Winning a graded stakes at Saratoga Race Course is always a special moment.
Yet for Dean Reeves, City Man ‘s July 15 victory in the $175,000 one-mile Forbidden Apple Stakes (G3T) checked much more than one of the proverbial boxes.
Not only is Reeves and Peter and Patty Searles’ City Man a New York State-bred, he is a 5-year-old son of Mucho Macho Man , who won the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) for Reeves and has been the recipient of considerable support from Reeves during his stallion career.
CITY MAN sneaks through the field with @JRosarioJockey up in the The Forbidden Apple (G3) for @clementstable #Saratoga pic.twitter.com/1GLr58AVJI
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) July 15, 2022
Reeves also owns City Man’s full sister, a yearling filly named Miss City Girl.
From anyone’s vantage point that’s a pretty nifty set of accomplishments for a single Spa turf stakes.
“I am so happy to have City Man get a graded stakes win,” said Reeves, who races under the banner of Reeves Thoroughbred Racing. “This horse is talented and we won some big New York-bred races with him, but for him to step out in open company is really rewarding. He’s moving forward and I wouldn’t put the Breeders’ Cup out of the question.”
Bred by Moonstar Farm out of the City Zip mare City Scamper, City Man had won four state-bred or open stakes before his initial graded stakes score for trainer Christophe Clement, which lifted his career record to 6-4-3 in 22 starts with earnings of $653,050.
Purchased for $185,000 from the Off the Hook consignment at the 2019 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, his 2022 form included a strong win in the listed Danger’s Hour Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in his 5-year-old debut. But that was masked by an 18-length loss over a boggy course in the Fort Marcy Stakes (G2T) as the 2-1 favorite and then a highly troubled trip when seventh last time out in the May 30 Kingston Stakes for state-breds.
“I felt based on what he did at Aqueduct, when he exploded home, if a hole opened he would kick on, but I didn’t expect what he did here,” Reeves said. “The mile is hitting him just right.”
The fourth of eight foals from City Scamper, he’s her lone stakes winner. A filly by Vino Rosso born earlier this year is her youngest foal and the yearling named Miss City Girl is the one that has Reeves talking in optimistic tones.
“She looks just like (her full brother) City Man and that’s why we’re really excited,” Reeves said. “I know the breeders (Moonstar Farm) are excited to see (City Man) win. They are great friends and have done a great job of raising these horses.”
The Forbidden Apple boiled down to a cavalry charge in the stretch, with six horses separated by less than two lengths, but it was 12-1 shot City Man ($26.60) and jockey Joel Rosario who came bursting through the pack to take charge at the sixteenth pole and draw off to a 2 3/4-length score in 1:33.76 over firm turf.
“(City Man) was very unlucky last time,” said Clement, who drew added satisfaction from training Forbidden Apple. “He was trapped. Today it worked out. It was a great trip. He’s been a bit unlucky lately, so it was fun to have a good trip.”
Three Diamonds Farm’s Atone , an Into Mischief gelding trained by Mike Maker, was second by a nose over Klaravich Stables’ Public Sector , a Kingman colt trained by Chad Brown who was the 5-2 second choice.
Set Piece , the 2-1 favorite, was fifth after breaking slowly and trailing in the field of 11.
