Saratoga Heater, Temper Mint Patty dominate in juvenile stakes at Belmont

Saratoga Heater, Temper Mint Patty dominate in juvenile stakes at Belmont

Saratoga Heater wired the Bertram F. Bongard by four lengths (NYRA/Chelsea Durand/Adam Coglianese Photography) There were two stakes races for two-year-old state-breds at Belmont on Sunday and both scorers won convincingly. In the first stakes race, P.R. Racing’s Saratoga Heater wired the field in the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes as he made his first start for trainer Lisa Lewis. “I know (his former connections) were very high on Saratoga Heater, and when we got him there was nothing that we didn’t like about him,” Lewis said. “He’s done everything right; he had a beautiful breeze here the other day. I was quietly confident going into this race.”  Saratoga Heater was exiting his maiden victory at Saratoga last month in his second start and was previously trained by Al Stall Jr.

The bay colt carved out fractions of :22 1/5 and :45 3/5 along his way to a
four-length score. The 3-1 third choice covered seven furlongs over the
muddy-sealed track in 1:24 3/5 and paid $8.80 to his backers.

“I thought I would be a little bit off the pace, since he came from way off
the pace last time,” jockey Joel Rosario said. “He was really sharp today and
broke on top. I let him be happy and cruise along. He took me all the way, so it
was a good race for him. It didn’t seem anyone was trying to go with me, so that
was good, too.” 

The son of Temple City grabbed $90,000 for the victory to boost his bankroll
to $134,287 from a 3-2-0-0 line.

Irad Ortiz Jr. guided Temper Mint Patty to a 13 1/2-length romp in the Joseph A. Gimma (NYRA/Nicole Digiovanni/Adam Coglianese Photography) In the companion race for two-year-old fillies, Mark H. Stanley’s Temper Mint Patty absolutely demolished her competition by an astounding 13 1/2 lengths in the $147,000 Joseph A. Gimma Stakes. The Dale Roman charge tracked the pace along the inside, took command around the far turn and continued to widen her margin in the stretch with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons. “The horse in front of me tried to get out bad” Ortiz said. “I had some horse and I took a chance, and when I asked her she went right through. I think she can go further, too. She’s all right.”

Temper Mint Patty crossed the wire in 1:23 3/5 — almost a full second faster
than the boys — going seven furlongs over the muddy-sealed track. Sent off as the
2-1 second choice she returned $6.40 to her loyal supporters for the score.

“I thought in the first race she showed a lot of talent, but she matured
before this one in just three weeks,” Stanley said. “Hopefully before the first
Friday in May she’ll be even better. Friday (Kentucky Oaks), not Saturday.”

The dark bay was entering in here off her maiden win in her racing debut on
August 29 at Saratoga and now has career earnings of $133,800.

“I like (her sire) Congrats a lot; I think he’s very underrated,” Stanley
said. “The main thing is, Becky Thomas, who consigned (Temper Mint Patty) in the
two-year-old sale, had a lot of confidence in her, and she actually bought her
back in the sale. I went and talked to her after, and she was high on her. She’s
a pretty filly, so we felt like she was worth the money. She’s been a lot of fun
so far.”

Temper Mint Patty initially sold for $30,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New
York-bred Preferred Yearlings Sale and was then purchased by her current connections
for $90,000 at the Fasig-Tipton The Florida Sale.

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