Month: July 2022

Juddmonte's deep-closing multiple graded stakes winner Set Piece should have sharp fractions to close into in the $175,000 Forbidden Apple (G3), a one-mile inner turf test for older horses Friday at Saratoga Race Course.

The 6-year-old Dansili gelding, who boasts a record of 10-2-1 from 20 career starts and purse earnings just shy of $700,000, finished seventh, defeated two lengths by Shirl's Speight, in his seasonal debut in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) in April at Keeneland.

Last out, Set Piece rallied from 11 lengths off the pace to post a 1 1/4-length score in the Dinner Party (G2) at 1 1/16 miles on May 21 at Pimlico Race Course.

Trained by Brad Cox, the British homebred made the grade in the Wise Dan (G2) last June at Churchill ahead of a runner-up effort to the popular mare Got Stormy in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) in August at the Spa.

Florent Geroux retains the mount from the inside post.

Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust's Mira Mission has posted triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in each of his last three starts, beginning with a 100 for his three-quarter length score in the Canadian Turf (G3) on March 5 at Gulfstream Park.

The 4-year-old Noble Mission gelding followed with a close fifth in the Maker's Mark Mile in April at Keeneland that garnered a career-best 101 figure ahead of a narrow neck defeat to Santin last out in the Turf Classic (G1) on May 7 at Churchill Downs that registered a 100 speed figure.

Trainer Ian Wilkes, who took over training duties from Tom Bush late last year, said Mira Mission has blossomed.

“He's just matured. He had a great foundation and is very consistent,” Wilkes said. “He's just an honest little horse. He always tries and you have to love him. He came to me in real good shape and I'm very fortunate to reap the benefit.”

Wilkes said he had intended to enter Mira Mission in the Wise Dan on closing weekend at Churchill before turf racing at that meet was scrapped.

“He was going all winter and spring and then I had to re-group,” Wilkes said. “He's training good, so it was handy that this race was here. The horse has done well.”

Mira Mission made two turf starts at the Spa for Bush, including a smart optional-claiming score in August going nine furlongs.

“Hopefully, I can get the same result Tom did and get a win,” Wilkes said with a laugh.

Julien Leparoux returns in the irons from post 3.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will have two chances for his first Forbidden Apple score when he saddles Public Sector and Analyze It.

Klaravich Stables' Public Sector posted a record of 7-4-2-0 last year led by wins at Saratoga in the Hall of Fame (G2) and Saranac (G3) . The 4-year-old Kingman colt was off-the-board in the nine-furlong Turf Classic in his seasonal debut in May at Churchill ahead of a close third last out in the one-mile Poker (G3) on June 18 at Belmont.

William H. Lawrence's Analyze It, a 7-year-old Point of Entry gelding, is a three-time graded-stakes winner with his most recent score at the level coming in September 2020 in the Red Bank (G3) at Monmouth Park. Boasting a consistent record of 5-4-3 from 16 lifetime starts and purse earnings of $951,850, Analyze It enters from a closing third in the Cliff Hanger on May 28 at Monmouth in his seasonal debut.

Public Sector will leave from post 7 under Irad Ortiz, Jr. while Analyze It will burst from post 6 under Jose Ortiz.

MeB Racing Stables' Clear Vision was a prominent winner of the Tropical Turf (G3) in January at Gulfstream Park to provide 24-year-old trainer Matthew O'Connor his sole stakes win to date.

O'Connor claimed Clear Vision in October for $25,000 out of a gate-to-wire score over the Belmont turf and entered the Artie Schiller gelding back in the Claiming Crown Emerald Starter in January at Gulfstream, finishing second ahead of his 10-1 Tropical Turf upset.

Clear Vision finished off-the-board in his next three starts, including a pacesetting fourth last out in the 1 1/16-mile Mr. Steele on May 21 at Gulfstream.

“I'd missed one work on him going into the race and he got collared at the top of the stretch, but he didn't give up,” O'Connor said. “He was game and finished a good fourth. He's one of those hard-knocking horses who knows his job and loves what he does.”

Clear Vision worked a half-mile Saturday in :50.60 over the dirt at Palm Meadows Training Center and will ship to Saratoga on Sunday.

“He's doing great,” O'Connor said. “We've been targeting this race since we gave him a break after the Canadian Turf. We picked the Mr. Steele as a prep as it was decent spacing into this race. He'd coming in good and has a solid work tab. I couldn't be happier with him. I expect him to run well.”

The 6-year-old bay posted a 4 3/4-length front-running claiming score over the Saratoga turf in August one start before being haltered by O'Connor. The young conditioner said he is hopeful Clear Vision will enjoy a return to winning ways at the Spa.

“I've been going up there every summer since I was an infant. To be able to run up there, especially in a Grade 3 with a decent shot to win it, is exciting,” O' Connor said. “Any race at Saratoga feels like a Grade 1 but when you get to run in a graded stake and be live in it – it's a privilege. Hopefully, he runs well and wins or hits the board. We'd be happy either way.”

Eric Cancel will pilot Clear Vision from post 5.

Three Diamonds Farm's Atone set the pace in the Dinner Party en route to a third-place effort, finishing 1 1/2-lengths back of Set Piece.

Trained by Mike Maker, the 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding garnered a career-best 101 Beyer when fourth in the Maker's Mark Mile in April at Keeneland in his seasonal debut. He earned graded black type in December when second to Doswell in the Fort Lauderdale (G2).

Flavien Prat will pilot Atone from post 8.

Ironhorse Racing Stable, BlackRidge Stables, T-N-T Equine Holdings and Saratoga Seven Racing Partners' Get Smokin is another likely pace presence for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

The 5-year-old Get Stormy gelding won 2-of-4 starts last season, including scores in the Tampa Bay (G3) and the one-mile Seek Again at Belmont. He finished second to Shirl's Speight in his Tampa Bay title defense in his seasonal debut in February ahead of an off-the-board effort in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) in March at Meydan.

Get Smokin was a game second, defeated a head by Admission Office, when making his return to action last out in the Arlington (G3) on June 4 at Churchill.

He will emerge from post 9 under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

Rounding out a loaded field are the multiple graded-stakes placed Wolfie's Dynaghost [post 2, Luis Saez]; graded-stakes placed City Man [post 10, Joel Rosario]; stakes-winner Scuttlebuzz [post 11, Manny Franco]; multiple stakes-placed New York-bred Sanctuary City [post 12, Kendrick Carmouche]; and three-time winner Yes and Yes [post 4, John Velazquez]. Art Collector, winner of the Grade 1 Woodward last year at Saratoga, is entered for the main-track only.

The post Juddmonte’s Set Piece Among Older Turf Runners Set For Forbidden Apple At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Graded stakes action for the 2022 meet at Saratoga Race Course starts with a field of nine juvenile fillies taking center stage on opening day Thursday in the $175,000 Schuylerville (G3).

The six-furlong test over the main track features eight fillies who enter off a career debut maiden special weight triumph and will also see the return of legendary Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who will saddle regally bred Summer Promise in attempt of a record seventh Schuylerville conquest. The six-time leading trainer at the Spa is currently on even terms with former protégé and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Todd Pletcher.

Owned by BC Stables, Summer Promise was a five-length debut winner going five furlongs on June 25 at Churchill Downs. Hustled out of the gate from the rail, the Uncle Mo filly garnered early command and extended her advantage throughout, producing a 69 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She was in the one hole, and a first time starter in the one hole is never a good situation, but she handled it very well,” said Lukas. “They outbroke her by a half a stride or so, but she got into it really well. We never had any doubts that she was going to run a big race. She trained so forwardly and really done everything well. I didn't know that she was going to win, but I did know that she would run a super nice race. She showed too much in the mornings.”

Acquired for $500,000 by Lukas from the Taylor Made Sales consignment at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Summer Promise is out of Grade 1-winning millionaire Dream of Summer, who also produced half siblings by Giant's Causeway in Grade 1 winners Creative Cause and Vexatious, as well as graded stakes winner Destin.

“She matched the pedigree,” Lukas said. “She had a good top line, and she was a nice balanced filly; not overly big, just a nice-sized, and very correct horse. She fit all of our parameters for what we like in a yearling.”

Lukas previously won the Schuylerville with Sacuhuista [1986], Over All [1987], Wonder Delight [1988], Golden Attraction [1995], Magicalmysterycat [1999] and Classic Elegance [2004].

Luis Saez, last year's leading rider at the Spa, has the call from post 9.

Hall of Famer Mark Casse will saddle two first-out winning fillies and one maiden in pursuit of his second Schuylerville victory in Tracy Farmer's Adora, D.J. Stable's Me and My Shadow, and Janis Joplin, owned by Gary Barber.

Adora, a $450,000 purchase at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale, graduated at first asking on May 14 over Woodbine's Tapeta surface. The Into Mischief bay captured her debut outing by 4 3/4 lengths, defeating next-out winning stablemate Cahira's Blessing.

Boasting a rich pedigree, Adora was bred in Ontario by Sam-Son Farm and is out of the dual stakes-winning Speightstown mare Southern Ring. Her fourth dam Radiant Ring was a graded stakes winner and 2003 Canadian Broodmare of the Year.

“She was bought at Saratoga for a large amount of money,” said Casse, who won the 2018 Schuylerville with Catherinethegreat. “She trained really well into her first race and ran really well. The question for her is going to be how she handles the dirt. Her pedigree has some grass influences which always works well on the Tapeta.”

Me and My Shadow, purchased for $185,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale, was a debut four-length winner on May 28 over the Tapeta at Woodbine. The daughter of Violence produced a field-best 78 Beyer from her last out win. She is the first offspring out of the Smart Strike mare Silhouette, whose fourth dam, Passing Mood, produced 1997 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Touch Gold and 1993 Canadian Triple Crown winner With Approval.

“With both her and Adora, it's going to be a matter of how they can take their form to the next level,” Casse said.

Casse also sends out the lone maiden in the field in Gary Barber's Janis Joplin. The daughter of California Chrome was a late-closing third in a restricted maiden special weight on June 29 at Churchill Downs after breaking a step slow from the gate.

Dylan Davis will pilot Adora from post 3, while Tyler Gaffalione has been tasked aboard Me and My Shadow from post 6. Flavien Prat will ride Janis Joplin from post 5.

Trainer Butch Reid Jr. will ship Vedareo by way of Parx Racing after a two-length win on June 14 the Bensalem oval. The Swilcan Stable-owned dark bay daughter of Daredevil is a half sister to 2020 champion 2-year-old filly Vequist, who also was trained by Reid.

“She looks a lot like her big sister Vequist, a tall, rangy filly and almost all black,” Reid said. “She acts a lot like her too in the early stages of her career. She's a very smart filly and does everything well, so we're excited.”

With a maiden win in the rearview mirror, Vedareo is already one step ahead of where her champion older sister was at this stage. During Vequist's 2-year-old season in 2019, she shipped to Saratoga as a maiden to capture the Grade 1 Spinaway two starts before winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland.

Reid credited Dr. Barry Eisaman, who oversaw Vedareo's pretraining in Ocala, Florida, for keeping the young filly in good shape.

“We made sure we broke our maiden before we came up,” Reid, Jr. said. “She was really, really ready early and came around pretty quickly. Barry Eisaman did a great job with her down on the farm. She came up and all I had to do was put the finishing touches on her and she was ready to go.”

Joel Rosario will pick up the mount from post 4.

Clarkland Farm homebred Just Cindy enters off a 2 1/4-length debut win on June 17 at Churchill Downs for trainer Eddie Kenneally. The daughter of first crop sire and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify produced a 70 Beyer for her triumphant first start.

Three-time Spa leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride from post 1.

Two years after capturing the Schuylerville with Dayoutoftheoffice, Ohio-based conditioner Timothy Hamm will send up Motown Mischief. The Malibu Moon filly, owned by Ramspring Farm and Blazing Meadows Farm, enters off a one-length debut win on May 31 over the synthetic at Presque Isle Downs.

Junior Alvarado, who piloted Dayoutoftheoffice in the 2020 Schuylerville, will join forces with Hamm once more and will guide Motown Mischief from post 7.

Completing the field are Sweet Harmony [post 2, John Velazquez], and Musicmansandy [post 8, Manny Franco].

The post Lukas Aims For Seventh Schuylerville Win With Summer Promise On Saratoga’s Opening Day appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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