July, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Forte To Jim Dandy; Hoosier Philly Targets CCA Oaks; Webslinger Points To Saratoga Derby

Trainer Todd Pletcher has confirmed Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's MGISW Forte (Violence) for the GII Jim Dandy S. July 29 at Saratoga Race Course.

The 3-year-old colt will use the race as a prep for the GI Travers S. Aug. 26, which the Hall of Famer won with Flower Alley [2005] and Stay Thirsty [2011].

“It was a tough call,” said Pletcher. “We just felt like shipping up here, getting him used to the track, two Travers winners we previously had have done that.”

Pletcher added that Forte will likely breeze on Friday morning over the Saratoga main track following the renovation break.

Also looking to make a Saratoga start is GSW Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief), who recorded her first work on Wednesday in preparation for the GI Coaching Club American Oaks July 22 for trainer Tom Amoss.

Hoosier Philly | Coady Photography

The 3-year-old gray filly logged a half-mile breeze over the main track in 49.49 seconds with regular pilot Edgar Morales up in her second move since winning the Monomoy Girl S. June 17 at Ellis Park.

“It was a typical work for her and Edgar Morales flew up to work her,” said Amoss. “It was a good work with a strong gallop out. That's her M.O. She's doing fine and she came out of it in good shape. Our plan is to run in the Coaching Club.”

One other runner that will be headed upstate is D.J. Stable's GSW Webslinger (Constitution). Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said the 3-year-old gelding, who was last seen running fourth July 8 in the GI Belmont Derby, will take on the next leg of NYRA's Turf Triple in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational.

“Unfortunately, he got shuffled back [in the Belmont Derby] and Javier [Castellano] had no choice but to go around,” Casse said. “I'm not sure how much farther he ran than everybody else, but it was much farther than he got beat by, that's for sure. He came out good and will aim for the Saratoga Derby.”

Webslinger | Horsephotos

With a win, Webslinger will have a shot at an automatic berth into the G1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate to be held Oct. 28 at Moonee Valley Racing Club in Victoria, Australia.

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Equibase Analysis: Triple Trea Gets Slight Nod in Wide-Open Sanford Stakes

The $175,000 Grade 3 Sanford Stakes is the start of the 2-year-old stakes season at historic Saratoga Race Course and features a field of 10, of which nine won their most recent races. None in the field has run this six-furlong distance to date and only one has won a stakes. That one is Gold Sweep, who drew off by nine lengths in the Tremont Stakes last month. Yo Yo Candy finished third in the Tremont after winning one month earlier in his debut. Seven of the 10 won their only starts and some of those efforts were quite impressive. That group consists of Call the Cavalry, Dickens, Factor U and Me In, His Rights, Jive, Market Street and Triple Trea. The other horse that has raced two times is Ramming Speed, who powered off to a four-length win just 12 days ago in his second career start.

Top contenders:

Although Gold Sweep has a stakes win under his belt I am going to start instead with Triple Trea as the top contender in this year's Sanford. A Kentucky bred son of Bolt d'Oro, Triple Trea won his only start on the all-weather track at Woodbine but I think he has what it takes to run good enough to win on the conventional dirt surface at Saratoga. That win on June 4 was impressive on two counts. First, Triple Trea ran in his debut as if he had run before, showing a lot of ability to relax and respond to his jockey by sitting in sixth of eight early, then rolling by the field late after going five paths wide on the far turn. The effort earned a pretty decent 80 Equibase Speed Figure, which can be improved upon off the experience of a race.

The second reason that June 4 race was indicative of a competitive effort in the Sanford is it has already turned out to be a productive “key” race by virtue of the fact both the runner-up and fifth-place finishers came back to win their next starts, and the third finisher finished second in his next outing. Getting top jockey Luis Saez, and with a number of horses in this race likely to want the lead from the start, perhaps running too fast early to have the staying power late to hold off a closer, I think Triple Trea can pass the tiring pacesetters late to win.

Gold Sweep lost in his May debut by a neck and showed enough ability that trainer Steve Asmussen entered him in the Tremont Stakes for his second career start on June 11. Gold Sweep did not disappoint in the Tremont as he rallied three paths wide on the turn before drawing off by nine lengths in handy fashion. His sire, Speightstown, is known for producing 2-year-old stakes winners, such as Andiamo a Firenze, who was third in the 2022 Sanford and who won the Funny Cide Stakes later in the season at Saratoga. Demonstrating how 2-year-olds can improve from one start to the next, Gold Sweep went from an 88 figure in his debut to a 94 figure in the Tremont and an even better effort could be forthcoming in this situation.

Ramming Speed may come in under the radar for most bettors because he's been running at Presque Isle Downs and on an all-weather surface but based on his most recent race just 12 days ago he has the potential to post the slight upset. In his debut on June 14, Ramming Speed rallied four paths wide for second, then just 19 days later improved markedly to win by four lengths. In that race Ramming Speed showed good maturity because, after breaking sharply, jockey Gaddiel Martinez allowed the horse to drop back to third and relax, before going around horses on the turn to draw off to an easy win. The 65 figure was much lower than most of the rest of the Sanford field earned recently, but the effort was impressive. Furthermore, the turnaround in racing just 12 days after his most recent race seems not to be a problem as his win on July 3 came just 19 days after his debut.

The rest of the field, with their best representative Equibase Speed Figures, is Call the Cavalry (86), Dickens (82), Factor U and Me In (77), His Rights (74), Jive (80), Market Street (78) and Yo Yo Candy (76).

Win Contenders:

Triple Trea

Gold Sweep

Ramming Speed

Sanford Stakes – Grade 3, $175,000

Saratoga Race Course

Saturday, July 15 – 10th Race, Post Time 6:19 p.m. ET

Six Furlongs

2-Year-Olds

Ellis Starr is national racing analyst for Equibase.

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Relative Of Sperpentine Unveiled At Newmarket

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a relative of Derby winner Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

16.10 Newmarket, Mdn, £15,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT
CAPULET (Justify) is a notable runner from Ballydoyle in this maiden which has been won in the past three years by the future pattern-race performers Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Noble Truth (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) and Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). A son of the G2 Kilboy Estate S. winner and G1 Nassau S. runner-up Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who is in turn a full-sister to the Derby hero Serpentine (Ire), he encounters the fellow newcomer Emperor's Star (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a relative of Cloth Of Stars (Ire) bidding for a fourth renewal for Charlie Appleby since 2017.

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Coolmore-Sired Fillies Look To Graduate In Japan

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Hakodate Racecourses:

Saturday, July 15, 2023
3rd-HAK, ¥10,480,000 ($76k), Maiden, 3yo, 1200mT
MERITITES (f, 3, American Pharoah–Gem Gem, by Tapit) was well beaten on Hanshin debut over seven grassy furlongs June 18, but improved markedly to finish a close third over this course and distance July 2. A $140,000 purchase by J S Company out of the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, the bay filly is out of a winning half-sister to 2009 GI Alabama S. winner Careless Jewel, whose mercurial daughter Reframe (American Pharoah) was a listed winner on the turf last summer at Tokyo. On behalf of Charles Fipke, R. J. Bennett went to $625,000 for Gem Gem in foal to Uncle Mo at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. B-Charles Fipke (KY)

3rd-CKO, ¥10,480,000 ($76k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400m
VAN VISTA (f, 3, Justify–Vanquished, by Empire Maker) failed to land any sort of blow when down the field in a nine-furlong newcomers' event on turf at Hanshin last December and switches to a dirt sprint for her first start since. Though the dam produced a pair of talented turf horses in the form of MGSW Takeover Target (Harlan's Holiday) and SW Ladies' Privilege (Harlan's Holiday)–the dam of recent GIII Manila S. winner More Than Looks (More Than Ready)–Van Vista hails from the deeper family of dirt MGISW Critical Eye (Dynaformer). Van Vista was bought back on a bid of $285,000 at KEENOV in 2020, but was another JS Company purchase at KEESEP the next fall, hammering for $525,000. B-Forging Oaks Farm (KY)

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