Key-race winner Golden Tornado finally makes it back to the races

ELMONT, N.Y. - In the lead-up to Saturday’s Grade 1 Champagne Stakes, a lot will be made how much of a key race was the Aug. 8 maiden for 2-year-olds at Saratoga won by Gaudreau. It’s not talked about much anymore, but the Aug. 9, 2025, maiden race for 2-year-olds at Saratoga won by Golden Tornado was strong as well.

Four of the seven horses Golden Tornado beat in that six-furlong race won their next starts and three of those - Oscar’s Hope, Igniter, and Glorious Boy - went on to become stakes winners.

Wednesday, in his first start since his debut win, Golden Tornado returns to the races in a $105,000 first-level allowance going 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt, the feature on an eight-race card at Belmont Park. In an effort to make up for two lost cards last weekend at Belmont as well as a canceled program at Saratoga in July and two days at Aqueduct in February, Belmont will race Wednesdays through Sundays through the end of October.

Following his 3 1/4-length maiden score nearly 14 months ago, which earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure, Golden Tornado, a son of McKinzie, was training toward a start in the Champagne when he developed a hairline fracture of a shin, according to trainer Danny Gargan. Golden Tornado was training in the spring at Palm Meadows in Florida, but Gargan had to stop on him again after getting sick.

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“He’s a super-talented horse, if he can say sound,” Gargan said. “Obviously, we never expect to win first time out, we thought he would. He did it the right way and beat a good field.”

In a perfect world, Gargan gets a couple of starts in Golden Tornado this fall and can make a race like the Grade 1 Malibu, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds run at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

Beating a field of mostly first-time starters as he did on debut 14 months ago, and facing seasoned horses, many of whom are older, is a different story.

In this field, the one to beat is the New York-bred Sculcos Folly, a talented New York-bred 3-year-old sprinter who won three restricted stakes in the winter/spring. After a runner-up finish in the New York Derby around two turns, Sculcos Folly cut back in distance and finished third in this same condition, beaten a half-length by Dr. Kapur, a horse who came back to run second in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob at Parx on Sept. 19.

Caldo Candy (fourth) and Oil Capital (sixth) come out of the same race in which Sculcos Folly was third. Oil Capital stumbled out of the gate that day and had a bit of wide trip thereafter.

Trainer Doug O’Neill ships in Dr Ruben M, who won a $50,000 claimer at Ellis Park off a seven-month layoff, earning a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

Mo the Merrier, who was claimed by Mike Miceli for $85,000 in his last start, and Shoot the Nickel, trained by Linda Rice, are both coming off wins in their most recent starts. Rice also trains Oil Capital.

The richest race on Wednesday’s card is the $108,000 second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claimer restricted to New York-bred fillies and mares going one mile on dirt. The 3-year-old filly Grazie will try to build off her 8 1/4-length first-level allowance win at Saratoga off a 10-month layoff for trainer Todd Pletcher.

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