Jumping…ahead 🎪

Real Writing on Racing 💯

📸 PC- Chelsea Durand

🎪 Saratoga opened up last Thursday with almost perfect weather, strong racing cards with mostly full fields and light competition with Del Mar still a week away from running. The wagering public (and CAW teams) responded by sending $106,401,827 through the proverbial windows, up 18.1% from opening week in 2021. Average field size was 8.75 vs. 8.10 last year though there has yet to be a race taken off the grass while last years opening week had 5 rained off. Ontrack handle, a mostly irrelevant stat at most meets, was $17,062,482 which was an 18.5% increase over last years $14,394,438. Paid admissions (not exactly attendance) was 103,254 (including me) versus last years 94,078 (without me). I’m not sure that any of these numbers really mean all that much in the big picture but positive trends are always nicer to report.

🏆 Big Invasion ran his winning streak to five with a decisive 2 3/4 length score in yesterdays Quick Call (Gr III) over the firm turf. Taken in hand early by Joel Rosario, the son of Declaration of War settled 5th in the field of 6. He moved up into a prominent position turning for home behind a rapid early pace (21.41 - 43.83), and powered by the early leaders mid-stretch, capturing his first graded stakes win and earning 100 Beyer in the process. Run Curtis Run chased the fast pace and grinded it out to be second. Second choice Asymmetric (Ire) was ‘Jaime Spencer’ed’ lagging behind and finding trouble while Nobals was wide throughout and never got involved while perhaps not appreciating the very firm course. Check out the recap from the Bloodhorse with replay Here

🎪 Veteran trainer Dave Donk scored twice yesterday winning the 7th (NYB allowance going 8.5f on inner turf) with Lady Thornhill, a NY bred filly by Stormy Atlantic for owner/breeder Stone Bridge Farm and the finale (NYB maiden claiming $25000 going 8.5f on inner turf) with Our Jessica, another NY bred filly, by Laoban, for Gary and Susan Lundy. Dave was sporting a Jets hat in the winners circle yesterday which is probably the only time you will see the words Jets 🏈 and winners in the same sentence till November.

🎪 Sundays card got kicked off with maiden NYB 2 year olds and another veteran trainer, Bruce Levine unveiled a nice looking son of Central Banker (standing locally at McMahon farm of Saratoga) named Light Man. Midwest trainer Ciao Caramori (by Eduardo Caramori) showed up with a runner as his Curly Larry and Moe ran well to be second in his debut. Team Todd’s Miracle Man didn’t do much running as the 4/5 choice off a decent runner up finish downstate in his debut.

🎪 The claim box remained active with 11 horses changing hands on Sunday. Interesting to see Mark Casse drop a slip for 50000 for owner Gary Barber, on Zoomer who won the 5th in a romp, earning a 97 Beyer

🎪 Two Three Zone put on a full court press in taking the 9th, a solid field of allowance sprinters going 7f for Ray Handel and Dylan Davis earning a 99 Beyer for the win. Sound Money, who was way overbet as the favorite at .80 to the dollar, was just second best.

😕 The headline races for next weekend, the Coaching Club American Oaks (Gr I) on Saturday and the Shuvee (Gr II) on Sunday look like short fields though the ones that are running are mostly at the top of the distaff divisions. Saturdays feature currently lists only four probables headed by Nest and Secret Oath who are both coming out of Triple Crown races against the boys. The winner will have the inside track on champion three year old filly (if it’s one of those two). Sundays feature might be a rematch of the Phipps from Belmont day with Clairiere, Malathaat, and Search Results all scheduled to run though a key figure from that race that wasn’t nominated, Letruska won’t be in the lineup.

🌊 Saturday at Monmouth, the always excellent Haskell Day card will take a bit of the national spotlight off of the Spa. Jack Christopher will be the headliner of the big race but Mr Baffert returns to the scene with Taiba who was last spotted galloping home 12th in the Derby. Cyberknife, White Abbario and perhaps We the People are the other contenders in the Haskell.

🏇🏻 Colonial Downs has a nice card scheduled for today with a couple competitive stakes on tap. “Beemie Downs” as it’s called by Twitter legend Buck Swope, has lots of grass racing and with many solid outfits, it makes for an excellent early week, racing distraction.

2️⃣5️⃣ Donna Brothers put out her annual top 25 things to do in Saratoga list yesterday (click to see). It’s a great list with many good ideas and spots that she enjoys. Tomorrow we will be putting our own spin on a top 25 list of things to do and see in Saratoga and I can guarantee that yoga won’t be on the list and if we do any boating it will be under this flag 🏴‍☠️

🎙 Check out the Going In Circles BIG MONDAY show! Taping tonight, the new show will be available after 11pm tonight at all major podcast platforms! Click HERE for 🍎 podcasts or HERE for OVERCAST or use search 🔍 on any podcast platform

Wednesday day 5 (35 racing days to go)

A.P. Smithwick Mmr’l Steeplechase Gr I 16.5f Inner Turf

1. Chief Justice (GB) - Doesn’t appear to be in the class of some of the others in here though the 7 year old appears to be in pretty good form coming in. Gets in at 146, 12 pounds less than the top weight. Ran in this race over the same course in 2020 but didn’t show much that day.

2. Down Royal - Not often you see a horse that is bred, owned, trained and ridden by the same connections but that is the case with this mare and Kate and Bernie Dalton. Dalton who won his 100th NSA (National Steeplechase Association) race this May will likely be stalking the pacesetter which is probably going to be Pistol Whipped (Ire) as the grey Alphabet Soup mare generally isn’t too far back. She is the lightweight in the field at 141 pounds.

3. Pistol Whipped (Ire) - English invader led for much of the Iroquois (Gr 1) at Nashville in his latest. He was no match for Snap Decision, though few are as he would be the favorite in here. The Irish-bred 8 year old gelding did show some gameness as he dropped back after losing the lead but grinded it out the last 400 yards to grab the runner up spot. Shortens up from 24 furlongs to 16.5 and is assigned the top weight of 158 but regularly carried 166 overseas. Regular jockey Nicolai Deboinville flys in from the UK 🇬🇧 to take the mount.

4. Historic Heart (Ire) - first of three entrants for last seasons Saratoga jumpers Queen, Keri Brion, who swept all of the Grade 1 steeplechase races. Was traveling well in Iroquois (Gr I) before stopping late and not finishing. Should appreciate the cut back in distance (the old 7.5 furlong cutback) and was the choice of stable rider Hendricks who is also currently the leading NSA jockey with 13 wins in 44 starts. Stupid trivia that only I’m interested in - he is the youngest horse in the field at 5 year old and was bred by Irish racing legend Jim Bolger.

5. French Light (Fr.) - ran second in this race last year, chasing wire to wire winner and stablemate, Baltimore Bucko for Brion. Also ran third in the Jonathan Sheppard (Gr I) over the same Saratoga turf later in the meet. Tuned up in his only 2022 start back in April in Mineral Springs, North Carolina gutting out what essentially was a match race as only 2 of the 4 runners finished the race. Is reunited with jock Beswick who rode in US debut last year.

6. Redicean (GB) - 2022’s current leading NSA trainer Leslie Young trains this 8 year old gelding coming out of the rarely seen 54 length win. The race was a grade II event at Great Meadow, Virginia, though it was a 4 horse field and 2 of them left the course plus the time was slow over the soft going (they ran 4 races at the 17 furlong distance, only maidens went slower). None of that probably means anything for Wednesdays race but I looked it up and figured I should share. Has run in the Smithwick twice before, both times non-threatening 4ths.

7. Iranistan - all or nothing type as he generally wins or is nowhere. Typically on the pace, he was taken back in the Iroquois (Gr I) and didn’t take the 4th jump well, stumbling badly and nearly unseating the rider. Was essentially out of the race at that point and eventually was pulled up. Before that went to the lead and didn’t look back in the grade II Temple Gwathamey at Middleburg, Virginia besting Snap Decision while getting 14 pounds from him. Brion said that he was in “fabulous” condition when interviewed about this race. Which version shows up Wednesday? Your guess is as good as mine but he has had previous success over the course including running a good second in this race way back in 2018. Former leading NSA jockey Jack Doyle makes his US seasons debut in the saddle.

🚨Bonus Dark Day Coverage 🚨

New York Derby Finger Lakes $150k 8.5f 3yo’s

1. Aggregation - Flatter colt has dominated NY bred in both 2022 appearances, crushing maidens at Aquedcut in April and returning to do the same to entry level allowance foes at Belmont May 30 when stretched out to a mile. Out of the Curlin mare Emotional Words, the stretch out to two turns should be within his scope. For the rare Chad Brown Lakes’ appearance, Franco drove the minivan 🚐 out to Canandaigua to ride this one (and he rides the 9th, an allowance race too). The one to beat.

2. Best Idea - Team Todd shows up with Johnny V. who was riding shotgun in the Franco minivan for the trip west. This Honor Code colt got a long way behind in the Mike Lee stakes in his last start at Belmont. The winner that day opened up a long lead and held this one safe. He might benefit from both the stretch out to two turns and the soft expected pace. Wouldn’t be a big surprise.

3. State Planning - didn’t do much running against older NY breds in nw2x allowance in latest at Belmont after getting crop dusted in the Peter Pan (Gr II). Trainer change to local Rohena as regular conditioner Vasquez has a long term suspension go into effect starting today. I had one dealing with Mr. Vasquez and let’s just say that I won’t shed any tears over his departure. I would hope that racing commissions would start to do their jobs by not rubber stamping professional licenses to those who are constantly violating the rules to the detriment of the game. Owners who continue to look the other way when employing bad actors are guilty by association but the regulators need to start regulating and should be held to a higher standard. HISA exists not because “racing” didn’t police itself, it’s here because the state regulators didn’t do their job properly. The Pennsylvania commission showed some backbone and moxie by not ‘business as usual-ing’ the Vasquez situation so kudos to them. Oh and this horse winning here would be a stunner.

4. Grabbing the Money - trained by Glenroy Brown (no relation to Chad or Dee) the Strong Mandate colt has plenty of experience as this is his 16th lifetime start however none of them have been fast enough to win this race. Perhaps the pacesetter?

5. Barese - Maker wheels him back here after a middling effort when fourth in the Ohio Derby. Yes there were far more accomplished runners in that spot and in the Wood where he was 5th. Yet his best race was the Gander back in February around one turn at Aqueduct when he ran a career best 2.5 TG and he has steadily run slower since. I actually wagered on him in the Ohio Derby thinking that he might bounce back off the brief freshening but he didn’t do much running that day with a really nice trip. I won’t be on his side today.

Old School Video of the week sponsored by GAME OF SILKS