The Cayuga Lake Special
In a weekend of several graded stakes here in New York, the feature race for Sunday will be The Cayuga Lake Special (G1). The two-mile dirt race is offering up a total prize purse of $750,000 and is open to four-year-olds and up. The track will be fast for this weekends’ races, and the Sunday race has attracted a total of twelve horses to head to the starting gate for the race. Let’s take a look through our contenders.
- Tappedasojo – vipertwo3 – L. Radzinski – 17/1
Making his graded stakes debut this weekend, the four-year-old brown colt is by Tapizar and most recently started during an allowance race in New Jersey over the same distance that he will face on Sunday. The colt came out of the gate and settled into second early on. He would cross the wire in the same position, setting a speed figure of eighty-eight. He most recently won last September during an allowance race over ten furlongs in West Virginia. Again, taking off out of the gate and into the second slot, the colt would make his move late in the stretch to win by three and a quarter lengths.
2. Computing Ape – bmoney – J. Dizzle – 7/1
In the second slot we have a one-time claimer turned graded stakes winner going into the gate. The five-year-old bay gelding by Cloud Computing most recently started in January during The Buckeye Stayer (G2) over two miles on a sloppy track. The gelding set out of the gate and settled into the fourth but wasn’t able to advance over the wet track as he finished fourth at the wire with a speed figure of ninety-six. The gelding would win his prior start, which came overseas in Italy during The Hit Man (G1) last December over two miles. He would run in a similar fashion, settling back towards the front half of the field, but started to make his move midway through the race to win by three and three-quarter lengths with a speed figure of one hundred eight.
3. AMC To The Moon (BRZ) – redhill24 – K. Ledwith – 5/1
Making his third graded start of his career, the Brazilian-bred gelding most recently started in The Bowery King (G1) at a mile and three-eighths in Louisiana in late January. The five-year-old was late out of the gate and settled well off the pace in tenth early. He would make a run for the front late in the stretch, but would cross the wire in seventh, setting a speed figure of one hundred and ten. His most recent win was also in Louisiana, coming last November during a listed stakes race over twelve furlongs where he recorded a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred fifteen.
4. Mob Warzz – cleverdoc – La Jones – 17/1
Returning to graded company for the first time since June of last year, the six-year-old bay gelding is one of the older horses in the field. His most recent start was right here in New York in a Local Championship listed stakes race over two miles. Out of the gate and settled just off the pace in third, the gelding would finish the race in second, setting a speed figure of ninety-one. His most recent win was in February of last year during a starter allowance race, also over two miles here in New York. In second out of the gate, he would take control of the pace midway through the race to win by six and a quarter lengths.
5. Kvasir Runner – jaka1 – J. Ledwith – 29/1
The longshot for Sunday’s race, the four-year-old colt is coming off of four consecutive wins before going into the race this weekend. Out of the Grade I winning broodmare Perfect Meztli, the colt has raced almost exclusively in Italy. The most recent start for the bay colt was in an allowance race over two miles in Italy where he went straight to the front out of the gate to take the field from gate to wire to win by three and three-quarter lengths with a speed figure of one hundred and eight, a lifetime best for the colt. This Sunday’s race will also mark the colt’s graded stakes debut.
6. Big Bigger Biggest (IRE) – lordpye4 – G. Wolfe – 11/1
In the center gate will be the lone mare that has been entered into the race. The bay mare has faced the boys twice before, both times over the turf. The most recent start for the six-year-old was last December in Italy during The Saturday Night Girl (G1) over two miles. Breaking well out of the gate and settling into the middle of the field, the mare would cross the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred one. Her most recent win was in Hong Kong last July during The Breakdown (G2) over two miles. Again, the mare would settle mid-pack early on and would start to make her move midway through the race before winning by an impressive five and three-quarter lengths.
7. Ican Now Look – karmafarm – B. Lee – 6/1
Looking for his third consecutive win this weekend, the five-year-old bay horse most recently started in late January during a listed stakes race in Denmark over two miles. Setting out of the gate into third early, the horse won the race easily by five and three-quarter lengths with a speed figure of ninety-seven. His most recent graded start, coming in his prior appearance last December during the Grey Fox (G2) in Belgium over a mile and five-eighths also resulted in a win for the son of Triple Crown winning American Pharoah.
8. Goin’ Nowhere – beerkeg18 – R. Hansen – 13/1
Returning to graded racing for the first time since last August, the four-year-old light grey gelding most recently started in a listed stakes in New Jersey over two miles. The gelding went straight to the lead right out of the gate and maintained his front running position until the field entered the stretch where the son of Into Mischief was overtaken to cross the wire in second, setting a speed figure of one hundred five. Last August was the gelding’s most recent graded race, which came in The North Country Derby (G3) in New Jersey over a mile and three-eighths on a sloppy track. He would finish well back in fifth across the wire in this race. His most recent win was just his race prior, which came over a more favorable fast dirt track in the Derby de Swedish (G3) at a mile and a half.
9. Justa Storm Strike – ddstables34 – T. Small – 4/1
In the ninth slot, the five-year-old son of Justify is coming off of a win recently in The Buckeye Stayer (G2) over two miles in Ohio over a sloppy dirt track. Breaking out of the gate towards the middle of the pack, the horse made his move midway through the race before going on to win the race by a margin of five and three-quarter lengths with a speed figure of one hundred three. Though not winning his prior start in The Premier (G3) in Canada over a mile and three-eighths, the colt would turn in an impressive speed figure of one hundred twenty-one for his third-place finish.
10. Kiama Stawell – ygeldings05 – M. Scott – 5/1
Making the third graded start of his career, the five-year-old chestnut gelding is by Nadal. Lightly raced with fifteen lifetime starts, the gelding most recently started last month in The New Orleans Stayer (G3) at a mile and three-quarters. Out of the gate and settling into sixth in the eight-horse field, the gelding would quickly start picking off other horses, ultimately crossing the wire in second while setting a speed figure of one hundred fifteen. He would win his prior start, a listed stakes race over thirteen furlongs in Virginia over a good dirt track.
11. All Nogged Up (IRE) – redsox05 – V. Jef – 10/1
Making his graded stakes debut in this race on Sunday, the five-year-old bay gelding is by top turf sire Teofilo. The gelding most recently started in Kentucky during an allowance race over thirteen furlongs. Out of the gate early and settling just off the pace in second, the gelding would take over the lead midway through the race to win by three and a quarter lengths with a speed figure of one hundred eleven, which is a lifetime best for the gelding. Prior to this start the gelding started in a listed stakes race in Michigan where he would come home fourth in the four-horse field.
12. Barbecue Shape (GB) – laq – GD Mate – 11/1
Going into the far outside gate in post twelve, the four-year-old colt is by Oasis Dream (GB) who is already an accomplished graded winner. The bay colt has only made four of his starts to date over the dirt. The most recent start for the colt came in Turkey during The Old Man (G2) at a mile and three-quarters over the dirt. Back over the dirt for the first time since 2022, the colt took the field from wire to wire to win the race by three lengths while setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred eight. This was the colt’s first graded win, though he was previously graded placed in several races over the turf.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Justa Storm Strike
Place: Computing Ape
Show: AMC To The Moon (BRZ)