NY Stallion Series- Bid ($150.000 Purse)
BEL- For Three Year Olds Foaled In NY
Seven Furlongs on the Turf
June 21, 2020

Last year, the Bid Stakes was only able to draw a field of five, but things have changed this time around. The starting gate will be full to capacity on Sunday for the 13th running of this turf event for three year olds that were foaled in the Empire State. It is the second time that the race has been at this $150.000 level, something that has gradually increased over time. Last year, a son of Cherokee Sunset named Crossing The Rubicon was your winner here, and it would be the last time he ran on the grass, interestingly enough. He now stands as a stud for Arindel. Time now to take a quick look at who will be in the gate for the race.

#1- Tahiti Weekend (Fractious, ridden by K Carmouche)- This well bred gelding has won two of five starts thus far, and all of his races have come on the grass. Ran last month in the $100.000 Murphy Stakes down at PIM in what was his stake debut, and he ended up running second in that event. He is not used to large fields like this, so he will be glad to have drawn the rail and is working as good as anyone here.

#2- The End Game (RNP Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- In his nine starts, he has never failed to pick up a piece of the purse, but since being claimed for by RNP for just $10.000, he has four wins and two places in six starts, all of which are running in overnights. He has primarily run on the main track, but has enough experience on the grass for that not to be a concerned. Most definitely, The End Game has earned his chance to run at this level, and you have to like that he has a nose for the wire.

#3- B C P (Mb Stables, ridden by J Alvarado)- Was last seen here at the end of May in the Pennine Ridge (Grade 2), and he finished ninth. That did not stop Mb Stables from picking him up in private sales for $100.000 just four days later, and now here he is. This race is a downgrade from where he had been running, but in reality that may just mean this is the right spot. Prior to the Pennine Ridge, there did not seem to be any concerns about him.

#4- Ned Magne (Gdp Inc, ridden by J L Ortiz)- After breaking his maiden in his second career start, this gelding took a liking to finishing in the second position. Those results still allowed the trainer to be confident enough to try him in the $100.000 Woodstock, but he did not run quite as well there. Now, it is time to head to the turf for just the second time, and he also adds a furlong to the distances that he had been running. All of that may get the job done.

#5- Leave It Be (Mb Stables, ridden by D Davis)- He looked sharp in breaking his maiden in what was his third start, coming against older horses here towards the end of April. He earned a 93 SRF in the win, which was on turf listed as good. If Leave It Be is ready to build on that, and I see no reason to see why he would not be as he is still a growing horse, then he should have a great chance to score a win here.

#6- Finite (Dynark Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- The trainer has been back for a while, but this is the first time that I have been able to write his name in a preview for a real long time. Dynark has himself a good one here with Finite, and after some races on the main track over the spring, it should work out very well in his return to the turf. His bullet work on the 12th here shows that he is ready to run, and it may well be that I am talking about winning a race in a couple days once again, too!

#7- Shore Party (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by M Franco)- Here is one of four horses in the field that are coming out of the Paradise Creek, an ungraded and unrestricted race run here last month. He ran second in that event, the best finisher of any of the those who are showing up for the Bid Stakes. In his five starts, Shore Party has always been a part of the exacta, and his SRF’s continue to get better with every race. This makes him yet another horse to be excited about for the future, but in the present he has a great chance to get the job done!

#8- Lord Voldemort (Night Mare Racing, ridden by J Roasrio)- Finished one spot behind Shore Party at the Paradise Creek here last month. The colt by Slither has been to look for in the stretch as he has taken a liking to being a deep closer, and has managed to hit the board in five of his six career starts. He won a very small stake at TUP early this year, but searches for a stake win that is more exciting to talk about.

#9- Most High (Night Rider Stables, ridden by E Cancel)- Still looking for his first career win, and in a field that has a lot of horses that have a good nose for the wire, it is hard to think that is going to change here. The trainer has already entered Most High in the TAM Derby this year, and that resulted in a poor performance. Was gelded in April, but ran second in a traditional maiden at CD last month.

#10- Commanding Ghhost (Chili King Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- Still needs to show he can do more then win a claimer. Early in his career, he struggled against NY-breds to break his maiden, and eventually got that win on soft turf at FG in a maiden claimer. His second win was for a $25.000 claim, and after that he was elevated into the Paradise Creek. That race gives us two of its top three finishers, but Commanding Ghhost was just sixth. A recent work at WO does not excite me.

#11- Keanu Storm (Arindel, ridden by J J Castellano)- This gelding has spent most of his career running with the NY-bred condition, and he has had hit and miss success in doing so. His best result to date, other then his maiden win, was a second place showing in the $100.000 Rego Park. After a fifth place showing on the main track, Keanu Storm makes just his second start on grass, the first time being his debut race. Works show this may have been a long time coming, so be on the lookout, and definitely take a shot if his odds climb.

#12- He Steals Two (Threshold, ridden by J A Vargas Jr)- The trainer picked him up cheaply in the December auction, for just $2.550, but despite having once appeared in the Grade 3 Sanford, he still has just a maiden win to his credit. In three races since the sale, he has a third place finish in the $100.000 Palisades Turf Sprint, but then two other races, including the Paradise Creek, where he has beaten a combined one horse. Tough to like.

Prediction: 7-6-11-5

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded