Salute to Saturday

Real Writing on Racing 💯

Yesterday’s weather was delightful, we had turf races, NYRA gave away T- shirts to the 31,229 paid attendees and Chad Brown ran 1-2 in a grass stakes on the way to winning 4….it was almost like things were back to normal. Of course there was some grumbling about 2 NYRA management mandated scratches in the 3rd because those two fillies had exited the ill-fated Robert Dick Memorial (Gr III) at Delaware Park last July 1, a decision which seemed to land somewhere between understandable and unreasonable.

👑 Race 3 was down to a four horse field after the 2 unusual scratches and the Chad Brown trained Rocky Sky (Ire) was bet down to 3-5 based on her likelihood of being on a loose lead plus she had been cross entered into the Beverly D (Gr I) at Colonial today but chose to stay home. Yet it was another Brown trained mare, Kalifornia Queen (Ger) who got the money, unleashing a strong late rally to nail Rocky Sky (Ire) in the shadow of the wire.

Grannys Connection holds on making someone happy

✨ When Linda Rice opted to run Betsy Blue on Wednesday in the Bruce Johnstone Mile rather than yesterday in the Union Avenue, it left Grannys Connection as the obvious chalk with a gaudy 6-4-2-0 lifetime record. Sent off at 1-2, the Connect filly trained by Tom Morley, flashed her early speed jetting off to the lead while setting quick fractions (21.89 x 44.81), Javier Castellano staying busy on her right to the finishline where she checked in a length and a half winner. Second choice Kant Hurry Love chased the winner throughout and settled for the runner up spot.

Tom Morley and Grannys Connection before the Union Ave.

🥇 The fifth was an NW2x allowance for fillies going 5.5f on the turf listed as good and surprisingly Breeze Easy (GB) was bet to 3-2 favoritism over her barnmate, Gal in a Rush whose late running style may have scared some off in a short field. Alas it didn’t matter as Prat launched his bid on the Ghostbuster filly rounding the far turn, angling widest while building momentum which carried the pair past the three others to win comfortably for Clement-Prat-West Point. Sometimes even a short price like 2-1 is a gift when you were thinking the fair market price was half of that and it sure seemed like that was the case for those of us that backed Gal in a Rush yesterday. Lady Milagro set the pace and held on nicely for the second money.

Carl Spackler (Ire)

🏌🏻‍♂️We noted in the preview of the Hall of Fame Stakes that the biggest beneficiary of the week delay was Carl Spackler (Ire) who was moored out in post 10 land in the original race last Friday which would have made the mostly rail skimming trip he received yesterday difficult to imagine. Tyler Gafflione found Carl Spackler (Ire) a comfortable position heading into the first turn that several others including More than Looks struggled with. He remained on the inside biding his time behind a pace that got a little heated when Mysterious Night (Ire) unexpectedly ran off down the backside (who was betting him at 5-1????) till passing the 3 furlong marker where he angled out and commenced his powerful run which carried him to the lead in deep stretch, a 2 1/4 length winner. Appraise (Ire) ran well to hold onto the place spot in his second start off the bench while third place finisher More than Looks had a nightmarish trip of a slow start, wide first turn while rank, continued wide journey down the backside, forced four wide entering turn two, lost ground again on that bend while spinning widest coming out of turn, lugged in brushing Mischievous Angel mid-stretch and still kept running, just missing the runner up spot. General Jim got an impossibly wide trip but was done by the quarter pole.

👨🏻‍⚕️Americanrevolution was undefeated against fellow New York breds heading into the Evan Shipman which is now a mile race run out of the Wilson Chute. He had been a promising three year old who throttled state bred competition and then ended the year with a bang when taking down the Grade 1 Cigar Mile. His 4 year old season got off to a rough start with a cancelled race forcing a late plan B to run in Kentucky where he disappointed in his season debut but ran well in subsequent runner up finishes to the top class Olympiad. However he didn’t run again after September and with another 10 month layoff, carrying 126 against seasoned pros seemed to make him potentially vulnerable at 2-5. Americanrevolution went to his knees at the start (is it me or does there seem to be an extraordinary number of poor starts this season?) and Luis Saez rushed him up while angling to the outside trying to navigate the half turn they have to make out of the chute in order to straighten away down the backside. He continued wide down the backstretch run while never looking all that comfortable traveling. Meanwhile Sheriff Blanco found himself on the lead setting a brisk pace for a Wilson Chute race with Barese chasing in second, Americanrevolution out wide, Bankit sitting a decent trip in fourth and Dr Ardito on hold while bringing up the rear. Turning for home, Sheriff Blanco under Jose Lezcano widened his lead as Barese faded, Americanrevolution sputtered while bearing out badly, Bankit swung out but was not moving forward and Manny Franco was unleashing Dr Ardito in the center of the track. The last 100 yards Sheriff Blanco started to tire and Dr Ardito took advantage, sustaining his run to the wire, hitting the wire 1 1/4 to the good. Bankit clunked up for third and Americanrevolution was a well beaten 4th. Not to belabor the point made on the Going in Circles podcast last Monday but with the demise of Americanrevolution and the exception of Webslinger….where exactly are all the top class Constitution runners?

NYTB Executive Director Najja Thompson and his fiancé in the paddock

🎪 Some Travers news Here

🏖️ Sounds like three year olds will be taking center stage in the Pacific Classic according to this DRF report.

🆓 Free DRF Formulator PP’s for the Fourstardave (Gr I) HERE

📰 Todays edition of the Saratoga Special!

🇺🇸 It’s an All-American version of the Arlington Million today at Colonial Downs for the first time.

💰 Going in Circles Digest Saratoga Spot play of the day from the ‘Sniper’ Barry Spears which today is the 7th race The Galway Stakes

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Saratoga Special (Gr II) $200,000 2yo 6 1/2 furlongs

1. Lasso - Does not appear to be the hit that the ‘American football coach turned English soccer coach’ ⚽️ TV show turned out to be with his 31 Beyer (TG of 23) debut in winning a slopfest at GP in June. Nobody from that race has lit it up since and hopefully someone buys Zayas a nice meal at Max Londons so he can say he got something enjoyable out of this trip.

2. Market Street - speed duel and fade in the Sanford after a wire to wire win in his debut at Ellis Park 3 weeks prior. Has earned TG of 13.75 and 14.50 which simply shouldn’t be remotely competitive in a grade 2 stakes in August but this is NOT a good race. Improvement could be coming with a spin over the track and did work a bullet 47.3 on the Oklahoma training track but that was 11 days ago so the signals are definitely mixed.

3. Woodcourt - Ransom the Moon colt was bred by the trainer of last year’s Saratoga Special, (and GIC Digest reader) Michelle Lovell. Walsh and company picked him up at the Fasig Tipton Horses of Racing Age sale in July for 95k, which would be a bargain if he could pull the upset off here. That said his two races are a chase and fade first time out at Keeneland in April and a much improved maiden breaker last out at Ellis in June for former trainer John Ennis. In that race at Ellis, he defeated next out winner and expensive 2yo in training purchase (685k) Balta and recent Spa maiden winner Just Steel who ran an 89 Beyer that day. He may get a nice stalking trip here and while his speed figs have been on the slowish side (13.25 TG in latest) he figures to improve here.

4. Haul - Typical Pletcher early season maiden breaker first time out at Belmont in July, showing good speed from the outset and drawing clear late. Not sure he beat much as the only returning runner from that race to show a pulse was 5th place finisher First Trumpet, who was a non-threatening third in an auction restricted MSW on Thursday. Ran a 10 on TG which amazingly is the second fastest figure recorded by anyone in the field thus far. Irad will likely have the son of Army Mule in the mix from the beginning and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him take a step forward though Pletcher runners are usually incremental improvers, inching forward after showing what they can do first time out. To be fair any improvement would make him a huge contender against this spotty group.

5. Edified - Expensive Tapit colt won his debut at Ellis showing some professionalism despite a slow break which is unusual for Asmussen runners. Seems like that race was a relatively solid group though Edified was on the inside on a track that played well for that. Didn’t run particularly fast (TG 13.25) and like everyone else…will need to improve though his ability to rate successfully and Asmussen’s prowess with these types makes him some sort of factor in here. It’s up to you to decide how much because I’m 🤷🏼‍♂️.

6. Rhyme Scheme - Don’t know if I have seen a blinkers change elicit as great of an improvement as they did for this son of Ghostzapper. Norm Casse added the blinks after a mediocre effort at Churchill in what turned out to be a super key race with all manners of next out maiden and stakes winners & second place finishers. The result was a blow out 9 1/2 length win over a very much speed favoring Ellis Park surface when next seen in mid-June. He ran a 16 TG in his debut and a 4.5 in race number two so there is a real chance of some regression but he has a pretty big cushion to work with. Clearly it’s his race to lose as the main controlling outside speed with a huge figure advantage but this is Saratoga and stranger things have happened.

Fourstardave (Gr I) $500,000 3&up 1 mile inner turf

1. Emmanuel - overcame a soft pace with a furious late rally to get up when upsetting the Poker (Gr III) on the Belmont Day undercard. Loses Irad to Annapolis, replaced by a refreshed Jose Ortiz who spent the last few days frolicking on the beach at Lake George with his brother as “punishment” for their evil riding deeds. Actually I have no idea what they did on their off days this week and made that up but I’m sure they will recover from being unable to ride these last few days in match races and five horse NY bred stakes. Can save ground around the first turn and if Jose can cut the corner again turning for home as the early leaders tire, that tactical advantage may be enough to spring the minor upset.

2. Full Screen - Ontario bred takes huge class hike and it’s hard to see a scenario where he hits the board.

3. My Sea Cottage (Ire) - probably takes them as far as he can go though the presence of So High (GB) makes it unlikely Davis will be able to slow it down too much.

4. Annapolis - has to avoid giving a head start to his two main rivals, Emmanuel and Casa Creed in here. I’m sure Irad is going to keep both in his sights down the backside and launch a bid earlier than he did in the Kelso (Gr III). That said I’m not sure that he is on a better horse than the one he took off of.

5. So High (GB) - odd spot to cut back into considering the 7yo still has Nw1x allowance eligibility in NY, a spot where he’d have a fighting chance unlike here. Figures to put some pressure on expected leader My Sea Cottage (Ire) which of course dooms both their slim chances for an ‘on-the-board placing’.

6. Casa Creed - Saez beat Irad aboard Annapolis to the punch in the Kelso, launching his late bid before Irad could shake free, the head start providing the final margin at the wire. The potential for him to regress in this spot is there as he was huge last time out and ran a giant TG fig and could potentially be looking at a wider trip than his main rivals are.

7. Ice Chocolat (Brz) - rallied belatedly when stretched out from turf sprints when 4th in the Kelso. Seems up against it here.

📽️Todays feature is named for “Saratoga Legend” Fourstardave