Brown Plans Next Starts For Domestic Spending, Devamani

Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending, winner of the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan last out, was one of multiple horses to breeze over the inner turf at Belmont Park in Elmont, Ny. for trainer Chad Brown on Sunday morning.

The 4-year-old son of Kingman went a half-mile in company with multiple graded stakes-placed Rockemperor, completing his four-furlong move in :49.75 over the firm turf.

“He worked in company with Rockemperor just stretching his legs,” Brown said. “He went an easy half-mile and I just wanted to get him out there and assess him. It was a very routine work. He looks super.”

Prior to capturing the Manhattan over good turf on June 5, Domestic Spending dead-heated for victory with Colonel Liam in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

In the Manhattan, Domestic Spending was 11 lengths back on the backstretch before displaying a devastating turn-of-foot to gun down graded stakes-winning stablemate Tribhuvan, winning by 2 3/4-lengths.

Brown said Domestic Spending remains on target for the Grade 1, $600,000 Mister D Stakes, formerly known as the Arlington Million, on August 14 at Arlington Park.

Also on the work tab was Master Piece, who finished a late-closing sixth in the Manhattan and went a half-mile in :48.62.

“He's looking for firm ground. I'm thinking about running him in the [$500,000 Grade 1] United Nations [on July 17 at Monmouth Park].”

Brown said he will be hoping for a better performance next out from Juddmonte's Pocket Square, who finished fifth as the beaten favorite in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game Stakes on June 5.

The daughter of Night of Thunder blitzed through a half-mile with a bullet work in :48.05 – the fastest of 18 recorded works at the distance. She will be pointed for the $500,000 Grade 1 Diana Stakes on July 17 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, Ny.

“Going into the Just a Game, she missed her final work with the rainstorms. I wasn't able to get a few horses there that weekend,” Brown said. “In hindsight, it really affected her. She was flat in her race, and I think it was because of missing a work. I'm inclined to draw a line through that race and point her to the Diana.”

Brown would be targeting a sixth straight Diana victory having won the past five with Dacita [2016], Lady Eli [2017], Sistercharlie [2018-19], and Rushing Fall [2020].

Michael Dubb, Sandford Goldfarb, and Samuel Abraham's Devamani logged his first work since capturing the Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes on June 5, traveling a half-mile in :48.75. He made his 2021 debut off nearly seven month's rest, running fourth in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy Stakes on May 1 at Belmont Park.

Brown said the $100,000 Oceanport Stakes on August 8 at Monmouth Park is among a number of potential targets.

“He's the kind of horse who benefits from a race to kind of get in form,” said Brown. “He looks fine. Not exactly sure what we're going to do with him next. Going back to Monmouth for the Oceanport is one idea. We'll also look at some other spots.”

Brown said undefeated Chilean-bred Breakpoint is nearing a North American debut. The son of Constitution is a two-time Group 1 winner in his native country and worked five furlongs in 1:00.60.

“He's getting close to his first start,” Brown said. “We're looking for a spot with him. He's very close to getting started. He seems like a steady horse in his works.”

Bradley Thoroughbreds, Iris Smith Stables, and Rigney Racing's Minaun, an allowance winner going six furlongs on April 30, went five furlongs in 1:00.90 in preparation for the $100,000 Wild Applause on June 26 at Belmont Park.

The bay sophomore daughter of Zoffany won the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes last July in her native Ireland in her start prior to her first North American engagement.

“Her form looks good. She shouldn't have any trouble with the mile. She wouldn't mind some cut in the ground,” Brown said.

Brown noted that Mike Ryan, Jeff Drown, and Team Hanley's Higher Truth will target the Grade 1, $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, first leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies, on July 10.

The bay Galileo filly broke her maiden at 1 ¼ miles on April 22 over the inner turf, defeating next-out winner Community Adjusted, and then defeated winners at the same distance on June 10.

“She's got a pair of mile-and-a-quarter wins,” Brown said. “She doesn't have any stakes credentials so she's going to have to get into the field. If she does, I think she fits with those horses.”

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Jockey Mike Luzzi Out After Breaking Ankle

Veteran rider Mike Luzzi broke his right ankle in a pre-race incident aboard Breaking Stones ahead of Saturday's eighth race at Belmont Park.

“He fractured his right ankle and will need surgery. He will probably be out about 6-to-8 weeks,” said Luzzi's agent Mike Monroe. “He said the horse acted up at the gate and when he jumped off the horse, it was just the way he landed that caused it.”

The 51-year-old Luzzi, a native of Wilmington, Delaware, won the 1989 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. Additional honors for Luzzi include the 2001 Mike Venezia Memorial Award and the 2015 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.

According to Equibase statistics, Luzzi has won 3,529 races with purse earnings in excess of $114 million.

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Letruska Adds Intrigue To Loaded Fleur de Lis Field

Closing day for the spring meet at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. was already a blockbuster one loaded with seven stakes races on the 11-race card, including two Win-And-You're-In events for this year's Breeders' Cup at Del Mar. Sunday's news from the Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee that trainer Fausto Gutierrez had declared Letruska, the current leader of the filly and mare division, for the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Stakes bumped the anticipation for that 1 1/8-mile event even higher.

The Fleur de Lis already had Spice Is Nice, Point of Honor, and Shawnee Stakes winner Envoutante, set to start along with Singita Dreams and Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes winner Vault, but the addition of Grade 1-winning Letruska makes this stake a must-watch on Saturday. To the victor goes the winner's share of the $300,000 purse and a free and guaranteed spot in the 1 1/8-mile Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif. on Nov. 6.

Of her four races this season, Letruska has won three, all stakes, including the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Spring, Ark. in April and the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, Ny. on the Belmont Stakes undercard on June 5. In the G1 Apple Blossom, Letruska took an early lead over 2020's champion mare Monomoy Girl, dueling with the multiple-Grade 1 winner down the Oaklawn stretch to win by a nose. In the G1 Ogden Phipps, Letruska faced 2020 Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil and stakes winner Bonny South, again taking the lead from the break and winning easily by 2 3/4 lengths.

After her Ogden Phipps victory, Gutierrez declared the Breeders' Cup Distaff his mare's year-end target, and a win in the Fleur de Lis along with that guaranteed spot in the Distaff starting gate would put Letruska well on her way to that goal.

Letruska was bred in Kentucky by breeder/owner St. George Stable. She is by 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver out of the Successful Appeal mare Magic Appeal. Letruska started her career in Mexico, winning her first six starts there before coming to the United States in late 2019. She has won 14 of her 19 lifetime starts with career winnings of $1,121,400.

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Another Churchill Debut Winner for Classic Empire

3rd-Churchill Downs, $101,886, Msw, 6-20, 2yo, 5f, :58.17, ft, 1 length.
OTTOMAN EMPIRE (c, 2, Classic Empire–Seven Stars, by Indygo Shiner) belied 13-1 odds to become the third winner–all under the Twin Spires–for champion juvenile and freshman sire Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile), who himself was a first-up graduate here in 2016. Away in midpack between rivals, the bay started to get going heading for home but still had his work cut out for him as James Graham tried to guide him out in the clear. Ottoman Empire leveled off in midstretch, struck the front late and was followed home by Texas Red Hot (Texas Red) en route to a one-length decision. The winner has a yearling half-sister by West Coast. He hails from the extended female family of MGISW Spain. Sales history: $120,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,488. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG
O-Greg Tramontin; B-Pedro Gonzalez & Lenny Cohen (KY); T-Thomas M. Amoss.

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