Rice opts for shorter with Sheriff Bianco in Hudson

Sheriff Bianco will be looking to nail down his first stakes win Sunday, when the earner of more than $700,000 sprints in the $150,000 Hudson on Empire Classic Day at the Belmont meet at Aqueduct.

The 6 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up is one of two stakes at the distance. The $150,000 Iroquois for fillies and mares drew the talented 3-year-old filly Tricky Temper.

Sheriff Bianco has placed in six stakes during his career. His efforts include a runner-up finish in last year’s Empire Classic at 1 1/8 miles and the same result in his subsequent stakes appearance, the Affirmed Success over six furlongs in May.

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The horse’s versatility – he’s also multiple stakes-placed at a mile – left trainer Linda Rice with a tough decision to make from the distances available to the horse Sunday.

“I was between the Classic and the Hudson,” Rice said. “I think his best distance is probably seven-eighths to a mile, so I had to choose between six and a half and a mile and eighth and decided to go this direction. It looks to me like there’s quite a bit of speed in the race, so maybe he can close into a fast pace.”

Sheriff Bianco enters the Hudson off a runner-up finish in a Sept. 19 allowance at this distance at Aqueduct. He will break from post 2, with Jose Ortiz aboard.

Looms Boldly figures to be up on the lead after wiring his rivals in the John Morrissey at Saratoga in his last race Aug. 8.

Light Man, Disarmed, Rotknee, and Factually Correct could all also show speed Sunday.

Rotknee is a seven-time stakes winner, while Looms Boldly will be looking for his fourth stakes win Sunday.

Iroquois

Tricky Temper returns to racing against older rivals in the Iroquois and when last seen facing such foes she turned in a career performance at Saratoga.

Tricky Temper was a three-length winner of the Union Avenue and for the effort earned a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure. She’s made one start since, and was an uncharacteristic sixth in the Grade 3 Prioress on Aug. 31, also at Saratoga.

“Hopefully, we’ll get back to her Union Avenue performance,” trainer Jeremiah Englehart said. “That’s kind of what I’d like to see from her. She did a lot of running in a short period of time up at Saratoga. The plan was to give her a little break coming into this race.”

Tricky Temper will break from post 2 under Irad Ortiz Jr. She tends to sit just off the pace in her races, which include a stakes win last year at Aqueduct.

“I think we just let her come away from there like Irad’s done before, find a spot that he’s comfortable with, and let her make her run,” said Englehart.

The field includes fellow stakes winners Golden Rocket, Security Code, and Cara’s Time. Leeloo, the runner-up in the Union Rags, also starts in the Iroquois.

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