New York Breeders' Futurity tops richest card of the meet

Under Who’s Radar, who is moving back to dirt after creditable efforts in open-company turf stakes, and impressive maiden winner Bold Fortune meet in Monday’s $165,368 New York Breeders’ Futurity, one of three stakes on the richest card of the Finger Lakes season.

The nine-race program also includes the $50,000 Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes for older horses and the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes for fillies and mares.

Additionally, four claiming series that have featured the bread-and-butter horses on this circuit have their final legs Monday and make up the early pick four. Each series is named in honor of a Finger Lakes star of yesteryear. The Unhinged Iron, Mt. Rushmore, and Wise Awake series each conclude with a $25,000 finale. The North Warning distance series has a $30,000 purse and will be run at 1 3/4 miles.

Under Who’s Radar was a front-running winner of his debut in his only dirt start for Mike Maker. He held the early lead in the Juvenile Sprint at Kentucky Downs, but ducked out in the final furlong. Although he held on by three-quarters of a length over Chasing Liberty, he was disqualified to second.

On Oct. 4, in the Grade 3 Futurity over the Aqueduct turf, Under Who’s Radar was taken out of his game after taking multiple bumps at the start. Although he rushed up to third, he never got into a comfortable rhythm and weakened late to finish fourth.

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Manny Franco has the mount on Under Who’s Radar for the first time. They will leave from post 2 in the nine-horse field of New York-bred 2-year-olds.

Under Who’s Radar is drawn inside the other speed in the six-furlong race, most notably the George Weaver-trained Bold Fortune. Bold Fortune leaves from post 4 under Dylan Davis, who has been aboard for both of his starts.

Bold Fortune raced evenly in his debut at Saratoga, not showing much kick while finishing third behind Sacrosanct, the next-out winner of the Bertram F. Bongard for statebreds. In his second start at Aqueduct, the light bulb appeared to come on for Bold Fortune, who was much more forward. He broke sharply and won by 10 1/2 lengths despite being eased up in the final sixteenth.

Bold Fortune earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 84, the best in this field. Under Who’s Radar earned an 81 in his debut and an 80 at Kentucky Downs.

Buttah and In the Chase could contribute to the pace. Buttah raced in second throughout the Bongard, and while he was no match for Sacrosanct, he was a clear second. In the Chase set the pace in the Funny Cide at Saratoga before weakening to finish fourth behind Mo Plex, a graded stakes winner who was subsequently Grade 1-placed.

In the Oct. 4 Futurity, In the Chase was bumped at the start and was never a factor while fourth. A better break in his return to dirt would make him a factor. In the Chase is well drawn in post 8 and will be able to watch the pace develop.

A strong pace could benefit Idyll Gossip, a locally based filly who appears to be learning in each of her starts for Paul Barrow. In her debut, she bolted and lost her rider. In her second outing, she won on the lead while still rank and green, breaking awkwardly and then veering out. In her third start, the Lady Finger, she was much more settled and was making up ground late to be third.

The Lady Finger was one of two local preps for the Breeders’ Futurity, along with the Aspirant. Don Luis, fourth in the Aspirant in his debut, is one of four maidens who complete the field, along with Share the Ludt, Two Thirty A. M., and Notfanutin.

In the Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes, Maker’s Candy returns to Finger Lakes for the first time since finishing second by a neck in the 2023 New York Derby. This season, Maker’s Candy has finished third in the off-the-turf Kingston and second in the Evan Shipman for statebreds on the New York Racing Association circuit. He most recently was sixth in a salty open-company allowance/optional-claiming race.

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Maker’s Candy’s stakes experience makes him the narrow morning-line favorite over Doin’ittherightway, who is stepping up to a stakes for the first time. Doin’ittherightway has been consistent against open company this year, finishing first or second in 10 of his 16 starts, albeit at a lower level. He has made his last eight starts in starter/optional races at Delaware Park.

The Jack Betta Be Rite is wide open as morning-line favorite Sweet Brown Sugar appears vulnerable at the 1 1/16-mile distance. Although she was second in the New York Oaks in July in her only try at this trip, her three stakes wins – two locally – have all come around one turn.

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