New York Derby rematch in Albany

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Bankit and Not That Brady were unsuccessful in their attempt to get on the Triple Crown trail this spring. Back with New York-breds, they finished 1-2 in last month’s New York Derby at Finger Lakes and look to be the two protagonists in Friday’s $250,000 Albany Stakes for statebred 3-year-olds at Saratoga.

The Albany is the richest of six stakes and 11 races overall on Friday’s program, where all the races are restricted to New York-breds.

Bankit, a son of Central Banker trained by Steve Asmussen, snapped a six-race losing streak when he split horses in upper stretch, survived some bumping from Not That Brady and Just Right, and edged clear to win the New York Derby by 1 1/4 lengths. That race was at 1 1/16 miles. The Albany is at 1 1/8 miles and Bankit is the 124-pound highweight, conceding two to six pounds to his nine rivals.

“Huge concern,” Asmussen said of the dynamics of this race. “Full field, carrying all the weight, giving away weight. Tall order.”

Not That Brady, a son of Big Brown trained by Rudy Rodriguez, finished second in the New York Derby after being hassled on the front end by the longshot Almendro. He did well to hold second by a half-length over Just Right.

Not That Brady has twice tried 1 1/8 miles, coming within a head of Tax in the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct in February before finishing fifth behind Tacitus and Tax in the Wood Memorial. Tax and Tacitus are two of the major players in Saturday’s Travers Stakes.

Rodriguez said that Not That Brady was quieter than usual in the paddock before the New York Derby, perhaps due to having shipped up from Saratoga the morning of that race.

“He usually is a little bit aggressive. I don’t know if the trip had something to do with it,” Rodriguez said, “but I thought he ran a good race.”

Not That Brady will likely be the pacesetter again in the Albany, though he could get some pressure from Doups Point and Kazmania. Rodriguez feels confident Not That Brady could sit off another horse, but he wouldn’t want him behind horses because Not That Brady has not reacted well in the mornings to dirt being kicked his face.

“I think he can sit on the outside,” Rodriguez said. “If we break good and can slow down the pace a little bit I think we’ll be in good shape.”

Just Right, a son of Into Mischief, returns in the Albany. Trainer Todd Pletcher said the question for Just Right is whether he can handle the distance of the Albany.

“He ran competitively at Finger Lakes,” Pletcher said.

Blindwillie McTell was fourth in the New York Derby and may find the nine furlongs challenging.

Daddy Knows is the only horse in the field to have won at 1 1/8 miles, but that was in a maiden race originally scheduled for the turf.

Funny Guy, Doups Point, Kazmania, and the maidens Dancers for Token and Make Motime complete the field.

Kid Is Frosty back to dirt

While trainer Brad Cox will admit that Kid Is Frosty is “probably a little better on the grass,” he thinks she just might be a better horse overall now than earlier this year. That’s why he’s not afraid to return her to the dirt in Friday’s $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Kid Is Frosty is one of just six horses in the Fleet Indian, contested at 1 1/8 miles. It’s a distance none of the six horses have tried, so Kid Is Frosty is not at a disadvantage in that regard.

Kid Is Frosty, a daughter of Frost Giant, went 1 for 7 on dirt before Cox tried her on the turf at Belmont on June 23 and she won the Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Stakes. She came back to win the Statue of Liberty division of the New York Stallion Stakes going a mile on turf here on July 31.

“We thought she would move forward off the Belmont and race and she did last time out,” Cox said. “She is really doing well. She had a great workout on the training track the other day. She really has changed mentally, relaxed a lot more here at Saratoga as opposed to Belmont.”

Fleet Indian entrant Newly Minted won three sprint races on dirt convincingly, including beating Kid Is Frosty by 7 1/2 lengths in the Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes at Aqueduct on April 20. She finished two lengths behind Kid Is Frosty in the Statue of Liberty and now returns to dirt, albeit trying two turns for the first time.

Behind the Couch, Maiden Beauty, Elegant Zip, and Wait a Minute, the New York Oaks winner, complete the field.