Kicking off a long week
Real Writing on Racing 💯
The events of the weekend really hit me hard Saturday night/Sunday morning and I wrote Sadness🍁 rather than the usual review of the previous days races and preview of the stake on Sunday. Today I will try to catch-up on some of those reviews and thoughts from the weekend that didn’t involve the Test. Thank you for all the kind words that people sent about what we did write, I just wish it had been about a triumphant result not a tragic fall.
Saturday
Race 1 on Saturday was an off the grass 2 yo race going a mile on the dirt that was won by a badly drifting Trade Imbalance, a FTS from the Klaravich/Brown/Irad trio that won a head-bob from Pletcher FTS Agate Road who was probably best after a slow start. IMO NYRA should seriously consider cutting these races back to 7f for 2 yo’s as they too often become staggerfests like this one, the last quarter run in 28 seconds, the last eighth in 14.34.
Race 2 looked like a solid group of 2yo maidens going 6f and a highly touted Curlin colt named Be You, a FTS from the vaunted Repole/Pletcher/Irad team was sent off the 3-2 favorite despite drawing the dreaded post one. Second time starter Ozone buzzed to the lead setting fast fractions (22.56 x 45.60) while being hounded all the way by Just Steel, another making start number 2 after finishing second to the TDN Rising Star Pirate earlier in the meet. Be You had set up shop right behind those two inside Uno Mas Bourbon and seemed poised to run by them as Irad angled him wide turning for home. As Be You ranged up on the dueling leaders, he began to bear in on Just Steel as Ozone ran of oxygen and started to fade. With both Irad and Joel Rosario aboard Just Steel going to left hands, the two white bridled colts battled right to the wire with a determined Just Steel getting there first, stopping the clock at 1:10.22. Call me crazy but a rematch between the Justify colt, who earned a meet high (for 2yo’s) Beyer figure of 88, and Pirate potentially looms in the Hopeful(Gr I) on the meets final day. Locked, another Pletcher FTS that took no $$ going off 12-1, was far back early but closed stoutly to be third and will be one to watch stretching out in distance.
The 5th Saturday was a NY bred allowance going 7f on the main track and it went to Monmouth shipper Straight Arrow who nosed out Be the Boss, the second heartbreaking beat for a “Be” horse on the day. Mike Dini trains the winner, Jose Lezcano was the jockey.
The Troy (Gr III) was supposed to be another romp for filly turf sprinting star Caravel who was heavily backed at 1-2 but the rare Lone Star Park shipper, Cogburn stole the show putting in a strong late rally to nail the speedy Nobals at the wire. Perhaps the filly didn’t handle the ground which was labeled soft but she melted in the stretch. Cogburn is a Not this Time colt trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana. Tough loss for Nobals as he did all the dirty pace work but just couldn’t last.
The Lure stakes, run over the inner turf which was listed as yielding, wound up having a fantastic finish with just three necks separating Smokin T, Dakota Gold and Portfolio Company at the wire. Noted that several horses in the field seemed to struggle with the softish ground including the winner, Smokin T, who bobbled under John Velazquez at the top of the stretch before out gaming his two rivals while in between them in tight quarters to the wire. Shug gets off the duck with his first winner of the meet.
The only two comments I have in the aftermath of the Test (Gr I):
Trainer Brendan Walsh and Dan Pride of Godolphin showed tremendous class and empathy in the midst of a terrible situation.
Mike McCarthy had the lightly raced Clearly Unhinged ready to run the race of her life. If you own good horses and he isn’t on your short list of potential trainers, you need to seek better advice.
The Saratoga Derby (Gr I) proved once again, without a shadow of a doubt, that an easy lead is still the best path to the winners circle after the very lightly raced Program Trader (Klaravich/Brown/Prat) had just enough left to out duel the far more experienced Webslinger in deep stretch. Far Bridge didn’t seem to love the soft going and the Euros stunk.
The Whitney (Gr I) was an odd race with a field mostly comprised of one turn types including overwhelming fan favorite Cody’s Wish, plus an Oaklawn Park specialist and mediocre Cornhusker winner. An old ‘thorn in the side of racing establishment’ resurfaced once again when the contumelious Rick Dutrow upset the apple cart with White Abarrio, the roan colt’s second race under new management. Irad set up shop outside Giant Game as that one led through slower than par fractions, took over turning for home, quickly opened up a five length lead which proved to be insurmountable, cruising under the wire 6 1/4 clear over Zandon. It was a good performance under close to ideal conditions which seems to have deluded the colts connections that training up to the Classic at 10 furlongs is a good idea. I will go on record right now as saying that it isn’t a good idea at all. Cody’s Wish slipped at the start which cost him a few lengths early but Junior Alvarado never appeared to have a whole lot of horse underneath him and Cody’s Wish simply didn’t fire. Zandon did Zandon things which basically means he chased and settled for the runner up spot…again. Charge It was a huge disappointment, Giant Game just isn’t good enough and hopefully Lukas will put Last Samurai back in mothballs till Hot Springs is open for business. In the end it was a venture that didn’t work out for Cody’s Wish but at the very least his people know exactly where to go in November.
Sunday
The word was out that the Klaravich homebred filly by Practical Joke in the second race MSW going 6f was a runner and that designation would prove to be an understatement. On a day that chaos reined with a spill on the beleaguered grass course triggering a late surface change announcement that sent horse racing Twitter (or HRX?) into a tailspin (understandably)…the lasting memory for most will be the disdain which Ways and Means just showed for the rest of field as she left them in her wake. Sent off as the 3-5 favorite, she encountered a bit of trouble directly from the start when bumped hard leaving the gate, then dragging Flavian Prat towards the leaders down the backside before inhaling them turning for home, the Frenchman motionless in the saddle as she got further and further ahead. The final time was 1:10.51, the final margain was 12 3/4’s and the Beyer was a meet 2yo high of 90 though it appeared the time could have been faster, the winning margin greater and the Beyer higher if Prat had just moved his hands slightly.
The fourth was a second level allowance for fillies going long on the grass where six started and four finished as Frivole (Fr) pulled up coming out of the first turn while Ever Summer broke down badly about halfway around the final turn, unseating Irad and requiring the blue screen of darkness to be brought out. Whatlovelookslike wound up winning for Pletcher and Prat but coming on the heels of the previous day’s disaster, nobody really seemed to care that much.
The Adirondack (Gr III) wound up being dominated by Churchill at Ellis Park shippers as they ran 1-2-3 with Brightwork making light work of the field of eight 2yo fillies. The John Ortiz trained daughter of Outwork ran her record to 3 for 3 with a 5 length score under jockey Irad Ortiz. The 95k Keeneland Nov weanling purchase broke her maiden first time out at that same venue in April before taking down the Debutante at Ellis Park on July 2. Irad had her perfectly placed, stalking a fast pace before taking over shortly after entering the stretch run and drawing away late. The Adirondack(Gr III) was trainer Ortiz’ first Saratoga stakes win, a nice prize during his initial season being stabled in upstate NY. Here U Come Again was second and Streaming Now was third to complete the Kentucky shipper triple. Schuylerville winner Becky’s Joker raced wide while making no impact when finishing 7th of 8.
🆗 The long awaited decision on who JJ Castellano would ride in the Travers has finally been settled…see who he will be getting a leg up on Here
🆓 Here are the DRF Formulator PP’s for the Johnstone Mile for FREE
💰 David Aragona’s TimeformUS play of the day is in race 8 from the Spa. Check it out HERE
🆓 BRIS PP’s for the Johnstone Mile ⬇️
Johnstone Mile Handicap $125,000 NY Bred F/M 1 mile dirt
Venti Valentine - the highweight in this group gets the rail from which she may be sent along to try to grab the lead or at least maintain good position leaving the Wilson Chute. Has run a couple of figures that would win this but those have been at Aqueduct and while she has an excellent 4-3-0-1 record at the mile distance, it feels like she will be overbet in here.
Sunset Louise - 4yo filly has an outstanding resume coming into this race on a three race win streak, those races representing her only races this year plus she is 2 for 2 at the Spa and sports a 5-4-1-0 record at the mile distance. The only caveat’s are that of her five lifetime victories, four have come on off tracks (it’s expected to be dry today) and she has 2 races without lasix and both were terrible.
Know It All Audrey - a pace factor, she has an excellent record at the distance 10-3-4-1 and actually runs very consistent TG’s that put her in the mix here on her best. However Barrera’s numbers at Saratoga and in stakes are weak and she loses Irad to a suspension though Castellano is fine as a replacement.
Bustin Bay - has done little wrong since being claimed by Rice including blowout win here on opening day going 9f. Loses JL Ortiz to suspension replaced by Carmouche, she has a decent record 9-2-2-2 at the distance and while her TG pattern is erratic, she has on occasion tossed up a number good enough to threaten in this group.
Betsy Blue - the one to beat in here though she has only one start since February, a close 4th in the key race Dancing Renee Stakes at Belmont in late June. She has done well over this surface, has a 2-1-0-1 record at a mile and runs the fastest TG figs for Rice, who is battling it out for top training honors, and regular rider Lezcano. Feels like there will be sufficient pace for her late kick to be effective and the fact that she is actually getting weight in here from Venti Valentine is icing on the cake.
*May scratch as she has been entered to run in the Union Avenue Handicap on Friday afternoon.
Timeless Journey - her Aqueduct form makes her dangerous in here but her most recent races at Belmont do not. Six year old mare has spent her entire career in NY but has zero starts on the Saratoga main track though to be fair when trained by Clement, she mostly competed in grass events.
Mia Bea Star - took a lifetime to break through the NYB NW2x allowance condition before capturing it on July 2. Has never shown the ability to beat most of these mares though you could potentially use her underneath in exotics as she does have the knack of getting a little piece without winning.
Results from our ‘Best Filly Lukas trained’ poll from Saturday ⬇️
A new poll! Vote 🗳️
The Johnstone Mile was named after popular longtime trainer and racing official Bruce Johnstone who passed away in 2020. While I was unable to come up with video of any of his best horses I did make a connection to the top three year old and influential stallion Gone West as Bruce trained his dam, Secrettame. Here he is on his finest day destroying a good field in the Dwyer back when it was still a grade 1.
Regarding the 2yo races Saturday 8/5: TFUS has the early fractions of the 1st race as very hot. I would not be surprised going forward if the 3rd and 4th finishers turn out better than the 1st and 2nd. And they can come back in a scheduled 1 mile mdn there on September 1st :-). In race 2, Just Steel was making his third start, not 2nd. He ran a slow debut at Ellis in June before running 2nd to Pirate in July.