New York Showcase Day was atypical with two of the scheduled seven-stakes races, The Mohawk and The Ticonderoga, moved from Saturday’s race card to Sunday due to inclement weather conditions. Both of the stakes were scheduled to be run over the turf and the ominous forecast prompted NYRA officials to reschedule for Sunday. Heavy rainfall plagued the afternoon festivities but didn’t dampen the spirit of the participants
In the two-year old divisional stakes, MINERALOGIST overcame a faulty start to handily win the Maid of the Mist Stake (Fillies). Longshot FENWAY FAITHFUL won the Sleepy Hollow Stake (Colts) under jockey Ramon Dominquez. Dominguez was impressed with how well Fenway Faithful had handled the rainy and sloppy situation: "He handled the mud very well," observed Dominguez. "I had a lot of horse the whole race. It was his first time going the distance (a one-turn mile), and he handled everything very well."
RIGHTLY SO, making only her fifth career start, registered her first stakes victory winning the Iroquois Handicap (3-year old & up, fillies and mares) by 2-1/2 lengths.
DRIVEN BY SUCCESS, who had finished third in three graded stakes races (Tom Fool H. – G2, Metropolitan H. – G1 and Carter H. G1) proved much the best in The Hudson winning in wire to wire fashion by 3-lengths.
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The final stakes on Saturday’s card was the 34th running of The Empire Classic with the former Triple Crown hopeful HAYNESFIELD proving much the best winning by more than two-lengths over the sloppy surface. Now the winner of five of his 8-starts, Haynesfield upped his bankroll to $354,381. Haynesfield provided jockey Ramon Dominquez with his fourth stakes winner of the afternoon.
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Sunday’s weather improved dramatically and in The Mohawk Handicap, classy six-year old gelding BANROCK was sent to the starting gate as the odds-on favorite and didn’t disappoint his backers. Stalking the early pace while on an outside path, Banrock, under a patient ride by jockey Javier Castellano, moved four wide at the top of the stretch and took dead aim at the leaders and determinedly charged through the stretch to win by a length.
Banrock had raced in the Mohawk on two previous occasions and was never better than fourth. His trainer, Tom Bush, was elated.
"That was fantastic," said Bush. "He had the great outside stalking trip and he got his soft course. We're very proud of him for sure. I really, really did want to win this race this year; I wanted to end it on a great note. We're thrilled."
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YOU GO WEST GIRL headed east from trainer Tom Proctor’s Keeneland barn to capture the 29th running of The Ticonderoga Handicap. You Go West Girl’s finished second to Love Cove in last year’s running and this year turned the table winning by 3-lengths over last year’s winner. Jockey Jose Lezcano was aboard for this year’s race.
"My filly broke good, but I didn't want to be on the lead," Lezcano said. "I knew the pace was slow, but I had to wait until the quarter pole because she's the kind of filly if you ask her too soon, she'll stop. When I asked her she just exploded."
With the conclusion of Sunday’s card the racing scene now switches to Aqueduct Racetrack. On November 15th six divisions of the New York Stallion Stakes will be raced with the remaining New York-bred two-year old stakes, The East View for two-year old fillies going a mile and 70-yards, and the Damon Runyon for 2-year olds going the same distance being carded for December 6th. The last New York-bred stakes race of the season is the Alex M. Robb for 3-Year-old and up run at a mile and one-sixteenth on Dec. 27th.
Photo credit: Adam Coglianese