Closing week of the 2020 Saratoga Race Course meeting is here and we’re bringing you another Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour update to start the week.
The Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour highlights the people and horses that make Saratoga special.
This update features graduates entered to run this week, including the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes Wednesday and Saratoga Showcase Day Friday.
Here’s a recap of winning Stable Tour graduates in this past weekend’s biggest stakes races, as well as a stakes winner from Wednesday at Churchill Downs. We also take a look at the two graduates who have made it into the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby this Saturday.
Saratoga Winners
Bye Bye Melvin: An exceptionally soft turf course seemed to be to the Uncle Mo colt’s liking Saturday when he won the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes with John Velazquez up. Racing for owner Alex Campbell Jr. and trainer Graham Motion, Bye Bye Melvin caught a tiring Don Juan Kitten at the wire to prevail by a nose at odds of 19-1. The second win of the year for the 3-year-old, he finished second in the Jersey Derby at Monmouth last time out and was briefly on the Derby trail earlier this year, finishing 10th in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby. He now has three wins from nine starts and has been on the board in two other starts.
Win Win Win: Live Oak Plantation’s homebred son of Hat Trick overcame a sloppy track and a deluge of rain to win the Grade 1 Forego Stakes Saturday with Javier Castellano aboard, making an impressive run from far behind the field. Returning to the 7-furlong distance on the dirt for the first time since setting a track record in the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, the Michael Trombetta trainee earned the first graded stakes win of his career when he crossed the wire a half-length ahead of runner-up Complexity. As a 3-year old, Win Win Win was second in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes and made starts in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. His last win came on the turf in the Manila Stakes at Belmont before having 11 months off, returning to the races with a 10th in the First Defense Stakes and a second in allowance company in his last start. With his win in the Forego, Win Win Win has won five of his 12 starts and has earnings of $601,600.
Channel Maker: The third time was the charm for the veteran son of English Channel, who took the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Saturday in his third attempt at the race. Sent to the front by jockey Manny Franco from the break, Wachtel Stables, R.A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Gary Barber’s 6-year-old gelding never looked back and bounded home over the soft ground 5 ¾ lengths clear of Cross Border to secure the win for trainer Bill Mott. Winless in over a year, Channel Maker’s last victory was also in top company, taking the Grade 1 Man o’ War for a second time in May of 2019. Prior to the Sword Dancer, his best finish of the year came in the Grade 2 Bowling Green where he was elevated to third after the disqualification of Sadler’s Joy from first. With his third Grade 1 victory, Channel Maker now boasts total career earnings of $2,494,051.
No Mo’ Spending: Making her second start of the meet for Randall Bloch, David Hall, Michael Steele, Jim Gladden, Gene Rice and Six Column Stables, the 2-year-old Uncle Mo filly graduated in Sunday’s third race, a 6 ½-furlong New York-bred maiden special weight. Trained by Ian Wilkes, No Mo’ Spending sat a half-length off the pace set by Chasing Cara and was set down into a drive by jockey Javier Castellano, drawing away from the pacesetter at the top of the stretch 3 ½ lengths the best. A $180,000 yearling purchase for Six Column, she is out of the graded stakes placed Montbrook mare, Stopspendingmaria.
Churchill Downs Winner
Ry’s The Guy: Lothenbach Stables’ son of Distorted Humor earned the first stakes win of his career when he won the Champions Day Marathon Stakes at Churchill Tuesday. Sent to the lead by jockey Chris Landeros, the even-money favorite led the field of five through quick fractions, completing the 1 ½ miles in a record 2:29.58 for trainer Ian Wilkes. Off the board in his six other starts this year, Ry’s The Guy was coming off a fourth in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup and finished second in the Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby last year.
Churchill Downs Entries
Friday
Four Graces: Race 8, Eight Belles Stakes presented by Twinspires.com. Grade 3 Beaumont Stakes winner for Witham Thoroughbreds is almost perfect in 2020, her only loss coming in an allowance at Gulfstream Park in April. The 3-year-old daughter of Majesticperfection is already a graded stakes winner at Churchill after taking the Grade 3 Dogwood Stakes in June.
Ian Wilkes in August 2020: “Nice filly. She’s done nothing wrong. I was devastated the day she got beat because I didn’t think she could. Then I found out she displaced on me. Took care of that and she’s come back and won three more since then. She’ll stay short, I won’t stretch her out. Seven furlongs is probably her best distance. I’ll let each race dictate where we go but the Eight Belles is the next one.”
Sharing: Race 9, Edgewood Stakes presented by Forcht Bank. Returning to the races for the first time since a runner-up finish in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot June 20, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainseway Stable’s Speightstown filly won the Tepin Stakes at Churchill earlier this year. A standout 2-year-old, she won the Selma Stakes before her career-best performance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita Park, winning over Group 1 placed Daahyeh.
Graham Motion in August 2020: “She’s worked three times in August – the last a 6-furlong move in 1:13.40 on the all-weather Aug. 22. She just wasn’t quite ready to run. We missed a breeze with her. She’s always had little feet issues and they kind of flared up when she came back from England and that set us back timing-wise. The Edgewood just makes sense now. She’s run there and won, Manny (Franco) is there, and hopefully it works out well and we can go to the (Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup) at Keeneland Oct. 10.”
Speech: Race 12, Longines Kentucky Oaks. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Madaket Stables and Heider Family Stables’ daughter of Mr Speaker comes into the Oaks off an impressive performance in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes July 11 where she secured the first graded stakes win of her career. With two Grade 2 placings earlier this year, she has been training at Del Mar for most of the summer and had her final work for the Oaks over the main track at Churchill Downs August 28, breezing a half in :47.90.
Michael McCarthy in July 2020: “Shows up and runs hard every time, very talented daughter of Mr. Speaker. Loves to run, loves to train. Any trainer would like a barn full of these.”
Saturday
Smooth Like Straight: Race 8, American Turf Stakes presented by Smithfield. Already a stakes winner at Churchill Downs with a victory in the War Chant Stakes earlier this year, the 3-year-old Midnight Lute colt won the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar last time out for Canon Thoroughbreds. Winner of two of his three races this year, he has been on the board in six of his eight career starts and has total earnings of $253,323.
Michael McCarthy in July 2020: “Loved everything about his win in the War Chant. I’m hoping to use this race at Del Mar as a springboard to the Del Mar Derby or whatever they have on Kentucky Derby Weekend. He’s a very nice horse, I really like this horse. I thought about Keeneland, but I started thinking about Churchill as well, the timing is better.”
Rushie: Race 9, Pat Day Mile presented by LG and E and KU. Jim and Donna Daniell’s colt by Liam’s Map opted for the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile even though he secured enough points to enter the Kentucky Derby with a pair of thirds in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. A $70,000 2-year-old purchase, he has won two of his seven career starts and has one work over the Churchill Downs main track, breezing 5 furlongs in 1:01.60.
Michael McCarthy in July 2020: “He’s doing very well. I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen since the Santa Anita Derby. He seems like he’s getting better with racing. I’m excited to see what he can do being out of a Colonel John mare, see how much bottom there is, his Santa Anita Derby was good, going against some heavy heads, coming out of an allowance race at Oaklawn Park. Some of these longer races into the latter part of the summer might have his name written on them.”
Ce Ce: Race 12, Derby City Distaff Stakes presented by Derby City Gaming. The two-time Grade 1 winning Elusive Quality filly comes in to this race off a fast final work at Churchill Downs, breezing a half-mile in :47.00, the second fastest of 94 horses August 28. Third in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes last time out, her pair of Grade 1 victories came earlier this year in the Apple Blossom Handicap and Beholder Mile Stakes. She has career earnings of $780,600 and has only been off the board once in her eight starts.
Michael McCarthy in July 2020: “We have some options in the fall, the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint or the Distaff. She likes a firm surface, she likes a hard and fast dirt track, when she won the Beholder, we had rain all week and that track was as good as it’s been all year. My gut was that we would get the same type of track at Oaklawn, we got exactly that and she was golden. The racetracks in California have become a little bit deep, a little bit loose, being a big mare, she likes the top of the ground. I would be very bullish when she gets back to Kentucky in the fall.”
Enforceable: Race 14, Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. John Oxley’s full brother to Mohaymen was last seen finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass. The son of Tapit earned enough points to draw into the Derby when he followed up his victory in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes with a second in the Grade 2 Risen Star. He has been working at Churchill Downs for most of the summer, most recently breezing 4 furlongs in :49.60.
Mark Casse in July 2019: “This is a horse I like a lot. He’s been a little bit disappointing but not really because he wants to go further. He’s run twice already but I’ve run him short. I have no idea if he can run on the grass but I want to run him two turns. I would think he could, most Tapits can run on the grass. I really like that horse a lot.”
Mark Casse in May 2020: “I gave him a little break. He’s here with me right now in Ocala. My plan is to try and run him two times before the Derby, I just haven’t decided where yet. I want to see what my options are. He wouldn’t run until July. We’ll see if he has enough points. They had all these points and now there will be more. The truth is if he doesn’t have enough points he doesn’t need to run. He’ll need to pick up some points probably, but again if he doesn’t do that he probably shouldn’t be running.”
Tiz The Law: Race 14, Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. The sensational New York-bred Constitution colt comes into the Run for the Roses as the 3-5 favorite off a dominant win in the Runhappy Travers Stakes August 8. His final work before leaving for Kentucky was a bullet 5-furlong breeze over the main track in :59.21. Undefeated this year, he is looking to become the first New York-bred since Funny Cide to win the Kentucky Derby.
Barclay Tagg in August 2019: “I thought he was the best looking New York-bred horse I’d ever seen. When you look at the big white face, you think Hereford, but I couldn’t fault him. I kept looking at him and looking at him and looking at him. He looks like a little chunk but when you really look at him, he stands over a lot of ground, he’s got great bone, great strength. We didn’t expect him to run like he ran (on debut). We thought he was doing good but we didn’t know he was that good.”
Saratoga Entries
Wednesday
Cracker Factory: Race 1, 2 3/8-mile handicap on the hurdle. Coming off a fifth finish in a handicap at Saratoga Aug. 13, the 5-year-old Poet’s Voice gelding is a four-time winner in England and is looking for his first win since coming to the U.S. His other two stateside runs were a sixth in the William Entenmann Memorial at Belmont and a DNF in the Harry E. Harris Hurdle Stakes at Far Hills.
Jack Fisher in July 2020: “I don’t know. Seriously. He didn’t run at all at Belmont and at Far Hills I expected better and he was done going into the first fence. I have no explanation at all. At home there’s nothing wrong, his legs are all good. He doesn’t work brilliantly, but a lot of them don’t.”
New Member: Race 1, 2 3/8-mile handicap on the hurdle. Making his third start of the year, the 9-year-old Alhaarth gelding comes off a fourth in the same handicap as Cracker Factory Aug. 13. Winner of the Jonathan Kiser Memorial and second in the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup in 2018, he has won three of his 22 starts and placed in nine others. He did not finish his other start this year, the Grade 3 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle Handicap at Middleburg.
Jack Fisher in July 2020: “I was high on him early in the year and he ran that race at Middleburg. I have no excuse for that. I thought he could run very well there, but he didn’t. I’m not running him in the stakes after that performance. He’s won at Saratoga, was second in the Turf Writers (to Optimus Prime). He’s OK when he runs those races. I hope he can do that again.”
Castle Casanova: Race 4, 1-mile $35,000 claimer on the turf. Making his first start since a fifth-place finish in an optional claimer at Belmont June 19, the 4-year-old Cairo Prince Colt was a $225,000 yearling at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale and has won two of his seven starts.
Jeremiah Englehart in July 2020.
Succeedandsurpass: Race 7, 1 3/8-mile allowance on the turf. Second in his last start at Del Mar July 24, the Irish-bred son of Exceed and Excel was second in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita last year and has won or been on the board in six of his nine starts.
Graham Motion in August 2020: “He just came in from California. I haven’t had him very long, but he seems like a nice horse.”
Evaluator: Race 8, 1 1/18-mile New York-bred allowance optional claimer. Third in an optional claimer July 30, the stakes winner for R and H Stable is looking for his first win since taking the Sleepy Hollow Stakes in 2017 and has been on the board in seven of his 13 starts.
Jim Bond in August 2020: “He ran a very sneaky big race the other day to Rinaldi. Unfortunately, I had to put them in the same race. I didn’t want to. That horse deserved to come off the bench and win first time.”
Winfromwithin: Race 9, With Anticipation Stakes. After not drawing in as an also eligible in an allowance last Sunday, the Into Mischief colt makes his third career start off a fourth-place effort in a maiden special weight at Saratoga Aug. 1.
Todd Pletcher in August 2020: “His first start was good, his second start was OK. Johnny came back and said he was spinning his wheels a little bit, that he gave him a turf feel. If you look at the bottom side of his pedigree, he’s got some turf there.”
Thursday
Magic Mojo: Race 1, 1 1/18-mile $75,000 maiden claimer on the turf. Centennial Farms’ Uncle Mo colt finished third in his second career start opening day at Saratoga. A $350,000 purchase at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, he most recently breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00.42 Aug. 22.
Jimmy Jerkens in August 2019: “He shows pretty good ability. He got a little puncture wound in his ankle, we lost a little bit of time but he was starting to lighten up a little too quick so it was probably a blessing. He was getting a little racy.”
Invincible Gal: Race 3, P.G. Johnson Stakes. Winner of her debut Aug. 6 at Saratoga, the 2-year-old daughter of Invincible Spirit breezed 6 furlongs in 1:14.40 over the all-weather surface at Fair Hill Aug. 27.
Graham Motion in August 2020: “At this time of year, you don’t have much time to find out if they’re (Breeders’ Cup) caliber so you kind of have to run them in races like this. You can’t really miss a beat. If she steps up, handles two turns and all the rest of it – I’m sure everyone else is probably saying the same thing – I would think she could go to the Breeders’ Cup. She’s pretty talented.”
Plum Ali: Race 3, P.G. Johnson Stakes. A debut winner for Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, the First Samurai filly breezed a half-mile over the Oklahoma turf in :49.74 Aug. 23.
Christophe Clement in August 2020: “We won with her, first time out on the turf first time going long. She’s one we would consider for the P.G. Johnson.”
Classic Colors: Race 5, 1 1/16-mile New York-bred maiden special weight on the turf. Third in a maiden special weight in her last start, the 2-year-old Street Sense filly was a $170,000 purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale and finished eighth in her only other start.
Christophe Clement in August 2020: “She ran very disappointing at Belmont first time out, which was a surprise because she had also trained well. I think I got the surface wrong so we’ll try her on the turf next time. She’s OK. She’ll come back in a New York-bred maiden special weight long on the turf.”
Delaware Destiny: Race 5, 1 1/16-mile New York-bred maiden special weight on the turf. The Elkstone Group’s daughter of Exaggerator finished fourth in her debut Aug. 2 at Saratoga. She breezed a half on the Oklahoma turf in :50.98 Aug. 28.
Christophe Clement in August 2020: “She’s one we like. New York-bred 2-year-old fillies going long on the turf. She’s ready to run.”
Stella Mars: Race 5, 1 1/16-mile New York-bred maiden special weight on the turf. A $70,000 yearling at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale, the Point Of Entry filly is making her debut after breezing 3 furlongs over the Oklahoma in :38.95 Aug. 31.
Ray Handal in August 2020: “I bought her at a sale because she reminded me so much of that filly. She’s grown up a ton here. She’s named after the school I went to in Jamaica. It’s actually Stella Maris but in Jamaica you’d say Stella Mars. Stella Maris was taken, so we’ll go with how it sounds.”
Kitten By The Sea: Race 7, 1-mile $35,000 claimer on the turf. Winner of two races this year, the 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy filly was seventh in an allowance in her last start. She finished third in her other start at Saratoga this meet.
Todd Pletcher in August 2020: “She’s been an interesting one. Mike Repole claimed her with (Jorge) Navarro and then all that went down and we picked her up. As we were getting her ready, she’s a filly we wanted to run in a starter race, because we like her and we wanted to protect her. Gulfstream stopped writing starter races so we brought her to New York.”
Sky Kitten: Race 7, 1-mile $35,000 claimer on the turf. The 3-year-old Sky Mesa filly is making her fourth start of the meet after winning a $40,000 claimer last time out Aug. 16, her second career win in nine starts.
David Donk in August 2020: “She got a really good trip. Had Manny (Franco) back aboard, he’d only ridden her once before when she had broken her maiden as a 2-year-old in a very slow dirt race. He gave her a great ride, good trip, really strong finish. She seemed to respond to him. It was a much better effort. Not a stellar field but got the job done.”
Jc’s Shooting Star: Race 8, 6-furlong allowance optional claimer. Veteran 8-year-old Miracle Man mare ran her best race of the meet last time out when she won an optional claimer Aug. 16. An 8-time winner from 55 starts, she has earned $758,239.
David Donk in August 2020: “She’s a mare I’ve had since she was 2 and she’s 8 now. She’s danced a lot of dances and her best dances are behind her. A little drop in company and even though she’s an old dog against young ones … looked like a lot of pace on paper and she’s a one-run type. She got a really good pace, circled wide and really came running. Big effort.”
Slimey: Race 8, 6-furlong allowance optional claimer. Third in an optional claimer Aug. 7, the Quality Road filly has won or placed in 11 of her 21 starts and is searching for her first win since an allowance at Aqueduct New Year’s Day. She has earned $255,544 in her career.
David Cannizzo in July 2019: “She’s a nice filly we picked up at Belmont, claimed her for $40,000 off James Lawrence and Matt Schera.”
Niko’s Dream: Race 9, 1 3/8-mile optional claimer on the turf. A three-time winner for Sackatoga Stables, the Central Banker filly most recently finished fifth in the Dayatthespa Stakes July 29. Winner of an allowance at Gulfstream in May, she finished second in a pair of New York Stallion Series Stakes in 2019.
Barclay Tagg in August 2019: “We bought her privately from Tony Everard, she’s been OK. She’s a nice filly.”
Harlem Heights: Race 10, 1-mile maiden special weight on the turf. A half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Point Of Entry, the 3-year-old filly finished fourth in a maiden special weight last time out. She breezed a half-mile in :51.42 over the Oklahoma Aug. 29.
Shug McGaughey in July 2020: “She’s been a very, very difficult filly to get to where I want her to be, she doesn’t eat that well, she’s a tall, lanky filly, she doesn’t carry as much weight as I would like her to do, but she’ll win some races.”
Friday
Rossa Veloce: Race 1, Seeking the Ante Stakes. A debut winner for Ray Handal and Blue Streak Racing Aug. 5, the Girolamo filly was a $12,000 purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale and most recently breezed a half in :50.55 over the main track Aug. 26.
Ray Handal in August 2020: “She does everything right. So quiet, you wouldn’t even know she’s in the barn. Such an easy keeper. Legs, not a pimple on them, does everything in the morning the right way. I’m pumped.”
Samborella: Race 1, Seeking the Ante Stakes. Sold for $500,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale, the Outwork filly finished third in her debut at Saratoga July 24 and breezed a 5-furlong bullet from the gate in :59.44 Aug. 14.
Jeremiah Englehart in July 2020: “I didn’t even know he bought the filly, they were bidding and I’m like, ‘Well, she went over our budget. We didn’t get her.’ The next thing I know Anna Seitz (of Fasig-Tipton and It’s All About The Girls) is telling me congratulations. … She asked if I heard Al (Gold). I said I didn’t and she was surprised I didn’t hear the guy go, ‘Yeaaah,’ like that during the bidding. He got her at 500.”
Devious Mo: Race 2, 6 ½-furlong New York-bred maiden special weight. John Irwin’s $37,000 2-year-old Laoban colt makes his debut after a series of works over the Oklahoma, most recently breezing from the gate in 1:05.47 Aug. 27.
Bruce Brown in August 2020: “He seems all right. We just got him OK’d out of the gate, is breezing good. Still kind of deciding. He seems like he might be a little turfy and that more distance might not kill him. We’ll probably get him a sprint race up here just to get him going.”
City Man: Race 3, Albany Stakes. The son of Mucho Macho Man improved off four fourth-place finishes in a row to be second in an allowance at Saratoga Aug. 9. He is looking for his first win since the Funny Cide Stakes in 2019.
Christophe Clement in August 2020: “Between 2 and 3 years old he’s improving. It’s always nice when they’re improving at this time of year.”
Classic Lady: Race 5, Yaddo Stakes. Winner of the Dayatthespa Stakes in her last start, Bethlehem Stable and Michael Dubb’s Jimmy Creed mare has won or been runner-up in her last eight starts. A $22,500 yearling at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, she has earned $252,290.
Christophe Clement in August 2020: “As long as she keeps training forward she’ll go to the Yaddo. That’s a logical spot. We’d be foolish not to have a good look at it being a New York-bred stakes and she just won the stakes.”
Kreesie: Race 5, Yaddo Stakes. Fourth in an off-the-turf optional claimer last time out, the 5-year-old Cosmonaut mare won a New York Stallion Series stakes in 2018 and finished third in this race last year. She breezed a half in :49.09 over the main track Aug. 22.
David Donk in August 2020: “She’s very competitive there and it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t wheel her back in a week in the Yaddo, depends on how many are in there. When they’re fit run them. We only have grass until Thanksgiving. We better take it, I’m not going to Florida.”
Wegetsdamunnys: Race 5, Yaddo Stakes. The 5-year-old mare was third to stablemate Classic Lady in the Dayatthespa Stakes earlier in the meet. Her lone win of 2020 came in an optional claimer at Belmont June 12.
Christophe Clement in August 2020: “She and Classic Lady have been consistent and fun fillies to be around, and at that level they should be very competitive.”
Advanced Strategy: Race 6, 6-furlong New York-bred maiden special weight. Gainseway Stable’s 3-year-old son of Karakontie has a pair of thirds from three starts and breezed a half-mile over the Oklahoma in :49.30 August 28.
Jimmy Jerkens in August 2019: “He’s a hardy little guy, he’s been a very slow learner at the gate.”
Whichwaytomalibu: Race 6, 6-furlong New York-bred maiden special weight. Making his first start off a five-month layoff, the 3 -year-old gelded son of Malibu Moon finished fifth in his last start for Tobey Morton.
John Kimmel in August 2019: “He just needs more ground. I bought him, but I’d much prefer to have them send them to me. It’s sad to see (some of the changes with the Broman stable), but the horses are running well, they’re still going, and they really breed nice horses.”
Luna’s In Charge: Race 9, 5 ½-furlong New York-bred allowance on the turf. Runner-up in an allowance in his last start, the 4-year-old Take Charge Indy gelding broke his maiden at Churchill Downs last October and has been on the board in two of his three starts since.
Phil Bauer in August 2019: “He’s our first New York-bred that we’ve brought up here. I’ve been pleased with his races here.”
More Like It: Race 9, 5 ½-furlong New York-bred allowance on the turf. Our Sugar Bear Stable’s gelded son of More Than Ready graduated in a maiden special weight at Saratoga July 26 and finished fifth in his first start against winners Aug. 21.
Bruce Brown in August 2020: “He’s strictly turf, More Than Ready. Ran great up here to win and hasn’t missed a beat. Really if anything seems like he’s getting better each time we’ve run him this year, racing better and training better. Hopefully we can knock out another with him.”
Critical Value: Race 10 Fleet Indian Stakes. Winner of the Bouwerie Stakes last time out, Ten Strike Racing’s Bodemeister filly is 3-for-5 and was the champion New York-bred 2-year-old filly of 2019.
Jeremiah Englehart in July 2020: “If I had 30 of those horses I’d only lose 10 percent of my races. She’s battled foot issues, she’s battled a knee issue, an ankle issue. You start back with her, get her right and something else pops up. She enjoys this like no other. She’s one of those horses you never forget, for what she brings to the table every morning.”
Sharp Starr: Race 10, Fleet Indian Stakes. Barry Schwartz’s homebred Munnings filly finished second in her last start, an allowance at Saratoga July 22. Her lone win came in a maiden special weight at Belmont July 2 and she has only been off the board in one of her five starts.
Horacio DePaz in August 2020: “The track was favoring speed, or horses staying close to the pace. She just got taken back (in her last start) and she’s a little funny about her mouth. If you touch it a little bit she kind of reacts to it. She tried to make a run against that filly that was sitting in her spot if she could have gotten there. Good, quality mare.”
Blewitt: Race 11, West Point Stakes. Fifth in his last start going 1 1/8 miles on the dirt, the 6-year-old son of Uncle Mo is making his second start on turf after his first try on it resulted in a third in the Lubash Stakes July 22. He has won four of his 13 starts and placed in four others.
Todd Pletcher in August 2020: “We gave him a try on the turf because we anticipated some short field opportunities with the New York-bred older horse turf program. I thought he handled it fine but he’s really more suited to two turns on the dirt. That’s been one of the categories that’s been impacted by the pandemic, those opportunities aren’t as plentiful as they used to be.”
Rinaldi: Race 11, West Point Stakes. Bond Racing Stable’s son of Posse won his second start off a layoff July 30, a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer. Winner of a pair of New York Stallion Series stakes last year, he has only been off the board in one of his six starts.
Jim Bond in August 2020: “He’s kind of a one-banjo monkey. He goes to the front, that’s his game. Catch me if you can and if you go with him it will cost you the race, too. He’s a very nice horse.”
Therapist: Race 11, West Point Stakes. Oak Bluff Stables’ homebred son of Freud is looking for the eighth stakes win of his career after finishing second in an allowance July 29. He won the First Defense Stakes at Belmont in his other start this year.
Christophe Clement in August 2020: “He got beat by the horse of Shug’s who was just too good. Same story, we’ll train him and Gucci Factor for the West Point. Therapist is dead fit we just have to keep him happy for his next race. That was the toughest allowance I’ve seen for many years. Not many months, many years in New York. It was a good race.”
