Ohio-bred Crown the Buckeye strives for first graded score in G3 Gotham

• Ohio-bred Crown the Buckeye strives for first graded score in G3 Gotham
• Dirty Rich stretches out in G3 Gotham
• Beckman looks for barn title defense in Listed $200K Busher

When an Ohio-bred colt by Yaupon stepped onto the track at last year’s OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, he caught the eye of his current owners as he matched much of the best attributes of his father, who was a speedy Grade 1-winning sprinter. The colt then breezed one furlong in 10 seconds flat and hammered for $250,000, later entering the barn of trainer Mike Maker and receiving the name Crown the Buckeye from owners Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher and Hooties Racing.

“Mike was scoping out the horses and the Yaupons really stuck out, and some looked just like him,” said Peter Proscia of Paradise Farms Corp. “The ones that looked like a stamp of Yaupon himself were the ones we homed in on. When we spent that kind of money for an Ohio-bred, we expected some big plans with him.”

Now, less than one year after the sale, Crown the Buckeye is the morning line 4-1 second choice in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack that awards 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Derby to the top-five finishers.

The Gotham will close out Saturday’s 10-race card, which also features the Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool in Race 4, the Listed $200,000 Busher – a Kentucky Oaks qualifier in Race 2, and the Listed $150,000 Stymie in Race 8. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

Crown the Buckeye, who was bred by Pick View, Paul W. Schaffer and William D. Pickerrell, cuts back to one turn after three consecutive outings at a two-turn 1 1/16 miles. He enters from a distant eighth in the Grade 3 Lecomte on January 17 at Fair Grounds Race Course, where he set a pressured pace under Ricardo Santana, Jr. before fading through the latter stages.

“I’m not sure what happened, maybe he didn’t grab the track that well,” Proscia said. “I’ll toss that race out and hopefully he’ll have a better race on Saturday.”

The effort was uncharacteristic after he hit the board in his first four starts, including a pair of state-bred stakes romps last year in Thistledown’s six-furlong Best of Ohio Cleveland Kindergarten when graduating in style by 12 1/4 lengths, and Mahoning Valley Race Course’s 1 1/16-mile Best of Ohio Juvenile in October when stretched out to two turns for the first time.

This year, Crown the Buckeye kicked off his campaign with his first trip outside of Ohio when running a pacesetting third in Fair Grounds’ Listed Gun Runner, finishing just three-quarter-lengths back of the victorious Chip Honcho and a neck behind runner-up Liberty National. Chip Honcho went on to finish a pacesetting second to Paladin in the Grade 2 Risen Star on February 14.

“This seems the best spot for him right now and that the one turn will suit him better,” Proscia said. “We had been considering another two-turn race, but we decided to try this one.

“We expect a good race, and I think we should have a good performance from him,” Proscia added. “I don’t think he’ll disappoint. He’s an honest horse and he tries all the time. There’s a lot of speed in there, so I’m not sure [about tactics], but we’ll leave it up to Ricardo and let it play out from there.”

Proscia said he is pleased to have the services of Santana, Jr. from post 3 in the Gotham as the multiple Grade 1-winning rider rode Yaupon in his last two starts, including a memorable win in the Grade 1 Forego after being savaged by Firenze Fire.

“I think Santana fits him well and I’m glad we have him on the horse,” Proscia said. “Ricardo rode Yaupon, so we thought he was a good match for Crown the Buckeye.”

Saturday will mark the 74th running of the Gotham, which will be contested for the final time at the Big A before it moves to its new home at Belmont Park next year. Over the years, several Gotham winners have gone on to find success at the top level, including 2024 winner Deterministic, who captured two Grade 1 races on turf as a 4-year-old and was a finalist for last year’s Champion Turf Male. Other subsequent Grade/Group 1 winners that captured the Gotham include Mischievous Alex [2020], Stay Thirsty [2011], I Want Revenge [2009], Visionaire [2008] and Saratoga County [2004].

Proscia also provided an update on recent wire-to-wire Damon Runyon winner Arctic Beast, who captured the seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred sophomores on February 14 by 9 3/4 lengths under Santana, Jr. Also a son of Yaupon, Arctic Beast is 4-for-5 lifetime and earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure for the Runyon, one point below his career-best earned for a 7 1/4-length score in Finger Lakes Racetrack’s state-bred Aspirant in September.

Arctic Beast’s lone start outside the Empire State and in open company was a runner-up effort to Express Kid in the Springboard Mile going two turns in December at Remington Park. His other wins came with a debut graduation in August at Saratoga Race Course and the New York Breeders’ Futurity in October at Finger Lakes.

“He’s doing great, and we’ll try for open company his next start out,” said Proscia, who co-owns the colt with JP Racing Stable, David Staudacher, Zilla Racing Stables and P Shooter Stable. “We have high hopes for him, too. We’ve been very lucky this year, and hopefully it will continue throughout the year.”

Proscia mentioned a potential next target for Arctic Beast could be the seven-furlong Listed $400,000 Lafayette on April 3 at Keeneland.

Bred in the Empire State by Rockridge Stud, Saratoga Glen Farm and Beal's Racing Stable, Arctic Beast was a $275,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale and is out of the dual stakes-winning Frost Giant mare Frostie Anne – a half-sister to dual stakes-winner Freudie Anne.

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Dirty Rich stretches out in G3 Gotham

Michael McMillan’s stakes-winner Dirty Rich will stretch out from three consecutive sprint stakes efforts when he makes his Empire State debut in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, at Aqueduct Racetrack. The one-turn mile for sophomores offers 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers, respectively.

"He's a nice horse. He's very fast and now we'll see how far he can carry it,” said trainer Peter Miller.

The speedy Thousand Words dark bay wore blinkers in his first four outings, graduating at second asking in a 5 1/2-furlong $150,000 maiden claimer in July at Del Mar. There, Dirty Rich made every pole a winning one to score by 5 1/4-lengths over Mr. A. P., who was haltered from that event and completed his season with a one-length second to Ted Noffey in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Dirty Rich exited that effort for a pair of stakes starts on turf, finishing last-of-13 in the one-mile Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf in September and a 4 1/2-length fourth in the Listed Speakeasy going five furlongs in October at Santa Anita Park.

"He's not a turf horse. I ran him twice on the grass and he really didn't run well in either spot,” Miller said.

Dirty Rich switched back to dirt and raced without blinkers for his two most recent outings at Oaklawn Park, winning the 5 1/2-furlong Advent in December ahead of a distant third last out on January 3 in the six-furlong Renaissance won by Obliteration, who exited that try to run second in the Group 3 Saudi Derby.

Miller said the talented colt performed better without the head gear.

“He was just too fast and too forward, so we took the blinkers off to try and ration his speed a little bit,” Miller said. “Last time, I ran him back too quick. He's come back good. He's training well and rested. We're curious to see how he handles the mile.”

Dirty Rich worked a bullet five-eighths in 59.60 seconds February 21 at Oaklawn and arrived in New York on Wednesday evening along with his conditioner.

Miller noted Dirty Rich has outperformed his $35,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase price.

"He's got a good mind to him and he does seem to travel well. He's a good-sized horse and well put together,” Miller said.

With Creole Chrome reportedly re-routed from the Gotham to a Louisiana-bred stakes at Fair Grounds, Dirty Rich will exit the outermost post 8 Saturday under returning rider Ramon Vazquez. 

Although there is other speed in the race, Miller said he expects Dirty Rich will likely be on the lead.

"I would think so. If they're in front of us they're probably going too fast," Miller said, with a laugh.

Dirty Rich is out of the winning Distorted Humor mare Live and Love. His third dam, Lemhi Love, produced 2009 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint-winner Dancing in Silks.

The Gotham will close out Saturday’s 10-race card, which also features the Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool in Race 4, the Listed $200,000 Busher – a Kentucky Oaks qualifier in Race 2 and the Listed $150,000 Stymie in Race 8. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

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Beckman looks for barn title defense in Listed $200K Busher

Trainer Whit Beckman holds a strong hand as he sends out Nycon and Blazing Brat in Saturday’s Listed $200,000 Busher, a one-turn mile for sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Beckman captured this race last year with Drexel Hill, who next finished second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, and the trainer seeks a barn title defense in hopes of making the same race.

“Last year, I took Drexel Hill straight to the Oaks, it worked out really well. This year, both horses would catch another prep at some point,” Beckman said. “It is a great start timing-wise. It is another one-turn race to really prep for the two-turn test. It worked out well for us last year, so we’ll take it on.”

Icon Racing Stable’s Nycon [post 1, Jaime Torres] was a neck second last out in the one-mile Cash Run on January 1 at Gulfstream Park. The Nyquist dark bay earned a career-best 72 Beyer Speed Figure as she stepped up off a 4 3/4-length second-out graduation at the same distance in November at Churchill Downs. She was fourth prior in her seven-furlong debut in October at Keeneland, with returning rider Jaime Torres aboard for all three starts.

“She’s coming off a pretty big effort at Gulfstream. She got a little sick out of that, but she has come back great,” Beckman said. “We’d like to run her a little further but timing wise, we are going to try this spot and see where she ends up. We know she is a filly that belongs in the Oaks conversation, who we’d probably give a two-turn test in her next start.”

Nycon, a $375,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the winning Awesome Again mare Raise the Flag. Her second dam is multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire My Flag, the influential dam of 2002 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Storm Flag Flying and stakes-winner With Flying Colors. My Flag is a half-sister to Grade 1-winners Miner’s Mark and Traditionally, among an impressive family.

“Nycon is a pretty good sized filly, with a lot of scope to her,” said Beckman. “She has a nice shoulder on her and is a real nice physical presence. She looks like she wants to run all day long.”

Ribble Farm and Deann Baer’s Blazing Brat [post 4, Joe Ramos] is set to make her barn debut for Beckman after being purchased by Legion Bloodstock for $100,000 in January at the Fasig-Tipton Digital Sale. Beckman confirmed she will run in the Busher after cross-entering Saturday’s one-mile Grade 2 Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park.

“They’re both there [New York], they’re both running,” Beckman said. “She [Blazing Brat] ran pretty good going shorter, this is kind of an experiment to see if she’ll handle the distance and if she wants to put herself into the Oaks category.”

The Beau Liam dark bay was initially campaigned by Blazing Meadows Farm and trained by Timothy Hamm, posting a 5-1-2-1 record including a runner-up effort last out in the six-furlong Sandpiper on December 6 at Tampa Bay Downs. There, Blazing Brat was making her first dirt start following four outings on turf or synthetic including a third-out graduation on the latter in August at Presque Isle Downs.

“Dirt was her best number,” Beckman said, in reference to Blazing Brat’s career-best 64 Beyer. “I assume she’ll improve off of that being a little older and wiser, hopefully.”

Blazing Brat’s longest start to date was an off-the-board finish in the 6 1/2-furlong Untapable in September at Kentucky Downs.

“She’s not a really overwhelmingly big filly,” Beckman said. “She is a good compact size, but I don’t think from a physical standpoint you can really gauge what she wants to do distance wise.”

The Busher was scheduled to award 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers, but note that in the event a Championship Series race is run with a five-horse field, only 75 percent of the points will be proportionally awarded. In the event a Championship Series race is run with a four-horse field or less, only 50 percent of the points will be proportionally awarded.