Pat On the Back trying for Empire Classic repeat

ELMONT, N.Y. – As well as Pat On the Back ran in 2018, it wasn’t until this year that trainer Jeremiah Englehart grew a true appreciation for the 5-year-old horse.

“He was a really good New York-bred but he wasn’t as good as Diversify. He was always in Diversify’s shadow as a New York-bred,” Englehart said. “When he won the Affirmed Success it opened up my eyes how hard he really tries and how fun it is for him, especially battling the foot issues.”

Pat On the Back has overcome chronic foot problems to surpass the $1 million mark in earnings, something he did when he achieved his first graded stakes victory in last month’s Grade 2 Kelso last month at Belmont.

Saturday, he will attempt to stake his claim for New York-bred Horse of the Year – a title Diversify won last year – when he heads a five-horse field going 1 1/8 miles entered in the $300,000 Empire Classic, the centerpiece of an 11-race Empire Showcase Day card devoted entirely to New York-breds. There are eight stakes worth $1.75 million in purses, and purses on the 11-race card, which begins at 12:20 p.m., total $1,940,000.

Pat On the Back won last year’s Empire Classic by 1 1/2 lengths. He will try to become the first back-to-back winner of this race since the Spite the Devil (2004-05).

Foot issues have limited Pat On the Back to just four starts in 2019. In April, he won the Affirmed Success going six furlongs off a near five-month layoff, then won the Commentator going a one-turn mile four weeks later. That’s the race he was beaten a nose in by Diversify in 2018.

More foot problems forced Pat On the Back to miss at least one race in the second half of the Belmont spring/summer meet. At Saratoga, he finished third in the Tale of the Cat Stakes after being too close to the early pace under Dylan Davis. He bounced back with a solid effort in the Kelso, beating multiple graded winner Prince Lucky. He earned a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

“The Tale of the Cat, I didn’t get to bring him into that race the right way,” Englehart said. “The way it unfolded he was really rank early on; Dylan had to fight him to hold him back. Hopefully, with that race and the Kelso, it’ll help bring him into this race pretty solid.”

Pat On the Back had a very good workout on Sunday, going a half-mile in 48.48 seconds, and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.88 and six furlongs in 1:14.70.

Pat On the Back’s major threat is Mr. Buff, who is at his best in two-turn 1 1/8-mile races when he’s able to control the pace. Mr. Buff finished third in this race last year, but was very good winning the Saginaw in June over this track. Most recently, Mr. Buff was overmatched when finishing seventh to Preservationist in the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga.

Mr. Buff, who breaks from post 4 under Junior Alvarado, will have to avoid a speed duel with Not That Brady, drawn directly to his outside.

Bluegrascat’s Smile and Dynamax Prime complete the field.

With only a five-horse field, the Empire Classic is carded as race 5 (2:32 p.m. post).

Ratajkowski makes stakes debut in Empire Distaff

It took until her 5-year-old year for Ratajkowski to make it to the races, but she’s proven worth the wait with three wins from five starts this year.

One of those wins was an eye-popping 10 1/2-length second-level allowance win here on Sept. 11.

Ratajkowski will try to replicate that performance when she makes her stakes debut in the $250,000 Empire Distaff, which goes as race 10 on the 11-race program. The Empire Distaff, for fillies and mares, will be run as a one-turn mile.

Trainer Brian Lynch said Ratajkowski was always highly regarded, but had minor issues throughout her early days that kept her away from the races until May. The daughter of Drosselmeyer has plenty of speed and showed last time out she can carry it a middle distance.

“The fractions she laid out were racehorse fractions,” said Lynch, referring to a half-mile in 45.58 and six furlongs in 1:09.70. “Personally, I think she can improve off that race, but if she brings that race again, with the cutback in distance, she’s going to be very tough.”

Jose Ortiz rides Ratajkowski from post 10.

Newly Minted is 4 for 4 on dirt and is cutting back to a mile following a nine-length victory going 1 1/8 miles around two turns in the Fleet Indian Stakes at Saratoga. Newly Minted, a 3-year-old, is facing older fillies and mares for the first time since winning her debut.

Newly Minted is trained by Linda Rice as is Midnight Disguise, who is coming into this race off a four-month layoff.

Out of Orbit and Held Accountable ran 1-2 in the Saratoga Dew Stakes for trainer Phil Serpe and owners-breeders Chester and Mary Broman.

Bonita Bianca won last year’s Empire Distaff as the 5-2 favorite. She is winless in six starts since.