Month: August 2023

Tattersalls Grad Wins at First Asking in Saratoga

Dismissed at 12-1 by the bettors, Ozara (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) pulled off the upset over heavily favored Weigh the Risks (Mendelssohn) from the Chad Brown barn to win Sunday's opener at Saratoga, a $136,000 maiden special weight race run at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf.

The win came less than a year after bloodstock agent Mike Ryan purchased the filly out of the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. The purchase price was 350,000 guineas.

“This was very much a team effort,” winning trainer Christophe Clement said. “Mike Ryan bought the filly for Mr. (Everett) Dobson of Cheyenne Stable. This wasn't an upset to us because we thought she was training well. We always liked her.”

 

The winning team also included jockey Tyler Gaffalione, whose perfect rail-skimming ride probably made the difference. By the time the field passed the wire for the first time, Gaffalione had guided his mount from the nine post to the rail. He started his bid midway down the backstretch and was fourth with a half-mile to go. Turning for home, a path opened up in the two path and Ozara pushed her way through to the lead to win by a neck over the fast-closing Weigh the Risks, who had to swing eight wide at the top of the stretch. Weigh the Risks was the even money favorite.

“I'm delighted,” Clement said. “It worked out perfectly. She had a great trip. Thank you, Tyler. He worked her last time and she had a very good work with him. It's nice when a jockey can get to know them before they run first time out. We have a great jockeys colony here in New York and Tyler makes it even better here in the summer.”

1st-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-6, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:45.48, gd, neck.
OZARA (IRE) (f, 2, Lope de Vega {Ire}–Cercle d'Or {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) drifted up from her 6-1 morning line to be 12-1 as the gates sprung in her Sunday debut. Able to clear down to the rail from her outside draw, she chased pacesetter Sands of War (War Front) up the backstretch but was eager to make a move and did so as the field moved into the far turn. Up the inside past the quarter pole, Ozara got the racing room she needed and pounced between horses to strike the front, powering home and just holding off the late challenge of even-money favorite Weight the Risks (Mendelssohn) to win by a neck. Brought to the United States after selling in Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling sale, Ozara is out of a half-sister to MG1SW and G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Golden Horn (Cape Cross {Ire}). Her dam foaled a yearling filly by Frankel (GB) last year but was not reported bred for 2023. Sales Price: 350,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Cheyenne Stable LLC; B-Fleche D'Or Partnership (Ire); T-Christophe Clement.

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Brightwork Stays Perfect In Adirondack, Collects First Graded Win

Brightwork (Outwork) made short work of the GIII Adirondack S. field when she won her first graded stakes of her career and stayed perfect with the win on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga. The bay filly at odds of 5-1 chased the pace up the backstretch as Here You Come Again (Liam's Map) showed the way. Sporting some excellent speed around the far turn, the Johnny Ortiz trainee began to make up ground and rolling with a full head of steam down the lane, she put away her rivals to win by a widening 4 lengths over the leader.

ADIRONDACK S.-GIII, $200,000, Saratoga, 8-6, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:16.85, ft.
1–BRIGHTWORK, 122, f, 2, by Outwork
       1st Dam: Clarendon Fancy, by Malibu Moon
                2nd Dam: Catch My Fancy, by Yes It's True
                3rd Dam: Walk Away Rene, by Gold Alert
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($95,000 Wlg '21 FTKNOV).
O-WSS Racing, LLC; B-Wynnstay Inc. & H. Allen Poindexter
(KY); T-John Alexander Ortiz; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $110,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-3-0-0, $279,051. *1/2 to Quiet Company (Temple
City), SP, $196,835. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Here U Come Again, 120, f, 2, Liam's Map–Euro K Shotgun,
by Euroears. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($130,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP). O/B-Clearsky Farms (KY);
T-Brad H. Cox. $40,000.
3–Streaming Now, 120, f, 2, Into Mischief–One True Kiss, by
Warrior's Reward. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
O/B-OXO Equine LLC (KY); T-Paulo H. Lobo. $24,000.
Margins: 5, 3 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 5.10, 2.70, 8.90.
Also Ran: Magic Cross, Princess Indy, Princesa Celina, Becky's Joker, Copper Em. Scratched: Cara's Time, Saratoga Secret.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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On Whitney Weekend, Whitney Stables Captures Spa Maiden

It's been more than four years since Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney passed away, but thanks to her husband John Hendrickson and trainer Norm Casse, her memory is never far away when it comes to the Saratoga season.

Marylou Whitney Stables, now operated by Hendrickson, won with its first starter at the meet when homebred Empire Island (Classic Empire) won the day's sixth race by three-quarters of a length over Lady Moscato (Quality Road). A six-furlong maiden race for 2-year-old fillies that was run at six furlongs, it had a purse of $136,500.

“It's awesome,” Casse said of his association with the Whitney stable. “This is such a humbling thing and it makes me really proud.”

Breaking from the rail under Ricardo Santana Jr., Empire Island broke alertly and settled into third as favorite Gypsy Tales (Munnings) went to the front. Lady Moscato moved first and got past Gypsy Tales but wasn't able to hold off Empire Island's late run.

Gypsy Tales, sent off at 9-5, tired in the stretch and finished sixth.

“She's the epitome of class,” Casse said. 'She acts like an older horse already. She's super talented. I was a little bit concerned today. She got up here and spiked a temperature and that's why she had to scratch opening day.  So she hasn't really been on a regular routine work pattern. So I was worried she might be short today. But this is a very talented horses and I am thrilled for the connections.”

Lady Moscato (Quality Road) is owned by BC Stables Ltd and is trained by Wayne Lukas. She was an $800,000 Keeneland September purchase and nearly gave the BC Stables-Lukas team its second maiden winner in as many days. They hit Saturday with Just Steel (Justify).

Empire Island's winning time was 1:11.79, while the first division of the race, won by 'TDN Rising Star' Ways and Means (Practical Joke) was clocked in 1:10.51.

6th-Saratoga, $105,002, Msw, 8-6, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.79, ft, 3/4 length.
EMPIRE ISLAND (f, 2, Classic Empire–Gull Island, by Giant's Causeway) earned a sentimental 5-1 shot as a homebred for Saratoga's own Marylou Whitney Stables and settled in third just off the speed of post-time favorite Gypsy Tales (Munnings). Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. was asking her a long way from home but she began to respond with a move into upper stretch, taking aim on Lady Moscato (Quality Road) who had assumed command from Gypsy Tales. Up past that rival inside the final sixteenth, Empire Island gained a bit of separation on the wire for the three-quarter length win. The first foal of out of a daughter of champion 3-year-old filly Bird Town (Cape Town), Empire Island counts MGSW Bird Song (Unbridled's Song) and MGISW Birdstone (Grindstone) as members of her extended family. Gull Island has Vekoma yearling still to race and was bred to Twirling Candy for next year. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Marylou Whitney Stables LLC (KY); T-Norm W. Casse.

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Walsh: Pretty Mischievous’ Next Start TBD, Likely To Include Step Up In Distance

Godolphin's 3-year-old filly division leader Pretty Mischievous, who passed the wire first in Saturday's seven-furlong Test (G1), has exited her race well, trainer Brendan Walsh said.

The daughter of Into Mischief added a third Grade 1 tally to her Kentucky Oaks and Acorn wins in May and June, respectively. She also joined her dam Pretty City Dancer, who annexed the 2016 Spinaway, as a Saratoga seven-furlong Grade 1 winner.

In the Test, Pretty Mischievous was closing on the far outside, while pacesetter Maple Leaf Mel asserted herself as the likely victress in front. Yards from the wire, when Maple Leaf Mel went down, Pretty Mischievous wrested a would-be second from Clearly Unhinged. Pretty Mischievous and jockey Tyler Gaffalione ultimately won by a head, with 1¾ lengths back to Munnys Gold in third.

“She's fine, she ate up good and has been eating peppermints all morning here, hanging over the door,” Walsh said. “She ran well yesterday, but it was just a little sharp for her, though she beat some very good fillies. The filly that broke down was the best of the day, but we're proud of the effort ours gave. That's her putting in her A-effort, like she always does. She always leaves it all out there and we can't ask for more than that. I didn't realize how much she really did close. It just goes to show how good a filly she is to give as good an effort as she did.”

Walsh said he did not have any immediate plans for Pretty Mischievous, but noted it was likely to include a step up in distance.

“We'll probably go back to the two turns after that. We're not really leaning anywhere yet, as far as her next race,” Walsh said. “I would say two turns is definite and the Cotillion (G1) would be the one that you would think would be the place to go—but I haven't discussed with the team, so nothing has been decided. She's won three Grade 1s—or two and a half—and a Grade 2. There's no one else who's done that.”

Pretty Mischievous, a Kentucky homebred, sports a record of 7-1-1 from nine career starts and purse earnings of $1,756,560.

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