New York Futurity hopefuls prep in Aspirant, Lady Finger

Hall of Fame trainers and some of the nation’s leading jockeys will compete on Monday at Finger Lakes.

The co-features on the eight-race card are the $99,388 Aspirant and its sister stakes, the $103,159 Lady Finger, both at 5 1/2 furlongs for New York-bred 2-year-olds. The races are preps for the $200,000 New York Breeders Futurity on Oct. 16 at Finger Lakes. The winners of both stakes receive free entry to the six-furlong Futurity.

Tall Paul, the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the Aspirant, would be the first starter at Finger Lakes for Bob Baffert, according to Equineline statistics. The Frosted colt was a $475,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s March sale by longtime Baffert clients Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman – for whom the colt is named. He set the pace before finishing third in his debut in July at Del Mar. He then shipped to New York, where he has been based since, and carried his speed throughout for a three-length maiden win against statebreds on Aug. 12 at Saratoga. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 68.

Tall Paul has been breezing at Saratoga and Belmont Park since his maiden win. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride.

Trust Fund hails from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won the Futurity three times – twice with horses who previously won the Aspirant. Trust Fund earned the highest Beyer in this field, a 74, in his debut win Aug. 11 at Saratoga. Two weeks later, he was bumped at the break and finished sixth in the Funny Cide Stakes.

:: Bet with the Best! Get Free DRF PPs and Cashback when you wager. Join DRF Bets.

Trust Fund, who will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, is cross-entered in the Bertram F. Bongard Stakes on Sunday at Aqueduct. If he runs here, Trust Fund will likely challenge Tall Paul early.

Saratoga maiden winner Antonio of Venice was sixth in the off-the-turf Skidmore Stakes. Canigetaloan was second on debut to Trust Fund. First-time starters Cable Ready and Go Grad complete the lineup.

Later on the card, the top figures in the Lady Finger belong to Soloshot and Unicorn Cake, both coming off debut wins at Saratoga.

Soloshot earned a Beyer of 66 for a front-running score on Aug. 27, in which she drew off to win by 7 3/4 lengths under Manny Franco, who retains the mount. The filly, from the first crop of promising New York sire Solomini, is one of 11 individual 2-year-old winners this year for George Weaver, who is having an outstanding year in this division, with three stakes winners.

Unicorn Cake and Kendrick Carmouche will try to run down Soloshot. The filly rallied from fourth while five wide for her head win on Sept. 1 for Jeremiah Englehart, earning a 63 Beyer.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.