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Mama’s Gold strikes it rich as 40-1 longshot caps Empire Showcase Day with front-running Empire Classic victory

by NYRA Press Office

Joseph Hardoon’s Mama’s Gold put a bow on an exciting Empire Showcase Day, going gate-to-wire at 40-1 to win the co-featured $250,000 Empire Classic in the 10th race finale on Sunday at Belmont at the Big A.

Empire Showcase Day, featuring eight stakes races worth a combined $1.6 million, is the marquee Championship event for New York owners, breeders, and horsemen.

“Empire Showcase Day is a celebration of our equine athletes foaled in New York State as well as our owners and breeders, who help to provide the jobs, green space and economic impact that every participant in the New York-bred program contributes to the state,” said executive director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Najja Thompson. “Every entrant on today’s card shows the incentives and opportunities available to everyone who breeds and races in New York. It was great to see compelling storylines throughout today’s card.”

The Jimmy Ferraro-trained Mama’s Gold [No. 8, $82.50], winless in five previous starts this year and making just his second career stakes appearance in 18 starts, served as the pacesetter under jockey Romero Maragh in the 1 1/8-mile Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and up on the main track.

Mama’s Gold led the nine-horse field through fractions of 23.96 seconds for the quarter-mile, the half in in 47.24 and three-quarters in 1:11.29. But the 4-year-old Bolt d’Oro colt, bred by William Butler, was no rabbit in the race; under Maragh’s guidance, he maintained the lead out of the turn and pressed on.

Bank Frenzy, the 2-1 favorite for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, made a bid in earnest when straightened for home. But the long-shot Mama’s Gold was never seriously challenged and completed the front-running score with a 4 1/4-length win, completing the course in a 1:49.01 final time.

"We broke very sharply. He is a one-dimensional type of horse, so I knew I had to establish the lead and get to the rail as fast as I could,” Maragh said. “That's how he is, and I knew especially going two turns, if he gets to the lead and to a nice cruising speed, that he is going to be tough to beat."

Bank Frenzy settled for second, with Donegal Surges, Olympic Dreams, General Banker, Jackson Heights, Russian Realm, Drake’s Passage and Cicciobello comprising the order of finish.

Stakes-winner Sacrosanct [No. 2, $2.90*] kicked off the day’s stakes competition by drawing away from graded-stakes-winner Mo Plex to post a 1 1/2-length win in the $200,000 Sleepy Hollow for 2-year-olds contesting a one-turn mile in Race 3.

Sacrosanct ran the way a 2-5 favorite was expected, tracking in second position as Mo Plex led the six-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.78, the half in 46.21 and three-quarters in 1:22.84 on the fast Aqueduct main track. Under jockey Manny Franco, Sacrosanct made a stretch-drive move from the outside and powered to the wire in a 1:36.30 final time for dual Eclipse Award winning-trainer Brad Cox.

Owned by Lady Sheila Stable, Net Birdie and Schwing Thoroughbreds, the Honest Mischief bay, bred by Burleson Farms, Mckenzie Bloodstock, and Sequel Thoroughbreds, stayed undefeated with three wins in three starts. Mo Plex, Soontobeking, Smilensaycheese, Pay the Juice and Scheduling Dude completed the order of finish.

The theme of heavy favorites coming through continued in the next race when 1-9 choice With the Angels [No. 3, $2.30*] cruised with a 3 1/4-length gate-to-wire romp in the $200,000 Maid of the Mist for juvenile fillies going the same one-turn mile trek.

With the Angels, ridden by Jose Ortiz and trained by Linda Rice, also stayed perfect, moving to 3-for-3, leading the seven-horse field through every point of call with fractions of 23.57, 46.82, 1:11.32, 1:23.66 and a final time of 1:36.69. Owned by Winning Move Stable, John C. Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Rideau Racers and Sanford Robbins, With the Angels won her debut in August at Saratoga Race Course before posting a victory in the Joseph A. Gimma last month over the same Aqueduct track.

Boston’s Phinest ran second with Carmen’s Candy Jar, Trail of Gold, Valtellina, Playful Lass and Olivia’s Wish completing the order of finish. Another Cleeshay scratched.

With the Angels had been under consideration for the Grade 1 Frizette here earlier this month, but Rice opted to stay in state-bred company and the filly responded with a tremendous effort.

Steve Sigler, of Winning Move Stable, said With the Angels is special.

"I think one of the things that distinguished her immediately for Linda [was] her mind - her ability kind of speaks for itself, but she was outspoken on how advanced mentally she was. That really gives you a hint of the potential greatness of a horse,” Sigler said. "All the credit goes to her [Linda] - we could've chased bigger dreams, objectives, but her plan after her first race was to kind of baby step her and let her mature physically and mentally, then we will be able to tackle the 3-year-old season full gear."

Rice indicated With the Angels, bred by Joseph DeRico, could point to the nine-furlong Grade 2 Demoiselle on December 7 here.

"Pedigree wise, you think she'd get the mile and an eighth and we might want to try that now as a 2-year-old,” Rice said. “She's in good form. We've taken good care of her, and we've given her plenty of time. The timing for the Demoiselle is good, so it's a consideration."

NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ Venti Valentine [No. 3, $9.90] concluded her racing career in emphatic fashion, repelling 3-5 favorite Sterling Silver’s bid to her inside in the stretch to win the co-featured $250,000 Empire Distaff for fillies 3-years-old and up competing at 1 1/8 miles in Race 5.

Venti Valentine, who will retire to a breeding career, earned millionaire status for trainer Jorge Abreu in her 25th start in a career that commenced in 2021. After Smokin’ Hot Kitty led the six-horse field through fractions of 23.80 and 48.20, jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. kept Venti Valentine to task in the stretch. When Sterling Silver, under Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, challenged, Venti Valentine pressed on, winning by a nose in hitting the wire in 1:50.43. The 5-year-old daughter of Firing Line won her seventh stakes and finished with career earnings of $1,056,100.

Following runner-up Sterling Silver was Amanda’s Folly, Bon Adieu, Call Her Bluff and Smokin’ Hot Kitty.

Dan Zanatta, co-managing partner of NY Final Furlong Stable, said he was thrilled to see Venti Valentine surpass the million-dollar mark.

“All year long we were saying we wanted to get her to the million dollars. That was Jorge Abreu's goal for the past two years," Zanatta said. "I kept on saying, 'it all runs through the Empire Distaff. We have to win the Empire Distaff to get the million.' Hopefully, it will crown her Champion New York-bred again in her final year.

"Obviously, we're big supporters of the New York-bred program and this is one we bred, which is kind of rare that we would breed a horse and campaign it for this long," Zanatta added. "I was telling Najja [Thompson, NYTB] that it's going to be awesome to have her permanently listed as a millionaire New York-bred on the New York Thoroughbred Breeders website. That's pretty cool."

Bred by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable, Venti Valentine is listed as Hip 209 at the upcoming Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Cara’s Time [No. 7, $7.30], the 2023 NYTB Champion 2-Year-Old Female for trainer Mitch Friedman, thwarted 31-1 longshot’s Captainsdaughter's late bid to capture the 6 1/2-furlong $150,000 Iroquois for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Race 6.

Cara’s Time, with Dylan Davis aboard, overcame a poor break from the outside post, with Athena Beach leading the seven-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 22.47. Davis’ coaxing helped Cara’s Time make up ground and, out of the turn, gained command from the middle of the track.

Captainsdaughter, under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, made a furious push from the outside, but Cara’s Time held on for a win by a head in completing the course in 1:17.13.

Owned by Richard Greeley and bred by Stephen Crestani Jr., Cara’s Time won her first stakes since the 2023 Joseph A. Gimma. Following Captainsdaughter in the order of finish was Leeloo, Golden Rocket, Athena Beach, Security Code and Tricky Temper.

McRich Stables’ Light Man [No. 1, $19.20] overtook Rotknee from the outside in the final furlong and pressed on as Silver Satin made a late push, registering a three-quarter length victory in the $150,000 Hudson for 3-year-olds and up going 6 1/2 furlongs in Race 7.

Trainer Bruce Levine put blinkers on the Newman Racing-bred Light Man, who had finished third in his stakes debut in the John Morrissey in August at Saratoga, and the result was his fourth win in seven starts, moving to 4-1-2 to maintain his run of consistency.

Light Man, under jockey Kendrick Carmouche, was up to the challenge of the Flavien Prat-piloted Silver Satin, posting a final time of 1:16.64. Rotknee finished third, with Sheriff Bianco, Factually Correct, Disarmed and Looms Boldly completing the order of finish.

Chris Larsen’s Moonage Daydream [No. 1, $7.30] overtook Collaboration in the final sixteenth to register her third consecutive state-bred stakes win, posting a victory by a half-length in the $200,000 Ticonderoga, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, in Race 8.

Abreu won his second stakes on the day as, Moonage Daydream, under Prat, broke from the inner post and tracked Silver Skillet’s early speed, as she led the eight-horse field through splits of 23.60, 48.36 and 1:11.38 over firm going. Prat helped Moonage Daydream save ground and she had plenty in reserve in the stretch, where her late run from the outside allowed her to complete the course in 1:42.87.

Moonage Daydream, a 4-year-old Candy Ride filly bred by 3C Stable, won the Yaddo in August at the Spa and the John Hettinger last out at the Big A. She won for the sixth time in 12 starts overall, as Collaboration finished second, while Silver Skillet, Stonewall Star, Whatlovelookslike, Caldwell Luvs Gold, New Ginya and Masterof the Tunes rounded out the order of finish.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Richard Schermerhorn’s favorite Spirit of St Louis [No. 1, $3.20*] had to work in the stretch but showed the late kick that made him a 3-5 favorite, picking off three rivals in the final furlong with a strong outside move under Franco to win the $200,000 Mohawk, a 1 1/16-mile outer turf test for 3-year-olds and up, in Race 9.

Bred by Chester Broman and the late Mary Broman, Spirit of St Louis won his sixth career stakes and improved to 9-for-13 overall for trainer Chad Brown. The 5-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding, who ran fifth in the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile on October 5 at Keeneland, earned a return trip to the winner’s circle, besting City Man by 1 1/4 lengths.

Jerry the Nipper finished third, as Hush of a Storm, Ruse, Dakota Gold, Locke and Key and Fidelightcayut completed the order of finish. Itsallcomintogetha and Kaz Sugar Bank scratched.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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