Wetness Ahead

Real Writing on Racing💯

Another glorious afternoon for racing Thursday though the local weather reports for persistent rain showers starting during training hours casts a sobering pall over our stakes previews. We will skip the Lake George due to it likely being an ‘off the turf’ event (and having one trainer train 5 of the 10 which confuses the issue) but take a look at a potentially muddy Curlin Stakes. As for yesterdays races, we didn’t love anyone going in and it showed with zero success on any of our mostly meager tickets. Why even go someone asked? My answer… “It’s Saratoga, what else would you expect me to do.”

🥇The lid-lifter was an inscrutable maiden race for 3 and up fillies and mares going 7f on the main track. Pletcher first time starter Sister Maha got bet down to favoritism off of a series of good works including a bullet 5f from the gate on Joey Chestnut day…uh July 4th. Irad sent her away from the gate and she led the field of 7 down the backstretch till Portage ran by her going past the half mile marker and rounding the turn. Feathering made a run at Portage on the turn but quickly faded after being rebuffed. Stunningly made a bid mid-stretch but Portage was too good and held sway for leading trainer Linda Rice and Jose Lezcano. The first two exited a June 23rd MSW at Belmont going a mile though they finished 3rd and 2nd that day.

🚨Refund alert🚨 well bet first timer Walstib dumped Flavian Prat behind the gate and ran off loose and was quickly scratched by the stewards. That left third timer Antonio of Venice as the post time favorite (everyone’s favorite rule the late scratched horses tickets shifting to the post time fav 🆘) and he didn’t disappoint the chalk players, capturing the restricted ®️ MSW by a touch more than 4 lengths. The NY bred son of the ill-fated Laoban is trained by Rudy Rodriquez and was ridden by Luis Saez. Catire Vizcaya shipping up from Monmouth for JC Avila showed good speed and held well for the runner up spot.

🏇🏻 Pretty Xtreme demolished a pretty mediocre group of $32000 claiming fillies and mares in the 4th, the final margin was 10 and it felt like it could have been more. The six year old Warriors Reward mare was trained by Brad Cox, ridden by Prat, paid $4.80 to win and was claimed by Rob Falcone. With This Vow was a close second choice at 2-1 for Rick Dutrow, chased under Lezcano and came to a halt in the stretch, beaten 27 while Good Penny, who exited the same Oaklawn Park race that the winner did, was never involved and wound up beaten 53. Both With this Vow and Good Penny were also claimed.

👔 Monmouth mainstay and leading contender for best dressed trainer, Greg Sacco was in town for the 5th with Crazy Mason and he wasn’t here for the season. Jose Lezcano hustled the gray son of Coal Front up to hound early leader Uncle Eddie, put him away as they straightened out turning for home and drew clear authoritatively to score by 9. Sacco added blinkers to Crazy Mason today and clearly that worked as he stopped the clock at 1:04.75, almost a full second faster than Antonio of Venice did in the other division of this race.

⚾️ The sixth was a MSW for two year old fillies going 5.5f on the grass with ten runners, only two whom had previous racing experience. One who did was Kodiac Wintergreen (Ire) who had run a solid second at Belmont 5 weeks ago in the same class going 5f on the lawn. Ridden again by Jose Ortiz, she was well bet on the tote board, in no doubt due to her strong first run and veteran trainer Rusty Arnold’s insane numbers with 2 year olds (21% with $3.39 ROI) and 2nd time starters (28% with $3.58 ROI). Ortiz displayed both extreme patience and confidence, content to be buried inside while close to the back of the pack, not panicking but likely causing consternation for her many backers as the field turned for home. He deftly threaded his way through the field in the stretch like only a jockey riding at the very top of his game can, finally getting her in the clear with less than 100 yards to go. Kodiac Wintergreen’s rapid acceleration once free proved enough to swoop past Brad Cox firster, Ever So Sweet (Ire) and into the winners circle, another victory for owner Alex Bregman’s family stable, Bregman notably the starting third baseman for the defending World Champion Houston Astros. Ever So Sweet (Ire), who had threatened to go wire to wire under Prat after showing high speed in clearing the field from post 10, raced very well over a course that hadn’t been kind to speed. Parade Ring (Ire) shook free late to be third at 44-1 despite traffic that led to an inquiry against her that was ultimately dismissed. The first three across the line were all sired by European sires, something we often see in older horse turf races these days but until recently was rare for two year old racing.

💰 Race 8 was a starter allowance for fillies and mares that had run for a claiming price of $20000 or less in 2022-23, going 7f on the dirt. Dennis Lalman operates the smallest stable in racing as he has only one horse but that one horse has taken him and his daughter Stacy on some ride over the last few years. The Lalman’s Mosienko, who they claimed for $10,000 back on March 25, 2021, has made 25 starts since with 7 wins, 4 seconds and 2 thirds, good for in excess of $450k in earnings. Under regular rider Luis Saez, the 6 year old Hat Trick mare circled the field on the turn and just outclassed them to win by two, another win for the smallest outfit in racing.

🎶 The 10th and final race of the day was the $150,000 New York Stallion Series Cab Calloway division for three year olds going a mile on the inner turf. It looked on paper to be a two horse race between Ramblin Wreck who was sent off as the 1-2 favorite for Danny Gargan and Irad Ortiz and 2-1 second choice Twenty Six Black ridden by Manny Franco for Horacio DePaz. However Itsallcomingtogetha and Jose Gomez had different plans as they set a glacial pace under no pressure, opened up four lengths mid stretch and dug in gamely to hold off the late charge of Ramblin Wreck. Phil Serpe trains the homebred by Weekend Hideaway for Hilly Fields stable.

🧠 The Breeders Cup announced brain health supplement Prevagen as a new sponsor and I can’t think of what to say so…

🏆 3 year old filly Division leader Pretty Mischievous is pointing to the August 5th Test (Gr I) rather than the CCA Oaks (Gr I) which we are delighted to hear. A showdown vs Maple Leaf Mel and Munny’s Gold is the type of out of the box, old school matchup that we love to see.

🏖️ & 🏇🏻 starts today ⬇️

🩶 Tomorrow night Saratoga Harness holds the Gerrity Pace, its premier race of the season. They also have NY Sire Stakes races carded and are serving a BBQ dinner out on the track apron. There is a 100% chance that yours truly will be in attendance following the races on the other side of the Nelson Avenue.

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Curlin (L) $175,000 3yo ®️nw stk <1 mile 2023 9f

1. Perform - I have been 🙄 about this race since it’s inception as it just adds another option for a division overflowing with them. That said this is the type of horse that it suits, a decent three year old looking to regroup after being humbled in a grade 1. My question is his actual ability level as he has peaked at TG 8 and that simply isn’t fast for three year olds in July. Adding to the angst for him is this is a paceless affair and his two turn form has been one of a one run closer though he showed good speed earlier in his career. Perhaps Jose Ortiz and Shug could try to get him involved earlier? Either way, he will be underlaid in a short field and has too many ‘tough to answer’ questions for my wagering tastes.

2. Lost Ark - his comeback race at Monmouth in early June was impressive albeit against just fair competition. He did record a TG of 2 that day which puts him squarely in the mix here. Tended to lag as a two year old but expect Irad, aboard for the first time, will stay busy and keep him within a reasonable distance from what figures to be a soft opening half mile. If he is impressive today might Pletcher have two sons of Violence pointing towards the Travers?

3. Blazing Sevens - was the best horse in the Preakness but a wide trip did him in and National Treasure was able to outlast him late. Does have a couple prior races over a sloppy surface and his TG of 1.75 is the fields best fig but he is more of a mid-pack runner than anything and it’s hard to know how this race is going to unfold. The most likely winner but not really the type I’d like to take at 3-5 and I keep having visions of Early Voting faltering in last years Jim Dandy after a big race in the Preakness.

4. Scotland - if Sean Connery were alive, this would be where his money would be going. However the original James Bond isn’t around and the training Jimmy Bond doesn’t have an entry in here. Bill Mott is alive and well and his horse in here is too. The gelded son of hot sire Good Magic has shown real ability in his first three starts, his latest a narrow victory in a Churchill allowance over Cagliostro, who didn’t win the Indiana Derby in his subsequent start, but should have. He is fast (paired TG 2), well prepped coming in, has some natural tactical speed and his habit of not breaking sharp from the gate shouldn’t hurt as much in a 9f race with a short field. A tepid choice in a tough race to figure

5. Il Miracolo - Another that has had gate issues in the past though he had had recent success on the lead and I’d imagine that Saez will send to the front here and try to ration out his speed as far as it takes him. It would be a surpise if he managed to wire them but it wouldn’t be a miracle.

The GIC Digest readers like Arabian Knight in tomorrows Haskell

Todays poll asks the age old question…do you prefer…

Curlin was probably not as good as owner Jess Jackson thought he was but he was still damned good and has been even better as a stallion