Week 7 of the 2020 Saratoga Race Course meeting kicks off with another Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour update. The Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour highlights the horses and people that make Saratoga special.
Here’s a preview of featured horses entered to run in this week’s races, including the New York Stallion Series, Mahony, Smart And Fancy and Grade 3 Lake George.
Last Saturday’s feature race, the Grade 1 Fourstardave, was won by two-time 2020 Stable Tour graduate Halladay.
In the June 20 edition of The 2020 Special Todd Pletcher said Halladay “really had a great winter and spring and blossomed. You can see him literally physically develop this year and fill out into himself. You can see his confidence level in his races and his training is getting better and better, higher and higher throughout the season. Right now we’re leaning toward going to the Maker’s Mark Mile (July 10 at Keeneland), take a shot there and go for the Grade 1. It seems like now he’s starting to settle a little bit, he’s able stretch out some more. We can focus on mile-type races for him the remainder of the year.”
Halladay didn’t run in the Maker’s Mark Mile, Pletcher instead opted for the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch and the 4-year-old son of War Front finished fourth. We featured Pletcher again in the Travers Day edition of The Saratoga Special Aug. 8 and he talked about the race, tactics and more:
“I didn’t see any of the coverage but I heard some people were thinking we gave the race away when we rated. The horse is 4 years old, we have spent the last three years training him trying to get him to settle, I felt like we had accomplished that and we don’t want to undo it. At that point, I don’t think a two-turn race on the turf had had a winner going wire-to-wire. We came away in a perfect stalking trip and the horse was relaxed and settled. Hat’s off to the winner, they flew home. I guess we could have sent him and set it up for somebody else by running the eventual winner into the ground. The race unfolded the way we hoped it would, I had no beefs about it, we weren’t good enough to fly home that day. I would play it the same way if we had to do it all over again. I thought he ran well and he’ll come back and run even better next time. The Fourstardave (Aug. 22).”
Check out the other Stable Tour graduates entered Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Wednesday
Brianbakescookies: Race 1, 2 3/8-mile allowance on the hurdle. Giant’s Causeway gelding was last seen finishing fifth in an allowance at Saratoga. He broke his maiden over jumps at Great Meadow in October and is looking for his first win against winners.
Jack Fisher in August 2020: “We looked at him when Christophe (Clement) had him and we thought we were a go, but he got claimed for $40,000. Then he shows up at Delaware a year later and (Gill Johnston) said she was going to claim him. She just likes him, and she wanted to give him a good home. I think he’s repaying her now.”
Prayer Hope: Race 1, 2 3/8-mile allowance on the hurdle. A $700,000 yearling, the 5-year-old son of Tapit was a debut winner over hurdles for DASH Stables. Seventh in a flat maiden special weight at Laurel Park July 10, he most recently finished fourth in an allowance over jumps again at Saratoga Aug. 12.
Fisher in August 2020: “I thought he’d win at Laurel. He’s 9-5 and he runs off for a half-a-mile and then beats two horses. He’s been great at home. We haven’t seen any of that stuff out of him. I figure one way to slow him down the first part of it is to throw a couple jumps in his way.”
Setting The Mood: Race 3, 1 3/8-mile allowance on the turf. Second in an allowance at Belmont last time out, the daughter of Lea broke her maiden at Gulfstream in May and has been on the board in three of her four starts.
Pletcher in August 2020: “She’s a filly who is still developing. She’s a very big filly who’s still filling out into her frame. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of her yet, she’s a bit one paced and the further she goes the better. She’s versatile. She is one who will come into her own this fall and into her 4-year-old year.”
Whatdoesasharksay: Race 3, 1 3/8-mile allowance on the turf. Third in an allowance at Belmont July 9, Burning Daylight Farms’ Animal Kingdom filly breezed 5 furlongs in 1:01.20 at Fair Hill Aug. 12.
Jimmy Toner in July 2019: “She wants to go further. Art Watson’s grandkids named her.”
Classy Sadie: Race 6, 6-furlong $25,000 claimer. Emcee filly finished sixth in an allowance July 31, her first start off a seven-month layoff. A $30,000 2-year-old purchase, she is looking for her first win since breaking her maiden at Belmont last year.
Bruce Brown in August 2020: “She’s doing great. She’s one of a few I got from Contessa, he really helped me out there.”
Maven: Race 7, Mahony Stakes. Richard Ravin’s American Pharoah colt won the Group 3 Connolloy’s Redmills Prix du Bois at Chantilly last year and won an allowance at Keeneland last time out, his first start off a year-long layoff.
Wesley Ward in July 2019: “My initial plan was to go for a race at Goodwood in England, it’s five-eighths-of-a-mile downhill. He’s fast and I can take advantage of the speed there.”
Let Them Eat Cake: Race 9, 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight on the turf. Half-sister to multiple stakes winner Free As A Bird, the daughter of Animal Kingdom is making her sixth career start after a second-place finish at Saratoga July 29.
Ian Wilkes in August 2020: “She’s pretty nice. She’ll be better and better as she goes. Her sister used to be tough to gallop so I used to train her here (Clare Court). Tracey (Wilkes) used to gallop her here. She was good here, I took her to the main track and she was about a run-off. This filly I bring her here, she likes it better here.”
Thursday
Forty Zip: Race 2, 1 3/16-mile maiden special weight on the turf. Chiefswood Stables’ homebred City Zip filly was third last time out in a maiden special weight at Keeneland and finished fourth in her only other start.
Shug McGaughey in July 2020: “She’s here and she’s fine. She was a little jammed up coming out of her race but she’s training now, she warms out of it, we’ll find a spot. For her second start, I thought she ran well…”
Prairie Wings: Race 2, 1 3/16-mile maiden special weight on the turf. An $800,000 yearling purchase for Shadwell Stable, the Tapit filly has finished second in all four of her starts, most recently losing by a head in her first try on the turf.
Todd Pletcher in August 2020: “That was a tough beat to lead almost the whole way and get nailed on the wire. She confirmed what we thought, that she would like the turf. Hopefully the next time is the charm for her.”
Seismic Wave: Race 3, 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on the turf. Sixth in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch in his last start, the Tapit ridgling was second in the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont July 4 and won the English Channel Stakes last year.
Bill Mott in August 2019: “We tried him in the longer races, we’re thinking that maybe it was a distance thing, maybe he needs to be shortened back up.”
Sentry: Race 3, 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on the turf. Making his second start off an eight-month layoff, the Smart Strike gelding finished second in a claimer at Saratoga last time out and has won five of his 19 starts.
Shug McGaughey in July 2020: “Just haven’t found the right places to run him, nice kind of horse to have, hopefully we can get him started and see where he takes us.”
A Great Time: Race 7, Smart And Fancy Stakes. 6-year-old Street Magician mare finished third in the License Fee Stakes at Belmont last time out and has a series of works over the all-weather training track at Fair Hill.
Michael Trombetta in August 2020: “I nominated her to the Caress, but I can get her in a softer spot in Maryland.”
Saratoga Treasure: Race 7, Smart N Fancy Stakes. Patricia Generazio’s 5-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach is making her second start of the Saratoga meet after finishing 10th in the Caress Stakes August 1. Winner of the Autumn Day Stakes in 2019, she was fifth in the Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes in June.
David Donk in August 2020: “Very, very limited where to run her. I’d like to run her in an allowance race, we haven’t had any such thing so I’m forced to run in open company. She probably wants farther than 5 1/2, too.”
Texas Swing: Race 8, 1 1/8-mile allowance. Third in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in his last start, Harrell Ventures’ Curlin colt has a series of works at Saratoga, most recently breezing 5 furlongs over the main track in 1:01.33.
Todd Pletcher in August 2020: “Son of Curlin, should improve all of his 3-year-old year and even more so next year.”
Robin Sparkles: Race 9, 5 ½-furlong starter allowance on the turf. Winner of a maiden claimer last time out at Saratoga August 13, Michael Schrader’s Elusive Quality filly finished 10th in her only other start.
Bruce Brown in August 2020: “Impressive one on the grass. Mike tries not to own a lot, but that was very good for him. I nominated her for a stakes against the boys but that looks like it might come up a little tough.”
Secure Connection: Race 9, 5 ½-furlong starter allowance on the turf. Winner of a claimer opening day at Saratoga, Stuart Janney’s homebred Data Link filly breezed 4 furlongs in :48.80 at Fair Hill Aug. 22.
Shug McGaughey in July 2020: “Forest (Boyce) rode her at Laurel, she finished third and she told me she didn’t think she wanted to run that far so I said, ‘well, we’ll run her 5 ½.’ I knew coming off those long races she would finish well, it was just a matter of when Jose got her going where he would find the right spot..”
Friday
Captain Bombastic: Race 1, New York Stallion Stakes (Times Square Div.). Fourth in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes last time out, the 3-year-old Forty Tales colt won the Mike Lee Stakes at Belmont in June and the Sleepy Hollow Stakes at Aqueduct in 2019.
Jeremiah Englehart in July 2020: “He’s blue-collar, loves to run.”
Kemba: Race 2, 1 1/16-mile starter allowance on the turf. Daughter of Hard Spun improved off a third-place finish at Belmont to graduate in a maiden claimer Aug. 7 at Saratoga for CTR Stables, Pasquale Hudson, Anthony Amarosa, Ray Handal, and Katherine Merritt.
Ray Handal in August 2019: “She’s done well. Ready to drive right on.”
Majestic West: Race 4, 6 ½-furlong starter allowance. Third in a starter allowance at Churchill Downs in his last start, the Quality Road gelding is making his second start since breaking his maiden at Fair Grounds in December for Rigney Racing.
Phil Bauer in August 2019: “He’s a big, pretty, strong thing.”
Black Magic Woman: Race 6, 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight. Bass Stables’ Uncle Mo filly finished third in her career debut at Saratoga Aug. 3 and breezed 4 furlongs in :48.44 Aug. 21.
Todd Pletcher in August 2020: “She trained very well, naturally drew the one hole going seven-eighths in her debut. We like her. Half-sister to Magnum Moon. Beautiful filly.”
Famished: Race 8, 7-furlong allowance. Tobey Morton’s Ontario-bred son of Uncle Mo is looking for his first win since breaking his maiden last summer. Fifth in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes in June, he finished third in an allowance at Saratoga last time out.
John Kimmel in August 2019: “At the Maryland sale, he wasn’t all that tight. I liked him from the physical standpoint then and he’s really gotten even better looking. He’s dappled out, seems great.”
Fed Funds: Race 8, 7-furlong allowance. The Lemon Drop Kid gelding has won two of his three starts, remaining perfect in 2020 for Black Swan Stable after finishing fourth in his debut at Laurel Park in December.
Horacio DePaz in August 2020: “He’s nice and relaxed this morning. He won his second start out at Belmont for 30, nice effort. I had him training in Maryland and brought him up for that race. He’s trained well ever since.”
Irish Front: Race 8, 7-furlong allowance. Son of Summer Front broke his maiden July 23 at Saratoga in the second start of his career and first in more than 11 months.
Todd Pletcher in August 2020: “…Had some minor physical issues coming out of his debut, just needed some time, it was a long layoff but he came back and it was a good performance. He finished up strong, there’s some upside with him. You love to see patience rewarded and you like to see a horse confirm what you were seeing as a 2-year-old. Believing in the horse and having him live up to expectations.”
American Giant: Race 9, Grade 2 Lake George Stakes. The homebred More Than Ready filly for Live Oak Plantation finished fifth in the Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park last time out and won the Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park West last fall.
Michael Trombetta in August 2020: I ran her at Delaware and she ran a closing fifth off the layoff. It was a good race, she didn’t get started until too late, if she could have gotten her moving a little early, she might have been as good as second.”
Sweet Melania: Race 9, Lake George Stakes. Winner of the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes last year and Grade 3 Wonder Again Stakes in June, the daughter of American Pharoah has never been off the board in her seven starts and was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Todd Pletcher in August 2020: “She’s pointing for the Lake George. She ran well off the layoff.”
Velvet Crush: Race 9, Lake George Stakes. Coming in off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, the Tapit filly won an allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs in June and has won two of her seven starts.
Rodolphe Brisset in July 2019: “We really like her. She’s been showing some talent.”
Witez: Race 9, Lake George Stakes. Mary Ann Charlston’s homebred More Than Ready filly won an allowance at Saratoga in her last start July 26. Second in the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes last fall, she has won or been in the money in six of her nine starts and has earned $195,735.
Ian Wilkes in August 2020: “That was good a-other-than. I’ll come back in the Lake George. She came out of the race well, I’m happy with her training since.”
Beyond Brown: Race 10, 1 1/16-mile $40,000 New York-bred maiden claimer on the turf. Second in a maiden claimer last time out, the 3-year-old Big Brown filly has been on the board in four of her nine starts.
David Donk in August 2020: “One-paced filly but at that level she’s competitive. Will get to make one more start here.”
