Not That Brady tops New York Derby

Tom Brady typically is roundly booed when he shows up in western New York to lead the New England Patriots against the Buffalo Bills. But Not That Brady will be hailed as one of the favorites as he heads west to face his fellow New York-breds for the first time this season in the rescheduled $150,000 New York Derby on Wednesday at Finger Lakes.

The New York Derby is the middle leg of a longstanding triple for statebred 3-year-olds that began with the Mike Lee on May 27 at Belmont; the victor, Blindwillie McTell, is the morning-line favorite Wednesday, although he is also entered the same day at Saratoga in the Cab Calloway division of the New York Sire Stakes. Trainer Linda Rice said she would make a decision Tuesday on which race he would run in.

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The series concludes with the Albany Stakes on Aug. 23 at Saratoga. The New York Derby and its filly counterpart, the $75,000 New York Oaks, are two of the biggest races of the season at Finger Lakes, annually drawing runners from the New York Racing Association circuit and with the derby surpassed in purse value by only the $200,000 New York Breeders’ Futurity on Sept. 30.

Both stakes for 3-year-olds were originally scheduled for last Saturday but were shifted to this week as Finger Lakes was among the tracks that canceled weekend cards due to a heat wave across the region. The races now anchor a solid 10-race Wednesday card that also includes three allowance races and a maiden special weight; first post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Not That Brady, trained by Rudy Rodriguez, is by leading New York sire Big Brown and is the first foal out of Finger Lakes-based Lisa’s Booby Trap. Not That Brady won the Damon Runyon Stakes against his fellow statebreds in December at Aqueduct to cap his juvenile campaign. He finished second in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes, beaten a head by Tax, with the 95 Beyer Speed Figure he earned that day the top mark in this field.

Not That Brady then finished eighth in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes and fifth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial. Off for more than two months, he finished second by half a length in an open-company optional-claiming race at Belmont last time out, leading before being caught late. He earned a Beyer of 94. The gelding’s last seven races have come at a mile or longer, including his strong effort in the Withers at nine furlongs, putting him in good stead as several in this field stretch out to 1 1/16 miles.

Not That Brady drew the rail under Reylu Gutierrez. In the outside post in the field of eight under Oscar Gomez is Blindwillie McTell, who would be stretching out beyond seven furlongs for the first time. Blindwillie McTell has never finished worse than second while competing almost exclusively against stakes company. He won the Mike Lee by two lengths last time out, stalking the pace in second before pouncing. He earned a Beyer of 87.

Bankit, third in the Mike Lee, was a multiple New York-bred stakes winner last year for Steve Asmussen before finishing second by a head in the Springboard Mile to Long Range Toddy. Just Right and Durkin’s Call finished fourth and sixth in the Mike Lee. Completing the field are Hot Diggitty, the winner of the Ontario County Stakes at Finger Lakes; Almendro, who is making his stakes debut but is 2 for 2 at this distance; and allowance winner Paddy All Day.

Espresso Shot is the only filly in the New York Oaks field to have won at the 1 1/16-mile distance, doing so in her maiden victory. The Jorge Abreu trainee won the Busher Stakes this year at Aqueduct before finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Gazelle Stakes. She was sixth to Newly Minted in the Bouwerie Stakes against statebreds on May 27.

Newly Minted won her first three outings, including two stakes, by a combined 15 3/4 lengths for Rice before finishing third in a New York Stallion Series division last out. She goes beyond seven furlongs for the first time.

Wait a Minute has been well beaten in three stakes tries but enters off a 23 1/4-length allowance win going two turns at Finger Lakes.