Belmont At Saratoga Picks | Commentator Stakes 2024 Tops New York Showcase Day

Sunday’s Closing Day program of the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course will feature six New York-bred stakes to celebrate the best of racing in the Empire State for New York Showcase Day.

“The opportunity to kick off the first of our three New York-bred Showcase Days throughout the year and anchor closing day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in Saratoga will be a phenomenal moment to display the depth, quality, awards, and purses New York-breds compete for on racing’s biggest stage,” said New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. executive director Najja Thompson. “Each New York-bred Showcase Day demonstrates NYRA’s commitment to breeders, owners, and trainers who participate in the New York-bred program in partnership with NYTB and the NYS Breeding & Development Fund. We look forward to showcasing to an extremely competitive card.”

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The Commentator:

Michael J. Caruso and Michael Dubb’s graded stakes-placed Dr Ardito [post 3, Flavien Prat], the reigning NYTB Champion Older Dirt Male, headlines the Commentator [Race 6] and adds blinkers as he looks to improve upon a fourth-place finish in this event last year when contested at 1 1/16-miles at Belmont Park.

The 6-year-old Liam’s Map gray, bred by Fred W. Hertrich, III and John D. Fielding, boasts a record of 16-8-2-1 for purse earnings of $515,993. He won his lone start over this track last year, taking the state-bred Evan Shipman Handicap at one-mile out of the Wilson Chute when 1 1/4-lengths better than returning rival Sheriff Bianco.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, Dr Ardito is a dual state-bred stakes-winner at the Big A where he took the Haynesfield last February and the Alex M. Robb in December. He arrives from an off-the-board effort in the Grade 3 Westchester at Belmont at the Big A.

Steep competition will be provided by Robert S. Evans’ homebred Drake’s Passage [post 2, Manny Franco], who captured the nine-furlong state-bred Albany here in August to cap a three-race win streak.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the 4-year-old Tonalist colt has finished a close second in each of his last two starts while contesting open allowance company at Aqueduct.

Donegal Racing’s Donegal Surges [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] sports a ledger of 8-3-1-2 and purse earnings of $212,020 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The 4-year-old Candy Ride colt, bred by Chester and Mary Broman, graduated on debut in August 2022 at the Spa and followed up with a runner-up effort in the state-bred Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. He missed his sophomore season but has returned to racing action with aplomb, besting state-bred winners on two occasions this winter at Aqueduct ahead of a third-place finish last out in the Big A’s state-bred Affirmed Success.

A. Bianco Holding Limited’s Sheriff Bianco [post 1, Jose Lezcano] boasts field-high purse earnings of $648,173 through a 30-6-13-6 record and enters for trainer Linda Rice, who took honors as the 2023 NYTB Trainer of the Year.

The 6-year-old Speightster gelding, bred by SF Bloodstock, will seek his first stakes win and first win at Saratoga, arriving from a game second in the Affirmed Success.

Rounding out a solid field are stakes-winner Whittington Park [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer Jeremiah Englehart; stakes-placed Union Fleet [post 6, Andres Chavez] for trainer Jose Magana; and stakes-placed Olympic Dreams [post 7, Trevor McCarthy] for trainer Pat Quick.

The Critical Eye:

Grade 2-placed Fingal’s Cave [post 8, John Velazquez] has won 5-of-8 starts for trainer David Donk and will be a handful for her eight rivals in the Critical Eye in Race 8. 

The 5-year-old Carpe Diem mare won her first four lifetime outings in 2022, the first two at Belmont Park before taking both an open allowance and the state-bred Fleet Indian traveling nine furlongs at the Spa. She then shipped to Keeneland and overcame a troubled start to finish second in the Grade 2 Raven Run to complete her sophomore season.

Fingal’s Cave, bred by Chester and Mary Broman, made one start last season, returning from a 432-day layoff to capture the state-bred Bay Ridge in December by 4 3/4-lengths at Aqueduct. She has followed with a pair of starts in graded events there, with a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Distaff in April and a fourth in the Grade 2 Ruffian in May, both at the Belmont at the Big A meet.

NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ multiple graded stakes-placed Venti Valentine [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] finished fourth in this event last year two starts before winning the state-bred Johnstone Mile Handicap in August out of the Spa’s Wilson Chute.

The 5-year-old Firing Line chestnut, bred by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable, has amassed $773,600 in purse earnings through a 20-6-5-5 record for trainer Jorge Abreu.

Trainer Linda Rice will have two chances in the Critical Eye with stakes-placed veteran Bustin Bay [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche] and stakes-winner Amanda’s Folly [post 3, Jose Lezcano].

Winning Move Stable’s Bustin Bay, bred by Robert D. Rosenthal, Peter Rosenthal and Martin Greenbe, has hit the board in 6-of-7 starts over the Saratoga main track. The ultra-consistent 6-year-old Bustin Stones dark bay has earned $740,490 from a 43-13-9-6 record and arrives from a frontrunning open allowance win on March 30 at the Big A.

Amanda’s Folly, owned by Rice and bred by Lambholm, won an off-the-turf edition of the Ticonderoga in October at Aqueduct. She was haltered for $16,000 last April and has posted three wins since, including a nine-furlong state-bred optional-claimer here last year.

Also entered are:

• Multiple stakes-placed Midtown Lights [post 6, Manny Franco] for conditioner Brad Cox
• Stakes-placed Sunset Louise [post 7, Javier Castellano] for trainer Bruce Levine
• 4-time winner Bon Adieu [post 5, Flavien Prat] for conditioner Rudy Rodriguez
• 3-time winner Sweet Mystery [post 1, Trevor McCarthy] for trainer Pat Quick
• Recent allowance winner Lavon [post 4, Romero Maragh] for trainer Marialice Coffey

The Mount Vernon:

The reigning NYTB Champion Turf Female Silver Skillet [post 1, Joel Rosario] headlines the $125,000 Mount Vernon for older fillies and mares traveling one mile over the inner turf in Race 10. Also entered are:

• Lady Jasmine [post 2, Flavien Prat]
• Lisa’s Vision [post 3, Luis Saez]
• Masterof the Tunes [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche]
• Marvelous Maude [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr.]
• Snowy Evening [post 6, John Velazquez]
• Sweetest Princess [post 7, Luis Rivera, Jr.]
• Overacting [post 8, Manny Franco]
• Stonewall Star [post 9, Isaac Castillo]
• (main-track only) Tough Street

The Bouwerie:

The $125,000 Bouwerie in Race 11, a seven-furlong main track sprint for sophomore fillies, features:

• P Mutter Pickle [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.]
• Tricky Temper [post 2, Joel Rosario]
• Caldwell Luvs Gold [post 3, Manny Franco]
• Sunday Girl [post 4, Katie Davis]
• La Banquera [post 5, Javier Castellano]
• Tough Love Torres [post 6, Luis Saez]
• Landed [post 7, John Velazquez]
• The Shoe Lady [post 8, Dylan Davis]
• Bernietakescharge [post 9, Trevor McCarthy]
• Carol T [post 10, Eric Cancel]

The Mike Lee:

Supporting the lucrative card is the seven-furlong $125,000 Mike Lee for sophomores in Race 3:

• Antonio of Venice [post 1, Manny Franco]
• Mischief Joke [post 2, Luis Saez]
• Elysian Meadows [post 3, Jose Lezcano]
• Doc Sullivan [post 4, Javier Castellano]
• Grand Opening [post 5, Jeiron Barbosa]
• That’s Money [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.]

The Kingston:

The $125,000 Kingston for older horses going 1 1/16 miles over the Mellon turf in Race 12 closes out the card and offers an overflow field of:

• Spirit of St Louis [post 1, Manny Franco]
• Disarmed [post 2, Jose Lezcano]
• Jerry the Nipper [post 3, Irad Ortiz, Jr.]
• Itsallcomintogetha [post 4, Jose Gomez]
• Maker’s Candy [post 5, Luis Saez]
• Coinage [post 6, Junior Alvarado]
• Conman [post 7, John Velazquez]
• Eye Witness [post 8, David Cabrera]
• City Man [post 9, Joel Rosario]
• Dakota Gold [post 10, Dylan Davis]
• Chulainn [post 11, Flavien Prat]
• Saratoga Flash [post 12, Edgard Zayas]
• Also-eligible Ruse [Romero Maragh]
• Also-eligible Barrage [Luis Rivera, Jr.]
• Also-eligible Be of Courage [Javier Castellano]
• Jackson Heights is entered for the main-track only

First post on Sunday’s 12-race Belmont Stakes Racing Festival card is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.