, all in stakes.
Hit the Post was second in last year’s New York Derby at Finger Lakes and second in the Albany at Aqueduct before returning to Finger Lakes to win the Ontario County. In April, in his first start in six months, he was third in allowance/optional-claiming company at Aqueduct.
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