Rice has bases covered in Saturday stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – The largest stakes field on Saturday will be for the $250,000 Empire Distaff, which is topped by the Linda Rice-trained duo of Newly Minted, who drew the rail, and Midnight Disguise, who landed in post 9 of the 11-horse field going a mile.

Newly Minted is 4 for 4 on dirt and is coming off a nine-length victory in the Fleet Indian Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga. Rice felt cutting back to a mile in the Distaff was better than sending her 6 1/2 furlongs in the Iroquois. Midnight Disguise has two wins and three seconds in five starts going a one-turn mile.

Midnight Disguise’s sister Holiday Disguise will take on Carrera Cat and seven others in the $150,000 Iroquois Stakes for fillies and mares. Holiday Disguise drew the rail while Carrera Cat drew post 9. Wednesday morning, hours before the draw, John Morrison, the trainer of Carrera Cat, said he was hoping for an outside post after drawing an inside post in three of her last four starts.

Rice will send out Voodoo Song in the $200,000 Mohawk Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Voodoo Song was second to Dot Matrix in the Ashley T. Cole last month. Dot Matrix and Offering Plan are among the favorites in the Mohawk.

“Voodoo had a nice breeze [Sunday]. I still don’t feel like we’ve got him to his 100 percent yet,” Rice said. “He’s still carrying more weight than I want him to.”

Rice will also send out War Canoe against Fifty Five in the $200,000 Ticonderoga for fillies and mares on the turf. War Canoe was beaten just three-quarters of a length by Fifty Five in the John Hettinger Stakes last month.

Celtic Chaos and Build to Suit, separated by a nose in the John Morrissey Stakes at Saratoga, head a field of nine entered in the $150,000 Hudson Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs.

City Man tops a six-horse field in the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes for juveniles, while recent maiden winners Firenze Freedom and Good Credence top a six-horse field in the $250,000 Maid of the Mist for juvenile fillies.