Sioux can cap rise to prominence in Empire Classic
ELMONT, N.Y. – Though the cream of the New York-bred crop is pointing to greener pastures in the Breeders’ Cup in two weeks, there is still enough on Saturday’s Empire Showcase Day program at Belmont Park for horsemen and horseplayers alike to feast upon.
Graded stakes winners such as Zivo, Palace, Artemis Agrotera, and Dayatthespa are eyeballing the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita. That still leaves horses like Sioux, Noble Cornerstone, La Verdad, Discreet Marq, and King Kreesa to participate in the eight stakes on Saturday’s 11-race card, devoted strictly to horses bred in New York. Total purses for Saturday’s card are $1.96 million, topped by the $300,000 Empire Classic Handicap for 3-year-olds and up.
First post Saturday has been moved up to 12:20 p.m. – 30 minutes earlier than usual. The day also features vendors selling products made in New York as well as activities for kids such as pumpkin picking and hayrides.
The Empire Classic, race 8, is the richest race on the card. Zivo, the winner of the Grade 2 Suburban and the runner-up in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, would have been a prohibitive favorite. But he is pointing to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.
In his place is the rising New York-bred 3-year-old Sioux, who makes his stakes debut in the Empire Classic. A son of Awesome Again owned by John Fort and trained by Mike Hushion, Sioux is 2 for 2 this year and is coming off a 9 3/4-length victory in a statebred second-level allowance race going a mile here Sept. 28. This will be his first try at 1 1/8 miles, but Hushion enters the race full of confidence.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Sioux. Trainer Michael Hushion is 8-4-0-1 with a $5.00 ROI over the past five years in Belmont dirt routes in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
“I think he’s a really nice horse,” Hushion said. “I could be wrong, but I think he’s the horse to beat.”
Sioux, who gets in light at 114 pounds, has plenty of early speed and may find himself dueling early with fellow 3-year-old So Lonesome, who scored a front-running upset at 9-1 in the Albany Stakes at Saratoga. That was So Lonesome’s return to dirt after six starts on turf or synthetic.
So Lonesome’s trainer, Tom Bush, said his biggest concern going into this race is that his horse may have to deal with other speed, such as Sioux and Saratoga Snacks, the front-running winner of last year’s Empire Classic.
“There’s a lot of speed in there – that’s a concern,” Bush said. “I’m a little worried about him rating in a one-turn race. He was very nicely rating going two turns, and a lot of horses will do that. He’s got a long run down the backside, and he’s going to have company. I’m hoping he can be in hand a little bit, but I’m not sure of that.”
Among the closers who could benefit from a pace battle are Beautyinthepulpit, Effinex, and Eye Luv Lulu. Sinistra and the West Point Thoroughbreds-owned entry of Empire Dreams and Awesome Vision complete the field.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Beautyinthepulpit. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez is 16-0-4-4 over the past five years in Belmont dirt routes in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Key contenders
Sioux (Last 3 Beyers: 99-84-63)
◗ He returned from a nine-month layoff with front-running victories in two allowance races.
◗ Steps up into stakes company for the first time and may have to avoid an early pace battle.
“He’ll be forwardly placed, but he doesn’t need the lead,” said Hushion.
◗ Sioux will break from post 8 in the nine-horse field.
So Lonesome (Last 3 Beyers: 90-78-85)
◗ He has won his last three starts against New York-breds, including the Albany Stakes, which he won by four lengths in his first start on dirt since running third in Bertram F. Bongard on last year’s Empire Showcase Day program.
◗ He makes first start in eight weeks, which is a little bit of a concern to trainer Bush.
“I think he’s ready,” Bush said. “You got to beat [Sioux]. He looks tough in there, too.”
Effinex (Last 3 Beyers: 80-83-67)
◗ He has finished behind Sioux and So Lonesome in his last two starts, but trainer Jimmy Jerkens adds blinkers to the colt’s equipment. Jerkens has won stakes recently while adding blinkers to Wicked Strong (Jim Dandy) and Classic Point (Punkin Pie).
“Even if you have a horse that comes from out of it, you’d like them to break with the field,” Jerkens said. “Sometimes he does break in a tangle, and he does look around a lot.”
◗ Jerkens had named Luis Saez on Effinex, but Saez is off until Oct. 29 after the sudden death of his brother, Juan, in a spill Tuesday at Indiana Grand.