Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Isolate will try to add a second consecutive stakes victory to his record Wednesday in the $135,000 Tale of the Cat at Saratoga Race Course.
The seven-furlong event for 4-year-olds and upward is restricted to runners who have not won a graded stakes race this year.
The son of Mark Valeski was a front-running winner of the 6 ½-furong Work All Week Stakes on June 11 at Hawthorne Race Course in his previous outing, defeating subsequent Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) runner-up Kneedeepinsnow.
Since being transferring to trainer Tom Amoss last fall, Isolate has registered three victories, which include two open-lengths wins at Fair Grounds in addition to his stakes coup last time out.
Isolate will see added ground in the Tale of the Cat, which will be his first start at more than six furlongs since a distant third in the one-turn mile Nashua (G3) in November 2020 at Aqueduct.
“The race will be a bit of a test for us determining just how far he wants to go,” said Amoss, who early Sunday afternoon was just two races shy of his 4,000th career win. “He's a brilliant sprinter and he just is coming off a stakes win on the front end. That extra eighth of a mile is something we're going to learn a lot about when we run him. It's a restricted stake, which limits the field a little bit, so hopefully that makes a difference as well.”
Isolate has recorded three serious moves over the Saratoga main track, most recently going a half-mile in :49.60 on Sunday. He drilled through a half-mile the week prior in :46 flat – the fastest of 128 recorded works at the distance.
The consistent Isolate boasts a record of 5-1-2 from 10 lifetime starts, with victories at three different tracks.
A win would also provide Reeves Thoroughbred Racing owners Dean and Patti Reeves with a third stakes victory this meet. The Suwannee, Georgia residents visited the winner's circle after triumphs with City Man in the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple and Big Invasion in the Grade 3 Quick Call.
“After a few weeks with the horse I told Dean that this was his best horse and he's gone on to prove that,” Amoss said. “We're looking forward to keeping the Reeves train rolling. They've had a great meet so far.”
Tyler Gaffalione will pilot Isolate from post 1.
Double B Racing Stables' Repo Rocks will seek his first stakes victory after placing against graded stakes company on three occasions for trainer Greg DiPrima.
The Virginia-bred Tapiture 4-year-old was a distant third to Life Is Good in the John A. Nerud (G2) on July 2 at Belmont Park last out. He finished second to Drafted in the Toboggan (G3) in February at the Big A before finishing third in the Tom Fool (G3) the following month at the same track. He made his debut for DiPrima in April a winning one, capturing a six-furlong allowance optional claimer at Belmont by 5 3/4 lengths.
Andrew Wolfsont will pick up the mount from post 4.
Klaravich Stables' Southern District will attempt his fourth straight victory while making his stakes debut for four-time Spa leading trainer Chad Brown. The 4-year-old son of Union Rags ran through his conditions in his last three starts, which all took place over different racetracks. He will be cutting back in distance from a one-turn mile on June 10 at Churchill Downs, where he garnered a 101 Beyer from a two-length win.
Purchased for $335,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Southern District is out of the graded stakes-winning Include mare Open Water, who produced two stakes winners on grass.
Southern District will be piloted by Manny Franco from post 3.
John Fanelli, LC Racing, Paul Braverman, and Timothy Pinch's Awesome Gerry will attempt his third victory this year for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The gray son of Liam's Map enters off a third in the Hanshin on July 4 at Churchill Downs, which came after two consecutive seven-furlong wins on the Kentucky circuit.
Awesome Gerry is seeking his first stakes win after placing second or third in three stakes during his 18-race career. After finishing second in the 2020 Jean Laffite at Delta Downs during his juvenile year, he followed with a third in Gulfstream Park's Mucho Macho Man in 2021. He also was second in the 2021 Robert Hilton Memorial last August at Charles Town.
Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride from post 2.
Completing the field is Sandford Goldfarb, Madaket Stables, Alan Kahn, and the Estate of Ira Davis' Mr Phil, who will look to make amends following a distant fifth to Jackie's Warrior in the True North (G2) on June 10 at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old Mr Speaker gelding is 2-2-0 from four starts at the Tale of the Cat distance, including his most recent victory on May 22 at Belmont, where he registered a 101 Beyer in a non-winners of three allowance optional claimer
Kendrick Carmouche, the pilot in his last four starts, will ride from post 5.
The Tale of the Cat honors the 1997 King's Bishop winner [now run as the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial] who went on to have a highly prosperous stud career. The son of Storm Cat, trained by John Forbes, produced multiple champion Gio Ponti as well as Grade 1 winners Stopchargingmaria, My Trusty Cat, and Lion Heart.
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