A Sunny Sunday ☀️
Real Writing on Racing 💯
Overcast skies loomed as the Saturday afternoon card progressed, threatening to dump more of the dreaded summer rain that the entire upstate New York region has been drenched in this Spa season…but thankfully it didn’t materialize. This good weather fortune allowed the Fourstardave (Gr I) to be run without a hitch, over an inner turf course which perhaps should be labeled precarious rather than good. 36,760 or thereabouts packed the backyard and apron areas despite the spotty forecast, making the day seem Saratoga-like…a feeling not to be taken lightly considering the events of last weekend.
From the ‘not something you see everyday’ files…Bob Baffert took the lid-lifter with a New York bred son of Frosted shipping in from Del Mar. Sent off at 4-5, Tall Paul broke sharp and grabbed the lead heading down the backside before being tackled from the outside by Pletcher FTS Quiet Wisdom, a grey/roan almost white colt by Into Mischief. The two raced as a team rounding the turn and into the stretch. Tall Paul eventually shook off his grey shadow mid-stretch and edged clear to break his maiden by 3 despite a last furlong in 13.29. Quiet Wisdom brushed the gate while leaving it, tired late but shouldn’t be a maiden too much longer. Finger Lakes shipper Strawberry Kwik, a FTS by Union Jackson, ran a nice race up the inside to be third.
The grass races were all a go which meant the second was on and we’d get to see the Kingman (GB) filly Ocean Mermaid(GB) take on the boys in the 5.5f MSW event. She was exiting a runner up finish in the inaugural Royal Palm Juvenile stakes at Gulfstream behind subsequent Royal Ascot winner Crimson Advocate in her only start. Curiously trainer Wesley Ward had named 5 lb apprentice Walter Rodriguez to ride Ocean Mermaid (GB) for owner Stonestreet Stables which is only notable because Rodriguez had never ridden at Saratoga before as he is based in Kentucky. Sent off as the 8-5 public choice, Ocean Mermaid (GB) broke alertly and soon took command heading to the turn with longshot Smoky Smoky chasing her in second and Good Lord Lorrie and Jose Ortiz biding their time while traveling comfortably in 5th. Turning for home in the turf sprint, Rodriguez tried to get the filly to put some distance between her and the field but by mid-stretch she was tiring and Good Lord Lorrie who had angled out three wide leaving the turn had all the momentum. The Hard Spun filly trained by George Weaver sped past the leg weary filly and went on to score a decisive one length score over Smoky Smoky who finally wore down Ocean Mermaid (GB) who settled for the show position. There was some bobbling and jostling in the lane indicating that some struggled with the ground though as mostly 2yo first time starters, some green behavior is to be expected.
Ward’s One Giant Leap, dropping in claiming price to the $35,000 nw3 level off of a voided claim win in a $50,000 nw2 at Keeneland last out, was favored in the 4th heading to the starting gate before dumping Rodriguez and running off requiring the 3yo gelding to be scratched. This triggered the dreaded post time favorite rule (especially notable when it’s the post time favorite who is scratched) throwing all manners of despair and angst into the multi-race wager players who were now “stuck” with 6-5 choice Commerce Comet. The American Freedom gelding named for the nickname of baseball legend Mickey Mantle. showed early speed before fading…just another Yankees related failure this season though their fallacious fan base can’t blame GM Brian Cashman for this debacle. The winner was Ten Cent Town, a NY bred by Redesdale ridden by Dylan Davis, who trainer Bill Morey had cleverly snuck over to the Finger Lakes a few weeks back to take down an allowance race before outgaming Thunderian yesterday. Gary Sciacca, notable in his absence on the Spa backside this summer as he chose to stay home at Belmont, wasn’t fooled however as he dropped a successful claim in for the winner.
Clement trained FTS Deterministic made a very good impression in the paddock while getting solid tote action and the Liam’s Map colt held up his end of the bargain by overcoming some antics in the post parade, a slow start, wide trip and bump with a rival entering the stretch run to get up late over a determined Hurricane Nelson. Credit jockey Joel Rosario for a well timed ride and keeping the colt’s momentum going in the stretch when he was trying to lug-in. Hurricane Nelson, a Florida bred by Khozan who is owned, trained and bred by Mage’s conditioner Gustavo Delgado, ran well chasing a fast early pace set by Asmussen FTS Informed Patriot, taking over in the early stretch when that one faltered and just couldn’t hold off the winner. Eliminate, a pricey Pletcher FTS by Curlin, encountered a few spot of minor trouble but didn’t run nearly as well as his 7-5 price on the board suggested he would, though he can certainly improve on the stretch out. Mott FTS Reynolds Channel, a West Coast colt ridden by Luis Saez, got bet down to 4-1 but didn’t do much running though his connections didn’t wind up having a bad day when all was said and done.
Larry Rivelli sent two FTS to the Spa for Saturdays card from his home base at Hawthorne Park and the first one to run, Gucci Man in the 1st race, showed little. His entry in the 6th, a NY bred MSW for 3 and up fillies going six panels, Richies Princess, a homebred Laoban filly for longtime Rivelli clients Richard Ravin and Patrica’s Hope was coming into this with a bullet four furlongs in her sole work over the surface after showing a long work tab dating back to March in Cicero. Sent off as the post time favorite under Irad, she jetted directly to the front, opening up a clear margin around the turn and into the lane, began to tire in deep stretch when Irad did Irad things as she drifted out in front of the closing Nolita. Junior Alvarado on that filly altered course to the inside but Irad had also corrected Richies Princess back toward the rail, seeming to do just enough to maintain his lead to the wire, bending the rules while not even drawing the inquiry or objection sign.
The $150,000 Galway Stakes for 3yo fillies sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the grass almost went to the Barry Spears GIC video Spa spot play of the day selection Stone Silent, who got nabbed right before the wire at 10-1 by L J’s Emma. The winner is an Into Mischief filly trained by Eddie Kenneally who shipped in from Kentucky after taking down an allowance at Ellis in her last start, this being her third consecutive win. Favorite Love Reigns (Ire) never got untracked and finished a well beaten 7th.
This wasn’t exactly a stellar group for the Saratoga Special (Gr II) but favored Rhyme Schemes did exactly what he was supposed to do which was pummel them into submission. The son of Ghostzapper had destroyed a group of maidens at Ellis last out earning a huge speed figure and looked to be very much the one to beat yesterday. Sent off as the even money favorite, Ricardo Santana aboard bided his time in fourth while stalking dueling leaders Market Street and Woodcourt, before tipping wide and blowing past that pair, opening up a long lead mid-stretch and coasting him close to 10 lengths clear. Market Street held on for the place spot while second choice Haul clunked up for third. Rhyme Scheme surely ran another huge speed fig and is being pointed for the Hopeful (Gr I) on closing weekend where he figures to meet far better company but in his current form, he will be a tough customer to deal with.
Last time they squared off in the Kelso (Gr III), Irad on Annapolis got out maneuvered by Luis Saez on Casa Creed and he was determined not to let that happen again in the Fourstardave (Gr I). Establishing a forward position comfortably stalking longshot pace setters My Sea Cottage (Ire) and So High (GB), Irad wasn’t letting Casa Creed get the jump on him this time and as he moved to the lead in the stretch it looked like he had turned the tables on Casa Creed. Yet Luis Saez hadn’t let his mount drop too far back as he has before and didn’t give the 7yo Jimmy Creed horse too much to do and the more he asked, the more Casa Creed gave, motoring past Annapolis right before the finishline, registering a 3/4 length victory and giving him back to back Fourstardaves for Bill Mott and LRE Racing & JEH Racing stable (connections of Reynolds Channel). Casa Creed is now well over $2 million in earnings and with him not slowing down at all at age 7, it seems there will be a stakes named after him someday.
💰Todays GIC Digest Saratoga Play of the Day from ‘the Sniper’ Barry Spears
🏇🏻 They ran the Arlington Million at Colonial yesterday and as weird as it sounds, it is our new reality though hopefully the American older horse Turf division can improve to the point where races without European representation don’t all feel like grade 3’s. Read about yesterday’s inaugural Virginia Million Here.
🏄🏼 The Best Pal (Gr II) is the Del Mar feature today and it’s a battle of Baffert blow out maiden winners (Surpise!) as Muth takes on Prince of Monaco. Check out the free DRF Forumlator PP’s for that race Here.
🎪 No Spa stakes preview today as our longstanding ban on trying to make sense of turf sprints is still in effect BUT this link will bring you NYRA morning line maker and DRF analyst David Aragona’s breakdown of todays 8th race, an intriguing allowance race with past and future stakes performers littering the page.
📽️ Though he has had a very good career as a stallion as evidenced by yesterday’s Saratoga Special winner, it’s easy to forget just how good Ghostzapper was as a racehorse. Here he is winning the 2005 Met Mile
Steve A looking like he ate most of the money he stole from his employees.