Maker has strong hand in Mohawk Stakes
The stable of trainer Mike Maker will run a pair of millionaires Saturday in the $200,000 Mohawk at Belmont Park.
Somelikeithotbrown and Cross Border, who finished a respective first and third in this race a year ago, have since seen their career earnings hit seven figures.
The Mohawk is a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up bred in New York. It was supposed to be run last weekend, but an unfavorable forecast led officials to move the race to Saturday. There are a total of four stakes on the Belmont card worth a combined $550,000.
The Mohawk field of nine features seven stakes winners and a third starter from Maker in Klickitat. The deep field includes Therapist, runner-up in last year’s Mohawk, and Rinaldi, who in July won the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple at Saratoga.
Somelikeithotbrown and Cross Border are both multiple Grade 2 winners who exit Grade 1 races. Somelikeithotbrown was third in the Keeneland Turf Mile in his most recent start Oct. 9. The winner of the race, In Love, is entered in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar.
Somelikehotbrown broke from post 12 in the Keeneland Turf Mile and was beaten just two lengths in a strong performance. The race was run on a course rated good, and Somelikeithotbrown has arguably done his best work on firm courses. The 100 Beyer Speed Figure he earned is the best last-race number in the Mohawk.
Somelikeithotbrown is moving back to the 1 1/16-mile distance of his last win, which came in the Grade 2 Dinner Party on May 15 at Pimlico. He’s starting in a race restricted to New York-breds for the first time since last year’s Mohawk. Jorge Vargas Jr. has the mount from post 4 for owners Skychai Racing and David Koenig.
Cross Border was seventh last out in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont. The winner of that race, Rockemperor, is entered in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Saturday. Cross Border, who has placed in a trio of Grade 1 stakes, won the Grade 2 Bowling Green in July at Saratoga. Paco Lopez has the mount from post 3 for Three Diamonds Farm.
Klickitat is making his first start for Paradise Farms Corp. and Maker after being claimed for $45,000 out of a runner-up finish in a New York-bred turf route Sept. 30 at Belmont Park. Hector Diaz Jr. has the mount from the rail Saturday.
Therapist will be looking for his ninth career stakes win. The earner of $715,865 was co-bred and is trained by Christophe Clement.