Eighty-eight horses and eight more also-eligibles are entered for Memorial Day’s 10-race all-New York-bred card at Belmont Park to celebrate the best of New York racing for the annual Big Apple Showcase Day.
The May 29 card will offer six state-bred stakes worth a cumulative $900,000, headlined by a pair of $200,000 contests in the Critical Eye Stakes for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at 1 1/16 miles, and the Commentator Stakes for 3-years-old and up at the same distance.
“Big Apple Showcase Day is not only a celebration of the New York-bred program but also a culmination of the achievements of New York breeders who continue to raise the bar in the quality of racehorses foaled in New York State each year,” said New York Thoroughbred Breeders executive director Najja Thompson. “We are thankful for our longstanding partnership with NYRA in highlighting each of our three annual Showcase Days throughout the year for all participants in the New York-bred program with lucrative purses and competitive fields for handicappers to wager on as a marquee event for racing fans on the Memorial holiday.”
The co-featured Commentator is headlined by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing’s multiple graded stakes-placed Bankit , who won the last running of this event in 2021 for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
The 7-year-old Central Banker horse, bred by Hidden Brook Farm and Blue Devil Racing, sports a ledger of 8-12-6 from 39 starts with earnings just shy of $1.3 million.
Steep opposition will be provided by Michael J. Caruso and Michael Dubb’s Dr Ardito , who saw a six-race win streak end last out when fifth in the May 5 Westchester Stakes (G3) at Belmont. Stakes-placed Prince of Pharoahs enters from a 4 1/2-length romp in a one-turn mile vs. open first-level allowance company May 6 for trainer Rick Dutrow.
The competitive field of 12 also includes Brooklyn Strong , Shipsational , Barese , Sea Foam , Curlin’s Wisdom , Sheriff Bianco , Whittington Park , Ouster , Olympic Dreams , and Two for Charging .
A field of six lines up in the Critical Eye led by a strong pair from Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in graded stakes winner Classy Edition and stakes winner Let Her Inspire U .
Robert and Lawana Low’s Classy Edition captured the Royal Delta Stakes (G3) in February at Gulfstream Park, while CHC’s Let Her Inspire U won four of six starts last year, led by a score in the Empire Distaff Stakes during the Belmont at the Big A meet.
Venti Valentine , Sterling Silver , Timeless Journey , and Ok Honey complete the field.
The stakes actions kicks off in race 1 as trainer Linda Rice saddles two formidable contenders in Downtown Mischief and Les Bon Temps for the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes, a seven-furlong main track sprint for sophomore fillies.
The compact but talented field includes Miracle , Midtown Lights , and Security Code .
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse sends out Lifetime of Chance as he vies to earn back-to-back stakes wins in the seven-furlong $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes for sophomores in race 4. Bred by Destiny Oaks of Ocala, Lifetime of Chance was last seen earning his first career stakes victory in the NYSSS Times Square April 22 at Aqueduct.
Lifetime of Chance will face six talented rivals that include Looms Boldly , Maker’s Candy , Radio Red , What’s Up Bro , Jackson Heights , and Etnico .
In race 6, the one-mile $125,000 Mount Vernon Stakes for older fillies and mares over the Widener turf, Hidden Brook Farm’s Sanura will attempt her fourth straight victory in her stakes debut for veteran conditioner Barclay Tagg.
Lawrence Goichman’s homebred Runaway Rumour —fifth in last year’s Mount Vernon as the favorite—boasts field-best earnings of $436,530.
Completing the field are Royal Dancer , Early Edition , Out of Sight , Finest Work , Marvelous Maude , and Freddymo Factor .
Popular New York-bred City Man will pursue his ninth overall stakes triumph in the $125,000 Kingston Stakes for older horses going 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf. Bred by Moonstar Farm, City Man boasts $1,011,120 in earnings and a record of 9-5-4 in 28 starts.
Skychai Racing and David Koenig’s Somelikeithotbrown also seeks his ninth overall stakes score in his first start of the year for trainer Mike Maker.
Completing that lineup are graded stakes winners Rinaldi and Coinage , along with Ocala Dream , Jerry the Nipper , Dakota Gold , Call Me Harry , and Citizen K .
Entries: Commentator S.
Belmont Park, Monday, May 29, 2023, Race 9
- STK
- 1 1/16m
- Dirt
- $200,000
- 3 yo’s & up
- 5:12 PM (local)
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
