Ostrolenka eyes second straight stakes win in New York Derby

Finger Lakes will run the second-biggest race of its meet Friday, the $150,000-added New York Derby, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for statebreds.

The New York Derby is the middle leg of the Big Apple Triple, which began May 25 with the seven-furlong Mike Lee at Belmont Park and concludes Aug. 28 with the $150,000 Albany, a 1 1/8-mile race at Saratoga.

The richest race of the Finger Lakes season is the $200,000-estimated New York Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 17.

Ostrolenka, trained by Todd Pletcher, won the Mike Lee and is the likely favorite in the New York Derby. He will be ridden by John Velazquez, who also has a mount in the $75,000 New York Oaks on the undercard. According to track officials, Velazquez will have a public “meet-and-greet with autographs” Friday.

There also is a New York Derby T-shirt giveaway to the first 1,500 members to check into the Player Extras Club beginning at 11:30 a.m. Eastern. Finger Lakes has a casino with more than 1,500 video gaming machines.

Ostrolenka has good early speed and has won at 1 1/16 miles and a mile. In the Mike Lee, he chased the front-running Wincoma early, took over in upper stretch, and won comfortably.

The second- and third-place finishers from the Mike Lee, Good Luck Gus and Battle of Evermore, also are entered in the New York Derby.

Good Luck Gus, making his first start of the year in the Mike Lee for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, was outrun early before rallying down the center of the track to finish two lengths behind Ostrolenka.

Battle of Evermore raced in California as a 2-year-old and was making his East Coast debut and his first start for Chad Brown in the Mike Lee. He was pinched back at the start and trailed the field early, then finished with a late bid from between horses to end up a length behind Good Luck Gus. Brown equips him with blinkers Friday, and he could take a big step forward.

There is a lot of speed in the New York Derby field. The likely pacesetter is the locally based Breakin the Fever, who will be stretching out off two sprint wins for trainer Debra Breed.

Damage Control, a son of Hard Spun owned by Chester and Mary Broman and trained by John Kimmel, earned a field-high 95 Beyer Speed Figure last out in winning a one-mile allowance race on the lead.

Force, trained by Mark Casse, also is fast and has raced five times around two turns. This will be his first start in his home state after racing seven times in California and Kentucky.

Oaks: Bouwerie rematch

Downstate shippers Temper Mint Patty and Hot City Girl are the likely favorites in the New York Oaks, which also will be run at 1 1/16 miles.

Temper Mint Patty and Hot City Girl finished third and fourth, separated by 1 1/4 lengths, in the seven-furlong Bouwerie on May 25. Hot City Girl ran back in last weekend’s Mother Goose, setting the pace before tiring to fifth. She will be returning on six days’ rest.

Hot City Girl, trained by Linda Rice, raced in traffic to the stretch of the Bouwerie. She was in tight between horses nearing the far turn, then was steadied while awaiting racing room on the turn.

Temper Mint Patty appeared to bump with the eventual Bouwerie winner, Quezon, while rallying into the stretch. She then drifted inward a few paths in upper stretch, losing momentum. The Oaks will be Temper Mint Patty’s second start for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, and she should appreciate the added distance of this race.