Trainer Velazquez ships in to sweep juvenile stakes with Brooklyn Strong, Laobanonaprayer

Any hard-core New York racing fan who had never heard of trainer Daniel Velazquez coming into Saturday’s New York Showcase Day program at Belmont Park, certainly knows of him now.

Velazquez shipped to New York from his Delaware Park base to sweep both 2-year-old stakes on the card, the $150,000 Sleepy Hollow with Brooklyn Strong and its filly counterpart, the $150,000 Maid of the Mist, with a maiden Laobanonaprayer. The two up-and-coming juveniles gave Velazquez the first two stakes winners of his career.

Brooklyn Strong, who won his maiden at first asking under a $40,000 claiming tag at Delaware on Sept. 12, was no stranger to Belmont Park. He had shipped up from his home base once previously, finishing a wide running third in the Bertram F. Bongrad Stakes at seven furlongs earlier this month.

Brooklyn Strong, a won of Wicked Strong owned by Mark Schwartz, had a wide trip once again in the one-mile Sleepy Hollow but proved much the best nonetheless. With jockey Jose Ortiz aboard for the first time, Brooklyn Strong was restrained during the early stages, five lengths off the pace of Eagle Orb, advanced three wide to close contention on the final bend, then wore down the leader a sixteenth out before edging off to tally by 2 1/4 widening lengths.

Eagle Orb broke well to control the early running, shook off a bid from the slow-starting Breadman in early stretch but could not resist the winner while second best. Breadman, the 2-1 favorite while making his main-track debut after winning his only previous start on grass, lost his best chance when breaking tardily. He recovered to join for command into the stretch before gradually weakening down the lane to finish another 2 1/4 lengths further back in third.

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Brooklyn Strong, purchased for a bargain $5,000 at the April OBS sale, completed the distance over a fast track in 1:37.16, nearly a full second faster than the filly division. He paid $9.60 while completing a Daniel Velazquez-trained daily double along with Laobanonaprayer that returned $74.50.

Laobanonaprayer entered the Maid of the Mist winless in two previous starts, both at Delaware Park, but was running with blinkers on for the first time Saturday. She ran a similar race as Brooklyn Strong, rating about four to five lengths off the pace, angling wide while commencing her bid into the stretch before readily running down the pacesetting Frost Me to win off impressively by 5 1/2 lengths under jockey Kendrick Carmouche.

Laobanonaprayer, a New York bred daughter of Laoban, is owned by her trainer. She ran a mile in 1:38.06 and rewarded her backers with a $19.20 mutuel.

Frost Me, an easy winner over a sloppy track in her debut, was easily second best as the slight 6-5 favorite with Chasing Cara checking in a non-threatening third.

“We came in very confident with both horses,” said Velazquez. “We loved the distances for them. Jose [Ortiz] put [Brooklyn Strong] in a perfect spot and I knew, when I saw him at the three-eighths pole just sitting, we got him. This horse has gas for days. I think he can extend to a mile and an eighth, a mile and a quarter, which is what we’ll need if we decided to go on the Derby trail.”

As for Laobanonaprayer, Velazquez commented, “what a way to break her maiden. We knew coming in that adding the blinkers was key. There was a hot pace up front and Kendrick [Carmouche] rode a perfect race.”

On winning his first two career stakes and doing it back to back, Velazquez said “you kind of foresee it and wish it but you don’t know if it’s going to happen, but it happened. There was a lot of hard work going into this.”