saratoga’s daily racing newspaper since 2001 see biscuits...2018/08/04 · tod marks year 18 •...
TRANSCRIPT
Tod
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Year 18 • No. 10 Saturday, August 4, 2018
The aratoga
Saratoga’s Daily Racing Newspaper since 2001
ENTRIES & HANDICAPPING SATURDAY STAKES PREVIEWS
HALL OF FAME CEREMONY
Star New York-bred steams into Grade 1 Whitney
See Biscuits
Mind Your Biscuits
3Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
LICENSE PLATES OF THE DAYALYDAR, New York. AFRMED77, New York.Parked near each other, and angrily discussing the 1977 Travers.
BY THE NUMBERS1: Longtime fan who stopped in the office Friday with an FC Barcelona hat.
1: Longtime fan who stopped in the office Friday with a (first-place) Phillies hat.
1: Reader/advertiser/babysitter trying to figure out the number of times Special staffers change their shoes in a day.
20: Million-dollar (estimated) pricetag of a planned overhaul of the National Museum of Racing announced Friday.
NAMES OF THE DAYBird’s Eye View, first race. The 4-year-old gelding is by Mizzen Mast out of Lavish Outlook.
Pas de Soucis, fifth race. The Irish-bred mare is by Footstepsinthesand, her name means “No Worries” in French and if your feet are in the sand, you’ve got no worries.
Fabulous Fun, seventh race. The Phipps Stable’s 2-year-old colt is by Distorted Humor out of Boca Grande.
Voodoo Song, 11th race. We hear he’s going to scratch, but the 4-year-old Saratoga specialist (four wins here last year) is out of Mystic Chant.
DarleyMedaglia d’Oro: siring stars who earn their stripes.
darleyamerica.com
GOLD GLORYSeven G1 winners in 2017! No American stallion
has had so many in a year since Storm Cat.
And now he has Traversprospect Wonder Gadot andPersonal Ensign possible Elate.
Tod MarksWindependence Day. Timeless Beauty sports a patriotic nasal strip after win-ning Friday’s first race.
here&there...at SaratogaPresented by Neuman Equine Insurance ..................... equineinsurance.com
4 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
WORTH REPEATING“Do you think they lower the hoop?”
The Special’s David Woods,on the Jockeys vs. Horsemen basketball game Thursday night
“Can I buy you a breakfast sandwich? You might not eat for a week.”Fasig-Tipton’s Dennis Lynch to The Special’s Ben Gowans
“This is the reason we come up here, these golf carts. The racing is secondary. If we look at everything else we pay, this is the best $1,167 you could pay. This is our therapy. If I didn’t have a golf cart I’d be in therapy twice a day the entire meet.”
Trainer Chad Summers after giving a ride to a clubhouse admissions employee Thursday morning
“Lunch went from like 10:30 to 2. I was 15 and scared to drive back to the barn.”Special reader Ed Gilpin, about time spent on old-time trainer
Morris “Pop” Dixon’s crew in Pennsylvania when the boss went to Saratoga
“. . . I’m driving up tomorrow, didn’t know if there’s anything from down here that needed to come your way: a pretty yellow dog named Katie, your wife, whatever. Just let me know. I’m happy to bring along.”
Fasig-Tipton Midlantic all-star Paget Bennett, leaving a message for The Special’s Joe Clancy Thursday
“I am an advertising novice.”Two-year-old consignor Paul Sharp,
booking an ad with The Special
The aratogaEditors/PublishersSean Clancy: (302) 545-7713. [email protected]
Joe Clancy: (302) 545-4424. [email protected]
Managing EditorTom Law: (859) 396-9407. [email protected]
Writers: Ben Gowans, Sarah Newman, Shayna Tiller, Brandon Valvo, David Woods.
Handicappers: Charles Bedard, Donald Phillips, John Shapazian.
Design: Todd Koch.
Photographers: Tod Marks, Dave Harmon, Connie Bush.
Distribution & More: Jane Crager, Kevin Murphy, Morgan Yaeger.
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Raising and Selling Racehorses
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5Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
UNBRIDLED – WEDDING VOW, by NIJINSKY II
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DISTORTED HUMOR – ALTERNATE, by SEATTLE SLEW
Alternation
11 Blacktype Horses 5 Gradedincluding
CHOCOLATE MARTINI Fair Grounds Oaks-G2, placed Coaching Club American Oaks-G1, etc.
MENDED 2nd Santa Margarita-G1
IMPRIMIS Wolf Hill S., Jim McKay Turf Sprint S., 5 wins 6 starts
5 Blacktype Horses in 2018 including Stakes WinnersALTER MOON Gulfstream SW, who sold
for $675,000 at FT Selected HRA Sale
2YO SUBSTITUTION 2 wins, 2 starts, $94,000 Iowa Stallion Futurity
DIAMONDS R Irish Day S., 2nd Washington Oaks
Broken Vow
6 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
WORTH REPEATING“Words to live by – do not be a bumbler.”
Anonymous racetrack philosopher
“What, is it the last day of the meet?”Trainer Bill Mott when seeing
The Special’s Sean Clancy in the picnic area Thursday
“I can hear you guys talking all the way down there, good thing I wasn’t someone else.”The Special’s Joe Clancy, taking advantage of some
backside acoustics as Tom Law and Chad Summers talked Thursday morning
“That’s fine, she doesn’t listen to me anyway.”Trainer Jonathan Thomas when told that
exercise rider Tracy Price’s walkie-talkie wasn’t working
800-523-8143
QUOTE OF THE DAY“When Billy Mott had the Paulson horses, we were stabled across from him at Payson (Park) and I watched those horses – Cigar, Fraise, all those good horses he had – and they all had an air about them. Other horses, when they’d stand up on the track, would
give them another five feet walking around them just because they knew.”– Trainer Jim Bond, about good horses
TAMARKUZ4-Time GSW over $1.8 Million
Kent Barnes, Stallion Manager 859-224-4585 www.shadwellfarm.com
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile-G1over Gun Runner • Godolphin Mile -G2, etc.1st Foals Arrived this Year
by Speightstown
here&there...at SaratogaPresented by Neuman Equine Insurance ..................... equineinsurance.com
COUNTRY LIFE FARM
Maryland, My MarylandCountry Life Farm
Maiden winner on 7/29 at Laurel and one to watch. Dam is 100% winner producer. Siblings earned 6-figures, including a GBPW. This filly’s ½ sister, by Palace Malice, is Hip # 213 at Fasig-Tipton Select Sale – Don’t miss her!
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Reader WritingWe don’t do this for the letters (well, emails) but boy do they make our day.
Reader M.G. Blascetta sent this to us after reading the first edition. It’s got a little bit of everything. Enjoy. Yes! Thank you – I look forward to getting The Special all year long but come
Saratoga time I keep checking my email starting in the wee hours of the morning for my copy...and daydream that I picked up coffee and egg on a roll with salt and pepper at the Spring Street Deli, I’m sitting track-side watching the sun come up, watching the horses, having the breakfast of race-trackers everywhere and reading The Special . . . not at my computer working here on Long Island . . . and thinking maybe just maybe in a week or two I will be on the Taconic headed north to I-90 west to I-87 and the Northway anticipating the exit that takes me past the main track and Oklahoma, stopping for the horses crossing the street . . . maybe “Racing Across America” will have been restored and playing again at the museum and I can see Secretariat. I worked for Lucien Laurin back in the day when Secretariat first came to the barn at Belmont. We could see that he was something special and of course my first horse was a chestnut mare and my second horse is a chestnut gelding.
Anyway – happy memories. Getting coffee and crumb cake from the kid selling them out of his front yard on the back entrance to Oklahoma . . .
You can take the girl off the racetrack but you can’t take the racetrack off the girl even 40 years later and I still ride at 5 a.m. watching the sun come up before going into work – when I can start the day that way, I am a better person for it.
7Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association
www.nytha.com | 516.488.2337 visit us on Facebook
“Fitzsimmons would always say, ‘Don’t knock yourself, because there’s plenty of people out there who will do it for you.’ He used to tell jocks, even when they (screwed) up, ‘Well, you rode him better than I would have.’ He was a great trainer. A great trainer. He was the first guy who knew you had to kowtow to the owners, he’d say, ‘Well, I’m going to ask Mr. Woodward, if we should put the blinkers on him…’ He covered all the bases. He was good with the press. He told Mr. Woodward, we might over-do it with these horses trying to get to all the distance races. Woodward said, ‘Only you and I would know it.’ I felt bad so bad in that Seabiscuit movie, they made him out to be a gruff old man, he was anything but that. They all used to say, he wasn’t the best paying job, but first thing I noticed, when they had a horse come back from running, they would have six guys ready to wash him.”
– Trainer Allen Jerkens, 1929-2015
The Chief . . . Day 10
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The Special takes a swing at a list of the meet’s best – performances, achieve-ments, oddball feats of human or equine wonder. We’ll update it daily, or we’ll try to anyway. And we’re off…
1. Imperial Hint. Vanderbilt July 28. You going to argue with that performance? Special, small sprinter won Grade 1 with speed, style, simplicity. And we wrote about him 18 months ago.
2. Monomoy Girl. C.C.A. Oaks July 22. How good was that? Unquestioned queen of the meet. As Dylan sang, somebody get her a brand new leopard skin pillbox hat.
3. Weekend Hideaway. John Morrissey July 26. Who you callin’ old? Dismissed at 10-1, he won the N.Y.-bred stakes for the second time – four years after the first one.
4. Turf tie. Even 1 3/8 miles couldn’t de-cide who won the Bowling Green July 28. Glorious Empire and Channel Maker dead heated, as trainer Chuck Lawrence won his first graded stakes since 1996 and Bill Mott won his first since two Saturdays earlier.
5. Steve Asmussen: Maybe it’s the haircut, but it’s probably the horses. National leader in wins hit Saratoga running with 10 in the first 12 days to grab second, just behind Chad Brown. Will it stay that close?
6. Sistercharlie. Wait, wait, wait some more, then pounce. Irish-bred mare caught Ultra Brat in the final half-stride to win the Grade 1 Diana July 21. Chad Brown trainee is a head from being 3-for-3 this year.
7. Luis Saez. Everybody knows the road to Saratoga meet title goes through Ortiz Land, but there might be a new player. He opened with 14 wins in the first 12 days. He and agent Richard Depass belong.
8. Catherinethegreat. Opening Day’s first star, she won the Schuylerville with dis-dain. Can’t wait for the Spinaway.
9. Hofburg and Tenfold. Curlin and Jim Dandy winners are the local leaders for the Travers, though Haskell winner Good Magic is on the grounds too. Midsummer Derby might turn out OK after all.
10. Farrell. Trainer Wayne Catalano and his son-in-law jockey Channing Hill teamed up to wire Shuvee over Chilean wonder horse Wow Cat.
On the bubble: Equibase.com for get-ting rid of Captcha, trainer Arch Kingsley winning 2 of first 3 jumps, Joe Sharp’s 4-for-8 start, those guys who (finally) planted the Justify 2018 Triple Crown sign, Lyrical Lady, Promises Fulfilled.
The Top 10
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Early arrivals at the sale.
8 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
Al Stall Jr. keeps tabs on current events by watching the news between sets, wears shorts and running shoes during training hours, proudly displays some of his children’s drawings in his office and quotes John Prine songs when the weather comes up in conversation.
There’s no doubt he’s our kind of guy, and oh, he wins plenty of races with a manageable stable split this time of year between Saratoga, Kentucky and Loui-siana Downs. A native of New Orleans and the son of the late longtime chair-man of the Louisiana Racing Commis-sion, Al Stall Sr., the younger Stall looks to break into the win column at the 2018 Saratoga meeting with two run-ners today.
Stall, who sent out Behavioral Bias to a runner-up finish behind No Dozing in an allowance-optional dressed up like a Grade 3 stakes the first Saturday of the meet, entered Aubenas for the first race and Minit To Stardom for the Grade 1 Test today. Rain Friday morning and afternoon, more expected Friday evening into Saturday morning might dimin-ish the chances of the two starters, but Stall rolls with it regardless of the forecast.
“You can’t worry about it . . . It’s a half-an-inch of water and you think you’re gonna drown, like John Prine sings,” he said Thursday morning on his way to the track to train a set, referring to one of the legendary American country folk singer’s best songs, “That’s the Way the World Goes Round.”
Stall brought 13 horses from his main base at Churchill Downs and they’re again bedded down in Barn 18 on the main track near the Clare Court track.
Stall won four races from 14 starters out of the barn last year, the best total since 2013 when Cen-tral Banker led the way with a victory in the Quick Call Stakes. The trainer won seven Spa races in 2012 and also trained Blame, who upset Zenyatta in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic, to victories in the 2010 Whitney and 2009 Curlin out of Barn 18.
“We’re optimistic,” Stall said of this year. “We have things to point for, we’re going Forego with C
Z Rocket, so that will keep us around for Travers Day at least.”
Before finishing training and heading off on a day trip to Vermont with his wife Nicole and chil-dren Albert III and Greta, Stall talked about some members of his Saratoga string with The Special’s Tom Law.
C Z Rocket: The big horse. Frank Fletcher’s 4-year-old City Zip colt broke his maiden in his debut here last summer to start a three-race win streak. Sixth in the Grade 1 Malibu in late December, the $800,000 2-year-old buy finished third in an op-tional and won the Kelly’s Landing at Churchill in June. “He ran a race like we knew he was capable of in the Kelly’s Landing. We feel like he’s a potential Grade 1 horse. We don’t know why things didn’t go his way in the Malibu out in California but we regrouped after that race and he’s come back in good form. The Forego is directly on his radar.”
Tank Commander: Unraced 3-year-old is out of Treasure Trail, a half-sister to Hall of Famer and Horse of the Year Zenyatta bred by Edward Cox Jr. The $950,000 RNA as a yearling shows three works for Stall including a half in :49.43 on the main track July 19. “He’s a War Front 3-year-old maiden, cost a few dollars and has a little potential to run at the end of the meet.”
Layla: Dixiana Farms’ homebred 4-year-old Union Rags filly broke her maiden at Delaware Park and finished fifth in an allowance at Bel-mont last year for Christophe Clement. She joined Stall’s string this spring and shows two local breezes for her return. “She’s an a-oth-er-than, Union Rags, quick kind of filly who is training well. I’m not sure if she’ll make this book or not but she’s close to running.”
My Girl Rocket: Fletcher paid $170,000 for 2-year-old daughter of Congrats, who breezed a half from the gate in :48.23 on the main track July 29. “She’s a sharp filly. I’m not sure if she’ll run dirt or maybe 5 1/2 on the turf. She’s got a
gate card and is just about ready.”
Vomba: Bred by Town & Country Horse Farms, 2-year-old by Candy Ride is out of a daughter of multiple graded stakes winner Cash Run. She breezed a half in :48.24 from the gate July 29. “She’s a filly who is acting pretty smart and she’s got a gate card also. We’ll find a spot pretty quick for her.”
Rocknroll Rocket: Fletcher’s homebred 2-year-old by Curl-in is out of the Grade 3-winning Indian Charlie mare Rocket Twentyone. He breezed six times at Churchill before shipping north, the last a half in :49 out of the gate. “Nice colt for Frank Fletcher who also has a gate card. He’ll run to the middle part or late in the meet. He might be looking for a little more ground than 5 1/2 (furlongs), but we like him.”
Behavioral Bias: The other big horse. A $27,000 buy at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-year-old sale, 4-year-old Shackleford gelding broke his maiden almost a year ago to the day before back-to-back victories in the fall in Kentucky and Louisiana. Second to No Dozing in tough 7-furlong optional Opening Weekend for third straight runner-up finish. “He’s our main man. If every horse was like him we’d be in great shape. He’s sound, tries as hard as a horse can try every time he runs. He ran a super fast race over the weekend. We’ll just try and catch that race in Book 3, same kind of race.”
Every day at Saratoga, The Special presents an exclusive Stable Tour
with a Saratoga trainer.
See thisishorseracing.comfor the full season.
with Al Stall
Tod MarksTrainer Al Stall
thisishorseracing.com Home of The Special & more
9Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
H e l p i n g o u r c l i e n t s , a n d t h e i r h o r s e s , s u c c e e d a t t h e
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Just some of the races they’ve won.
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A . G . VA N D E R B I LT
A LC I B I A D E S
A R L I N G TO N M I L L I O N
AW E S O M E AG A I N
B E L M O N T D E R BY
B R E E D E R S ’ C U P C L A S S I C
B R E E D E R S ’ C U P T U R F ( 2 )
BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY & MARE TURF
D E L AWA R E H A N D I C A P
D O N N H A N D I C A P ( 2 )
D U B A I W O R L D C U P
F LO R I DA D E R BY
F R A N K K I L R O E M I L E
F R I Z E T T E
G A R D E N C I T Y
G R A N D N AT I O N A L H U R D L E
H A S K E L L I N V I TAT I O N A L
H O L LY W O O D T U R F C U P
I R O Q U O I S H U R D L E ( 2 )
J O E H I R S C H T U R F C L A S S I C ( 2 )
K E N T U C K Y D E R BY ( 2 )
K I N G ’ S B I S H O P
LO N E S O M E G LO R Y H U R D L E
M A K E R ’ S 4 6 M I L E ( 3 )
M A N H AT TA N ( 2 )
M A N O ’ WA R ( 4 )
M AT R I A R C H ( 2 )
M E T R O P O L I TA N M I L E
N E A R C T I C S TA K E S
P R I O R E S S
Q U E E N E L I Z A B E T H I I
S H A D W E L L T U R F M I L E
S P I N AWAY ( 2 )
S P I N S T E R
S W O R D DA N C E R ( 4 )
T E S T
U N I T E D N AT I O N S ( 2 )
VA N I T Y H A N D I C A P
W H I T N E Y H A N D I C A P ( 2 )
W O O D M E M O R I A L
10 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
11 GSHs this year, includingRANSOM THE MOON, back-to-back winnerof the Bing Crosby S. (G1) at Del Mar.
8 SELECT YEARLINGSselling at F-T Saratoga
The Breeders’ FarmSpendthriftFarm.com | 859.294.0030
BY TOM LAWMind Your Biscuits knows every
inch of Saratoga Race Course. Maybe that’s a bit of a reach but
the 5-year-old certainly can lay claim to taking up residence in more than his share of stalls on the main track and Oklahoma Training Track sides of the historic grounds.
Today he’ll get the chance to be somewhere new and try something new in the 91st running of one of Saratoga’s traditional fixtures, the $1.2 million Whitney Stakes. The new is two-fold – starting a race in front of the stands and racing around two turns for the first time.
Mind Your Biscuits takes on seven opponents in the Grade 1 Whitney, a “Win and You’re In” race with a
guaranteed spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic for the winner. He’s the 2-1 second choice for the 9-furlong stakes behind runaway Suburban winner Diversify and lower odds than proven two-turn graded stakes winners Tap-writ, Backyard Heaven, Good Samar-itan and McCraken.
Chad Summers, who owns a piece of the son of Posse and trains him for an ownership group that now num-bers seven entities, isn’t overly con-cerned about the distance question for the two-time winner of the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan Racecourse and runner-up last time Tod Marks
Mind Your Biscuits and Ricky Elliott school in the paddock at Saratoga.
WHITNEY STAKES PREVIEW
Biscuits to GoNew York-bred sprint startackles two-turn test in Grade 1
Continued On Page 12
11Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
Wishing our Tapwrit partners all the best in the Whitney.Thanks for your support and how you always
eclipsetbpartners.com
@eclipsetbp
/eclipsetbpContact:Aron Wellman(310) [email protected]
Jack Sadler(803) [email protected]
Jacob West(859)[email protected]
Photo: Adam Coglianese
BELIEVE BIG!
12 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handi-cap. He’s answered questions all week about the two turns and even though he did a little more Thursday morn-ing in the middle of training hours, he preferred to give a guided tour of Mind Your Biscuits’ past and present domiciles.
The golf-cart ride, which Summers described as therapeutic, proved as much a trip down memory lane as an update on Mind Your Biscuits’ prog-ress since his second trip to Dubai to the Met Mile to the Whitney.
“He’s been all over, want to see?” said Summers, who tried to sing a lit-tle bit of the Johnny Cash song for emphasis before embarking on a tour of the living accommodations of the leading New York-bred earner of all-time.
Mind Your Biscuits showed up in Saratoga for the first time in ear-ly July 2015, an unraced 2-year-old who arrived by van after a nearly 24-hour trek from Florida. Trained at the time by Roderick Rodriguez, Mind
Your Biscuits and stablemate Off The Tracks were bedded down in stalls at the end of Barn 36, where Rudy Ro-driguez is stabled now and close to the northwest corner of the Oklaho-ma grounds.
“This was Biscuits’ stall as a
2-year-old,” Summers said. “Off The Tracks was in the first stall next to the office, then I skipped one and he was in the next one.”
Mind Your Biscuits finished sec-ond in his two starts that summer at Saratoga, in state-bred maiden races,
while Off The Tracks rolled to a 3 1/4-length win in the Grade 3 Schuy-lerville Opening Day. Mind Your Bis-cuits’ two Saratoga races set him up for a run in the New York Breeders’ Futurity in mid-October at Finger Lakes, where he finished third.
Summers transferred Mind Your Biscuits to Robert Falcone Jr. as a 3-year-old and he returned to Sara-toga with a maiden and allowance victory and a second in the Mike Lee Stakes in the spring and summer of 2016. Falcone’s shedrow was a few yards away, Barn 35, which backs up to East Avenue and the charter bus parking lot. Mind Your Biscuits wound up in a corner stall with a better view of the Oklahoma starting gate.
“As a 3-year-old when I had him with Falcone, they all said I was cra-zy, being in this barn over here, but this is when I knew how smart he was,” Summers said. “He has a lot of humanlike qualities and in this cor-ner stall all he did was watch horses break out of the gate all morning.
“The stall is all covered up now, but it was open when he was here.
Whitney – Continued from page 10
Tod MarksDiversify, a New York-bred like Mind Your Biscuits, is the Whitney favorite.
Continued On Page 14
14 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
2018 September MeetStakes Schedule
POCAHONTAS (GII) 2018 “Win and You’re In Juvenile Fillies Division”
2019 Kentucky Oaks Points Race
Closes Sept. 1 ($150 nomination fee) 1-1/16 Miles
LOCUST GROVE (GIII)
OPEN MIND
DOGWOOD (Listed)
Ben Huffman Racing Secretary: 502.638.3820 • [email protected]
Dan Bork Asst.Racing Secretary, Stakes Coordinator: 502.638.3806 • [email protected]
Fax: 502.636.4479
Runs Sat., Sept. 15 $200,000 Fillies, Two Years Old
Closes Sept. 1 ($200 nomination fee) 1-1/16 Miles
IROQUOIS (GIII) 2018 “Win and You’re In Juvenile Division”
2019 Kentucky Derby Points Race
Runs Sat., Sept. 15 $150,000 Two Year Olds
Closes Sept. 1 ($100 nomination fee) 1-1/16 Miles
Runs Sat., Sept. 15 $100,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Years Old & Up
Runs Sat., Sept. 15 $100,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Years Old & Up
Closes Sept. 1 ($100 nomination fee) 6 Furlongs
Closes Sept. 8 ($100 nomination fee) 7 Furlongs
Runs Sat., Sept. 22 $100,000 Fillies, Three Years Old
ACK ACK (GIII)
Closes Sept. 15 ($100 nomination fee) 1 Mile
Runs Sat., Sept. 29 $100,000 Three Years Old & Up
LUKAS CLASSIC (GIII)
Closes Sept. 15 ($200 nomination fee) 1-1/8 Miles
Runs Sat., Sept. 29 $200,000 Three Years Old & Up
JEFFERSON CUP (Listed)
Closes Sept. 15 ($100 nomination fee) 1-1/8 Miles Turf
Runs Sat., Sept. 29 $100,000 Three Year Olds
September 14 - September 30
Saratoga Stakes Ad.indd 1 7/18/18 9:30 AM
The one problem is the buses park here and people would walk through your barn and want to feed pepper-mints and cookies. I had to have a full-time day watchman to make sure nobody would feed him.”
Mind Your Biscuits ran twice out of Barn 35, winning the Grade 2 Amsterdam and finishing fifth in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop. Those races set up a productive fall and winter, when Mind Your Biscuits finished sec-ond in the Grade 3 Gallant Bob and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint before a victory in the Grade 1 Malibu.
Summers took over his training after the Malibu and Mind Your Bis-cuits came to Saratoga in 2017 with victories in the Golden Shaheen and Belmont Sprint Championship. Sum-mers’ string was assigned stalls in Barn 2 (the receiving barn on Nel-son Avenue) last year and Mind Your Biscuits didn’t fare as well. Unsettled by the reveling after the races at The Horseshoe Inn, Mind Your Biscuits trained so-so at first before Summers moved him to Barn 25 where John Terranova’s string is stabled.
“It’s a little more quiet back here and he trained a bit better,” Summers said as he wheeled his cart under the
tall oak trees in that southeastern cor-ner of the property. “Really though, he wasn’t quite there. I was trying to trick myself into thinking it was bet-ter than it was. He breezed (before the Forego) and I convinced myself it was better than it was.
“I really just wanted to run against Drefong. Meanwhile Drefong shipped into the same barn with Terranova and him, West Coast and American Anthem come off the van like you would have thought they were go-ing to the paddock. They were flown from California, had a stopover, drove up from the airport and looked great. I’m tired just thinking about it, but these horses get off looking like that, I’m like, ‘Whew, I’m in trouble.’ But I really wanted to beat Drefong and said, ‘We’ll be OK. We’re the best horse in the country, we just won the Belmont Sprint like a good thing.’ Big lesson learned. I never ever should have done that.”
Mind Your Biscuits bounced back from his sixth in the Forego, finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar and second in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct to end the season. He arrived at Saratoga last month with a second victory in the Golden Shaheen and a runner-up finish in the Met Mile. Bedded down in Barn 21 on the backstretch of the main track
Whitney – Continued from page 12
Continued On Page 16
Tod MarksBackyard Heaven represents the Chad Brown barn in the Whitney.
15Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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between Phil Serpe and Jimmy Toner, Mind Your Biscuits again can catch a glimpse of the action from his back window when he’s not out for a walk, jog, gallop or breeze.
Thursday morning, while groom Ricky Elliott picked his feet, brushed him head to toe and cleaned his stall, Mind Your Biscuits took it all in.
His trainer did the same thing be-fore the meet started, just to get the horse-eyed view of the situation and figured the end stall would suit the three-time Grade 1 winner.
“If you look out the back of this stall, all morning and all afternoon, he watches the horses train, he watch-es the horses race,” said Summers. “When they race and go by him, he’ll run around a circle three times and look out the back to see if he won this imaginary race. This is his favorite thing to do.”
No word on whether Summers does the same thing, but the whole idea is to keep “Biscuits” happy.
Mind Your Biscuits’ other favorite thing to do is pack a powerful late run in one-turn sprints. Today he’ll get the chance to go farther than he’s run in the afternoon. Summers points to Mind Your Biscuits’ two best races from a speed-figure standpoint – the Cigar Mile and Met Mile – as one rea-son he could handle the added ground in Grade 1 company.
The timing is also right for Mind Your Biscuits, who is off to Japan for stallion duty after December, as there’s time to readjust and come up with a new plan if the Whitney doesn’t work out. A plan has always been in play for Mind Your Biscuits, part of the reason he’s done so well and racked up nearly $4 million in earnings and why he’s never run beyond a mile.
“It’s not like I’ve tried to go two turns with him 100 times and he’s failed, or it’s a Zippy Chippy here where he’s trying to win for the first time,” Summers said. “The whole thing is, every time I’ve had this horse we always had a target.”
The targets through the years in-clude the New York Breeders’ Futu-rity, Mike Lee, Amsterdam, Breed-ers’ Cup, Malibu, Golden Shaheen, Breeders’ Cup again, Golden Shaheen again, Met Mile and now the Whit-
ney. “It was never, he can’t do it,” Sum-
mers said. “When you’re good at what you do you don’t have to do it. Look, he could end his career sprint-ing, he could have run in the Belmont Sprint against Limousine Liberal, he could run in the Forego again and that would have been great and he would have had a great career. But he deserves the opportunity to do some-thing I’ve always thought he would be better at anyway.
“Everybody looks at me like I’m crazy. He’s made all this money sprinting, but on paper the two best numbers he got from a Beyer stand-point were the Cigar Mile and the Met Mile. Those are the farthest races he’s ever run.”
The distance isn’t nearly as big a question for the race’s other major players, with 7-5 favorite Diversify coming off a 6 1/2-length win in the Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont July 7 after winning the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last fall at Belmont, both races at 10 furlongs. He also won the 9-furlong Evan Shipman at Saratoga last summer for trainer Rick Violette and the father/daughter team of Ralph and Lauren Evans.
Backyard Heaven won the 1 1/16-mile Alysheba two starts back for trainer Chad Brown and owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey. The son of Tizway, named by his owners after the view of the Oklahoma from their summer home on Fifth Avenue, finished sixth at 4-5 last time in the Grade 1 Ste-phen Foster at Churchill Downs.
Tapwrit won the Belmont Stakes and Tampa Bay Derby as a 3-year-old last season for trainer Todd Pletcher, but is 0-for-2 at Saratoga and in the midst of a three-race losing streak. Good Samaritan is also proven at the 9 furlongs, winning last year’s Grade 2 Jim Dandy and this year’s Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap for trainer Bill Mott.
McCraken is a multiple graded stakes winner around two turns, but finished 7 lengths behind Mind Your Biscuits when sixth in the Met Mile and comes off a third in the Grade 3 Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows.
Grade 3 winner Discreet Lover, who chased eventual Horse of the Year Gun Runner in last year’s Whit-ney and Woodward; and Dalmore, runner-up in the Cornhusker, are both 30-1 on the morning line and com-plete the field.
Whitney – Continued from page 14
17Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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Hip 61 City Zip-One for London:The first foal out of a half sister to NICOLE H (G2).
Hip 78 Malibu Moon- Red Hot Bertie: Full sister to Cure the Moon (MGSP), and half sister to two other stakes fillies. One of which is RED HOT BUDDHA and stake winner by Buddha. From the immediate Family of BEACH PATROL. Reg. NY Bred
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Saratoga maiden winner, FINANCIAL
MODELING, takes his next step towards
his new career
BY TOM LAWAl Stall Jr. knows all about Star
Guitar the racehorse, stallion, name it.
He trained the three-time Louisi-ana-bred Horse of the Year, all-time earner from the Pelican State to 24 victories in 30 starts – 22 of the wins in stakes – and to enough extra high-lights on his stallion promotional page that he could share a few less-accom-plished and more ballyhooed sires in the American Stud Book.
“He’s doing really well,” Stall said this week at Saratoga. “He was one of those rare racehorses that never had a bad day for all the years we had him. He won his last 10 races in a row, how about that? He ran one allow-ance race in a comeback after a shin
as a young horse, the rest were stakes for the rest of his life.
“There’s a breeders’ day Saturday at Louisiana Downs, it’s only seven races. Check out the races and count up the Star Guitars, there might be 10 running on the card. I’m not exagger-ating, there might be 10 Star Guitars and I have three of them.”
The Louisiana Cup card indeed ac-tually features six horses by Star Gui-tar, colts, geldings and fillies, running in sprints, grass races and two-turn dirt races.
Nearly all of the Quiet American stallion’s success has come with Lou-Tod Marks
Louisiana-bred Minit To Stardom runs in today’s Test.
TEST STAKES PREVIEW
Good TuneStar Guitar filly Minit To Stardomtakes aim at Grade 1 for Stall barn
Continued On Page 20
19Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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isiana-breds and his offspring will not only be on display in Bossier City as Brittlyn Stable’s homebred filly Minit To Stardom puts her unbeaten mark on the line in the Grade 1 Test Stakes.
A win over the other 3-year-old fillies entered in the 7-furlong stakes would no doubt be a welcome addition to a stallion ad.
“He was a great racehorse, a great looking horse, perfectly sound,” Stall said. “His babies are versatile. This filly’s full sister (Wild About Star) is in one of the stakes Saturday and she’s running two turns on the grass. Minit To Stardom is sprinting in a Grade 1. Turf, dirt, long, short, male, female. I haven’t seen the difference between boys or girls. Maybe it’s that Quiet American, Fappiano, that probably helps him, too. That crosses with just about everything. I don’t know, but we’ll take it.”
Minit To Stardom, out of the stakes-winning Wildcat Heir mare Wild About Marie, is 3-for-3 going into the Test.
She won one of those Louisiana-bred stakes last
December, taking the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie by 7 1/4 lengths at Fair Grounds at odds-on.
Stall passed on the fillies division of the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity back at Fair Grounds New Year’s Eve and missed a chance to run her in the $120,000 Premier Night Starlet Stakes in early Feb-ruary at Delta Downs.
“She was on the program for the race at Delta but came up with a temp,” he said. “There weren’t any races for her and being a nice filly, I just shut her down, regrouped. She stayed in the barn. Know-ing how they write the races in Kentucky with the a-other-than maiden, claiming, starter, state-bred, we knew we could find a race and we took our time.”
Minit To Stardom didn’t miss much time, breezed twice at Fair Grounds before shipping back with Stall’s main group at Churchill Downs, breezed five more times in Louisville and returned in a 6-furlong allowance-optional the day before Memorial Day.
Minit To Stardom went off at nearly 4-1 and romped, winning by 6 1/4 lengths under Corey Lanerie in 1:09.30.
“What we saw that day caught everybody off guard,” Stall said. “We knew she was training good and was a nice filly. She went off at like 4-1, we knew she was a live horse, but didn’t know she was going to toe-rope a nice group of fillies. Corey nev-er really set her down until inside the eighth pole, let her finish up, won by 6 in 9 and 1.
“After that race the options were limited. We thought about the Victory Ride for a little while
then thought, she ran so good fresh off the bench, timing is not the issue, let’s just get her up here, get her acclimated and see what happens.”
Minit To Stardom drew post eight in the field of nine and is the 6-1 fifth choice on the line behind 3-1 favorite Mia Mischief, the 7-2 duo of Classy Act and Separationofpowers and 4-1 Alter Moon.
Classy Act and Mia Mischief come out of the Grade 3 Victory Ride at Belmont Park July 8, a 6 1/2-furlong race that saw those two battle early and Dixie Serenade close from off the pace to win. Classy Act finished second, beaten just a neck for Bret Calhoun and Brian Hernandez, who teamed up to win the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at the meet with Finley’sluckycharm and are together today.
Mia Mischief won the Purple Mountain at Oak-lawn Park and the Grade 2 Eight Belles before her fifth in the Victory Ride for Steve Asmussen. Ricar-do Santana Jr. takes the return call on the daughter of Into Mischief.
Chad Brown sends out Separationofpowers, fourth in the Victory Ride and winner of the Grade 1 Frizette last fall at Belmont; and Alter Moon, a $675,000 purchase by Steve Young on behalf of Pe-ter Brant at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July horses of racing age sale.
Norma’s Charm, Spectator, Cathedral Reader and Kelly’s Humor complete the field for the Test, which goes as the eighth on the five-stakes card topped by the Grade 1 Whitney.
Test – Continued from page 18
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21Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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HORSE OF THE YEARWHITNEY STAKES (G1) WINNER6x Grade 1 Winner of $15,988,500 and dominant winner of the 90th running of the $1,200,000 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga by 5 1/4 lengths.
“Gun Runner has spoiled us with his ability and his consistency to this point. For him to win a race the
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22 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
BY SHAYNA TILLERJustin Nicholson’s AJ Suited Rac-
ing Stable bred the breakout 3-year-old Hawkish, who had a strong spring highlighted by a win in the Grade 2 Penn Mile June 2. Nicholson brought on two partners after the gelding’s debut victory, sharing his homebred’s success.
Now, Nicholson looks to join the success of others, partnering with Keystone Racing and Qatar Rac-ing’s Bletchley, who goes in today’s $100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose going 1 mile on the inner turf.
“We are a smaller operation on the whole, but when we had Ninety North going we ballooned up to hav-ing 25 horses in training,” said Nich-
olson, who is also the co-founder of Equestricon with his wife Kathryn Sharp and Dan Tordjman. “It was a lot of action but we kept finding ourselves with these allowance-level horses, which you have a lot of great times over but there’s that ceiling you hit that you want to break through.
“We got lucky with Hawkish this year, who’s become that kind of horse and we’re considering some of these partnerships for taking a leg of a horse that we know has some proven class.”
Keystone Bloodstock and Justin Lauren KingBletchley (right) won in March at Gulfstream and takes part in the De La Rose.
DE LA ROSE STAKES PREVIEW
Partner UpCo-owner Nicholson optimistic for Bletchley in restricted stakes
Continued On Page 24
23Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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Casse purchased Bletchley, the En-glish-bred Group 3 placed daughter of Makfi, for $452,681 at the Tatter-salls mares sale in December.
Her breeder, Qatar Racing, joined Aaron Jute’s Keystone Racing, and the filly entered training with Mark Casse. She won her American debut in an allowance at Gulfstream March 15.
Nicholson received a call from his bloodstock agent, Chris Brothers, who worked closely with Jute, and he joined the partnership shortly be-fore Bletchley ran ninth in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April.
“Chris called me and said, ‘I think we’ve got a nice filly that you guys might want to jump into,” said Nich-olson. “(The Jenny Wiley) turned out to be an absolute monster race.”
Fresh off her allowance victory, Bletchley faced graded stakes winners Sistercharlie, Fourstar Crook and sta-blemate La Coronel, among others.
“It was kind of a freakish race,” said Nicholson. “She didn’t love the
ground and didn’t get the trip. We were 60-1 but the goal was to kind of put her in the race a little bit. She got out of the gate and it was a choice to take back or go and (Brian Hernan-
dez Jr.) kind of took her back and she just never really got much chance to get into it.”
They regrouped and Bletchley made her next start in the Grade 2
Nassau at Woodbine in May. With Patrick Husbands aboard, Bletchley loved the mile distance, but lost by a half-length in a troubled trip.
“The Nassau is a race most years that comes up as the right spot on the calendar and you don’t usually get a lot of the shippers going in there,” said Nicholson. “It was kind of a nightmare trip. Husbands was riding and he sat back and waited for some-thing to open and caught the worst of it all, going six wide and flying all the way home but couldn’t quite get there.
“When you’re a neck beat in any graded race it hurts a little bit but she ran her race, we weren’t at all disap-pointed.”
In her last start, she finished fourth in the 1 1/4-mile Grade 2 Dance Smartly at Woodbine.
“We were probably a little too far behind in the Woodbine starts,” said Nicholson. “We could’ve probably been a little bit closer. She might not have as much speed on her own, but maybe we can put her a little bit more into the race.”
Nicholson looks forward to re-
De La Rose – Continued from page 22
Tod MarksThundering Sky seeks a repeat in the De La Rose.
Continued On Page 26
25Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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26 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
turning to the 1-mile distance with John Velazquez aboard for the first time since her American debut.
“She’s a small filly, but you can tell she’s a competitor,” said Nicholson. “When you see her in the paddock, she’s very composed, which is differ-ent from some European horses when they come over here.
“For a horse that’s been racing over there to go over to Gulfstream, win in a mile, firm grass – I mean, that’s as hard as it gets for surfaces. If she could take that, she can pretty much handle anything. She can handle soft grass, she has in the past.”
Kiaran McLaughlin also hopes Godolphin Racing’s Lido likes the softer turf. The daughter of Street Cry is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning mare Cocoa Beach, who won the 2009 De La Rose and $1,744,595. McLaughlin trained Li-do’s half-brother, graded stakes win-ner and $244,574-earner Imperia.
“He was a great horse,” said Mc-Laughlin. “She trains great, she’s a re-ally nice filly but these stakes races we find it a little bit tough for her.
Lido won two allowances in her 4-year-old debut this spring, then finished third in the Grade 3 Beau-gay Stakes at Belmont in May before being seventh in the Perfect Sting at Belmont June 30.
“She didn’t have any other condi-tions because she won the three-oth-er-than at Keeneland so this is it,” said McLaughlin. “We’re in tough, but maybe she’ll like the little bit of give in the ground.
“Luis Saez rides her great, so we’re
happy he rides her tomorrow, and we’re thinking of having her forward-ly place.”
Uni, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, starts for Chad Brown and owners Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Part-ners, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables. After a fourth in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in October to close out her 3-year-old campaign, the daughter of More Than Ready won her debut this year in the Plenty of Grace Stakes at Aqueduct April 14.
Completing the field is Well Ac-quainted, Pas de Soucis, Precieuse, On Leave and Thundering Sky. Care Lady is an expected scratch after fin-ishing fifth in an allowance Thursday.
Repeat bid in LureSaturday’s Whitney Day card closes
with the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure for 4-year-olds and up which have not won a graded stakes in 2018. Ten were entered for the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes, including last year’s winner Zennor, Ticonderoga, Ballagh Rocks and Inspector Lynley.
Voodoo Song also showed up on the overnight but trainer Linda Rice said the English Channel colt, who won four races last summer at Sara-toga including the Grade 3 Saranac, would scratch in favor of the Grade 1 Fourstardave next Saturday. Rice said she’d prefer to wait for firmer ground with soft turf expected after rain Fri-day and more expected Saturday.
Zennor hasn’t raced since winning the Lure by 1 length over Projected last year. He beat two of his rivals today in last year’s Lure – sixth-place finisher Blacktype and seventh-place finisher Camelot Kitten. Conquest Panthera and Dalarna complete the field.
De La Rose – Continued from page 24
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BY BEN GOWANSScheduled as the race directly after
the Grade 1 Whitney, the $200,000 Waya might be an afterthought for most racing fans Saturday, but it will be a highlight for trainer Lynn Ashby and owner Jon Marshall.
The trainer and owner are happy to race their 5-year-old mare Tricky Escape at Saratoga, no matter what the day’s weather may bring.
“You know, we’re kind of praying for rain,” Ashby said Friday morning while trying to avoid raindrops. “I’m doing a happy dance here. I’m pretty happy if we get rain.”
The rain might not dramatically help Tricky Escape, but it certainly won’t hurt. She has been consistent throughout her career, winning five of
17 races and placing in another eight.Ashby and her runner shipped up
Thursday afternoon from their base at Middletown Training Center in Delaware to Saratoga. The trainer watched her multiple graded-stakes winner train Friday morning.
“She was sent to me right from the sale,” Ashby said regarding the Keeneland September yearling sale. “She was a little small but she was a beautiful picture. I started her under track April of her 2-year-old year, No pushing, just easy stuff. Jon kept say-ing, ‘let’s just take our time, let’s just take our time.’ ”Coady Photo
Tricky Escape won the Cardinal Handicap at Churchill Downs.
WAYA STAKES PREVIEW
Simple EntryTricky Escape brings connections to Saratoga for Gr. 3 turf stakes
Continued On Page 30
29Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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30 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
Ashby listened. She sent the filly to Florida. It took awhile for the daughter of Hat Trick to make a trip back north.
“She came back to me in April of her 3-year-old year,” Ashby said Friday morning as she waited for the mare to come out of her stall in Barn 26. “For some reason, we had never picked her papers up at (Keeneland). Jon said, ‘we have a place in Cali-fornia. I’d really love to see her run at Santa Anita. Can you find me a trainer there? In the meantime, I’m training her and saying. ‘wow she’s amazing.’
“By now, she’s a 3-year-old and she’s like coming out of her skin. We have a big grass course and she really had an affinity for it. We ended up getting her papers and getting her named, but it’s December now. The grass season is over.”
Tricky Escape started her career with five races on dirt, winning once. When spring and turf sea-son came around in the Mid-Atlantic, she made a successful grass debut in a first-level allowance at Laurel. Fast-forward to the middle of summer and she won her first stakes race in August at Mon-mouth, the Grade 3 Violet. She made the trip to Kentucky Downs a month later and ran second to the Ramsey-owned Kitten’s Roar in the Ramsey Farm Stakes. Two months later, she became a grad-ed stakes winner over sloppy dirt as well. She won Churchill’s Grade 3 Cardinal by a nose.
“She ran as a 4-year-old 12 times last year, which is quite amazing,” Ashby said. “She ran on all different surfaces, she’s very versatile. She has an amazing want-to attitude. She knows her job.”
After two even performances to start this year’s campaign, she got back into the winner’s circle last time out at Delaware Park in the Grade 3 Robert Dick Memorial Stakes.
“We got the trip. Chris knows this mare so well,” Ashby said of jockey Chris Decarlo who has ridden the mare in six of her last seven starts. “He’ll ship anywhere to ride her. He was sitting when everyone else was riding on the turn. I had my binoculars on her and I said, ‘this is good, this is good.’ ”
It was great.
Decarlo kept the filly covered up behind horses, rode the rail around the final of three turns, gave his mount a clear path between rivals mid-stretch and Tricky Escape did the rest. In her first race sans blinkers, she drew clear in the stretch to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
“She didn’t need them and I kept cutting them back, cutting them back, cutting them back,” Ash-by said regarding the cup size on the headgear. “She would try to look around to see who’s coming but it gave her so much more confidence taking them off.”
Ashby and Tricky Escape call Middletown Train-ing Center home. The trainer manages the 500-acre farm where she breaks yearlings and trains and rac-es Thoroughbreds and Arabians.
“We were going to retire but took this on. We were going to do retirement things,” Ashby said with a smile. “We built a new track, built a couple of new barns. Redid some things, it’s a phenomenal training center. It’s so close to all the Mid-Atlantic
tracks.“We have a beautiful 6-furlong dirt back that we
totally redid and a one-mile-and-a-sixteenth turf course and a bunch of trails. It really suits this mare well. The sale babies all come to us. We try to get them to grow heavy coats, because they’re with us all winter. They start training and they go to vari-ous trainers.”
The property, just over the state line from Mary-land’s Chesapeake City horse area, used to be called Sharp Farm and was the private training Center of owner/breeder Bayard Sharp and trainer Charlie Peoples. Sharp and Peoples raced Grade 1 winner Mississippi Mud, her son by Northern Dancer Dix-ieland Band (a Grade 2 winner and future sire), the Belmont Stakes-placed Baron de Vaux and others during a long career. The property includes a repli-ca of the Churchill Downs grandstand, complete with twin spires, at one end of the track.
A lifelong horsewoman, Ashby knows she’ll nev-er be fully detached from racing.
“I’m trying to retire, but this filly keeps us in it. It’s fun to go on the road with her. I love it, it’s something I get to wake up to every morning,” she said. “I can’t wait to see what the day is going to bring. I would never like it if it wasn’t that way. Will it always be related around the horses? Heck yeah, how do you get away?”
Tricky Escape drew post 3 in the 1 1/2-mile Waya and is 12-1 on the morning line.
Chad Brown hopes to win another turf stakes at the Saratoga meet. He trains the 2-1 morning line favorite Santa Monica, who won the Grade 2 Dance Smartly at Woodbine last time. Brown also sends out Homeland Security (5-1). The 4-year-old daughter of Smart Strike won the River Memories Stakes at Belmont Park last time out, a prep on the NYRA circuit for this race.
Joe Sharp looks to keep his strong meet rolling as he saddles Mom’s On Strike. The 3-1 second choice won Keeneland’s Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes in April. Graham Motion’s Lottie (4-1) finished in front of Santa Monica in her last start when she was beaten only a half-length in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay at Belmont.
Summersault, Violet Blue, and Queen Of Con-naught complete the field.
Waya – Continued from page 28
CARPE DIEM – fillyOut of CABARET STARLET, a half-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year ARRAVALE, a G1 winner in U.S. Earnings nearly $1.2M
CAIRO PRINCE – fillyOut of GRACEONTOUR, a half-sister to FELINE STORY, multiple GSW, G1-placed, over $435,000, won/placed in 10 stakes
Andrew Motion | (540) 454-3466 | [email protected]
Sells TUESDAY AUG. 7SARATOGA#WeSellAthletes
Hip #184 Hip #233
Phot
os ©
Ann
a Pu
rdy
Tod MarksSummersault tries to flip into the Waya winner’s circle.
32 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
Saturday, August 4.
1ST (1:00PM). $92,000, AOC $62,500, 3 YO’S & UP, 1 1/16M (TURF)Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Pic 5, Daily Double1 ..... MTO ......Secret House .................. . Rider TBA ...................... T. Amoss ...................... 5-21a .... MTO ......Rocky Tough .................. . Rider TBA ...................... T. Amoss ...................... 5-22 ..... 1 ............Souper Tapit ................... J. Velazquez ..................... M. Casse ...................... 3-13 ..... 2 ............Bird’s Eye View ............... J. Lezcano ....................... M. Dini ......................... 9-24 ..... 3 ............Hembree ........................ K. Carmouche .................. M. Maker ...................... 5-15 ..... 5 ............Aubenas (FR) ................. C. Lanerie ........................ A. Stall, Jr. .................... 8-16 ..... 6 ............Makarios ........................ M. Franco ........................ N. Zito ........................ 10-17 ..... 8 ............Holiday Stone ................. L. Saez ............................. G. Weaver..................... 4-18 ..... MTO ......Fundy’s Tide ................... . Rider TBA ...................... M. Lerman .................... 8-19 ..... 10 ..........Vigilante ......................... J. Ortiz ............................. E. Kenneally .................. 5-210..... MTO ......St. Louie Guy ................. D. Cohen .......................... R. Diodoro .................... 4-111..... MTO ......Exulting .......................... J. Alvarado ...................... K. McLaughlin .............. 2-1
2ND (1:35PM). $85,000, MSW, 2 YO, 1 1/16M (INNER TURF)Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Pic 4, Daily Double1 ..... AE..........Spirit Animal .................. J. Castellano .................... C. Brown ...................... 7-21a .... MTO ......Standard Deviation ......... J. Castellano .................... C. Brown ...................... 7-22 ..... 1 ............Brittas Bay ...................... M. Franco ........................ W. Ward ..................... 10-13 ..... 2 ............Casa Creed ..................... J. Alvarado ...................... W. Mott ........................ 8-14 ..... 3 ............Noble Nebraskan ............ J. Ortiz ............................. G. Weaver..................... 4-15 ..... 4 ............Malthael ......................... J. Rosario ........................ C. Clement.................... 5-16 ..... 5 ............Medina Ridge ................. L. Saez ............................. C. McGaughey III ......... 6-17 ..... 6 ............All American Hero .......... I. Ortiz, Jr. ........................ M. Casse ...................... 9-28 ..... 7 ............Bridgetothefuture ........... E. Prado ........................... A. Arriaga ................... 30-19 ..... 8 ............Agitator .......................... D. Cohen .......................... N. Zito ........................ 20-110..... 9 ............Golden Brew .................. R. Santana, Jr. ................. R. Rodriguez .............. 15-111..... 10 ..........Social Paranoia .............. J. Velazquez ..................... T. Pletcher .................... 3-112..... AE..........Opry ............................... J. Ortiz ............................. T. Pletcher .................... 9-213..... AE..........Ian Glass ........................ I. Ortiz, Jr. ........................ T. Morley .................... 12-114..... MTO ......Bumperdoo .................... . Rider TBA ...................... N. Zito ........................ 15-115..... MTO ......Bronxville ....................... . Rider TBA ...................... R. Handal ..................... 5-1
3RD (2:10PM). $45,000, MCL $40,000, 3 YO’S & UP, 6FExacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Daily Double1 ..... 2 ............Zelenka ........................... D. Beckner ....................... P. Meadow .................. 30-11a .... 8 ............Ziller ............................... D. Beckner ....................... P. Meadow .................. 30-12 ..... 1 ............Toga ............................... R. Maragh ........................ J. Englehart ................ 10-13 ..... 3 ............Our American Star ......... J. Alvarado ...................... D. Shivmangal .............. 5-14 ..... 4 ............Ragnar Lothbrok ............ D. Cohen .......................... G. Gullo ...................... 15-15 ..... 5 ............Rogue Nation ................. E. Cancel .......................... C. Baker ........................ 8-16 ..... 6 ............Cuarenta ......................... J. Velazquez ..................... T. Pletcher .................... 5-27 ..... 7 ............One More Tom ............... J. Castellano .................... D. Stewart .................... 3-18 ..... 9 ............Ninja Boys ...................... L. Saez ............................. M. Miceli .................... 15-19 ..... 10 ..........Preternatural .................. K. Carmouche .................. C. Clement.................... 7-2
4TH (2:46PM). $77,000, ALW, 3 YO’S & UP, 5 1/2F (TURF)Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Pic 61 ..... 5 ............Fast Getaway .................. M. Franco ........................ L. Rice .......................... 5-21a .... MTO ......The Caretaker ................. L. Saez ............................. K. McLaughlin .............. 5-22 ..... 1 ............Vitsal .............................. L. Saez ............................. B. Colebrook ................ 1-13 ..... MTO ......A True Giant ................... . Rider TBA ...................... R. Rodriguez ................ 8-14 ..... 3 ............Mickey T ........................ E. Cancel .......................... E. Barker .................... 30-15 ..... MTO ......Looking Ready ............... . Rider TBA ...................... B. Levine ...................... 8-16 ..... 6 ............Belleville Spring ............. J. Rosario ........................ D. Cannizzo ................ 12-17 ..... 7 ............Outrageous Bet .............. D. Cohen .......................... G. Contessa .................. 8-18 ..... 8 ............Scatsuku ........................ J. Alvarado ...................... L. Rice .......................... 8-19 ..... MTO ......Call Me a Star ................. . Rider TBA ...................... J. Englehart .................. 3-110..... 10 ..........Not So Quiet Man ........... K. Carmouche .................. D. Ryan ........................ 5-1
5TH (3:22PM). $100,000, THE FASIG-TIPTON DE LA ROSE, 4&UP, F&M , 1M (INNER TURF)Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Pic 6, Daily Double1 ..... 1 ............Uni (GB) ......................... I. Ortiz, Jr. ........................ C. Brown ...................... 5-22 ..... 2 ............Well Acquainted ............. M. Pino ............................ C. Martin .................... 30-13 ..... 3 ............Lido ................................ L. Saez ............................. K. McLaughlin ............ 12-14 ..... 4 ............Pas de Soucis (IRE) ....... J. Lezcano ....................... J. Abreu ........................ 8-15 ..... 5 ............Precieuse (IRE) .............. J. Castellano .................... C. Brown ...................... 3-16 ..... 6 ............Care Lady (ARG) ............ J. Rosario ........................ A. Delacour .................. 8-17 ..... 7 ............On Leave ........................ J. Ortiz ............................. C. McGaughey III ......... 3-18 ..... 8 ............Bletchley (GB) ................ J. Velazquez ..................... M. Casse .................... 10-19 ..... 9 ............Thundering Sky .............. R. Maragh ........................ G. Weaver................... 15-1
6TH (3:58PM). $85,000, MSW, 3 YO’S & UP, 7FExacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Pic 4, Daily Double1 ..... 1 ............Alkhaatam ...................... J. Ortiz ............................. C. Brown ...................... 7-22 ..... 2 ............Point of Humor .............. L. Saez ............................. B. Lynch ..................... 10-13 ..... 3 ............Dark N Cloudy ................ J. Velazquez ..................... T. Pletcher .................... 6-14 ..... 4 ............Hersh ............................. J. Rosario ........................ D. Magner .................... 4-15 ..... 5 ............Business Cycle ............... J. Castellano .................... C. Brown ...................... 2-16 ..... 6 ............Raphael .......................... M. Franco ........................ N. Zito ........................ 20-17 ..... 7 ............Duncastle ....................... D. Beckner ....................... J. Mc Allen ................. 15-18 ..... 8 ............Illudere ........................... I. Ortiz, Jr. ........................ J. Jerkens ..................... 9-2
7TH (4:34PM). $85,000, MSW, 2 YO, 6FExacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Pic 5, Daily Double1 ..... 2 ............Fullness of Time ............. J. Castellano .................... C. Brown ...................... 3-11a .... AE..........Ahead of Plan ................. J. Castellano .................... C. Brown ...................... 3-12 ..... 1 ............Justice of War ................ R. Santana, Jr. ................. S. Asmussen ................ 7-23 ..... 3 ............Cousin Pete .................... J. Velazquez ..................... T. Pletcher .................... 7-24 ..... 4 ............Dillon Rocks ................... K. Carmouche .................. R. Barbara .................. 12-15 ..... 5 ............Larceny .......................... L. Saez ............................. B. Lynch ..................... 12-16 ..... 6 ............Mucho ............................ J. Ortiz ............................. W. Mott ...................... 12-17 ..... 7 ............Moon Colony .................. I. Ortiz, Jr. ........................ M. Casse ...................... 8-18 ..... 8 ............Stock Chain .................... E. Cancel .......................... D. Lukas ..................... 20-19 ..... 9 ............Fabulous Fun .................. J. Rosario ........................ C. McGaughey III ......... 5-110..... 10 ..........Sneads ........................... D. Cohen .......................... N. Zito ........................ 30-1
8TH (5:10PM). $500,000, STK - THE LONGINES TEST, 3 YO, F , 7FExacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Pic 4, Daily Double1 ..... 1 ............Norma’s Charm .............. M. Franco ........................ U. St. Lewis ................ 30-12 ..... 2 ............Spectator ....................... J. Velazquez ..................... M. Nevin ....................... 8-13 ..... 3 ............Alter Moon ..................... J. Castellano .................... C. Brown ...................... 4-14 ..... 4 ............Classy Act ...................... B. Hernandez, Jr. ............. W. Calhoun ................... 7-25 ..... 5 ............Cathedral Reader ............ L. Saez ............................. D. Stewart .................. 20-16 ..... 6 ............Separationofpowers ....... J. Ortiz ............................. C. Brown ...................... 7-27 ..... 7 ............Mia Mischief .................. R. Santana, Jr. ................. S. Asmussen ................ 3-18 ..... 8 ............Minit to Stardom ............ C. Lanerie ........................ A. Stall, Jr. .................... 6-19 ..... 9 ............Kelly’s Humor ................. J. Rosario ........................ B. Cox ........................ 15-1
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33Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
9TH (5:46PM). $1,200,000, STK - THE WHITNEY, 3 YO’S & UP, 1 1/8MExacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Daily Double1 ..... 1 ............Tapwrit ........................... J. Velazquez ..................... T. Pletcher .................... 6-12 ..... 2 ............Backyard Heaven ............ J. Castellano .................... C. Brown ...................... 9-23 ..... 3 ............Dalmore ......................... R. Santana, Jr. ................. R. Hess, Jr. ................. 30-14 ..... 4 ............Mind Your Biscuits ......... J. Rosario ........................ C. Summers ................. 2-15 ..... 5 ............Discreet Lover ................ M. Franco ........................ U. St. Lewis ................ 30-16 ..... 6 ............Diversify ......................... I. Ortiz, Jr. ........................ R. Violette, Jr. ............... 7-57 ..... 7 ............Good Samaritan ............. J. Ortiz ............................. W. Mott ...................... 12-18 ..... 8 ............McCraken ....................... B. Hernandez, Jr. ............. I. Wilkes ..................... 15-1
10TH (6:22PM). $200,000, THE FASIG-TIPTON WAYA, 3&UP, F&M , 1 1/2M (INNER TURF)Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Daily Double1 ..... 1 ............Homeland Security ......... I. Ortiz, Jr. ........................ C. Brown ...................... 5-12 ..... 2 ............Mom’s On Strike ............ A. Beschizza .................... J. Sharp ........................ 3-13 ..... 3 ............Tricky Escape ................. C. DeCarlo ....................... L. Ashby ..................... 12-14 ..... 4 ............Queen of Connaught (GB) J. Castellano .................... M. Bell ........................ 15-15 ..... 5 ............Santa Monica (GB) ......... J. Ortiz ............................. C. Brown ...................... 2-16 ..... 6 ............Violet Blue ...................... M. Franco ........................ J. Toner ...................... 12-17 ..... 7 ............Summersault ................. J. Velazquez ..................... M. Hennig .................... 8-18 ..... 8 ............Lottie .............................. E. Prado ........................... H. Motion ..................... 4-1
11TH (6:56PM). $100,000, STK - THE FASIG-TIPTON LURE, 4 YO’S & UP, 1 1/16M (TURF)Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta1 ..... 1 ............Camelot Kitten ................ J. Velazquez ..................... M. Maker .................... 20-12 ..... 2 ............Ticonderoga ................... J. Castellano .................... C. Brown ...................... 5-13 ..... 3 ............Mr Cub ........................... C. Landeros ..................... I. Wilkes ..................... 12-14 ..... 4 ............Conquest Panthera ......... L. Saez ............................. M. Casse ...................... 8-15 ..... 5 ............Dalarna ........................... D. Cohen .......................... K. Rubley .................... 30-16 ..... 6 ............Ballagh Rocks ................ I. Ortiz, Jr. ........................ W. Mott ........................ 4-17 ..... 7 ............Zennor ........................... R. Maragh ........................ K. McLaughlin .............. 6-18 ..... 8 ............Voodoo Song ................. M. Franco ........................ L. Rice .......................... 5-29 ..... 9 ............Inspector Lynley ............. J. Ortiz ............................. C. McGaughey III ......... 6-110..... 10 ..........Blacktype (FR) ................ J. Rosario ........................ C. Clement.................. 12-1
Targeted care to get your horse back in the game and better than ever.
STOWE BURKE, [email protected] · (518) 210-4322
Burke Equine is located 4 miles from Saratoga Race Course
ECB COLD SALTWATER SPA
POST-SURGICAL CARE
AQUAPACER
“A Spa at the Spa”
PRE-CONDITIONING VIA TRAINING TRACK AND GRASS GALLOPS
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Measuring your way to the Winner’s Circle…
Frank Mitchell (859) 420-1220 ~ Jay Kilgore (859) 333-5430 ~ Bob Fierro (917) 705-1108 �[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Biomechanical and Cardio Score Services at Saratoga Select & New York-Bred Sales
34 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
Guest HandicapperToday’s guest handicapper is Dave Hudson, better known in handicapping circles
as Huddie and the master of the annual Saratoga Huddie Pool contest. A native of Saratoga Springs and lifelong horseman, Hudson also is involved in racing as an
owner with Huddie Stables. Friday, “Garlic Rob” picked 3 winners. *The guest win total does not include Monday or Wednesday, when only The Spe-
cial’s regular handicappers picks appear at thisishorseracing.com.
grid
the Power
Race #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
91011
ExultingSouper Tapit
HembreeBrown entry
All American HeroMedina RidgeRogue NationPreternatural
CuarentaThe Caretaker
VitsalFast Getaway
UniPrecieuse
Well AcquaintedBusiness Cycle
AlkhaatamHersh
Ahead Of PlanCousin Pete
Justice Of WarMia Mischief
SeparationofpowersClassy ActDiversifyTapwrit
Mind Your BiscuitsSanta Monica
Mom’s On StrikeTricky EscapeVoodoo SongBallagh RocksTiconderoga
Amoss entryExulting
Souper TapitSocial Paranoia
Brown entryMedina RidgePreternatural
CuarentaToga
Broman entryVitsal
ScatsukuPrecieuse
UniOn Leave
Business CycleAlkhaatam
HershBrown entryCousin Pete
MuchoMia MischiefClassy Act
SeparationofpowersDiversify
Backyard HeavenTapwritLottie
Santa MonicaMom’s On Strike
TiconderogaBallagh RocksVoodoo Song
ExultingSouper Tapit
Holiday StoneAll American HeroNoble NebraskanSocial ParanoiaOne More Tom
CuarentaRogue NationThe CaretakerCall Me A Star
VitsalOn Leave
UniPrecieuse
Business CycleAlkhaatam
IlludereJustice Of WarFabulous FunCousin Pete
Minit To StardomClassy Act
Kelly’s HumorMind Your Biscuits
DiversifyMcCraken
Santa MonicaLottie
Mom’s On StrikeBallagh Rocks
Mr CubInspector Lynley
VigilanteHoliday StoneSouper Tapit
All American HeroNoble NebraskanSocial ParanoiaPreternaturalRogue NationOne More TomFast Getaway
VitsalOutrageous Bet
On LeaveUni
Pas De SoucisHersh
AlkhaatamBusiness CycleMoon Colony
Justice Of WarFabulous Fun
SeparationofpowersSpectator
Alter MoonGood SamaritanBackyard Heaven
McCrakenMom’s On Strike
Tricky EscapeSanta Monica
Inspector LynleyVoodoo SongTiconderoga
Bird’s Eye ViewSecret HouseSouper TapitMedina Ridge
Social ParanoiaBrittas Bay
Rogue NationCuarenta
PreternaturalFast Getaway
Looking ReadyVitsal
PrecieuseCare Lady
UniPoint Of HumorBusiness Cycle
IlludereCousin Pete
MuchoFabulous FunAlter MoonSpectator
Kelly’s HumorDiversify
Good SamaritanTapwrit
Santa MonicaSummersault
Mom’s On StrikeVoodoo SongTiconderoga
Ballagh Rocks
2018 Records 42/130 31/130 32/130 22/130 14/91*
Our
fifth
han
dica
pper
will
be
a sp
ecia
l gue
st e
ach
day.
TomLaw
DonaldPhillips
CharlesBedard
JohnShapazian
Huddie
35Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
Featured Property4449 Route 9N, Greenfield - $189,600
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Rare chance to own part of a yearling Uncle Mo filly.
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Presented on the 28th of September, year two thousand and seventeen.
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36 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
Every horse starts somewhere, even Saratoga superstars. Keeneland Sales helps The Special look back at some memorable graded stakes win-ners – and Keeneland graduates – at the Spa. We’ll re-connect and dig up some memories. Enjoy.
TizwayWhitney Stakes 2011
BY JOE CLANCYPatience paid off with Tizway, a $140,000
Keeneland September yearling purchase by own-er Bill Clifton and trainer Jim Bond in 2006. The son of Tiznow made one start as a 2-year-old, and needed five races to win a maiden as a 3-year-old.
And then he really needed time.“He was kind of a late-bloomer, a typical
Tiznow,” said Bond, mentioning the horse’s sire. “They look like they can do more than they really can do as 2-year-olds.”
In June of his 3-year-old season, after six loss-es on dirt, Tizway started in a maiden race on Woodbine’s synthetic surface. Sent of at 18-1, he set the pace, got passed in the stretch and won by a half-length.
“He loved it there, and ran great,” said Bond Thursday morning. “But he came out of that race really banged up so I turned him out for a couple months. A lot of people would have jogged the horse for two months, run him for a claiming tag and said goodbye, but Mr. Clifton is a star own-er. He listens to what needs to be done, does the right thing and if it’s meant to be it’s meant to be. Great owners make great horses.”
Tizway didn’t run for almost 11 months, but returned to win at Aqueduct in April of his 4-year-old year. He scored again at Belmont Park in July and finished fourth in the 2009 Whitney behind Bullsbay. Bred by Whisper Hill Farm, Tiz-way returned in 2010 and added the Grade 2 Kel-so. And then came 2011.
Tizway opened with thirds in the Gulfstream Park Handicap and Charles Town Classic, but ran the two best races of his life as a 6-year-old in back-to-back Grade 1 triumphs in the Metropol-itan Handicap May 30 at Belmont and the Whit-ney at Saratoga Aug. 6.
The Whitney was a tour de force, as Tizway
and Rajiv Maragh blitzed to a 3-length triumph over Flat Out and nine others. Bond called it a career milestone, like his 1996 Travers with Will’s Way, but also remembered sweating some details. Tizway wore glue-on shoes, hated a wet racetrack and – much like 2018 – the rain seemed to never be far away.
“I’m at the barn and I’m as nervous as can be because it’s raining in Ballston Spa as hard as it can rain and it’s coming this way,” Bond said. “It
looks like it’s going to be on top of us in seconds.”Clifton, sitting in a clubhouse box with Bond’s
wife Tina, called his trainer for a weather report.“What do you think, what do you think?” the
owner asked.Bond, alternating looks at his television weath-
er report and the sky, blurted out an answer.“We’re going to be OK, but there are no fin-
gernails left.”
Saratoga Memories, presented by Keeneland, is an ongoing series that looks back at some of the top moments from Keeneland Sales graduates among Saratoga’s best racing.
Tod MarksTizway and Rajiv Maragh win the 2011 Whitney.
Continued On Page 37
37Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
Bond had chewed his to bits, but the rain stayed away and Tizway leapt into the older-male champi-onship picture – for a few months anyway. A fever kept him out of the Jockey Club Gold Cup in October, and a ligament injury 11 days before the Breeders’ Cup ended his career.
“I know he’d have won the Clas-sic,” Bond said. “He was just train-ing so good. It just wasn’t meant to be. It’s the game we all play but he was great in the Met, in the Whitney, and did everything he was supposed to for us.”
Tizway retired to Spendthrift Farm, and stood six seasons before being sold to South Korea for stud duty last year.
His son Backyard Heaven runs in today’s Whitney, and Bond and Clif-ton won an optional claimer with Tizway gelding Prioritize here Sun-day. Tizway’s last American-born foals are weanlings and the Bonds own 11.
“We’re still in and I’m glad to be in, because he’s the kind of horse who makes a good stallion,” said Bond. “I was sad to see him go, but I know it’s a business.”
Like Tizway, Prioritize was a Keeneland September purchase by Bond and Clifton. A decade passed between them, but the methods were still the same.
“We’ve done this for well over 27, 28 years, and we’ve been so fortu-nate,” Bond said of the process. “We do a lot of heart work, Equine Bio-mechanics does all the measuring for us. We’ve fine-tuned it, but it’s still there. We just keep comparing and try to lessen the exposure, try to nar-row it down a little.”
Back in 2006, Tizway fit the pro-file and he grew into one of the best horses to race for Bond and Clifton.
“He was a tough horse, coltish a little bit, not mean, but he wanted to let you know he was the boss, he was the man,” said Bond. “He had an air about him. I think good horses have that. I believe in the pack thing and there’s a leader in the pack. And that was him in my barn.”
Tizway – Continued from page 36
+ N o . 1 s i r e b y B e y e r S p e e d F i g u r e s
+ M o r e 9 0 + B e y e r s t h a n a n y o t h e r s i r e
+ m o r e 1 0 0 + b e y e r s t h a n a n y o t h e r s i r e
TA P I T
Data includes all North American starts that were assigned a Beyer Speed Figure from Jan. 1-July 18, 2018.
TapitScat DaddyKitten’s JoyWar FrontEnglish ChannelGiant’s CausewayCandy Ride (ARG)CurlinInto MischiefStreet SenseQuality RoadDistorted HumorGhostzapperMalibu Moon
109 Unique Bella107 Justify104 Oscar Performance102 Fire Away105 Heart to Heart101 Smiling Causeway120 Gun Runner100 Irish War Cry101 Golden Mischief101 The Lieutenant, McKinzie107 City of Light102 Matrooh97 Proctor’s Ledge, Summer Bourbon106 Pioneer Spirit
SIRE
5846393731313029262625242423
3220211616141915141313151412
16.33%10.00%9.68%19.05%11.27%7.57%10.50%9.55%5.76%11.11%8.07%13.76%8.24%5.74%
NO. OF BEYERS
NO. OF HORSES
PERCENTAGE OF STARTERS
86717132137103
52413131124102
2.55%1.00%1.84%1.19%2.11%0.54%1.66%0.64%0.41%1.71%2.48%0.92%0.00%0.96%
NO. OF BEYERS
NO. OFHORSES
PERCENTAGE OF STARTERS
90+ BEYER SPEED FIGURES 100+ BEYER SPEED FIGURES
HIGHEST BEYER,HORSE
BEYER SIRE PERFORMANCE STANDINGS
38 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
Every horse starts somewhere, even Saratoga superstars. Keeneland Sales helps The Special look back at some memorable graded stakes winners – and Keeneland graduates – at the Spa. We’ll re-con-nect and dig up some memories. Enjoy.
Paola QueenTest Stakes 2016
BY JOE CLANCYBill Landes was in Cincinnati two years ago,
thinking about something other than Thoroughbred racing, when his phone literally – OK, more like fig-uratively, but it was close – blew up.
“My God, I was getting calls from all over,” he said. “I didn’t know what happened.”
The general manager of Kentucky’s Hermitage Farm since 1977 figured it out soon enough. The Hermitage-bred, -foaled and -raised Paola Queen had rocked Saratoga Race Course with an upset score in the Grade 1 Test Stakes of 2016. Sent off at 55-1, the daughter of Flatter and the Kafwain mare Kadira, paid $112 thanks to a closing kick that pushed her past three horses in the stretch. Ridden by Luis Saez, Paola Queen rated behind wild early fractions of :21.74 and :43.50 set by Kareena and picked up all the pieces of the 7-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
The victory touched off a celebration in the Sara-toga winner’s circle, as Grupo Seven C Stable and trainer Gustavo Delgado soaked in a Grade 1 win on the sport’s biggest stage. Delgado wasn’t totally surprised, but recognized how his filly’s chances im-proved as the race unfolded.
“They went in (:21.74), that’s speed,” Delgado told The Special after the win. “I said, ‘ay, ay, I have a chance. I have a chance.’ ”
He did indeed. Paola Queen, who came into the race with a February maiden win on her seven-start past-performance chart, became a Grade 1 winner for breeder CFP Thoroughbreds. The business name for former Hermitage owner Carl Pollard, CFP has been rewarded for supporting Claiborne Farm stal-lion Flatter.
“Mr. Pollard has had nothing but luck with Flat-ter,” said Landes. “I’m not sure why we started send-ing mares to him the first time. He was kind of un-proven, but gave us a nice solid individual.”
Thanks to those solid individuals, Hermitage
has sent mares to the now 19-year-old son of A.P. Indy for years. The results included back-to-back years with Grade 1 wins at Saratoga – Paola Queen in 2016 and West Coast in 2017. Other Hermitage mares Kiss The Devil (whose Flatter filly Romantic Moment has won twice) and Feather Spun also went to the stallion, whose fee stands at $40,000.
“We stepped it up,” Landes said of the mares sent to visit Flatter. “Kadira was a stakes winner and we got Paola Queen. Caressing was a champion and we got West Coast. We like the foals we get.”
Foaled in 2013, Paola Queen fit that mold and went to Keeneland September with eight other year-lings in the Hermitage consignment. Seven sold, with Paola Queen checking in as the second-highest at $180,000 for Grupo Seven C.
“She was a little bigger and a little longer and had a little more to her than some,” said Landes. “That helped her. I was very happy for those guys when she did so well.”
Saratoga Memories, presented by Keeneland, is an ongoing series that looks back at some of the top moments from Keeneland Sales graduates among Saratoga’s best racing.
Tod MarksPaola Queen wins the 2016 Test at Saratoga.
Continued On Page 39 Laura Plato
Paola Queen, on the farm.
39Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
CLOT
HIN
G •
HOM
E •
ACC
ESSO
RIES
GIFTS • MEM
ORABILIA • SOU
VENIRS
Pollard purchased Paola Queen’s dam Kadira at Keeneland September 2006 and raced her with trainer Da-vid Vance. She won three stakes and placed in a Grade 3 before becoming a broodmare. In foal to Tale Of The Cat, she brought $725,000 on a bid by Royal Oak Farm at Keeneland November in 2016.
As a 2-year-old, Paola Queen went to Delgado and made her debut at Saratoga in 2015, finishing fifth late in the meet. She lost her only other start at 2, at Gulfstream Park in December, but broke through as a 3-year-old with a maiden win at Gulfstream in February and then a second (to Go Maggie Go) in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. A well-beaten ninth in the Kentucky
Oaks, Paola Queen finished fifth in the Acorn at Belmont Park two months before the big Test win. She raced just twice more, unplaced ef-forts in the Beldame and Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
She made two more trips to the Keeneland sales ring, bringing $1.7 million each time. In November 2016, SF Bloodstock made the pur-chase and sent her to Bridlewood Farm where she was in training, but never raced. Don Alberto Corp. added her to its broodmare band in November 2017 and she was bred to Medaglia d’Oro this year.
“She is carrying a colt and it’s just fingers crossed for a good foal,” said Fabricio Buffolo, of Don Al-berto Farm in Kentucky. “It’s her first pregnancy and she is out with a group of friends now. She’s really easygoing and is just relaxing and waiting.”
Paola Queen – Continued from page 38
thisishorseracing.com
Home of The Special & more
40 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
BY SEAN CLANCY Two hours before the Hall of Fame Stakes Fri-
day, Chad Brown was still deliberating about what to do with Raging Bull. Run on yielding turf at 1 1/16-miles at Saratoga or wait and run at 1 1/4 miles in the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park next weekend. Owner Peter Brant drove to Brown’s tack-room office in Horse Haven Friday afternoon and they talked it over some more. Brant wanted to run. Brown wasn’t sure. Finally, the trainer decided to take his shot in the Grade 2 stakes on an overcast afternoon at Saratoga.
“I was inches from scratching this horse,” Brown said. “Then I just said, ‘I’m going to run him.’ ”
The decision looked wrong for most of the Hall of Fame Stakes. Tod Marks
Raging Bull (4) catches Maraud near the finish of Friday’s featured Hall of Fame Stakes.
Bull Nose French-bred colt wins head bob Hall Stakes
HALL OF FAME STAKES RECAP
Continued On Page 40
42 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
“Yeah, absolutely,” Brown said when asked if he thought he had made the wrong move. “Until about mid-stretch, then I was like, ‘Well, he’s not going to run terrible, he might get close.’ ”
Oh, he got close. Raging Bull and Joel Rosario
lagged in seventh, swung out in the stretch, and nailed Maraud by a nose in the final stride to give Brant and Brown their second flip-the-coin photo finish this meet. Two weeks ago, Sistercharlie won a thriller in the Diana, the last inch being the cru-cial inch. Raging Bull did the same thing, landing his nose on the line like an axe to an apple. Brant and Brown watched from the same two clubhouse boxes, to the right of the center stairs. Brant stood again, ask-ing for confirmation and wishing for the head bob at the same time. Brown slumped in his chair again, muttering, wishing and waiting.
“Neither,” Brown said when asked which one he was more confident
about winning. “My confidence level was very low in both photos. I want-ed to see it official. I wasn’t sure he got the best of that bob, but man he did.”
Brant wasn’t sure either time.“About the same,” Brant said
when asked to compare the two cring-ers. “No, I was a little more confident today, I thought I lost the Diana.”
As for Rosario, he didn’t know.“Whoa, I don’t know, this is very
close,” Rosario said, when asked for his thoughts when he hit the wire. “I couldn’t tell.”
Finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.69, Raging Bull improved his career re-cord to three wins from four starts, registering his first stakes win. The French-bred son of Dark Angel won his first two starts, rallying to win a maiden over good turf at Keeneland in April and an allowance on firm turf at Belmont Park in June. The bay colt lost his stakes debut, finishing second in the Manila Stakes at Belmont Park July 4, but made up for that with a slow-burning, long-churning rally to nab Maraud in the Hall of Fame Stakes.
“Remarkable turn of foot,” Brown said. “I can’t believe he got there from
where he was, he wasn’t doing any running.”
Sent off the favorite, Raging Bull broke well from post 4 and listened to Rosario’s subtle cues to slide back into seventh as Gidu and Gemonteer led the field into the first turn. Sec-ond-choice Gidu, making his first start since venturing to Royal Ascot, evad-ed John Velazquez’s hold and tore off to a 6-length lead as the field turned down the backside, ripping through the first quarter-mile in :23.44 and :47.23. Third-choice Maraud found a perfect spot in fourth along the rail while Raging Bull lobbed along in seventh. Leaving the backside, Gidu led but looked vulnerable as Maraud slipped inside Gemonteer into second and Rosario began to roust Raging Bull, toiling near the back
“I thought he was surely going to lose it there. The horse just didn’t look like he was taking the rider any-where,” Brown said. “I’m not betting him there, if you froze the race and said you could have any horse…Ma-raud is 8 lengths in front of him there and he likes soft turf.”
Turning for home, Gidu battled on the rail as Maraud and Ride A Comet rallied as a pair and Raging Bull slid across hooves and aimed wide, but had yet to look legitimate, a small check, perhaps, but that’s all. Passing the eighth pole, Raging Bull moved into fifth, then fourth, as Rosario kept his rhythm and his composure, pump-ing but not thumping. Fourth and switching back to his left lead near-ing the sixteenth pole, Raging Bull began to make up ground on Ride A
Comet and Maraud but it still looked out of reach. Maraud put away Ride A Comet and opened up by a quick length on Maraud as Raging Bull blew past him with seven strides to go. Those seven strides proved crucial as Raging Bull and Maraud landed on the line together.
“Man, he nailed him right on the wire, ouch,” Brown said, watching the replay. “I don’t think that was his best. I know the form will say he won and he’s a soft-ground horse now, but not to my eye. What a horse. I can’t believe it, I came this close to scratch-ing for the Secretariat.”
In their afternoon meeting, Brant knew what he wanted to do while Brown waffled on what he wanted to do.
“I just thought the chances the horse would handle an off going were better than handling a longer distance, but it’s his decision,” Brant said. “He said he was going to wait a couple of hours, then he decided that he wanted to run. I don’t really get in-volved in that, you can second guess a trainer all day long, but I don’t do that, if they ask me what I think, I tell them and that’s it.”
Purchased from the Wildenstein Stable’s dispersal at Goffs in Ireland in 2016, Raging Bull was one of 20 yearlings in the 110-horse draft, fetch-ing $100,935. Brant’s White Birch Farm also purchased his dam, Rosa Bonheur, for $85,016. The daughter of Mr. Greeley was in foal to Siyouni at the time and is back in foal to Dark Angel.
Stakes – Continued from page 42
Tod MarksRaging Bull looked like a knockout in the paddock.
43Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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44 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
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Miss Mystique won for the first time since her debut more than a year ago in Friday’s sixth race at Sarato-ga Race Course, giving trainer Leah Gyarmati her first win of the meet.
“She actually runs her best num-bers on the turf but I know she can handle the dirt. She’s maturing and learning,” Gyarmati said after hug-ging winning jockey Rajiv Maragh in the winner’s circle. “I was very ex-cited about the jump in her numbers when she began running on turf, but numbers are numbers, right?”
The 5 1/2-furlong New York-bred allowance was originally carded for
the grass but moved to the main track. “I have to thank my blacksmith
John Rugar,” Gyarmati said. “He hung around all day in case it came off the turf, so shout-out to him. I made him wait and at the last minute he ran over there. Every good thing that comes to me is because of God.”
Miss Mystique began passing hors-es on the turn and was only down 1 1/2 lengths at the top of stretch. She withstood a bump from runner-up Tod Marks
Miss Mystique (left) splashes home in Friday’s sixth race.
FRIDAY RACING RECAP
BreakingThrough
Miss Mystique, Gyarmati score in New York-bred allowance
Continued On Page 46
45Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
Today’s Gr. 1 Test Stakes. In 1989 it was won by a Maryland-bred– eventual 1989 Eclipse Award-winning Sprinter
SAFELY KEPT.She ran it in 1:212⁄5.The Test Stakes was one of her eight stakes wins from nine starts as a 3-year-old. Her only loss that year was a second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint when she was caught at the wire by Dancing Spree.
SAFELY KEPT • First sprinter to have ever earned more
than two million dollars• First Maryland-bred to win a
Breeders’ Cup race (Sprint in 1990)• Maryland-bred horse of the year
1989 and 1990, with a Maryland-bred championship every year she ran
• Leading all-time Maryland-bred distaff earner of $2,194,206
• 24 wins with average winning margin of more than 31⁄2 lengths
• Inducted into the National Racing Hall of Fame in 2011
Maryland-breds run with the best. Look for them in the winner’s circle at race tracks
all over the world. Watch for them at the sales.Better stallions. Better mares. Maryland-breds.
www.MarylandThoroughbred.com
46 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
Stonefactor at the sixteenth pole and edged past that rival prevail by a neck.
“She’s very forward, always want-ing to go, go, go,” Gyarmati said. “She ran some good races, she was just in some tough company. She might have even won a little easier had she not had the little issue in the stretch with the other horse coming out. Normal-ly, she’s the one that lugs out.”
– Ben Gowans
• Linda Rice liked what she saw when scouting prospects at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale, especially a weanling filly by Into Mischief.
“Big pretty filly with a great walk – that’s what drew me to her,” Rice said. “I liked Into Mischief as a stal-lion and at the time, his stud fee was $35,000.”
The filly cost $125,000, the sec-ond most expensive price at the sale. A few months shy of two years later, Rice watched as the filly now named She’s Trouble broke her maiden in the fifth for owners Lady Sheila Stable, Edition Farm, Janet Anderson and Gary Anderson.
“She’s a little odd in some ways mentally,” Rice said. “I tried to put blinkers on her and she wouldn’t have it. A few things like that.”
She’s Trouble made her debut as the 7-5 favorite in a similar state-bred maiden going 5 1/2 furlongs June 14 at Belmont. She broke poorly and was 15 lengths back at the quarter pole but managed to finish third.
“She doesn’t like a man in the gates with her,” said Rice. “That’s why she broke so poorly. She’s a sweetheart but she’s a little funny. Obviously she’s got some ability. We’re excited.
“Irad (Ortiz Jr.) and I talked in the paddock and he thought there was going to be two speed (horses) and he planned on kind of sitting off of it. This filly doesn’t show great gate speed but she finishes up well.”
– Sarah Newman
• Gary Contessa picked up his first win of the meet on the 13th day, send-ing out Timeless Beauty to victory in the second.
“Off the schneid,” Contessa said on his way to the winner’s circle. “I
thought she was going to win the race, Luis Saez looked like he had horse every step of the way.”
Timeless Beauty won the 6-fur-long maiden claimer by 3 lengths. She was claimed for $20,000 by trainer Robertino Diodoro and owner Blue Stork Stables.
“I wasn’t sure about the track con-dition, but turns out she likes it. She got claimed, but that’s the price you pay at Saratoga to win a race some-times. We’re very pleased, we won the race and she got claimed. I hope the next guy does as well with her.”
Timeless Beauty came in off three straight runner-up finishes in 1-mile races in November, December and January at Aqueduct. She underwent arthroscopic surgery after her most recent start Jan. 25.
“She wasn’t ready to go a mile and here at Saratoga it’s either sprint or go a mile and an eighth, there is no mile, so this was the lesser of two evils for her,” Contessa said. “Getting that first win at Saratoga is like carrying a 200-pound bag of concrete over your shoulder and you win a race and you can let it go, you feel much lighter and the rest is gravy. Now the wins will come. That first win is very elu-sive and believe me, no matter what trainer you talk to, we are all very cognizant of winning that first race in Saratoga.”
– David Woods
Saratoga LeadersTRAINERS ...................... 1STChad Brown ..................................14Steve Asmussen ...........................10Todd Pletcher ..................................8Bill Mott ..........................................7Robertino Diodoro ..........................4Jeremiah Englehart .........................4Joe Sharp ........................................4Brad Cox .........................................3Shug McGaughey ............................3Linda Rice .......................................3
JOCKEYS ....................... 1STIrad Ortiz Jr. ..................................16Luis Saez .......................................15Javier Castellano ...........................14Ricardo Santana Jr. .......................12John Velazquez .............................11Manny Franco ...............................10Joel Rosario ..................................10Jose Ortiz ........................................6
Through Friday
Friday – Continued from page 44
Hip 21C. by Curlin
o/o Leh She Run
Hip 58F. by Liam’s Mapo/o Occasionally
Hip 71F by Honor Code
o/o Quanah County
Come see them at Barn 10
Wrangleyour next
Stakes Star
Hip 112F. by Tiznow
o/o Skipstone
Hip 117F. by Carpe Diemo/o Street Interest
Hip 132F. by Bernardinio/o Toccet Over
Hip 223C. by Constitution
o/o Fort Afleet
Tod MarksShe’s Trouble coasts home in the fifth.
47Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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48 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
Friday August 3.
FIRST $50,000, MAIDEN CLAIMING $50,000, 2 YO, 5 1/2F5 Cassies Dreamer R. Santana, Jr. $4.70 $3.10 $2.903 Malibu Mischief J. Alvarado $4.70 $3.406 Whyisshesoolucky A. Hernandez Sanchez $3.60Dk B/ Br Filly 2016, by Flatter - Chilbolton by War FrontOwner: Loooch Racing Stables, Inc.. Trainer: Anthony Quartarolo. Breeder: Santucket Stables & Indian Creek (KY).Late Scratches: Honey ParadeClaimed: Cassies Dreamer claimed by Turf Stable Racing (Rusty Jones) for $50,000 Time: 1:05.21Exacta (5-3), $16.70; Superfecta (5-3-6-2), $12.02; Trifecta (5-3-6), $29.62
SECOND $37,000, MAIDEN CLAIMING $20,000, 3 YO’S & UP, 6F3 Timeless Beauty L. Saez $11.60 $5.50 $3.908 Salt Pond J. Ortiz $5.70 $3.509 Jordy’s Ready H. Diaz, Jr. $4.40B Filly 2015, by New Year’s Day - Timezone by PulpitOwner: DCK Racing. Trainer: Gary Contessa. Breeder: Gary & Mary West Stables, Inc. (KY).Claimed: Timeless Beauty claimed by Blue Stork Stables for $20,000Time: 1:11.10Daily Double (5-3), $20.00; Exacta (3-8), $33.00; Quinella (3-8), $17.60; Superfecta (3-8-9-6), $57.20; Trifecta (3-8-9), $94.37
THIRD $50,000, NY-BRED CLAIMING $25,000, 3 YO’S & UP, 6F2 H Man M. Franco $9.20 $3.70 $2.503 Sudden Surprise D. Cohen $2.80 $2.201 Global Positioning M. Luzzi $2.90B Gelding 2012, by Musket Man - Private Port by Sea SaluteOwner: Allread, Neal, M.. Trainer: Jeremiah Englehart. Breeder: Eric Fein (NY).Late Scratches: Chosen One ElijahClaimed: H Man claimed by Mondello, Ben for $25,000, Sudden Sur-prise claimed by Mane Event Stable for $25,000, Global Positioning claimed by Team D for $25,000 Time: 1:10.98Daily Double (3-2), $26.75; Exacta (2-3), $11.60; Superfecta (2-3-1-7), $6.77; Trifecta (2-3-1), $16.12; Consolation Double (3-4), $5.40; Pic 3 (5-3-2), $92.50; (5-3-4), $20.80
FOURTH $25,000, CLAIMING $12,500, 3 YO’S & UP, 1 1/8M2 Madame Barbarian D. Cohen $18.60 $8.10 $5.607 Zeven R. Santana, Jr. $5.40 $4.106 Arewehavingfunyet L. Saez $3.70Dk B/ Br Mare 2013, by Stroll - Sweet Ober Melissa by Tale of the CatOwner: Calia’s Wild Ride Racing LLC. Trainer: Gary Gullo. Breeder: Ol’ Memorial Stables (KY). Time: 1:53.03Daily Double (2-2), $39.25; Exacta (2-7), $62.25; Quinella (2-7), $25.00; Superfecta (2-7-6-1), $109.00; Trifecta (2-7-6), $135.25; Pic 3 (3-2-2), $282.00; (3-4-2), $53.00
FIFTH $75,000, NY-BRED MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT, 2 YO, 6F2 She’s Trouble I. Ortiz, Jr. $8.40 $3.60 $2.807 She Will Rock R. Santana, Jr. $3.80 $3.104 Mary’s Girl J. Lezcano $6.20Gr/ro Filly 2016, by Into Mischief - Roses Plus by Value PlusOwner: Lady Sheila Stable, Edition Farm, Anderson, Janet and Ander-son, Gary. Trainer: Linda Rice. Breeder: Clyde Taylor (NY).Late Scratches: Quietude, Give Me a Hug Time: 1:12.26Daily Double (2-2), $45.50; Exacta (2-7), $14.50; Superfecta (2-7-4-5), $31.35; Trifecta (2-7-4), $74.75; Consolation Double (2-3), $9.10; Pic 3 (2-2-2), $243.50; (2-2-3), $44.50; Pic 4 (3-2-2-2), $666.50; Pic 5 (1/5-3-2-2-2), $2,992.00
SIXTH $77,000, NY-BRED ALLOWANCE, 3 YO’S & UP, 5 1/2F5 Miss Mystique R. Maragh $9.40 $4.80 $3.108 Stonefactor K. Carmouche $3.80 $2.501 Rock Ave. Road A. Lezcano $3.00Ch Filly 2015, by Teuflesberg - Malibu Mystique by Malibu MoonOwner: Treadway Racing Stable. Trainer: Leah Gyarmati. Breeder: McMahon of Saratoga Thooughbreds, LLC (NY).Late Scratches: Beaux Arts, Wantagh Queen, Hannah’s Smile, CirqueTime: 1:05.67Daily Double (2-5), $27.50; Exacta (5-8), $19.00; Superfecta (5-8-1-3), $12.75; Trifecta (5-8-1), $24.62; Pic 3 (2-2-5), $214.50; (2-3-5), $44.50
SEVENTH $85,000, MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT, 3 & UP, 1 1/8M2 War Value M. Franco $7.50 $3.70 $2.406 We Are Family J. Velazquez $2.90 $2.201 Anne Dupree J. Castellano $2.40B Filly 2015, by War Front - Value Stream by A.P. IndyOwner: St. Elias Stable, MeB Racing Stables LLC and Brooklyn Boyz Stables. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Breeder: R. S. Evans (KY).Late Scratches: Kingdom’s Queen Time: 1:52.99Daily Double (5-2), $19.70; Exacta (2-6), $9.10; Superfecta (2-6-1-3), $3.05; Trifecta (2-6-1), $7.20; Pic 3 (2-5-2), $116.75
EIGHTH $87,000, ALLOWANCE, 3 YO’S & UP, 1 1/8M3 Proven Reserves I. Ortiz, Jr. $8.30 $4.70 $2.706 Uncle Sigh J. Ortiz $6.10 $3.909 Can You Diggit J. Alvarado $3.30B Colt 2015, by Flatter - Oil Empress by Empire MakerOwner: Klaravich Stables, Inc.. Trainer: Chad Brown. Breeder: Greenwood Lodge Farm, Inc (KY).Late Scratches: Fixedincome Larry, Tiz He the One Time: 1:51.18Daily Double (2-3), $19.10; Exacta (3-6), $22.90; Superfecta (3-6-9-10), $21.95; Trifecta (3-6-9), $36.25; Pic 3 (5-2-3), $84.00
NINTH $200,000, STAKES - NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING HALL OF FAME S., 3 YO, 1 1/16M4 Raging Bull (FR) J. Rosario $7.30 $3.60 $2.902 Maraud I. Ortiz, Jr. $5.00 $3.605 Ride a Comet J. Ortiz $4.50B Colt 2015, by Dark Angel (IRE) - Rosa Bonheur by Mr. GreeleyOwner: Brant, Peter, M.. Trainer: Chad Brown. Breeder: Dayton Investments Limited (FR).Late Scratches: Battle At Sea, Sand Dancer Time: 1:43.69Daily Double (3-4), $14.70; Exacta (4-2), $16.70; Superfecta (4-2-5-6), $19.70; Trifecta (4-2-5), $35.75; Pic 3 (2-3-4/8/10), $65.00; Place Pix Nine (1/4/5/6/7/8/10-1/2/5/6-3/6/9-4), $8.60
TENTH $40,000, CLAIMING $20,000, 3 YO, 6 1/2F9 Regalian I. Ortiz, Jr. $3.60 $2.60 $2.101 Four Freedoms J. Ortiz $3.00 $2.506 Can’tweallgetalong J. Alvarado $3.80B Colt 2015, by Fast Bullet - Roehee by Pioneerof the NileOwner: Repole Stable. Trainer: Chris Englehart. Breeder: Zayat Stables, LLC (KY).Late Scratches: Engineers Report, Carmine’s Honor, Laura’s PosseClaimed: Regalian claimed by Rainbow’s End Racing Stable LLC for $20,000, Four Freedoms claimed by My Purple Haze Stables LLC for $20,000 Time: 1:17.45Daily Double (4-9), $8.40; Exacta (9-1), $4.90; Superfecta (9-1-6-4), $5.70; Trifecta (9-1-6), $8.20; Pic 3 (3-4-9), $34.25; Pic 4 (2/3/4,8,10/5,7,8,9), $69.12; Pic 5 (5/2/3/4,8,10/5,7,8,9), $518.00; Pic 6 (2/5/2/3/4,8,10/5,7,8,9), $79.00; Pic 6 (2/5/2/3/4,8,10/5,7,8,9), $3,747.00
Copyright 2018 EQUIBASE Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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BY BRANDON VALVOAfter more than eight months of behind-the-
scenes development, National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame President John Hendrickson led off Friday’s induction ceremony with news of a ma-jor capital project he hopes will revolutionize the museum.
With the help of a committee comprised of Bar-bara Banke, Debby Oxley, Bobby Flay, Penelope Miller and G. D. Hieronymus and after engaging filmmaker Donna Lawrence Productions, Hen-drickson unveiled a video-rendering of the new fa-cility, a 360-degree, multi-screen theater that will immerse audiences in some of the sport’s greatest moments.
“We worked with the museum staff developing the ideas and the iconic moments that we wanted to showcase, and there are thousands of them,” Hen-drickson said. “I’m very proud of it, we worked very hard and I think it gives people the emotional feeling of what it’s going to be.”
The rendering shows a 152-seat theater with seats arranged facing the center of the room. The show begins with a set of small screens in the center of the room showcasing morning trainer while fog machines simulate the pre-dawn mist in the air. A
second set of screens, bigger than the first, appear in the center of the room and begin to showcase the racing aspect of the sport. Finally, a 360-degree screen around the perimeter of the theater puts the audience in the grandstand, showing the bigger pic-ture of the industry.
At the end of the show, the screens become inter-active panels, displaying plaques of Hall of Famers. By touching the screen, the audience can manipu-late the 8-foot panels to display replays, videos and statistics. Hendrickson said other racetracks would be able to license the panels to bring the historical information to their patrons.
“This is a game changer, this is going to revolu-tionize the way people see our institution. It’s going to be a living, breathing institution, not just art of dead people and dead horses,” Hendrickson said after the presentation. “We want people to see our
museum as a must-see in the country. We want to be the best sports Hall of Fame in the country, if not the world, and this is a step closer to doing it.”
Hendrickson estimated the project would cost $20 million when completed. He and his wife Ma-rylou Whitney have already donated the first $1 million toward the venture. Hendrickson believes the industry will support the Museum’s endeavor.
“The biggest thing is to raise the money. That’s going to be on my shoulders and the board,” Hen-drickson said. “When you believe in something and you want to lead, you have to give. It’s very hard for me to ask anyone for money unless we’ve given. I’m pretty confident this is going to go because this industry needs it, it’s a game changer and it’s badly needed for Saratoga. We’re no longer just a regional
Tod MarksReturning Hall of Famers line up for a salute from Friday’s crowd.
Past& FutureNew inductees share stage with big plansfor Hall of Fame facility
HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
Continued On Page 51
51Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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museum, we are the National Muse-um of Racing and Hall of Fame and we should be proud of it and promote it.”
The new theater will fit into the ex-isting footprint of the Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, located on Union Avenue in Saratoga. The project is ex-pected to be complete in 2020.
Campbell on hand for rare honorAfter the induction ceremony, only
23 figures in horse racing have re-ceived the distinction of being named a Pillar of the Turf by the Hall of Fame. Cot Campbell, the last induct-ee of the day, wasted no time pointing out what makes his induction unique during his acceptance speech.
“I am honored to be a Pillar of the Turf, I’m flabbergasted to be a Pillar of the Turf and how could I not be when my name is associated with all the distinguished people who are in that category,” he said. “By the way, I want to point out that . . . the only one that is alive is me. You may not
be very interested in that, but I am. I’m the only one who can change that statistic, and I don’t intend to do it.”
Now 90, the founder of Dogwood Stables and the pioneer behind part-
nerships in racehorse ownership said after the ceremony that he nev-er thought he would be recognized alongside the leaders of the sport in this way.
“Well gosh it is a super distin-guished group and I never dreamed that I would be categorized with them,” he said. “It’s an enormous thrill, how could it not be? No one ever got that award that appreciated it more than me.”
Before making his speech, filled with Campbell’s typical humor, he stood by the stage and watched on the screens as a video rolled showing race replays and photos from his past: an image of Campbell and Mike Smith hoisting the Belmont Stakes trophy after Palace Malice’s win in 2013, a video of Campbell rooting home one of his horses, ending with a fist-pump and a smile, replays of Preakness win-ner Summer Squall and champions Storm Song and Inlander.
“That was very sentimental. I watched Palace Malice and Summer Squall and some of those old horses. It hit me right here,” Campbell said, pointing to his heart.
The crowd gave Campbell a stand-ing ovation as he donned the Hall of Fame member’s jacket.
“I’m very proud of this moment and if I have brought something to
Hall of Fame – Continued from page 50
Tod MarksNew Pillar of the Turf Cot Campbell makes his acceptance speech.
Continued On Page 52
52 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
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this industry and sport of Thorough-bred racing, then good for me, but I have certainly been recognized for it and repaid in many ways,” Campbell said. “I’ve got a little age on me, but I’m probably the only person in this building, or in this town, who ever saw Man o’ War and I thank Man o’ War because he lit the fuse that caused me to pursue an absolutely wonderful life.”
Major ‘PrizeTrainer Shug McGaughey accepted
the Hall of Fame induction of Heav-enly Prize. The Phipps Stable home-
bred by Seeking The Gold won nine of 18 starts, never finished worse than third, won eight Grade 1s and earned $1,825,940. McGaughey memorial-ized the champion, who passed away at age 22 in 2013.
“When I look back on the career of Heavenly Prize, I think of the day she broke her maiden,” McGaughey said. “It was September 15, 1993 at Belmont Park. A race for 2-year-old maiden fillies was split into two di-visions. Heavenly Prize, who was owned by Mr. Phipps, captured one of them and a filly named Inside In-formation, who was owned by Din-ny Phipps, won the other division. We were obviously very encouraged by the respective performances, but I
Hall of Fame – Continued from page 51
Continued On Page 53
Tod MarksJohn Hendrickson and Marylou Whitney with C.V. Whitney’s plaque.
53Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
don’t think anyone at that time could have predicted that they would both end up in the racing Hall of Fame.”
An emotional McGaughey held back tears as he talked about Heav-enly Prize, the Phipps family and the support they’ve provided his barn over the years.
“It was a privilege to have a filly like Heavenly Prize in the barn and she brought us a lot of joy throughout her career,” he said. “On behalf of the Phipps family, I’d like to thank the Hall of Fame’s nominating committee and for all those who voted for Heav-enly Prize. I’d also like to thank the entire Phipps family for giving me the opportunity to train their horses over the past 30 years or so. I’d also like to thank the Hancock family and the entire Claiborne family for their help and advice through so many years.”
Chenery first female ‘Pillar’Penny Chenery became the first
female Pillar of the Turf inductee. Chenery, whose name and image be-came inseparable from that of Triple Crown winner Secretariat, was also one of the first women admitted to The Jockey Club and was a staunch advocate of racehorse care and retire-ment. Her daughter, Kate Tweedy, ac-cepted the honor.
“I know mom loved the sport so much and loved the people, so many of these people were her friends,” she said. “This would have been amazing, what a huge honor. This would have been such a fun event for her.
“Mom would have been thrilled to join the rest of these very eminent Pillars of the Turf. Racetrack found-
ers, industry innovators and breeders. This is a group she would have really loved and felt at home with. So many people have come up to me today and told me stories about her, so many of you are friends of hers.”
Strong Whitney presenceA trio of Whitneys were elected
to the Hall of Fame as Pillars of the Turf. William Collins Whitney, Har-ry Payne Whitney, and Cornelius Vanderbilt “Sonny” Whitney joined John Hay Whitney, who was elected in 2015.
Marylou Whitney, wife of “Son-ny” Whitney, offered her thanks to the Hall of Fame for recognizing the family to a standing ovation. Lev Miller, nephew of “Sonny” Whitney, was also on hand to accept the induc-tion.
“There is nothing more intoxicat-ing than having your racehorse win a stakes. This started a generational ad-diction to racing.” Miller said. “All in all, the three generations of Whitneys who are now Pillars of the Turf are responsible for breeding 493 stakes winners, an amazing accomplishment in this age of multiple ownerships.
“My family is so proud of these newly inducted Pillars, as well as the previously inducted John Hay Whit-ney. We are very grateful to this amaz-ing museum, its Hall of Fame, and all those who have contributed to mak-ing it great.”
Also inducted Friday were Pillars of the Turf Dr. Charles H. Strub, Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin, John W. Gal-breath, John Morrisey, August Bel-mont I, Hal Price Headley, Arthur B. Hancock, Sr., trainer William Lake-land and the 19th century racehorse Preakness.
Hall of Fame – Continued from page 52
Tod MarksJohn Phillips watches a video of his grandfather, new Pillar of the Turf John Galbreath.
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Tod MarksMuseum director Cathy Marino presents Heavenly Prize’s plaque to trainer Shug McGaughey.
54 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
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GIFTS • MEMORABILIA • SOUVENIRSCLOTHING • HOME • ACCESSORIES • AND MORE
BY ANNISE MONTPLAISIREditor’s note: Annise Montplaisir,
on the staff at The Saratoga Special in 2015 and 2016, spent the summer prepping yearlings at Kentucky’s Mill Ridge Farm and documented the ex-perience in a multi-part series we’ll run up to and through the Aug. 6-7 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings. This is part two.
The last day of May turned into an important day, and after watching my first breeding at Mill Ridge Farm it seems like a completed initiation and a rite of passage into the Thorough-bred industry.
Breeding didn’t enter my thoughts often before coming to Mill Ridge, mainly because I followed racing. I followed which winners were by particular stallions, but was never involved in the important cycle that happens year after year.
A stallion breeds a mare. She con-ceives and spends the next 11 months developing the baby. She foals, pro-ducing a tiny Thoroughbred filly (or colt) with long, spidery legs. The baby spends four to six months at
Mares and foals in a field at Mill Ridge.
FASIG-TIPTON SALE
Rite of Passage
Progress on path to Saratoga sale
Continued On Page 56
55Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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56 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
her mother’s side, becoming increasingly independent until her confidence allows her to run and play with the other babies. The baby is removed from her mother and placed in her own band of youngsters to learn how to be a horse and – hopefully – a racehorse.
Horses don’t learn to race on the track. They instinctively do it on a daily basis as they gallop across the fields in games of “race-you-to-the-feed-tubs” and whatever else instigates them to take off running.
Weanlings become yearlings, and own-ers decide to sell or not. If a sale is the answer, sales prep begins: special feeding routine, walking, grooming, desensitizing, more walking and even more grooming.
If that yearling makes it to the sales, she might bring a little money or a lot of money or no money at all. Maybe she’ll sell for $380,000. If hopes and dreams and mon-ey and talent align, she might end up going to the track and making a little money or a lot of money or no money at all. She could make $2,586,175 as a racehorse, be crowned a champion and Horse of the Year, return to the sales and bring $10 million, in which case she would go to another farm, visit a stallion in a breeding shed and become a mother. The rhythmic ticking of the cycle never ceases to tock.
After watching Mill Ridge’s stallion Keep Up – by Unbridled’s Song out of Kentucky Oaks winner Keeper Hill – work in the breeding shed, my con-tribution to the continuation of the cycle was dis-infecting the rubber mats used during the process. This was yet another real-world application of my 4-H Horse Knowledge Bowl days when I learned about the importance of biosecurity. When you think about breeding Thoroughbreds, we tend to focus on the larger picture of the cycle, rather than the gazillions of tiny dots that must be connected and thought through and enacted to get that baby safely from its mother’s belly into the starting gates and back to a farm again.
My FillyI can’t remember the first day I met “my filly,”
known as Shop Again ’17 – a daughter of Curl-in out of the Wild Again mare Shop Again, and a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Power Broker. Because yearlings generally remain unnamed until they are purchased by future owners, they’re called by their dam’s name, so in this case Shop Again.
Aside from turning out and bringing in from the pasture, I had little contact with Shop Again until we started sales prep at the beginning of June. A rich caramel-colored bay with a tiny white star on her forehead and white left-hind ankle, it took me a while to recognize her.
And to be honest, we did not get along at first. On Day 1 of sales prep, we introduced the Sara-
toga girls – Shop Again and a Carpe Diem filly out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Splendor – to chiffney bits and circled a walking ring with an awning in the center which faces their barn. This was to accustom them to walking somewhere other than the path from the barn to their field. For Shop Again (and me) the first few days were frazzling. She constantly scanned the nearby pastures, and there was one particular side of the oval where she would squeal and buck or leap. Every. Single. Time.
Squeal, grunt, buck. Squeal, grunt, leap. Walk-ing, walking, maybe we’ve calmed down now – nope. Squeal, grunt, buck. Her radar ears flicked in 180 degrees, analyzing the new surroundings. Her sculpted face would lift, her neck and ears rigid, pointing in a direction. Then she would squeal or grunt and push me or pull me one way or another.
As we headed back to the barn, she stepped on the right side of my right foot, putting her weight on three of my toes and turning them a glorious and painful shade of purple. When the purple be-gan to fade a week later, she stepped on my foot again in the same place. It comes with the territory when working with nervous yearlings, but it’s not a stretch to think about waving her goodbye in the sales ring.
After three days of walking around the ring, we transitioned to a pasture with a large slope, walk-ing two laps in one direction and two laps the other. Shop Again didn’t make things easy for someone who is still learning – walk next to the shoulder, don’t get ahead, don’t get behind. Her steps were slow and deliberate, like a child in a store who re-fuses to leave the toy aisle. And when we returned to the stall, I had to make quick work of unclipping her lead shank less to avoid being dragged to the feed tub.
It all seemed relatable. Who doesn’t wish someone would pull them up a hill going for some exercise. Being incredibly food-motivat-ed, the incentive of eating when I finish run-ning is what keeps me running.
The fidgeting, pacing, scanning the horizon and slow walking gradually changed to pa-tience, stillness and focus. The turning point in our relationship was the day she kept up with me without urging and clicking and pulling for the first time during all six laps around the field – we were actually walking together. My frustration faded into pride, and I felt the first squeeze of gratification from the hard work that goes into getting yearlings from the farm to the sales and on their way to the racetrack. I am just one small component of her journey, but she is an important part of mine. That feel-ing is something I hope everyone in this indus-try gets to feel at some point in their career.
Bath DayI went home for a week and a half around
Independence Day to see my family for the first time since last December and the last time
until this coming December. Crazy how time flies. By the time I left Kentucky, Shop Again ’17 had
become my favorite. She allows me to lean on her during our groom-
ing sessions, hug her neck and tell her how pretty she is. She stares with those giant, dark doe eyes, pricking her long, elegant satellite-dish ears. My heart squeezes with that look. I hope the saying “big ears, big heart” holds true. I swear she has the most beautiful head and gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen on a horse. And the times she puts her head in my arms and expects me to hold it, I have to imag-ine it’s a feeling similar to a mother holding her child. Only this child probably weighs 800 pounds.
The filly is quite smart. She figured things out fast – grooming (which she loves, but who wouldn’t want a personal masseuse on a daily basis?), walk-ing (loves it about as much as I like running, but we’re getting there), eating (we’re on the same page with this one) – so I had no doubt that bathing was going to be a cinch.
The Monday after vacation was the first bath day for the Saratoga fillies. Shop Again went first, and turns out, hoses are really scary. Imagine a world where the only water you are familiar with comes in your bucket for you to drink. Then one day someone pulls out a long snake-like apparatus that squirts the water onto your skin.
The following Thursday during our next bath, I expected at least some fireworks. Shop Again tensed up and moved her hind end from side to side for a moment, but then she relaxed and stood perfectly still, eyes partially closed while receiving a scratch on the neck. I’m sure the cool water felt good on her coat, given it was a 90-degree day, but it was yet another nod to her intelligence for figuring out that the hose is a good and helpful object.
That’s my girl. One step closer to the Saratoga sales ring.
Yearlings – Continued from page 54
The Curlin-Shop Again, in her first photo.
57Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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58 Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018the Saratoga Special
The paper route gets a late start Friday morning. That’s what happens when a one-man show turns into a two-man show. I wake up my co-pilot, just past 7 in the morning, asking him the first question of the day.
“Are you ready to deliver papers?”“I’m ready,” Miles, 9, says, twisting in his covers
and rolling toward the wall. He’s tired after draw-ing pictures (soccer players, basketball players, The Special team), eating Auggie’s to Go at a fold-out table and riding out his first, our ninth, deadline of the meet – late into the night Thursday. Don’t tell his mother.
I give him another 30 minutes as I putter around the house, tired but unable to sleep past 6, that’s how it goes in Saratoga. I ready the golf cart, old pa-pers in the back, four bundles of new papers on the front floor, towel-dry the seats, key in the ignition.
I can hear the incomparable Philadelphia Flyers’ announcer, Gene Hart, saying, “Time’s a wastin…” He would say it when the Flyers were down by one and unable to get the puck out of their zone.
Friday morning, time’s a wastin. I roust Miles from his sleep for the second time, closer to 7:30.
“I’m ready,” he says, without being asked. He puts on his cleanest dirty shirt and shorts and
he’s climbing into the cart in seconds. We roll across Caroline Street, into Chad Brown’s
satellite yard, to Ken McPeek’s tack room, around the corner to Doug Fout, past Elizabeth Voss and Jack Doyle as rain begins to spit. We roll past Jon-athan Sheppard’s barn, placing four copies on top of his briefcase. One after another, “Thank you. Thank you, very much.”
We stop at the top end of the two barns and Miles grabs four papers, handing two to Jeremiah Englehart, who bellows a thank you and Miles flits through the center to Jorge Abreu’s tack room.
“Don’t run,” I implore. “Brisk walk.”Miles slows for a few strides, then runs again.
Back in the cart, I ask Miles how it went and he uses his word for 99 percent of what he does, sees and hears in life, “Great.”
We hand papers to railbirds near Shug’s barn, then chat with Brant Laue, Spencer Crowther and his son, Rustin, who just won the blue ribbon at the state fair for the best bull calf. He’s proud.
Wayne Catalano says, “Nice article,” to me and I feel complete relief. You never know if your subject will appreciate the exposure of a column. We toss three in Bill Mott’s barn and look for Erma Scott. She would love Miles. The Centennial Farm crew hovers under a shedrow corner near the training track, they smile and wave as Miles divvies up the papers like a card dealer.
Pat Reynolds takes a paper from Miles, “I like your shorts” Reynolds says and keeps driving. Miles looks down at his madras shorts, “Me too.”
Rusty Arnold introduces himself to Miles, I tell him to call Arnold if he’s ever in a jam at the track. John Hennegan, of the Hennegan Brothers, takes a paper and reaches in his pocket, “Hey, I was a pa-
perboy once,” then he pauses. “Sorry, all I’ve got is a 20, man, that’s a complete psyche out.” Miles shrugs his shoulders, unconcerned.
Miles places a paper in Dr. James Hunt’s trunk. “Thank you, young man. I’ll try to find the time to read this, we are always struggling to find the time back here.” Miles recites the quote to me as I’m scribbling. “I like that one,” Miles says.
Ramon Dominguez sees us and smiles that awe-some Ramon smile, the one seen 4,985 times in a highlight-reel career. “Hello, Miles,” Dominguez says. “Is he paying you? Don’t do anything for free, even if it’s your dad.” Miles nods his head in laugh-ter.
Tom Gallo says hello and asks, “What do you do?” Miles looks at him and says, “Right now, I’m a paperboy.” We pop out of the cart at the Morn-ing Line Kitchen and Dennis Zoitos asks Miles something in Greek. Miles looks at him, silently confused. “You haven’t taught him Greek?” Zoi-tos says, throwing his hands in the air (Miles is half Greek). Miles orders a bacon, egg and cheese sand-wich, he eats it at a stand-up table under the big shade tree in the corner. I wipe egg and roll off his cheek, wondering about a day when he won’t let me do such a thing. We walk, Miles grabs my hand and I think the same thing, this is our moment, father and son.
When I tell Miles I’m going to write a whole col-umn about our morning, he says, “Last year, all I got was a misquoted quote.”
It’s 10:00, we’ve been at it for two hours when we park the cart at the Oklahoma clocker’s stand. Miles hands out the remaining papers and flops back into the cart while I watch turf horses come and go. I sense Miles’ boredom and ask, “How’s your morning going?”
“I thought it was fun until you stopped and start-ed watching horses run by us.”
We’re off. Job done, memory made.
PaperboycupofcoffeeBY SEAN CLANCY
When it comes to helping our clients, Brown Advisory never rests.
(800)-645-3923www.brownadvisory.com
59Saturday, auguSt 4, 2018 the Saratoga Special
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