Sunday Rainy Sunday
Real Writing on Racing 💯
Warm day for opening Saturday and though the crowd seemed light for the early races the announced paid attendance figure was 31,458. Handle was $31,744,187 which was off significantly from last years opening Saturday card which did $37,058,005.
😔 Sad news to report from the Kentucky Horse Park. Funny Cide, the popular New York bred gelding who famously won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness died early this morning from complications of colic at age 23.
⭐️ ”The fastest horse in the world” as the great Harvey Pack used to call touted two year olds, was running in the opener and Pirate’s career may not live up to that lofty standard but he was best of this group of six. Breaking alertly and grabbing a narrow lead isn’t easily accomplished from post one but Irad sent the son of freshman stallion Omaha Beach to the front under pressure on his outside from fellow first-timer Arteta down the backside. Rounding the turn, he shook off Arteta and opened up daylight on the field. Just Steel, a second time starter shipping from Ellis for DW Lukas, chased gamely down the stretch but Pirate maintained a safe margin to the wire. Pletcher isn’t afraid to strike while the iron is hot with his two year olds and I’d imagine that the Saratoga Special on August 14 or Hopeful closing weekend will be on his dance card. He will have to improve but he may be even better if he isn’t forced to be gunned from the start.
Race 2 late scratch alert - Iceatude was scratched behind the gate after taking a lot of money. As for the race, a cutthroat speed duel developed between Win for Gold and East Coast Girl, setting the table nicely for the lightly raced (and bet down to 3-1 from a 6-1 ML) Talkin Pharoah for the suddenly potent Jose Ortiz/Linda Rice combo.
3️⃣ Race 3, a MSW going 8.5f on the inner turf, featured a wild finish, the two longest shots on the board running 1-2, the Euro import (Isola) taking tons of action and never lifting a hoof and lots of tough trips.
💸 For the second year in a row the Diana (Gr I) featured a lightly raced Chad Brown trained longshot beating the overwhelming Chad Brown trained favorite, with Whitebeam playing the role that In Italian (GB) played last year. Perhaps In Italian (GB) didn’t appreciate the give in the ground but she was gifted an easy lead, raced without pressure and simply couldn’t shake off Whitebeam who was forwardly placed throughout, mostly keeping the only non-Chad Brown runner, Fev Rover (Ire) pinned down inside. Yet down the stretch Flavian Prat kept asking Whitebeam and she kept responding as Irad put In Italian(GB) into a frantic drive, desperate to fend off her upstart stablemate. Alas the gray 4yo Juddmonte homebred filly by Caravaggio would not be denied, earning her first grade one win, improving her record to 9-5-2-1 and becoming yet another potential end of the season award contender in the Brown arsenal. Perhaps it’s telling that the trainer of the first two across the line went directly to talk to his losing jockey, perhaps seeking feedback on why the mare that has been so good for so long, wasn’t today. Fed Rover (Ire) rerallied and was closing ground late after looking like she was finished tuning for home in a nice effort just two weeks since winning the Nassau Stakes (Gr II) at Woodbine.
6️⃣ Nice job by Joel Rosario on Silver Skillet in the 6th, a NY bred entry level allowance race going a mile on the inner turf. He hustled the Liam’s Map filly out of post 9, took up good stalking position sitting second off of the flank of the front running Kosuke, maintained that position till the stretch run, accelerated to the lead and held sway late over a rallying Waterville. Chris Clement trains the three year old NY bred who went off post time favorite at slightly less than 3-1. Lady Thornton appeared to have her head turned sidewise when the gate opened, breaking very slow and causing her to lose at least 7-8 lengths at the break, yet she rallied from far, far back under Katie Davis to grab 4th money, beaten less than 4 lengths. Kosuke held on well to be third and will be a real threat when this race comes back around.
8️⃣ The eighth, NY bred maiden sprinters going 7f on the main track, went to Ichiban for the red hot team of Linda Rice and Jose Ortiz. The Street Sense filly battled for the lead in a NYB MSW going a mile at Belmont three weeks ago, before weakening late to be second. Ortiz changed tactics and stalked the early pacesetters, lying third before moving around them to the lead passing the 1/4 pole, was briefly challenged by Foxy Cara, who was exiting that same Belmont maiden race, but Ichiban found more and edged away giving Rice/Ortiz another winner. Foxy Cara shouldn’t be a maiden too much longer and first timer starter, Island Rose took a lot of money, finally landing as second choice at 7-2, but didn’t do much running.
🏆 The “new” Kelso which actually is the same as the “old” Kelso, a mile stakes on the grass for older horses, turned out to be the two horse race that it appeared to be on paper. Casa Creed and Annapolis looked to simply be a better caliber of stakes horse than the others in the field of 8 and as it turned out, that was the reality. The difference in the result was that Luis Saez on Casa Creed placed his mount aggressively in the early stages, getting the jump on Annapolis and Irad Ortiz. Casa Creed has been known to lag and Saez took a chance by asking the classy veteran campaigner to stay closer than usual and angling 3 wide going into the first turn. Ortiz on Annapolis countered on the inside and the two raced as team around the first turn and straightening away down the backstretch run. Passing the halfway point, Saez sent his mount first, barreling 3 wide into the far turn while Ortiz had to wait for clearance to get outside to commence Annapolis run. The split second decision gave Casa Creed momentum that carried him on a path towards the tiring leaders as Annapolis was floated about 5 wide coming out of the turn, losing valuable ground. As Casa Creed forged to the lead mid-stretch, Annapolis was just finding his best stride and the cold hard truth is that you aren’t going to outkick the 7 year old son of Jimmy Creed in the last 100 yards. Both are likely headed to the grade 1 Fourstardave on August 12 and maybe joined by Annapolis stablemate Emmanuel too in what figures to be an excellent race.
🎪 Saratoga has held the moniker of “The graveyard of favorites” since the original Upset, upset the great Man O’ War in the 1919 Sanford, the 7th running of the race (read the original New York Times story about that race here). While no one will confuse him for Man O’ War, Gold Sweep looked like he towered over the field prior to the 108th running of the Sanford. Alas this years version, like the one held 104 years ago on this very same surface, reminded us that anything can happen in a horse race and even the strongest of favorites can fall prey to the untold number of events that can get a thoroughbred racehorse beat. Stumbling badly at the start cost Gold Sweep any chance to find a comfortable position in the ten horse race, Jose Ortiz forced immediately to put the Speightstown colt to a drive just to catch the field. Meanwhile Gulfstream shipper Dickens was setting a fast pace (22.15 x 45.83) with Yo Yo Candy sitting right behind in third. As the field turned for home, Angel Castillo aboard Yo Yo Candy made his move to the lead with Ortiz on Gold Sweep about six deep on the turn, still needing to make up a whole lot a ground and time was running out. Yo Yo Candy finished up well and was a little better than 2 lengths clear of Gold Sweep at the finish, the 2-5 favorite understandably unable to overcome the handicap of a brutal trip yet managing to salvage the runner up spot. It’s likely that like most of the recent Sanford winners, Yo Yo Candy won’t go on to do great things and “the stumble” will be the lasting memory of the 2023 Sanford but for Castillo, Parx trainer Danny Velazquez and Happy Tenth Stable, the Cal bred son of Dancing Candy’s upset in the land of Upset won’t soon be forgotten.
🍻The night-capper of the Diana card was a MSW going 5.5 on the grass and Monet Forever (Ire) became the second winner in two starts at the meet for trainer Phil Antonucci. 3-2 favorite Beer Run raced like he had been drinking, making little impact in a pretty dismal effort.
😴 The added time between post times for these 11 race Saturday cards makes the day feel even longer than it is, a great deal of the crowd had exited before the Sanford had been run. I understand the need to post drag but a race-day that kicks off at 1:10 and ends at 6:53 is almost as long as the time it takes to play two MLB games.
🌦️There won’t be a preview of the Quick Call as we don’t usually do turf sprints and with rain in the forecast for much of the day (race 3 and 6 are off the turf) it may not even be a turf sprint after all is said and done by Mother Nature. If it does come off expect scratches galore and will likely wind up being a duel between Briterdayzahead and MTO Joey Freshwater.
🤞🏼 We will be rooting for Susie’s Saver and rookie trainer Jennifer Paragallo in the second, both making their Saratoga debuts. Jennifer’s mom, ‘Nancy the Paperlady’ is a local legend as for years she drove around the sprawling backsides delivering DRF’s, programs, newspapers and best of all, off-color jokes to all of the barns.
A day late but here is a nice tribute that NYRA put together about 5 time horse of the year Kelso.
My Saratoga pet peeve is running Stakes races after fans have already started to shuffle back home to get ready for their Sat night.
Run all Stakes races before 6pm. Have them talk about the stake race as they exit instead of the 5-2 exacta in the race that won't bring new fans to Belmont in the fall.
I compare it to a birthday party. Do you leave before they Sing "Happy Birthday" to the person of the hour? No, nearly in all cases, you stay, and then people start to exit after the cake has been passed out.
Epic Miss Justice should have been a co-favorite in her race based on her past race alone. Not to mention her first race she was beaten by two CB stakes winners/horses. Co best beyer in the field. Unreal 23-1 but I’ll take it.