Marathon Thursday

Real Writing on Racing 💯

🎪 Chamber of Commerce day at the Spa on Wednesday to kick off week number three, sun soaked and warm without the excessiveness of last weekend. Thursday may not be as ideal as we could experience a few scattered showers with much higher humidity predicted.

🏆 A little over two years ago at Oaklawn Park, in a mostly forgotten 100k listed stakes named the Purple Martin, Kimari ran down Frank’s Rockette to record a 1 3/4 length win, going the six furlongs in 1:10.57 over the dirt surface. History repeated itself in Wednesday’s feature, the Honorable Miss Handicap (Gr II), when Kimari once again ran down Frank’s Rockette, this time by only 1/2 length, the six furlongs timed in 1:10.78. Prohibitive race favorite Bella Sophia was third, beaten 6 1/4 lengths while Ohio shipper and early pace setter Amadevil was essentially eased after visibly bleeding badly in her first start sans Lasix. Trained by Wes Ward, Kimari, a five year old Munnings mare, rebounded from a dull effort last out in the Derby City Distaff (Gr I) on KY Derby day, adding another stakes score, giving her six total. This was her second Saratoga stakes victory, as she had taken the Bolton Landing as a two year old back in 2019. She was purchased by her current connections for $2.7 million out of last fall’s Fasig Tipton Night of the Stars sale and their decision to give her one more year of racing now looks like a wise choice. Frank’s Rockette rebounded from a stumble at the start to move decisively up the inside on the turn under Flavian Prat, wresting the lead passing the 1/4 pole and mid-stretch appeared headed to her second Saratoga grade II win. Yet she couldn’t hold off the winner, caught in the shadow of the wire, checking in second once again, her fourth consecutive runner up finish in a stakes race. Frank Fletcher’s homebred Into Mischief mare has fired virtually every time she has loaded into the starting gate, amassing a record of 21-8-9-3 good for $998,753, a grade 1 win the only thing absent on her impressive resume for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Bella Sophia, who was shooting for her third consecutive graded stakes win and second Saratoga Grade 1 win (she won last years Test), was away alertly under regular rider Luis Saez. She briefly dueled with longshot invader Amadevil before Saez took a light hold and eased back to track in second, angling outside the early leader. Saez asked her to move passing the 1/4 pole and she got past the tiring leader but couldn’t sustain that momentum and faded in the stretch, checking in third by a little over 6 lengths. The Ballerina (Gr I) looms for Frank’s Rockette and Bella Sophia though Ward’s comments post race made it appear likely that Kimari would skip that race later in the meet and point for a race at Keeneland as a prep for the Breeders Cup Filly/Mares Sprint.

🎪 Freddie Flintshire accelerated once the jumping portion of yesterdays first has been completed, drawing off to win the opener, a 2 1/16 steeplechase event, by close to 5 lengths for top jumper connections Parker Hendricks and Keri Brion.

🎪 Shortly before post time of the first race it was announced that London Gold was a late scratch in the second race, a very unusual and very late scratch. Turns out that the rider named on her, Jalon Samuel wasn’t able to fulfill his commitment to ride and none of the other jocks in the room would accept the assignment.

🎪 Good to see veteran trainer and all-around good guy Mitch Friedman in the winners circle after Noble Huntsman took down the third race despite racing greenly in the stretch. Favored Disarmed took the worst of some backside jostling when Twenty Six Black under Jose Ortiz raced erratically for little apparent reason, heading into the turn.

🎪 Mooney Love (Ire) made his US debut a winning one, outclassing a very ordinary looking allowance group going 12 furlongs on the inner turf for owner Team Valor Int’l, Bill Mott and Joel Rosario.

🎪 Miracle and Flavian Prat ran away from a group of two year old New York bred maiden fillies in the days 6th race. She is a pricey Mendelssohn filly, purchased out of the OBS March sale for $360k, trained by Rudy Brissett for owners WinStar and Siena Farms. The field of 10 New York breds included none that were sired by a New York based sire, every filly entered was by a Kentucky stallion. Make of that what you will…

🥪 I tried out the new second floor Carnegie Deli because I was starving and willing to pay James Harden money 💵 for a sandwich. I ordered a Pastrami that comes with a pickle, which wasn’t bad but for $23 it shouldn’t be bad. Pros- No line, decent sandwich. Cons - $23 for a solid $10 sandwich.

🎙 Filled in with Seth Morrow on Steve Byk’s At the Races show yesterday morning. Thank you to Steve for the opportunity, props to Seth who was an excellent co-host and appreciate all our guests that made the assignment easy.

🗳 Results from our latest poll ⬇️

Day 11 (29 racing days to go)

Birdstone (listed) $200,000 1 3/4 dirt 4 and up

1. Fearless - Winner of the 12 furlong Brooklyn (Gr II) last out for Repole/Pletcher combo. 6 year old gelding amazingly has never made a Saratoga start before today. Is at a bit of a tactical disadvantage here as his main rival, distance specialist Lone Rock, has the early pace edge in the 14 furlong marathon. He always fires having won or hit the board in ten consecutive starts dating back till June of 2020 and has a big chance if Saez can solve the pace puzzle.

2. Lone Rock - easy winner of this race last year, he has emerged as the east coast top dirt distance specialist over the last few years. Has advantage of possessing more natural early speed than his four rivals in here. With regular rider Ramon Vasquez riding at Del Mar, Irad Ortiz, jr has gotten the call. Strictly the one to beat especially if the track gets wet from an afternoon shower as he is 5 for 7 lifetime on an off track.

3. Original Intent - late runner ships in from Kentucky for trainer Bentley Combs. 7 year old Creative Cause gelding is actually 2 for 2 at the 14 furlong distance though both were against starter company at Oaklawn Park. Seems to be a cut below the top 2, Joel Rosario takes the mount.

4. Portos - the second and decidedly weaker entrant from Team Todd. Still eligible for second level condition, he was a non-threatening fourth in the Brooklyn and needs for some chaos to occur to make up the difference between the top two and him. Prat has the assignment.

5. Shooger Ray Too - was second last year in this race behind Lone Rock in his first and only Saratoga try. Like the two directly to his inside, appears to be a step below Lone Rock and Fearless, new jock Santana may try to stay closest to Lone Rock early.