Sea Foam coming back on short rest for Empire Classic

ELMONT, N.Y. – Buoyed by the success of winning two races in 11 days with Blacktype, trainer Christophe Clement will wheel Sea Foam back on 20 days’ rest when he starts in Saturday’s $300,000 Empire Classic at Belmont Park.

Sea Foam was one of 11 horses entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Empire Classic, the richest of eight stakes restricted to New York-breds on an 11-race New York Showcase Day program.

Sea Foam beat 3-year-old New York-breds in both the New York Derby at Finger Lakes and the Albany Stakes at Saratoga. On Sept. 30, he finished fifth, beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Lone Sailor, in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.

“I thought he ran well; I’m running him back very quickly, but he’s done very well since he’s come back,” Clement said Wednesday. “He’s training forwardly, I’m going to enter him, speak to the owners on Friday, but as of now we’re going to run.”

A 3-year-old has won the Empire Classic, open to 3-year-olds and up, in five of the last 11 runnings. That includes Twisted Tom, who will seek a repeat in this race Saturday. Previously trained by Chad Brown, Twisted Tom will be sent out for the first time Saturday by Mike Stidham.

Evaluator, beaten three-quarters of a length by Sea Foam in the Albany, is the only other 3-year-old entered in the Empire Classic. He won the Sleepy Hollow Stakes on this card last year.

The Empire Classic field, from the rail out, is: Bluegrascat’s Smile, Calculated Risker, Control Group, Can You Diggit, Twisted Tom, Evaluator, Wine Not, Sea Foam, Hit It Once More, Pat On the Back, and Mr. Buff.

Other highlights for Saturday’s card:

◗ English Soul, Take Charge Aubrey, and Split Time, separated by a neck in the $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 24, were three of 12 fillies and mares entered in the $250,000 Empire Distaff slated for 1 1/16 miles over Belmont’s main track.

◗ Blacktide, Offering Plan, and Kharafa head a field of 11 entered for the $200,000 Mohawk Stakes for males on turf.

◗ La Moneda will put her four-race winning streak on the line against Lady Joan, Fifty Five, and five others in the $200,000 Ticonderoga for females on turf.

◗ Holiday Disguise and Highway Star, separated by a nose in the Critical Eye here in May, were two of 10 horses entered in the $150,000 Iroquois Stakes for female sprinters.

◗ My Boy Tate, winner of two New York-bred sprint stakes during the winter, returns to statebred company in $150,000 Hudson Handicap for male sprinters.

◗ Stakes winners La Fuerza and Dugout were 2 of 12 horses entered in the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow for 2-year-old males.

◗ Cartwheelin Lulu and Elegant Zip head a full field of 2-year-old fillies entered in the $250,000 Maid of the Mist.

Frosted Ice getting a break

One name conspicuous by his absence in the entries for New York Showcase Day is Frosted Ice, impressive winner of the Bertram F. Bongard, who was not entered in the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes.

Trainer Ron Moquett said Frosted Ice had some minor physical issues, consistent with a big horse who continues to grow, and will be rested until his 3-year-old season.

“He had a little bit of this, a little bit of that,” Moquett said. “There’s a lot of money at Oaklawn with a lot of big purses and reason to wait.”

Frosted Ice, a son of Bellamy Road, won 2 of 3 starts, including a maiden victory by 5 1/2 lengths on Aug. 17 at Saratoga and the Bertram F. Bongard by 6 1/4 lengths on Sept. 21 at Belmont.

◗ King For a Day, impressive maiden winner here Oct. 4, will not run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, trainer Todd Pletcher said Wednesday.

King For a Day will be pointed to the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs.