Bet to win.
Brighton 3.30 Sam Bellamy – win bet.
Newcastle 4.55 Margaret Dumont – win bet.
Newcastle 5.25 Mushirif – win bet.
Month: September 2021
‘High’ Hopes in Hopeful Showdown
No less than five undefeated 2-year-olds–including two graded winners–line up for Saratoga's Labor Day finale in the GI Hopeful S. Hard to separate, at least on paper, are Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway's Wit (Practical Joke) and LRE Racing and JEH Racing's High Oak (Gormley). The former earned TDN Rising Star billing when kicking off his career with a six-length score at Belmont June 5. Equally impressive in his return in the July 17 GIII Sanford S., the Todd Pletcher trainee cruised home an easy eight-length winner in the six-furlong test and gets to show if he can handle the extra yardage this time. Pletcher is also represented by Repole and St. Elias Stable's Power Agenda (Nyquist), who enters her off a nose victory in his unveiling Aug. 14. Irad Ortiz Jr. returns to partner Wit, while Manny Franco gets the call on the latter.
“Wit has the advantage of having a couple of starts,” said Pletcher of the $575,000 KEESEP purchase. “He deserves the chance to step up. I think the way Wit finished up going six furlongs you would think seven would be no problem,” Pletcher said. “Power Agenda was game in his only start and he should be able to handle the distance.”
Pletcher won the Hopeful on three prior occasions with Circular Quay [2006], Shanghai Bobby [2012] and Competitive Edge [2014].
While less flashy in his debut, High Oak did just what he had to do to triumph by a neck in the 5 1/2-furlong test at Belmont June 26. Showing a little more flare for his latest, he came from off the pace to win by a widening 4 1/2-length margin in the GII Saratoga Special Aug. 14. Since that effort, the colt has been showing some lick in the mornings over the Oklahoma track, including the latest a bullet three furlongs in :35.44 Sept. 3. Junior Alvarado, who was aboard for the colts first two starts, returns for this Grade I debut.
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L’Imperator, En Wye Cee Rematch in Baruch
It's not unusual to see the Saratoga meeting's top two trainer knock heads in graded competition and such is again the case in Monday's GII Bernard Baruch H. Representing 'Team Pletcher' is En Wye Cee (Declaration of War), a winner going nine furlongs in a rained-off optional claimer at this meet in 2020, but winless in two starts since. After rounding out last season with a third behind the Chad Brown-trained pair of Devamani (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Olympico (Fr) (Rajsaman {Fr}), the full-brother to GSW Silentio lacked racing room in early stretch in his latest start in a nine-furlong optional claimer here Aug. 4 and had to settle for third behind the re-opposing L'Imperator (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).
“He had a tough trip last out, but he's come back well,” Pletcher said. “He had a tough trip in his comeback race but ran well, hopefully he moves forward from having a start.”
Waving the flag for 'Team Brown', L'Imperator annexed a trio of starts in France before resurfacing in the U.S. with Brown for last summer's one-mile GIII Saranac S. Seventh that day, the gelding bounced back to win his latest with Irad Ortiz Jr. Debuting in the irons. The two reunite in this second start of the year.
“He's come back really well. He's a totally different horse and I've been very pleased with him,” said Brown. “It's a little bit of a cutback in distance, that would be the only concern. But we're giving it a shot. I was impressed and he exceed my expectations in his allowance win. Gelding him and giving him the time off have really gotten him over some of his soreness and such. He certainly did a 180.”
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Monday Insights: Flay Looks To Close Meet With Homebred Firster
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
8th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 4:29 p.m. ET
It's been a successful handful of weeks at Saratoga for celebrity chef Bobby Flay, at the racetrack with the likes of GIII Caress S. winner Caravel (Mizzen Mast) and across the street at Fasig-Tipton, where he sold an Uncle Mo colt from his Grade I winner Dame Dorothy (Bernardini) for $1.6 million. He'll try to end the meet on another high note when he sends out OLD SCHOOL (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Through bloodstock agent James Delahooke, Flay paid 550,000gns (about $944,000) for the filly's dam Auld Alliance (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), a half-sister to MG1SW Golan (Ire) (Spectrum {Ire}) and MGSW/MG1SP Tartan Bearer (Ire) (Spectrum {Ire}) at Tattersalls December in 2013, and got her some black-type in the 2014 Flaming Page S. at Woodbine. The mare returned to Moulton Paddocks in 2017 carrying to Frankel, but Flay elected to buy her back on a bid of 1.05-million guineas (about $1.49 million). She was entered for the same event a year later carrying this filly, but was ultimately withdrawn. TJCIS PPs
Kimmel Debuter Looks To Sink Rivals…
7th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:54 p.m.
TORPEDO RUN (Gun Runner) cost $270,000 at Fasig-Tipton last October, then fetched $450,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale after covering an eighth of a mile in :10 2/5. The Apr. 25 foal is out of a daughter of MGISW Lady Tak (Mutakddim), the dam of Japanese SW & MGSP A Shin Spartan (Zensational); SW Melody Lady (Unbridled's Song), whose produce include 'TDN Rising Star' Volatile (Violence) and SW/GSP Buy Sell Hold (Violence); and MSP Casual (Curlin). Fans of the daytime drama 'All My Children' might take a liking to the debuting Pine Valley (Maclean's Music), named after the fictional Pennsylvania town that served as the setting for the show. Produced by a half-sister to SW & MGSP Cherokee Artist (Cherokee Run) and SW/GSP Cherokee Girl (Cherokee Run), Pine Valley was bought back for $32,000 at KEENOV in 2019, made $75,000 at FTKOCT last year and hammered for $250,000 at FTFMAR earlier this year after working a furlong in :10 2/5. TJCIS PPs
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