The days go by Quick

Real Writing on Racing 💯

🎪 Big Saturday numbers: Handle was up 15% from last year, in no doubt aided in part by the two day pick 6 carryover. (Pick 6 paid a cool $299,368) $37,068,005 was total handle compared to $32,117,868 in 2021. Attendance was announced at 30024.

💨 In Italian (GB) ran the five other fillies off their feet in the Diana, blazing through rapid fractions and getting enough separation in the stretch to hold on and score a track record setting win. Favored Bleecker Street lagged behind in her typical running style but had way too much to do to preserve her undefeated streak. Roughir didn’t muster up too much of a rally and didn’t appear to relish the very firm course. Technical Analysis (Ire) sat a trip behind the stalkers, made a run at the winner in the stretch run but was rebuffed while clearly second best. (David Aragona I apologize, your line for the race was spot on). Dalika (GER) wasn’t good enough and Creative Flair (Ire) was fractious in the paddock and stopped badly

🏆 Mo Strike prominent from the start, shrugged off a challenge from Andiamo A Firenze in the stretch and pulled clear to a 3.5 length win in the Sanford Stakes. Great Navigator rallied late to grab the place spot while Andiamo A Firenze held on to be third. Favored Forte rallied mildly to be fourth but was never a real threat. Respect the run put in by Mo Strike but I don’t think we saw any superstars emerge there.

⏱ Several races had timing errors or unusable fractions which is a thorn in the side of those that wish to see accurate data (which should mean everybody but it doesn’t). This game is built on numbers, accurate data should be required, not optional as it currently is.

👎🏼 Reinvestment Risk bombed in the 7th race, an allowance race where he was sent off as the prohibitive 1/2 favorite. Irad Ortiz coaxed him from the gate but he displayed no early lick nor did he have much closing kick, wrecking many pick 6 tickets that had pegged him for a free square. Baby Yoda, who seems to relish the Saratoga surface, was an easy winner for Bill Mott and Joel Rosario.

🎪 It was a good day for Super Trainers as Pletcher won twice, Chad Brown won 4 including running 1/2/3/4 in the Diana and Brad Cox won the Sanford.

🎪 HISA rules are already subtly causing issues. Check out the replay of the first race and tell me that if Jose Ortiz on the gray Physic Income had been able to use his stick in the last 100 yards that the outcome might have been different?

👣 My feet got a break (I think I need a bar shoe or aluminum pad) when I caught a post races ride back to the Oklahoma training track with the legend of Sirius/XM radio Steve Byk using Gary Sciacca’s golf cart.

🍕🍗 Have to give the Byk stalwart Talk of the Town Restaurant in Glens Falls 👍🏻👍🏻 For the pizza and wings combo. I’m not allowed to reveal the secret ice cream spot 🍨 though it seems as though the secret is out considering we stood in line for 4 hours (it might have just seemed that long and actually been 5 minutes) to get a sundae of both quantity and quality.

🍻 Checked out the new paddock bar setup and have to say that the handwringing was unwarranted, it’s actually a pretty good setup and didn’t see any real issues with the horses during the 60 minutes or so I spent there.

☀️ The weather for opening week has been ideal. Whoever ordered it, could you please reserve a few more weeks? We could use some dark day rain for the grass courses which are very firm.

🗳 A few notable claims from Saturday. Race one saw former leading trainer David Jacobson claim North Pole after he purchased a few at the Fasig Tipton racing age sale last week. Seems like he is jumping back in after a several year absence. The sixth race which was a open 25000 claimer saw 6 of the 7 runners change hands after the race. Danny Gargan dropped a slip for $62500 to grab Answer In, who ran well, after the 7th race.

🔥 The track was on fire at the Meadowlands Saturday night as Test of Faith destroyed the track record for fillies by 4/5ths of a second in the Dorthy Haughton Pace about 25 minutes before emerging star Bulldog Hanover recorded the all-time fastest mile in harness racing history by going 1:45.4 in the William Haughton Memorial. It sounds crazy but under ideal conditions with a better setup, he might be able to break it again on Hambletonian day in a few weeks.

Day 4 (36 racing days remaining)

Quick Call Grade III $175000 5.5f Turf 3yo

Sundays feature is named after a legend of Saratoga, who’s racing career spanned the years 1986 through 1992, Quick Call. He made 17 starts at Saratoga with 9 winner circle appearances, including winning the Forego stakes (Gr II) twice. In 1988 he won three races at the Spa in 17 days, capturing handicap races on August 4th and 13th before taking down his first Forego on August 21. He did some good work at other tracks, winning allowance races at Belmont, Aqueduct and Pimlico, being stakes placed at Philadelphia Park twice, hitting the board in graded turf stakes (Poker and Kelso when it was a grass race) and winning the Tom Fool (Gr II) at Belmont. He wasn’t a Hall of Fame level horse though he was trained by a Hall of Famer, Sid Watters. The thing about him and why he is still held in such high esteem is that he represented the greatness of racing in a by gone era when good horses spent more time on the track than in the barn. He retired with a record of 86 starts - 16 wins - 15 places - 12 thirds with earnings of $807,817 over 7 seasons of racing. Quick Call became the poster boy for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, living out his life to the ripe old age of 35 before passing away in 2019. His ashes are interred on the grounds of Saratoga Racecourse on the Oklahoma training track in Clare Court.

🐴 Please donate to horse aftercare if you have a few extra bucks lying around. The horses will definitely appreciate it! 🤎

I’m not a huge fan of turf sprints as a rule but this version of the Quick Call is a competitive event with one emerging star, and worthy of its namesake. I could do without the presence of the trainer of the 2 and 5 but also understand the legal process that has to be followed that unfortunately allows him to continue to compete till his suspension is in effect (Monday I believe).

1. Sky and Sand - exits dull race at Churchill where he didn’t fire after racing very well in his grass debut the time before. Now perhaps he didn’t handle the course the second time out as it was in the process of deteriorating at that point? Gafflione has 🔥 numbers when riding for Asmussen (89 starts winning 27% for 2.49 ROI) in 2021-22.

2. Surprise Boss - in good form against state-breds but moving up in class here.

3. Run Curtis Run - another New York bred but this one has been knocking at the door against open company at Churchill. Might be in chase mode from the start as there appears to be a couple faster than he is.

4. Nobals - wins the name of the day for the accurate description of his future breeding prowess. Was only a $3500 Fasig Tipton October yearling but he doesn’t care as his career record stands at 9-6-1-0. Makes Saratoga his 8th different track in a career that started only 368 days ago. Has reeled off 4 straight wins for turf sprint expert Rivelli and has picked up Irad for this assignment. Probably plans on blasting out of the gate and trying to wire this group.

5. Dance Code - appears overmatched.

6. One Timer - cross entered in Monmouth’s My Frenchman stakes which appears to be a far easier spot and has Rivelli’s main rider named on down by the shore. Either spot he lands in has to have fighting chance based on his last, a sharp score in the Tom Ridge at PID. Other than the Breeders Cup where he pressed the pace to no avail, he hasn’t lost a race.

7. Asymmetric (Ire) - Euro invader was first time blinkers at Belmont for US debut for Ward and absolutely ran off on the lead before getting passed by Big Invasion going 7f. Takes blinkers off and cuts back in distance in second US start. Perhaps late rider change as not sure that Spencer will stick around to ride him but if he does, that’s not a big plus in our eyes. Tough call.

8. Big Invasion - ran well when second on debut at Gulfstream this winter and since then has ripped off 4 consecutive open lengths wins which isn’t a easy thing to do in turf sprints. The $72000 that he cost Dean Reeves at the Keeneland September yearling sale looks like a bargain at this point. Cutting back in distance is always a little tricky in these short sprints but this guy appears to be on a different level than the other three year old turf sprinters. Chalk but tough.

9. Senbei - MTO

10. Hagler - MTO