Laobanonaprayer, Brooklyn Strong give Daniel Velazquez stakes double

ELMONT, N.Y. – Daniel Velazquez won the first two stakes of his training career last Saturday at Belmont Park when Laobanonaprayer took the $150,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes followed 30 minutes later by Brooklyn Strong’s victory in the $150,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes on New York Showcase Day.

Velazquez, based in the Mid-Atlantic region, will look for another stakes victory this Saturday at Belmont when he is expected to ship up Arch Cat for the Grade 3, $100,000 Bold Ruler Handicap at seven furlongs on dirt.

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Arch Cat, a 6-year-old gelding by Arch, has won 5 of 14 starts since Velazquez claimed him for $16,000 in June 2019. He had another win taken away via disqualification. On Sept. 23, Arch Cat finished third under Frankie Pennington, seven lengths behind My Boy Tate, in a high-class allowance race at Parx Racing.

“I was not happy with the trip that day,” Velazquez said. “He broke sharp, but Pennington didn’t know the horse and he let him suck back and we were too far out of it. I’m throwing that race out completely. He’s a way better horse than that.”

Velazquez said Kendrick Carmouche will ride Arch Cat in the Bold Ruler. Carmouche has crossed the wire first on Arch Cat in 5 of 6 rides, including a Feb. 10 race in which he was disqualified.

Others expected for the Bold Ruler are Phat Man, Share the Ride, Awesome Anywhere, Majestic Dunhill, and Mihos.

Meanwhile, Velazquez said Laobanonaprayer and Brooklyn Strong came out of their victories in good order. Laobanonaprayer, as a daughter of New York-based stallion Laoban, is eligible for the $250,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes on Dec. 6 at Aqueduct.

Brooklyn Strong is a son of Wicked Strong, who is not New York-based, so his next start is less certain.

“We have no official target for him yet,” Velazquez said.