New York-breds take center stage on Showcase Day

Eleven accomplished Thoroughbreds will vie for the title of "Best of New

York" Saturday afternoon when they assemble for the 35th running of

the $200,000

Empire Classic

S., the centerpiece of New York Showcase Day at Belmont

Park.

In addition to the Empire Classic and six other stakes races for New

York-breds worth nearly $1 million, the New York Racing Association (NYRA)

will celebrate the Empire State's food, wine and crafts with vendors located on

the first floor of both the Clubhouse and grandstand, and family activities in

the backyard throughout the day.

With victories in two of the last four runnings, trainer Dominic Galluscio

and Majesty Stud have enjoyed considerable success in the Empire Classic, and they're

hoping that tradition will continue with STORMY'S MAJESTY (Stormy Atlantic), one of four

sophomores in the 1 1/8-mile test. The homebred chestnut is undefeated in four starts against

state-breds, including his neck victory over Empire Classic rival and fellow

sophomore IBBOYEE (Medallist) in the nine-furlong Albany S. at Saratoga in August,

his first stakes win.

"One of the breeders passed away in April, so it's very emotional when we run

him," Galluscio said of Stormy's Majesty, who in open company finished eighth in

the Jim Dandy S. (G2) and second in the Star of Cozzene S. "He's very sharp right

now, and we are looking forward to the race."

The consistent Ibboyee, a multiple stakes winner who has been no worse than

third in his last seven starts, enjoyed a brief freshening after the Albany, his

first start at the Saturday's distance.

"He's done well at a mile and an eighth, and we're happy with the way he's

training right now," trainer Todd Pletcher said of Ibboyee, who will run as part

of an Anstu Stable entry with five-year-old MANTECA (Aptitude), beaten favorite in

the Salute Me Sir S. in September. "Manteca's last race was very disappointing. He

found himself on the lead when another horse stumbled, and that probably isn't

his best running style. We're hoping he'll settle off the pace a little."

Also running as an entry will be two of Chester and Mary Broman's top

sophomores -- MINE OVER MATTER (Mineshaft), who beat older horses in the Salute Me Sir, and

FRIEND OR FOE (Friends Lake), most recently sixth after an eventful trip in the Travers

S. (G1).

Winner of his first three starts, including a victory over his elders in an

allowance and the Mike Lee S., Friend Or Foe stepped up into open company at

Saratoga, finishing a credible fourth in the Jim Dandy. In the Travers,

the chestnut colt was carried five-wide on the first turn and emerged from

the race with a cut on his left foreleg that later became infected, forcing him

to miss some training.

"It definitely knocked him off schedule," trainer John

Kimmel admitted. "He came back, and he's worked really well. I think he's back to where

he was at the beginning of the summer."

The Empire Classic also drew a number of familiar faces, including veterans RUFFINO

(Raffie's Majesty), second last year to Haynesfield (Speightstown), and NAUGHTY

NEW YORKER (Quiet American),

winless in four editions, as well as multiple stakes winners GIANT MOON (Giant's

Causeway), ICABAD CRANE (Jump Start) and WISHFUL TOMCAT (Tactical Cat), who will be making their

Empire Classic debuts.

On the undercard, New York-bred grass runners will take their turn going 1

1/8 miles in the $125,000

Mohawk S. and the $125,000

Ticonderoga

S. for fillies and

mares.

In the Mohawk, UNCLE T SEVEN (Freud) will attempt to parlay last month's Ashley T. Cole

S. victory into his first

New York Showcase Day win, having finished 11th in last year's rainy

edition of the race over soft turf.

"He's doing great," Kimmel said. "He came out of the Ashley T. Cole in great shape, he's been

training forwardly ever since and he's ready to go. I think the biggest factor

in his performance last year was the condition of the turf course that day, and

hopefully that won't be a problem this year. Anywhere between yielding and good

should be fine for him."

Ramon Dominguez, New York's leading rider, will climb back aboard for the

first time since piloting Uncle T Seven to a 4 3/4-length win in the Thunder Rumble division

of the New York Stallion S. on the main track at Aqueduct last November.

The talented Mohawk field also includes STRAIGHT STORY (Giant's Causeway), winner of the West

Point S. at Saratoga this summer; POCKET COWBOYS (Wild Event), runner-up in both the

Ashley T. Cole and the West Point; and PRETTY BOY FREUD (Freud), who tried turf for the

first time earlier this summer and enters the race off three narrow defeats in

turf allowances. 

In the Ticonderoga, trainer Bill Badgett has the opportunity to showcase two talented turf females, CHESTORIA

(Chester House) and EXCLUSIVE SCHEME (Saarland), who come to the race at different stages in

their careers.

Six-year-old Chestoria, who has finished in the top three in 17

of her 28 starts and earned more than $520,000, is likely to be retired at the

end of the year, while four-year-old Exclusive Scheme is

finding her best stride. Upset winner of the William B. Fasig S. at Saratoga on July 31, in which

she beat Chestoria by a nose, Exclusive Scheme finished sixth in the August 20

Yaddo S., then captured the John Hettinger S. at Belmont on September 26.

"In the Yaddo, she got stopped twice, but I think she would have been third

or fourth in there if she hadn't gotten into trouble," Badgett said of Exclusive

Scheme. "She's gotten very consistent. She started off being a little bit on the

cheap side, but she's certainly gotten better and better as she's gotten older.

Chestoria has always been the picture of class and professionalism and she's a

pleasure to have around the barn."

Third behind Exclusive Scheme in the John Hettinger was AKILINA (Lanfuhr), who is

looking for her first win since December 2009. Trainer Christophe Clement

believes the four-year-old chestnut could be

poised for a good effort.

"I thought she ran very well last time," Clement said. "She was disappointing

in the first part of the year because she was not finishing her races. (In the

John Hettinger jockey) Rajiv (Maragh) took her back a little bit, covered her up and

she finished her race very well. I'm very happy with her."

YOU GO WEST GIRL (Mr. Greeley), winner of the 2009 Ticonderoga, will attempt to defend her

title while MERIWETHER JESSICA (Freud), winner of three straight before her streak was

snapped by an eighth-place finish in the Noble Damsel S. (G3), is back with New

York-breds.

A field of eight is set to roll in the $125,000, six-furlong

Hudson S.,

headlined by the return of DRIVEN BY SUCCESS (Precise End) to state-bred

company after a fifth-place finish in the Vosburgh S. (G1).

"He's been a top-level New York-bred sprinter and should fit well in this

spot," Pletcher said.

Challenging the five-year-old gelding will be ENDLESS CIRCLE (Precise End), who has been

relentless in winning four of his last five starts, including the Easy N Dirty

S. at Belmont on October 5 and the John Morrissey S. at Saratoga, after

being claimed for $14,000 by trainer Rudy Rodriguez for owner Vincent Scuderi.

"We were drawn to this horse because he just loves to win," Rodriguez

explained. "He's been very good to us and we've been

very lucky with him."

Also returning from the Easy N Dirty will be runner-up BE BULLISH (Pure

Prize), who will be making his 42nd career start in the Hudson.

Eleven fillies and mares will be going seven furlongs in the $125,000

Iroquois

S., in which the hard-knocking MEESE ROCKS (Rock and Roll) seeks her first victory at the

distance. The five-year-old, 7-3-2 from 16 starts, will

be looking for her third state-bred stakes win for trainer Edward Barker and

owner Henry Terranova in the Iroquois, for which she gains the services of

Dominguez.

SAPPHIRE SKY (Sky Mesa), third in last year's Iroquois, comes into this year's edition

off a fourth-place effort as the beaten favorite in the Anniron S., while

LOVELY LIL (Tiznow) is back with state-breds after finishing seventh in the Gallant Bloom

H. (G2) and dead-heating for fourth in the Test S. (G1). One of two

three-year-olds in the race, the bay filly won her first two career starts

against New York-breds by a combined margin of 15 lengths.

The $100,000

Maid of the Mist

S. for two-year-old fillies could serve as a

steppingstone to the November 5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2) for UPPER

EAST SIDER (Forest Wildcat),

who will face nine opponents in the seven-furlongs affair. The Fox Ridge Farm homebred has made two starts so

far, finishing last of nine in the slop at Saratoga on August 5 and romping by

eight lengths in a turf sprint at Belmont on September 12.

While Upper East Sider was well beaten in her previous race on the dirt,

trainer Patrick Kelly believes she deserves another shot on the main track. Should she run well

in the Maid of the Mist, she will compete in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and if

not, she could return six days later in the Good Mood overnight stakes on the

grass at Belmont, with the Breeders' Cup out of consideration.

"We're rolling the dice at this point," Kelly explained. "There's actually an

overnight stakes on Halloween she could run in if she doesn't do well on

Saturday. The turnaround wouldn't be a problem because if she doesn't handle the

dirt, she'll only run for a half-mile."

SENTIMENTAL LASS (Freud), in comparison, is a proven commodity on the dirt, having

scored by 10 1/2lengths under a hand ride at Belmont on September 26, and trainer

David Duggan is eager to try the bay miss against stakes competition.

"The seven-eighths is a question, but she's doing well and there's no reason

to think it will be a problem," Duggan said. "This is a good spot for us to find

out how good we are."

The $100,000

Sleepy Hollow

S. for two-year-olds attracted 11 entrants, including undefeated BANDBOX

(Tapit). The seven-furlong

race will be the third career start for the Hillwood Stable representative, a

half-length debut winner on the turf at Laurel on August 8 and a 9 1/2-length

runaway victor of the Charles Town Juvenile on September 18.

"His first race was very good, and although he didn't get a large Beyer, I

thought he ran a better race than what the number suggested," trainer Rodney

Jenkins said. "We tried him on the dirt in

his second start, and he had been working well over the surface, so we knew he

might run a big race. He was very green during the first part, but he settled

down and ran a good race."

Pletcher will send out three capable colts in the Sleepy Hollow, led by Repole Stable's NEVER

RIGHT JOEY (Tapit), who like, Bandbox, is unbeaten

in two starts and enters Saturday's race off a stakes triumph. A 4 3/4-length

maiden winner at Saratoga on July 24, the chestnut returned to capture the High

Rock Springs S. by three parts of a length at the Spa on August 26.

"He's done everything we've asked him to do," said Pletcher, who will also

send out by HYSTERICAL CAT (Bluegrass Cat), third in the Aspirant S. and second in the New York

Breeders' Futurity at Finger Lakes, and maiden winner CREA'S LAW (Thunder Gulch). "We made the

decision to bypass the Finger Lakes options with Never Right Joey, and he seems

to be coming into this race well."

OUR BRAVE WARRIOR (First Samurai) edged clear to a 4 3/4-length

decision at Belmont on September 19 in his first race wearing blinkers, and his

trainer, Tom Bush, is hopeful the gelding will take another step forward in the

Sleepy Hollow.

"He'll need a top effort, but he's trained plenty well and we think he has

some talent," Bush said. "I was surprised with how green he was in his debut as

he hadn't shown that during his morning lessons. We put blinkers on him, and

they seemed to help him focus."