Syndergaard brings the heat in Funny Cide Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There may be only five horses entered in Friday’s first event at Saratoga, but it would behoove anyone planning to attend the races to get here early and not miss out on the race, the $200,000 Funny Cide Stakes. The Funny Cide is one of two stakes races for New York-bred 2-year-olds on the card, along with its filly counterpart, the $200,000 Seeking the Ante.

There are six stakes on the Friday card, New York Showcase Day, all for New York-breds.

Each of the five in the 6 1/2-furlong Funny Cide has won his only start, led by perhaps two of the most talented juveniles to train here this summer, Syndergaard and Bobby On Fleek.

Syndergaard was the most impressive winner of the Funny Cide five, beating New York-breds by three lengths going six furlongs and earning an 86 Beyer Speed Figure here on Aug. 8. He has worked once since that outing, an easy half-mile in 49 seconds over the Oklahoma training track Aug. 19.

“I was very pleased with his first race, and he seems to have bounced out of it with good energy and came back with a good work,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “It’s a bit of a quick turnaround. In a perfect world, we’d have a little more time, but this is the kind of race he needs to run in, and he hasn’t given us any indication he’s not ready to run back since his debut.”

Like Syndergaard, Bobby On Fleek was well backed for his debut and did not disappoint, rallying from just off the pace to an easy six-length victory over open maidens at Belmont Park on July 9.

“He ran terrific first time out,” said trainer Chad Brown. “We gave him time to get over that race, and he’s been training sharp. He’s kept good company in the morning, mostly working with Economic Model, who is being pointed to the King’s Bishop, and working well with him. We’re excited for him to take this next step into a stakes race.”

Gold for the King beat a well-regarded field of New York-breds by 3 1/2 lengths here on Aug. 8, with his final time for six furlongs being 0.75 seconds slower than Syndergaard’s two hours later.

Key Contenders

Syndergaard, by Majesticperfection

Beyer: 86

◗ Pletcher was pleased that the likely favorite will break from the outside under John Velazquez.

“It gives us a lot of options,” said Pletcher. “I’ll just let Johnny figure it out.”

Bobby On Fleek, by Frost Giant

Beyer: 71

Brown pointed out that he won geared down under Irad Ortiz Jr.

“I think it was a perfect first race for him to build on,” said Brown.

Iron Mizz switches surfaces

Pletcher also likely will be favored to win the Seeking the Ante with Iron Mizz, despite the race being her first start on dirt. Iron Mizz graduated at second asking over the Belmont turf course on July 3 before shipping to Monmouth Park, where she finished second behind Red Lodge in the Colleen Stakes earlier this month.

“I think she’s a little better on turf than dirt, but having a couple of starts under her belt, she seems to be training better lately on the main track,” said Pletcher. “And this looks like a good opportunity to see where she stands on the dirt. She ran into a buzz saw at Monmouth – that was a pretty good filly who beat her that day – and If she can transfer her turf form to the dirt, she’d fit really well with this group.”

Iron Mizz is one of two stakes-placed fillies in the field, along with Wilburnmoney, who finished a distant second in the Lynbrook Stakes at Belmont on July 17.

Twist ‘n Shout, a runaway winner at first asking over a sloppy track here July 31, and the maiden Tiznow’s Smile, who will get Lasix and put blinkers on for red-hot trainer Charlton Baker, also are key contenders in the Seeking the Ante.