Month: July 2020

Decorated Invader Wins Hall Of Fame As Heavy Favorite

Decorated Invader sat off Get Smokin's pacesetting effort before overtaking the front-runner from the outside in the stretch and pulling away for a 1 1/4-length win in the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for 3-year-olds on a sun-swept day at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, William Sandbrook, William Freeman and Cheryl Manning, Decorated Invader won for the fifth time in seven career starts for trainer Christophe Clement and improved to 3-for-3 as a sophomore. The Declaration of War colt, who won the Grade 1 Summer and ran a competitive fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile as a juvenile, started 2020 with wins in the Cutler Bay in March at Gulfstream and followed with a 4 3/4-length score in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge on June 20 at Belmont Park.

Returning to Saratoga for the first time since breaking his maiden at second asking last August, Decorated Invader sat in second position as Get Smokin surged to the front, opening up seven lengths on the five-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.85 seconds on the firm inner turf. Get Smokin, under Jose Ortiz, pushed forward, posting a half-mile in 48.98 and three-quarters in 1:13.52.

Out of the final turn, jockey Joel Rosario set down Decorated Invader, taking command with the Chad Brown-trained Domestic Spending making a late move to his outside. But Decorated Invader pressed on and handled his first attempt at 1 1/8 miles with aplomb, hitting the wire in 1:49.29 to give Rosario his third Hall of Fame win in the last four runnings.

“When I got to the horse on the lead [Get Smokin] turning for home, he kept running a little bit,” Rosario said. “He had been all alone on the lead but I could feel I had a lot of horse underneath me and he was moving much the best.

“I thought I would be a little closer, but the other horse was off the rail and in the middle of the track,” he added. “I followed him for a little bit but I ended up letting my horse be comfortable. I took my time and made my move when it was the right time to move.”

Off as the 2-5 favorite, Decorated Invader paid $2.80 on a $2 win wager. He improved his career bankroll to $453,035.

“He's a top-class horse and has been since Day One for me,” Clement said. “I love him. I love the way he trains. I love the way he races. It's a different scenario every time we run him, but the final outcome is the same. I thought he looked better in the last sixteenth of a mile than he did before that. He actually won going away at the end.”

With three graded stakes wins, Decorated Invader could now be a possibility for the $500,000 Saratoga Derby, part of NYRA's Turf Triple Series, on August 15.

“That is one of the targets,” Clement said. “We'll have to see how he comes out of this and see how he trains, but that's a logical spot at the moment.”

Get Smokin, trained by Tom Bush, edged Domestic Spending by a nose for second. He has finished as the runner-up in both career graded stakes appearances, starting with the Grade 3 Kitten's Joy in January at Gulfstream.

“He ran big. The first quarter of a mile we went a little faster than I wanted to because he's so used to going a mile [and running splits] in 45 or 46 and that's why I kept him off the rail,” Ortiz said. “When I got to the turn he relaxed and I dropped in a little bit. On the backside, I had him where I wanted him. I tried to get the jump on the other horse [Decorated Invader] but the other horse is a very nice horse. I think my horse's game is a mile flat. It was a lot to ask him to go a mile and an eighth, but he showed up.”

Moon Over Miami and Ever Dangerous completed the order of finish. Gufo and main-track only entrant Money Moves were scratched.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a 10-race card showcasing the Grade 2, $150,000 Lake Placid for 3-year-old fillies in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m. ET.

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Persian King Headlines Sunday Feast

‘TDN Rising Star’ Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) heads to Chantilly on Sunday for another of the European Pattern’s main staging posts tackling more than a mile once more in the G1 Prix d’Ispahan. Tried over the 10 1/2-furlong trip of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club here last June, Godolphin and Ballymore Thoroughbred Ltd’s imposing bay came up two lengths short when runner-up to Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) but it will be a surprise if he is not suited by this unique nine-furlong contest. Proving he retained all his ability when taking the G2 Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud June 28, last year’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains hero will start a warm order for this prize and trainer Andre Fabre said, “Persian King is in really good form and has come on again from his latest start. We are hopeful of a good performance.”

Two lengths behind Persian King when third in the Jockey Club and suffering his sole career reversal, Sheikh Hamdan’s Motamarris (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) was like that rival subsequently sidelined for the remainder of 2019. Back with a confidence-boosting four-length win in the June 20 Listed Grand Prix de Compiegne over 10 furlongs, the homebred has significant potential if Freddy Head can get a clear run with him this term. There is a 3-year-old in the line-up and Alan Spence’s Positive (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) warrants respect on his juvenile form. He beat Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) and Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the seven-furlong G3 Solario S. at Sandown in August and it is significant that Clive Cox steps him up in trip after his comeback fourth in the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot June 20. “He’s in very good form and we’re looking forward to running him,” his trainer said. “I thought he ran a very good race at Royal Ascot. He’s a horse we’ve always held in high regard and hopefully he can continue to progress. I think he’s a worthy contender in a Group 1 and we’re looking forward to trying him over an extra furlong.”

In the G2 Darley Prix Robert Papin, Qatar Racing’s June 19 G2 Norfolk S. scorer The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) has scared off all bar three rivals in a poor turnout. Heading the opposition is Alain Jathiere’s July 2 G3 Prix du Bois runner-up Axdavali (Fr) (Goken {Fr}), but trainer Michael Bell is confident his colt has a distinct edge. “We’ve been happy with our horse since Ascot. It’s a small field and it will be interesting to see how the English 2-year-old form equates to the French 2-year-old form–on paper it looks like we’ve got the best form by some way,” he said. “Stepping up to six furlongs shouldn’t be an issue–he hit the line strongly over five at Ascot and it took Oisin [Murphy] a while to pull him up, which is always a good sign.”

More high-profile juvenile action is on tap at The Curragh, where the six-furlong G2 Airlie Stud S. where SBA Racing Limited’s June 27 Listed First Flier S. winner Frenetic (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) is the headline act. She encounters a pair of Ballydoyle representatives in the impressive July 4 G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies’ Sprint S. winner Mother Earth  (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and ‘TDN Rising Star’ More Beautiful (War Front), with the latter having been withdrawn from Newmarket’s G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. when the ground turned soft.

Also at The Curragh is the G2 Holden Plant Rentals Sapphire S. over five furlongs, where Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa’s 3-year-old A’Ali (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) seeks a fifth group win and fourth at this level having taken a competitive edition of the July 5 G3 Sandown Sprint S. He will have to contend with the triple listed scorer and track specialist Make a Challenge (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who again proved his liking for this circuit when capturing the July 10 Listed Midsummer Sprint S. over 5 1/2 furlongs.

The Curragh also plays host to the nine-furlong G2 Kilboy Estate S., where Peter Brant’s acquisition Lemista (Ire) (Raven’s Pass) bids for a three-timer having annexed the G3 Park Express S. over a mile at Naas Mar. 23 and Gowran Park’s Listed Victor McCalmont Memorial S. over an extended nine furlongs June 19. Craig Bernick’s June 21 G3 Blue Wind S. winner One Voice (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB}), Ballydoyle’s July 13 Listed Cairn Rouge S. scorer Lovelier (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and The Aga Khan’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Ridenza (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) add ballast to an intriguing affair.

Click here for the group fields.

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Decorated Invader Continues Perfect Season in Hall of Fame

The uber-talented Decorated Invader returned to the scene of his graduation last summer to earn his third graded victory from as many tries this season. He was reined in to sit second as Get Smokin zipped to the front and opened up a double-digit advantage. The favorite began to creep closer after six panels in 1:13.52, and looked to have the frontrunner in his sights as they straightened for home. Get Smokin wasn’t done yet, and offered up some resistance to midstretch, but Decorated Invader found more in reserves and edged away as previously two-for-two Chad Brown trainee Domestic Spending finished fast to just miss second.

“When I got to the horse on the lead [Get Smokin] turning for home, he kept running a little bit,” said rider Joel Rosario, who took over on Decorated Invader at the beginning of the year. “He had been all alone on the lead but I could feel I had a lot of horse underneath me and he was moving much the best.

“I thought I would be a little closer, but the other horse was off the rail and in the middle of the track. I followed him for a little bit. but I ended up letting my horse be comfortable. I took my time and made my move when it was the right time to move.”

A convincing second-out winner last August, the bay handled yielding turf just fine to take Woodbine’s GI Summer S. Sept. 15. Well supported at 3-1 for the Nov. 1 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, he was shuffled back down the backside and then came with a sweeping, very wide rally to be fourth. Decorate Invader resurfaced to defeat a group that included Get Smokin in Gulfstream’s Mar. 28 Cutler Bay S., and dominated his five foes in the GII Pennine Ridge S. at Belmont June 20.

“He’s a top-class horse and has been since Day One for me,” said trainer Christophe Clement, who unveiled impressive ‘TDN Rising Star‘-earning juvenile Momos (Distorted Humor) earlier on the card. “I love him. I love the way he trains. I love the way he races. It’s a different scenario every time we run him, but the final outcome is the same. That’s what good horses do, they win. They win more often than the others.”

Clement said the $500,000 Saratoga Derby Aug. 15 could be up next for Decorated Invader: “That is one of the targets. We’ll have to see how he comes out of this and see how he trains, but that’s a logical spot at the moment.”

Saturday, Saratoga
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING HALL OF FAME S.-GII, $145,500, Saratoga, 7-18, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:49.29, fm.
1–DECORATED INVADER, 124, c, 3, by Declaration of War
1st Dam: Gamely Girl, by Arch
2nd Dam: Helstra, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Hail Atlantis, by Seattle Slew
($200,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-West Point Thoroughbreds, William T Freeman, William Sandbrook & Cheryl Manning; B-Redmon Farm LLC (KY); T-Christophe Clement; J-Joel Rosario. $82,500. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-5-1-0, $453,035. *1/2 to Jubliant Girl (Henrythenavigator), SW, $107,067. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ * Triple Plus*.
2–Get Smokin, 120, g, 3, Get Stormy–Hookah Lady, by Smoke Glacken. ($11,000 Ylg ’18 FTKOCT). O-Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust; B-Hurstland Farm Inc & James Greene Jr (KY); T-Thomas M. Bush. $30,000.
3–Domestic Spending (GB), 120, g, 3, Kingman (GB)–Urban Castle, by Street Cry (Ire). (300,000gns Ylg ’18 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables Inc; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-Chad C Brown. $18,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NO, 3/4. Odds: 0.40, 8.60, 2.60.
Also Ran: Moon Over Miami, Ever Dangerous. Scratched: Gufo, Money Moves. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:
Decorated Invader is one of 27 stakes winners and 16 graded winners for his expatriated sire Declaration of War–his stablemate Gufo, who was scratched from this race, became number 27 after taking Delaware’s GIII Kent S. July 4. Decorated Invader’s dam Gamely Girl had a Violence colt in 2019, who died, and a Distorted Humor filly this term. She was bred back to Declaration of War’s sire War Front for 2021. The winner hails from the family of SW and good turf sire Stormy Atlantic (Storm Cat) and Grade I winner Bandini (Fusaichi Pegasus).

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