Yes, there is life after Saratoga. Well, some life. Tom Law is in the woods. Joe Clancy is at a swim meet or cross country meet or some kind of meet (though he spent Friday visiting Pennsylvania’s Crane Thoroughbreds for a feature in Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred’s October edition). Sean Clancy’s still at it, heading to Laurel Park and bringing you The Saturday Special – including stakes-studded action from Kentucky Downs and Laurel Park. As always, it’s presented by Pin Oak Stud (home of the best A-B-C stallion lineup in the country with Alternation, Broken Vow and Cowboy Cal).
Doncaster. Race 3. 10:10. We’ve been betting Richard Pankhurst his whole life but somehow lost him in the shuffle of The Saratoga Special, he won the Hungerford Stakes at 11-1. Damn. He’s 3-2 here in the Saint Gobain Weber Park Stakes.
Doncaster. Race 4. 10:45. The Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes stretches 3-year-olds a mile and seven furlongs for $1 million. Coolmore is loaded everywhere – sending out Idaho (can you name horses after states in the States?), Houseofparliament and Sword Fighter.
Leopardstown. Race 2. 11:00. American-breds Firey Speech and Radio Silence fly the flag in the Group 3 Willis Towers Watson Champions Juvenile Stakes. Douglas Macarthur sounds American but he represents Ireland.
Leopardstown. Race 5. 12:35. The Group 1 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes. Coolmore tries to win its own money with Alice Springs while Lael Stable is represented by Hawksmoor. Qemah is 6-5 for Al Shaqab.
Leopardstown. Race 6. 1:10. The Group 2 Boomerang Stakes attracts the venerable Gordon Lord Byron and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hit It A Bomb. Nothing like Europe when 8-year-olds line up against 3-year-olds.
Musselburgh. Race 5. 1:30. The Caledonia Cup Handicap looks like win number three for the Irish-bred Introductory, she’s won her last two and steps up a notch here.
Finger Lakes. Race 2. 1:41. Everybody’s favorite retired-jockey-turned-trainer Robbie Davis ventures north with Ribbonite for the Lady Fingers. The daughter of Griffinite needs to hold off favorite Christening who won the matchup last time for Gary Contessa. Saratoga winner Very Fashionable rates a long look for Mike Hushion.
Leopardstown. Race 7. 1:45. The Qipco Irish Champion Stakes caps off a stellar card. The Group 1 stakes pits Found, The Grey Gatsby, Harzand, Hawkbill, Minding…the absolute race of the weekend, maybe the year. Wow. Stop what you’re doing and watch this.
Kentucky Downs. Race 1. 2:25. Tobias is back.
Belmont Park. Race 3. 2:32. Comfort finds class relief in the Seattle Slew. Second behind Frosted in the Whitney, there are no Frosteds here.
Laurel Park. Race 5. 3:10. The first of five stakes on a banner card. The Laurel Futurity offers a hell of a maiden breaking opportunity for Caribou Club. Trained by Tom Proctor, the son of City Zip just missed in his debut and then finished third at Saratoga. Greatbullsoffire beat Caribou Club in his debut, then traveled to Delaware for a dirt stakes win.
Laurel Park. Race 6. 3:40. The turf fillies get their chance in the Selima. Zero Zee won her debut at Saratoga for George Weaver. Harlands Thunder makes her fifth start for Bill Mott. Read about Weaver’s filly in the Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour.
Finger Lakes. Race 6. 3:48. Todd Pletcher sends Ethan Hunt and Silver Mission for the Aspirant. Dylan Davis rides Pat On The Back, a Saratoga maiden winner Aug. 29.
Laurel Park. Race 7. 4:10. Onus exits two stakes efforts at Saratoga and picks up Forest Boyce for the Lady Baltimore. Tuttipaesi, a regular at Fair Hill Training Center for Bill Mott and Valor Ladies, has put together six solid efforts since meeting the soft-handed Chris DeCarlo.
Laurel Park. Race 8. 4:40. Theophilia makes the trip from Saratoga for the Shine Again Stakes. Shug McGaugey (Onus) comes loaded, sending La Madrina to the dirt stakes.
Woodbine. Race 8. 4:51. The Ontario Debutante offers black type to 2-year-old fillies. Wow, Ghostly Pleasure looked strong in her debut win for Roger Attfield and Chiefswood.
Parx Racing. Race 10. 5:00. The PTHA President’s Cup hands out $200,000 to 9-furlong turf horses. Bill Mott sends War Dancer south from his Saratoga base. And, somebody tell Roman Approval there aren’t any rabbits in here.
Monmouth Park. Race 9. 5:04. The Grade 3 Violet highlights the card and offers a stakes opportunity for All In Fun, who won a tough allowance at Saratoga in her most recent start for McGaughey. Isabella Sings drops from the Diana for Todd Pletcher.
Laurel Park. Race 9. 5:10. The Laurel Turf Cup. Around here, we’re rooting for Motivational, the house horse. It won’t be easy as Renown and Generous Kitten have been tough in stakes this summer.
Arlington Park. Race 7. 5:26. You never know where good 2-year-olds are going to come from, here’s a group who could go places, they square off in the Arlington-Washington Lassie. Spirituality was impressive in her debut for Shannon Ritter.
Kentucky Downs. Race 7. 5:36. The More Than Ready Mile kicks off a stellar docket of stakes at the coolest track in America. Hootenanny has been to Deauville, Royal Ascot, Keeneland, Belterra and now Kentucky Downs. We love veteran Dimension, who’s already won two stakes this year at the age of 8.
Laurel Park. Race 10. 5:40. The one and only Ben’s Cat in the Laurel Dash.
Delaware Park. Race 10. 5:45. Blame It On Me ventures from Saratoga for the George Rosenberger Memorial.
Arlington Park. Race 8. 5:56. The boys’ chance. The Arlington-Washington Futurity. Star Empire rides an undefeated record into his stakes debut for Wesley Ward.
Kentucky Downs. Race 8. 6:09. The One Dreamer Stakes for fillies and mares on the turf. Fleet Bertie exits a romp in her turf debut for Charlie LoPresti.
Delaware Park. Race 11. 6:15. The DTHA Governor’s Day caps off a day of stakes restricted to Delaware Park horses. Albano has been there all summer, working bullets for Larry Jones, he tries to snap a seven-race skid.
Kentucky Downs. Race 9. 6:39. The Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup. The Grade 3 stakes bandies $600,000. Yowza. Da Big Hoss won it last year and rides a three-race streak into this year’s edition. His main danger, stablemate Greengrassofyoming.
Kentucky Downs. Race 10. 7:09. Go home a winner. The Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint.
