Rice loaded for New York Stallion Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Linda Rice is taking the strength-in-numbers approach to Sunday’s pair of $100,000 New York Stallion Stakes at Belmont Park.

Rice entered – and plans to run – three horses in both the Spectacular Bid and Cupecoy’s Joy, for 3-year-old male and female progeny of New York-based stallions, respectively. Both races are scheduled for seven furlongs on turf.

In the Spectacular Bid, Rice sends out the coupled entry of Mark My Way and A Marked Man as well as Bambisfrostyracer in a field of nine. In the Cupecoy’s Joy, Rice sends out the uncoupled threesome of Miss Narcissist, Bella the Bandit, and Champagne Ruby in a bulky field of 13 that also includes three horses from trainer David Donk’s barn.

There is very little turf form to go on in either division, but Mark My Way has the best grass form in the Spectacular Bid. A son of Noonmark, Mark My Way has a win and two thirds from three starts on turf.

Mark My Way won a one-mile maiden race last November on the turf at Aqueduct by five lengths. On May 25, coming off a four-month layoff, he was beaten a half-length in a 1 1/8-mile statebred allowance on the turf here.

“It wasn’t my intention to run a mile and an eighth, but that was all that was offered,” Rice said. “If it had been a shorter distance, he would have run in that race. I thought he ran a credible effort.”

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A Marked Man, like Mark My Way a gelding by Noonmark owned and bred by Chester and Mary Broman, is still a maiden. In his lone start on turf, he finished fourth, beaten four lengths in April. Rice said jockey Jose Ortiz told her the gelding showed his lack of experience that day.

“He ran very green that day,” Rice said. “Jose Ortiz really liked him. I do think he’s turf-meant. I know he’s a maiden, but I think it’s worth taking a shot.”

Bambisfrostyracer just won his maiden for $40,000 claiming last Sunday and is wheeling back in one week because Rice wants to run him on turf and felt like this might be the best spot.

Among the challengers to the Rice trio are Sol the Freud, who got dueled into defeat in his turf debut May 15, and Free Mugatu, a New York-bred stakes winner on dirt who tries turf for the first time.

In the Cupecoy’s Joy, Miss Narcissist tries turf for the first time after winning three of her five starts, all on dirt, including two stakes last year. She didn’t run very well in her 3-year-old debut on dirt in April but has worked well twice on turf.

“Her two breezes, I’ve been pretty impressed with them,” Rice said.

Rice noted that Miss Narcissist got hurt in the starting gate and was forced to scratch from the East View Stakes last December. She said the filly “struggled to get back to her previous form,” but added that the turf works seem to have her headed in the right direction.

Rice said Bella the Bandit and Champagne Ruby both have the breeding to fare well on turf.

Rice’s trio will go up against three from the Donk barn: Selenite, a two-time turf winner; Lady Kreesa, a maiden winner last out; and longshot Funky Munky Fever.

“I don’t know if the distance suits Selenite or not, but she’s the most accomplished and ran a decent race in a two-other-than last time with older horses,” Donk said. “[Lady Kreesa] is lightly raced but ran a good race last time. I don’t think the speed figures are indicative of her race because the pace was so slow, and then they quickened up pretty good, and she did, too. She belongs running here with straight 3-year-old fillies.”