Weekend Hideaway a cut above opponents in Hudson Handicap

ELMONT, N.Y. – Weekend Hideaway has raced 34 times in a career that began four years ago. To trainer Phil Serpe’s eye, Weekend Hideaway has never looked better.

“The truth of the matter is I don’t know if, appearance-wise, he’s ever looked as good in his life,” Serpe said. “He looks great.”

On paper, Weekend Hideaway looks equally good in Saturday’s $150,000 Hudson Handicap, which drew a surprisingly short field of five. The Hudson is one of eight stakes for New York-breds on the Empire Showcase Day program, and Weekend Hideaway could be the shortest-priced favorite on the 11-race program.

Weekend Hideaway, a 6-year-old son of Speightstown, has won 11 of his 34 starts, with seven of those victories coming in stakes. This year, he won the Affirmed Success and the Commentator at Belmont in the spring. Most recently, he finished third, beaten just two lengths by winner Joking, in the Grade 1 Vosburgh. That race was just three weeks ago, but when Weekend Hideaway came back with a half-mile move in 47.66 seconds last Saturday, that convinced Serpe that the quick turnaround should be no problem.

“His work last week was great,” Serpe said. “He’s in hand, working best of 44. I think the horse is fine. He throws curveballs at you sometimes, but this year he’s been more consistent, and I routed things in a different direction and made sure I took my time with him.”

The Hudson will be Weekend Hideaway’s sixth start of the year.

Luis Saez rides Weekend Hideaway from post 2.

Finger Lakes shipper Breakin the Fever has won his last six races on dirt, four of which were stakes and all at Finger Lakes. In 2014, he won a maiden race here by 9 3/4 lengths going six furlongs, then came back two weeks later and finished last in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes going a mile.

Ostrolenka, who finished ahead of Weekend Hideaway in the John Morrissey Stakes at Saratoga, returns to Belmont, where he is 4 for 6.

Drama King and Candid Desire complete the field.

Iroquois: Quezon in good spot

When trainer Robert Ribaudo looked on paper at the Union Avenue Stakes two months ago at Saratoga, he thought the race would set up nicely for his 4-year-old filly Quezon. But when Court Dancer didn’t break, that left Hot City Girl alone on the lead, and she rolled to a 1 3/4-length victory.

When Ribaudo looks at the past performances of Saturday’s $150,000 Iroquois, he sees a pace scenario similar to the setup he thought he’d get in the Union Avenue.

“All I can say is Dave Cannizzo owes me one,” Ribaudo said, referring to the trainer of Court Dancer. “He was going to run with Hot City Girl, and he got left. He better not get left this time. If Dave breaks, it helps me a lot.”

After the Union Avenue, Quezon ran in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom, finishing a late-running second to Paulassilverlining. Some in Ribaudo’s situation may have thought about the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint for Quezon. Ribaudo did not.

“Was never on my mind,” he said.

Ribaudo said this would be the last start of the year for Quezon, who in 2014 won the Maid of the Mist on this card by six lengths.

After winning the Union Avenue, Hot City Girl was being pointed to the Gallant Bloom, but trainer Linda Rice scratched her out of that race due to a foot abscess that hadn’t healed sufficiently.

Rice said Hot City Girl’s foot is “pretty good” now.

There are others in here who could show speed, including E Warfare and Frosty Margarita, who cuts back in distance and is getting blinkers added. Wonderment, coming out of a second-place finish in the Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sept. 24, is another who would benefit from a contested pace.