Weekend Hideaway hoping to continue NY-breds run in Grade 1 Spa sprints

Weekend Hideaway has easily handled state-bred rivals in his past two (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Two New York-breds, Palace and Artemis Agrotera, have won
Grade 1 sprint races so far during the 2014
Saratoga meet. On Saturday, Weekend
Hideaway will attempt to join that group when he competes in the Grade 1,
$500,000 Forego, a seven-furlong race for three-year-olds and up at the Spa.

The chestnut son of Speightstown is a four-time
stakes winner and enters the Forego off a two-length triumph in the 6 1/2-furlong
John Morrissey for New York-breds just two weeks ago on August 15 at Saratoga.
The Red and Black Stable colorbearer is trained by Phil Serpe, who also trained for and advised
Weekend Hideaway’s late breeder, Carl Lizza of Flying Zee Stables.

Serpe credited Lizza for being at the forefront of the
movement to improve the quality of New York-breds.

“When Mr. Lizza passed away, I bought (Weekend Hideaway for
$40,000) for Red and Black Stable out of the dispersal,” the horseman
explained. “At that
time, Flying Zee Stable was one of the first operations to go really in advance
on breeding better mares to out-of-state sires and coming up with better New
York-breds.

Vyjack is seeking a return to his early form (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Grade 2 victor Vyjack should also relish the Forego’s seven-furlong distance;
the four-year-old is two-for-two at seven-eighths while winning the 2012 Traskwood at
Aqueduct in his
second career start as well as an optional claimer on April 27 at the
Big A in his seasonal debut.

“We’re taking a chance, and hopefully the seven furlongs
will help him,” trainer Rudy Rodriguez said. “It’s a very tough field. It’s not
going to be easy. Let’s see what happens.”

In his most recent effort, the four-year-old Into Mischief gelding was fourth, beaten five
lengths by Palace, in the six-furlong Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on
August 2 at the Spa after breaking awkwardly and spotting the field an early
advantage.

“We were kind of disappointed with the way he broke last
time,” Rodriguez said. “He ran a pretty good race that day. If he had broke with
the group, I don’t think he could have beaten the winner but we could have been
a little closer, maybe second or third. Since then he’s been training very, very
good.”

Despite the result, Rodriguez was pleased to see a renewed
interest by Vyjack, who was a well-beaten ninth in the Metropolitan
Handicap and eased in the Suburban Handicap in his other two 2014
outings.

“We were very happy to see him perform and finish the way
he did,” Rodriguez said. “It was encouraging to us to see that he still wanted
to do it. He ran a very good race and he came back good out of the race. He’s
training very good. I take him every day to the main track and I school him in
the paddock. I do what I can, and now it’s up to him.”