BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred stakes-winner Mattingly travels to New York from his base in South Florida to make his second start of the year in the $150,000 Paradise Creek on Sunday during the Belmont at Big A meet. The Paradise Creek has attracted a field of nine 3-year-olds who will go six furlongs on the outer turf course.
Trained by Joe Orseno for Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC and Harlow Stables LLC, Mattingly comes out of a fifth-place finish, two-and-three-quarter lengths behind winner Fandom in the $207,000 Palisades going five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf at Keeneland on April 7.
“I thought when I first got him, he was going to be a better turf/Tapeta horse and then I ran him on the dirt and he ran on dirt too,” Orseno told the NYRA press office. “That’s another reason we thought we’d send him up—turf is good for him, but if it comes off, he’ll still run.”
Mattingly made his first start against stakes horses on the turf in last year’s $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile at Gulfstream Park in May and finished second to No Nay Mets (Ire). He broke his maiden in his next start sprinting on the Gulfstream Park synthetic then won the $126,000 Hollywood Beach going five furlongs on the same course two starts later in September.
Orseno tried the main track with the son of Bucchero and he ran a good second to Florida-bred Bentornato in the $200,000 Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida Sire Stakes Affirmed at seven furlongs in October. He finished his juvenile campaign with a fourth-place finish behind Florida-bred Seminole Chief in the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes In Reality around two turns on the main track on Dec. 2, also at Gulfstream.
Mattingly has earned $210,503 from two wins and three seconds in seven starts. Out of Battingstar, by Grand Slam, Mattingly was bred in Florida by Lance Colwell.
Ironhorse Racing Stable purchased Mattingly for $70,000 out of the Two Oaks Equine consignment at last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale.
Mattingly will be ridden by Trevor McCarthy from post three and they are 8-1 in the program.
The 5-2 morning line favorite is Sketch (Ire), who makes his second start of the year and second race in the United States Sunday.
The son of Showcasing (GB) out of Scintilating (GB), by Siyouni (Fr) exits a fifth-place finish in the $291,000 William Walker won by Joe Shiesty going five-and-a-half furlongs on the Churchill Downs turf on May 1.
In four starts last year in Great Britain, Sketch had one victory, a five-length score at Newbury in July in his first career start. He was also third behind winner Inquisitively in the Julia Graves Roses Stakes at York going six furlongs in August.
Sketch will be ridden by Flavien Prat from post four.
Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle Apollo Ten, the 3-1 second choice on the morning line.
A son of Violence who was fourth in the $120,000 Atlantic Beach won by Please Advise at Aqueduct in November, Apollo Ten won a first level, $75,000 optional claiming going five furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream on April 18 in his last start.
Apollo Ten will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post five.
Others set for Paradise Creek are Works for Me and jockey Dylan Davis, Feltrinelli with Manny Franco aboard, Irad Oritz Jr. rides Devil in Disquise, Laser Sharp and rider Luis Rivera Jr., Summer in Adriane has John Velazquez taking the riding assignment and Ramon Vazquez will be aboard Smokey Smokey.
