Stretch call
Real Writing on Racing 💯
🎪 The Travers weekend weather (at least Saturday and Sunday) felt like a reward for enduring the oppressive hot and humid temps earlier in the meet. Wednesday is looking good and the remainder of the final week of the season looks excellent after some heavy rain on Tuesday afternoon. The turf races are all on today with both courses listed as good.
🥇 Kudos to Joel Rosario, who first tied then broke the all-time Saratoga meet record for most graded stakes wins (12) on Saturday. Rosario had been in a bit of a graded stakes slump as he entered the second half of the meet with 10 wins already, but when Gufo took down the Sword Dancer for the second consecutive year, he tied the old record held jointly by JJ Castellano (2014) and Johnny Velazquez (2005). The record breaker came, poetically, in the Travers, a picture perfect ride on Epicenter, which gave him his first win in the meet’s premier event.
🎪 Phil Bauer is going to miss Saratoga when it closes up shop on Monday afternoon, as he has been ‘lights out’ this season, Sunday’s opener just more of the same, another easy winner. Xigera who ran a good second back on August 7, returned in this 1 1/16 inner turf MSW and dominated under Julian Leparoux, winning by close to six lengths, eased up at the end. Bauer is now 10-6-1-0. Justifiable Belle, a Pletcher firster ran well to be second and Brown first timer, Clever Joke rallied after a poor start to be a distant third.
🎪 Gasoline took all the late action, eventually going off at 8/5 under Luis Saez, before wiring the MSW field going 9 furlongs in his first two turn race after four consecutive one turn miles to begin his career for Team Todd. Sidekick who shipped up from Fairhill for Shug, ran third as the 6/5 favorite, making his record a frustrating 4-0-2-2 lifetime.
🎪 Cherie Devaux has quietly had a solid meet, 12-4-0-0 after sharp first time starter The Great Maybe blitzed a good looking 2 yo MSW group by eight lengths under JJ Castellano. The Upstart filly, who was a pricey $425,000 OBS March purchase (5th most expensive filly of the sale) after working in 10 flat, stalked the early pace set by I’m a Country Girl before dispatching her and drawing clear, covering the six furlongs in a snappy 1:10.24. The winner is owned by the Lael Stable of Barbaro fame.
🎪 The Better Talk Now stakes went to Wit who is now a stakes winner on two surfaces for Pletcher and Repole/St. Elias/Gainesway. He and Jose Ortiz, stalked an ambitious pace set by eventual last place finisher, Fluid Situation, took over turning for home and just outclassed his five rivals, scoring by 2 3/4 at the end. The jury is still out on just how good Wit is on the grass, as he has run well in both his turf starts but the three year old grass division has been very spotty this season, and this was a pretty weak group, even for non-graded stakes standards.
🎪 Older filly sprinters is decidedly not a weak group and a new player at the top of the division, Goodnight Olive, emerged in the Ballerina (Gr I). Making her stakes debut against an excellent field of seasoned graded stakes performers, the daughter of Ghostzapper ridden by Irad Ortiz, stalked a contentious pace, surprisingly set by outsider, Travel Column who was pressed by expected leader, Bella Sophia. Goodnight Olive took over passing the quarter pole and proved best, 2 3/4’s lengths clear at the wire. Caramel Swirl (who we needed 🤨) rallied to finish second as the longest shot on the board with Obligatory, who just was given too much to do as well as finding traffic at the top of the stretch, closed to be third. Favored Ce Ce made little impact and the aforementioned Belle Sophia was terrible, running the worst race of her career, stopping after showing speed and running last.
💵 When Outlaw Kid edged clear to grab the money in the last at 25-1, he keyed a pick six payoff of $202,565.50! Attendance was reported at 23,763 and handle for Sunday was $22,005,774.
📓 Michael Mulvihill is the executive VP of Fox Sports and he has some interesting Travers related facts:
Day 35 (5 racing days to go)
With Anticipation Gr III $175,000 8.5 furlongs turf 2yo
Battle of Normandy - visually impressive win, didn’t get the benefit of saving ground on the grass yet still bounded away to win by open lengths. The figure did not come back very fast (TG 15) and there hasn’t been much time for others coming out of that face to run again, which creates a dilemma. It’s generally a bad idea to take weak figure horses at short odds though in the case of two year olds that only have one start, you may be more forgiving. Shug and Carmouche have a strong record together (29% with $2.11 ROI in 24 starts) though both have struggled this meet. Does have a win at the distance which helps and the inside post with the rails up is a positive too. Tough call
Andthewinneris - debut win at Keeneland going 5.5 on grass was super, powering home to win by 2 after a slow beginning. His next outing on the dirt was a distant third to Gulfport in the Bashford Manner on the dirt. Stretches out here, reuniting with Prat, the son of Oscar Performance has a bullet 47.1 on the Oklahoma turf in the holster and Catman came back with a stamina building 7f work last week. Our top choice in here at anything close to the 5/1 morning line.
Noble Huntsman - the secretive Mitch Friedman wheels this Noble Mission colt back on two weeks rest after sneaky good 5th in the Skidmore going 5.5 on August 19. His figs are solid in here (11.25 & 13.25) and a good trip put him in the mix. Franco replaces the suspended Castellano.
Bourbon Therapy - first start for Maker since private purchase. Horseshoe Indy shipper has improved all three starts but is gonna need to be even better to have any chance in here. Does have speed and figures to be involved in the early pace scenario stretching out for the first time.
El Conejito - Monmouth shipper went wire to wire in his only start. Figure came back super slow (TG 21) and he is likely to have company on the front end with Bourbon Therapy. Was unruly before the start of his debut. Is listed as being gelded since his race on July 31 which would be an unusual move.
Bramble Blaze - Summer Front colt got the job done first time out at Monmouth for the Dini/Ballybrit team. Raced a touch greenly in the stretch and didn’t get a whole lot of help from the apprentice rider that day. Watch that race for yourself. Speed figure doesn’t flatter but showed some natural ability and might be able to close ground late and get a piece at a nice price.
Quincy Cafe - Mendelssohn colt was the recipient of the worst non-Allumeuse DQ in the modern day history of horse racing in his last at Laurel. Check it out for yourself 🙄. Quincy Cafe ran okay that day, might be better around two turns and turf could also help but it’s a lot to ask. Trainer Gaudet has far better dirt numbers, her turf overall, first time turf and dirt to turf %’s are 8%/6%/7% which is well below her overall 16% win rate. His half sister Grade I winner, Chi Town Lady has a turf stakes win but is strictly a sprinter.
Lachaise - ran well first time, taking down a NYB MSW at todays distance for Abreu and Prat. Prat opts off to ride the other Oscar Performance colt, Andthewinneris and is replaced by Jose Ortiz. He ran a bit greenly that day earning a decent TG (13.5). A contender with some improvement though has to avoid wide trip from outside post.
Our Dream Rye’d - overcame a slow break and a rough trip to beat maidens in his first grass and two turn start on July 30. Amazingly that was trainer Wilkes first win in his last 88 starts with two year olds. Fig came back a little slow (15.5 TG) though that’s the same ballpark as the morning line favorite Battle of Normandy. Last race form flattered when third place finisher, Rarified Flair returned to break his maiden in next start.
Boppy O - makes turf debut here from outside post after sprinting on the dirt in first two races. Exits non-effort when last in the Sanford, his dam was graded stakes placed (he is also a half to Pappacap ) so there is some grass pedigree though the jury is still out on what sort of turf influence Bolt D’Oro will be, though he does have a pair of grass winners from eight turf route starts.
With Anticipation winning his second straight Sword Dancer under Pat Day