‘Stimulus’ can give Matties a boost

ELMONT, N.Y. – Gregg Matties has been training horses for nearly 30 years, but he can’t recall ever running in a race with a six-figure purse.

That will change Thursday when Matties sends out Stimulus Check in a field of six New York-bred juvenile fillies set to run seven furlongs in the $100,000 Joseph A. Gimma Stakes at Belmont Park.

“It’s been my every thought for the last three weeks,” Matties said. “I’ve been driving my help nuts. I’ve been driving my wife nuts.”

Stimulus Check, a daughter of Tapiture, was a debut winner going six furlongs on Aug. 19 at Saratoga. She was the beneficiary of a strong early pace and two horses who weren’t ready to handle that scenario. Stimulus Check, under Benjamin

Hernandez, cruised past that tandem and drew off to win by 4 3/4 lengths.

Matties said he thought he had Stimulus Check only about 75 percent ready to run.

“I was more trying to take advantage of the short field and just give her a good experience, so I was a little surprised that she ran that well,” Matties said. “I think it set up perfectly for her.

“Her race might look a little better on paper than it actually was, but I think she’s going to improve off it. I don’t think that’s the best that she’s ever going to do.”

Matties said Stimulus Check has been battling shin issues since he got the filly, and said those issues are about the same now as they were prior to her debut. Matties said he is looking forward to stretching Stimulus Check out in distance and believes she will appreciate the seven furlongs of this race and even more so the mile of the Maid of the Mist later this month.

“This filly has wanted to go long from the start,” Matties said. “Even though she’s got a half-brother and a half-sister that didn’t, I could tell she was different from the start. She’s very aerobic, doesn’t get tired in her breezes or in her gallops.” Hernandez rides from post 6. No Mo’ Spending, a daughter of Uncle Mo, won a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race at Saratoga after two losses going 5 1/2 furlongs to begin her career. Trainer Ian Wilkes believes the longer distances are better for his filly.

Wilkes said that going 5 1/2 furlongs No Mo’ Spending “was running too hard, didn’t switch leads, made a lot of mistakes.”

In her last start, Wilkes said, No Mo’ Spending “was able to get into a rhythm, switched leads perfectly, and didn’t make a mistake.”

Javier Castellano rides No Mo’ Spending from post 4.

Irish Constitution beat New York-breds in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race, but was overmatched when finishing a wellbeaten fourth in the Grade 1 Spinaway.

Mark Hennig, off to a good start at this meet with three wins from 10 starters, sends out Mashnee Girl, a second-out maiden winner, and Infringement, a debut winner who stumbled badly at the break of the Seeking the Ante Stakes in Saratoga and finished third.

The maiden Chasing Cara, second to No Mo’ Spending in what was her fourth start, completes the field.

The Gimma will go as race 8 on a nine-race card that begins at 12:50 p.m.