Then the sky was empty, and stayed empty. He returned from a professional hiatus in stunning fashion, winning the Grade III Schuylerville on opening day with an unraced long shot named Becky’s Joker, then won the Grade I Hopeful on closing day with an even longer shot and an even more jocular name, 54-1 Nutella Fella. Neither has raced since the end of the Saratoga meet, but they’re ready for a return to action at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival this week.
The Belmont itself rightfully is the centerpiece, but there are 23 other stakes races from Thursday to Sunday that are more than worthy of attention. Contessa is going to be involved in a few of them, including the Grade I Woody Stephens with Nutella Fella on the Belmont Stakes undercard on Saturday and either the Jersey Girl on Thursday or Grade I Acorn on Friday with Becky’s Joker. Neither horse, now 3, has raced since last summer, for different reasons, but Contessa believes they’re both ready to get back into the swing on the racetrack.
In fact, they train together, and as strong of a work horse as Becky’s Joker is, Nutella Fella is at least her equal. “His workmate has been Becky’s Joker, which scared me, because she is a freak,” Contessa said on Monday morning. “She’s a really good worker, and she could not get past him.
He is a racehorse. I was worried that she would be leaving him in her wake, and she can’t get past him.” After winning the Hopeful by 1 1/2 lengths, Nutella Fella was pointe.
