Month: August 2023

Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Pretty Mischievous vies for sovereignty atop the sophomore filly division while cutting back in distance in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Test, a seven-furlong main track sprint for 3-year-old fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Test, carded as Race 8, is one of five stakes slated for Saturday's lucrative 12-race card, which is led by the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney in Race 10, along with the Grade 1, $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational in Race 9, the Grade 3, $300,000 Troy in Race 6, and the $135,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure in Race 7. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Pretty Mischievous enters the Test on the heels of back-to-back Grade 1 scores for conditioner Brendan Walsh, beginning with a tenacious win in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs. There, she pounced from 2 1/4 lengths off the pace under regular pilot Tyler Gaffalione to claim the lead at the top of the stretch and gamely fend of the late rush of Gambling Girl by a neck.

The Test will be Pretty Mischievous' first start at a sprint distance since scoring her first triumph against winners in a seven-furlong optional claiming contest in October at Churchill. Walsh said he looks forward to the pace scenario his filly is likely to get in an extended sprint and that the Test's timing proved favorable over a start in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, which was run on July 22.

“We're a little more comfortable going to the Test,” said Walsh. “It's a seven-eighths that takes getting, and they will roll in it. It's more like a one-turn mile anywhere else, plus it gives us a little more time.”

The daughter of Into Mischief was last seen posting a nearly identical performance to the Oaks in the Grade 1 Acorn presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. on June 9 at Belmont Park, a 1 1/16-mile test conducted around one turn. She stalked and pounced to the lead at the top of the lane once again under Gaffalione, but faced a strong bid from returning foe Dorth Vader in the stretch and held on by a head in a dramatic final sixteenth. That effort garnered a career-high 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pretty Mischievous, who earned her way into the Oaks starting gate with a win in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra and runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks, has enjoyed a lighter training regime since the Acorn. She has breezed four times since, including a half-mile move in 49.70 seconds on June 29. Walsh said the talented bay has flourished in the weeks since the Acorn.

“Since we started running her last year, she missed one race at the Fair Grounds over the winter but she's run pretty much every four or five weeks since,” said Walsh. “Even though she's taken her racing well, I had it in mind I wouldn't mind giving her a couple weeks after the Acorn and back off her and jog her for 10 days. We did that and I think she's really benefitted from it.”

Gaffalione retains the mount from the inside post.

August Dawn Farm's undefeated New York-bred Maple Leaf Mel looms large after an easy last-out score in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 8 at Belmont Park in her first outing for her conditioner and namesake Melanie Giddings.

Bred by Joe Fafone, the daughter of Cross Traffic began her career with trainer Jeremiah Englehart, whom Giddings previously worked as an assistant for, and graduated on debut last August at the Spa with an eye-catching five-length score against fellow state-breds. She followed with a 3 1/2-length romp in the Seeking the Ante before a seven-month respite that ended with a triumphant return in the state-bred East View, taking the six-furlong sprint by 7 3/4 lengths in March at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Maple Leaf Mel made her graded debut in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course and passed her first test outside of state-bred company with flying colors, notching a 2 1/2-length win under returning rider Joel Rosario. She returned seven weeks later to land a similar score in the Victory Ride, coasting home a 2 1/2-length winner after utilizing her usual pacesetting tactics.

Giddings, who saddles her first Grade 1 contender, said the Victory Ride proved to her just how classy Maple Leaf Mel is.

“It just gives you more confidence every time you run her that as the competition has gotten steeper, she does it easily. It makes you feel good going into a race like this,” said Giddings.

Maple Leaf Mel has been on the lead through every point of call in her perfect five-race career, but Giddings said she is confident the grey filly can handle stronger pace pressure from rivals like fellow frontrunner Munnys Gold.

“I'm not really worried about it. I think she's just found herself on the lead because she just has natural speed,” Giddings said. “If Joel has to sit off of somebody, he could, no problem.”

Giddings expressed gratitude for the opportunity to saddle a top contender in a Grade 1 just eight months after going out on her own.

“I feel good and I'm not nervous at all. I'm very grateful, especially at this point in my career and haven't even been training for a year,” said Giddings. “I'm very fortunate to have a horse like this.”

Rosario has the call from post 8.

John Ropes' graded stakes-winning homebred Dorth Vader [post 6, John Velazquez] will face a rematch with Pretty Mischievous after coming up a head shy in the Acorn with a strong late rally under returning Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez for trainer George Weaver.

The daughter of Girvin made the grade in March when taking the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks for previous conditioner Michael Yates, awarding her enough points for a spot in the Kentucky Oaks starting gate. She finished a prominent fifth in the Oaks in her last start for Yates before entering Weaver's barn and making her first start for her new conditioner in the Acorn.

In addition to the Gulfstream Park Oaks, Dorth Vader boasts stakes coups in the Florida-bred Juvenile Fillies Sprint in October at Gulfstream and in the open-company Sandpiper in December at Tampa Bay Downs. She is in search of her first victory outside the Sunshine State as she makes her 11th lifetime outing.

Robert and Lawana Low's Munnys Gold [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] was last seen finishing a pacesetting fourth in the Acorn, defeated 4 1/2 lengths by Pretty Mischievous after setting moderate fractions under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the daughter of Munnings garnered a field-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure for an eye-catching 17 1/4-length romp in the Sophomore Fillies against fellow Florida-breds when making her stakes debut in March at Gulfstream Park. The dark bay filly dazzled on debut last June at Monmouth Park when earning a 101 Beyer for a 14 1/2-length score ahead of a seven-month layoff.

The Acorn was the longest race of Munnys Gold's career after making her first four outings at sprint distances. Pletcher said a return to seven furlongs should be perfect for the speedy filly.

“She's doing well,” said Pletcher. “We were experimenting and felt like if we were going to do it [stretch out], the Acorn was the time to do it. It gave her plenty of time to the Test if it didn't work out. I think it proved to be a little far for her, so I'm looking forward to getting her back to seven furlongs. She's fast and a little headstrong, so it's kind of give and take with her.”

A $300,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale, Munnys Gold is out of the unraced Medaglia d'Oro mare Haraawa. She is a direct maternal descendant of dual Champion filly Vagrancy, as well as influential broodmare Natasha.

Completing the field are the dual-winning Michael McCarthy trainee Clearly Unhinged [post 2, Javier Castellano]; stakes-winner Tappin Josie [post 3, Kevin Gomez] for trainer Horacio De Paz; stakes-placed Jersey Pearl [post 4, Luis Saez], a last-out 9 1/2-length allowance winner at Ellis Park for conditioner Darrin Miller; and graded stakes-placed Interpolate [post 5, Flavien Prat] for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

The FOX Sports family of networks will present expansive coverage and analysis of Whitney Day beginning with Saratoga Live on FS2 at 12:30 p.m. Coverage then picks up on FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY which will air from 3-6:00 p.m. on FOX. Saratoga Live will complete the live coverage of Whitney Day on FS2 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and Madaket Stables' marvelous mare Caravel will take on males for the eighth time in Saturday's Grade 3, $300,000 Troy, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Brad Cox, the 6-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast is on a five-race win streak that includes taking her last three outings against the boys. Caravel posted winning efforts traveling 5 1/2-furlongs at Keeneland in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in November and the Grade 2 Shakertown in April. She bested fillies and mares in the 5 1/2-furlong Unbridled Sidney in May at Churchill Downs before a prominent score against males last out in the six-furlong Grade 1 Jaipur on June 10 at Belmont Park.

“She's been able to beat the boys three out of her last four and hopefully four out of her last five. It would be exciting if she can do it again,” said Cox.

Caravel has won 6-of-8 starts at the Troy distance and boasts two wins from three starts over this course, capturing the 2021 Grade 3 Caress and last summer's Smart N Fancy. She breezed a half-mile three times over the Oklahoma training turf last month, including a 48.85 effort on Friday.

“They've all been identical – times and everything on my watch. She's doing great and she's set up for a big one hopefully in the Troy,” Cox said.

By all appearances, the 15-time winner from 23 starts for purse earnings in excess of $1.8 million is actually improving with age.

“Might be,” said Cox, with a grin. “She's doing really good.”

Bred in Pennsylvania by her former conditioner Elizabeth Merryman, Caravel, out of the Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom, is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Witty.

Caravel will exit post 4 and carry 119 pounds while in rein to regular pilot Tyler Gaffalione.

Patricia's Hope's Nobals [post 7, E.T. Baird, 124 pounds] has proven to be a force on turf and synthetic for trainer Larry Rivelli.

The 4-year-old Noble Mission gelding has banked $783,274 through a record of 15-8-2-0 with his first five career wins on synthetic and his last three on the green, including a breakthrough score in the Grade 2 Turf Sprint on Kentucky Derby Day May 6 at Churchill.

He enters from a gate-to-wire score in the five-furlong William Garrett Handicap, carrying a field-high 125 pounds on July 7 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“He's getting better and better. I always liked him, but I didn't know if he was this quality until his last two races,” Rivelli said. “We gave him a little time off over the winter and he came back a step better, which is all it takes in these turf sprints. I always thought he was a little better on the Polytrack, but I'm not going to change anything after his win on Derby Day and the race the other day.”

Nobals endured a troubled trip three starts back after missing the break in a 5 1/2-furlong turf allowance on April 22 at Keeneland. The public reacted to the uncharacteristic effort by letting Nobals leave the gate at 38-1 odds in his Turf Sprint coup.

“That day when he broke bad, he reared up in the gate,” Rivelli said. “I schooled him after that and he doesn't move a muscle in the gate anymore. He broke last that day and that's not his style. He needs to be on or near the lead. That race before he was 38-1 was a throw-out. I expected him to run good in Kentucky, but I just didn't know if he was going to be good enough to beat those types.”

Rivelli will also be represented in this division on Sunday by graded-stakes winner One Timer in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint at Ellis Park, but he elected to send Nobals here to face the reigning Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner.

“They're pretty similar in style, so I had to split them up and I think he's the better of the two at this particular time. So, we'll see if we can dethrone the queen over there,” said Rivelli, with a laugh.

The $3,500 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase has overachieved with stakes wins in the 2021 Arlington-Washington Futurity at Arlington Park and last year's Turfway Prevue and Animal Kingdom at Turfway Park as well as Woodbine's Woodstock.

Rivelli said he expects jockey E.T. Baird to engineer a prominent trip from post 7.

“I would imagine we'll be on the lead and see what happens from there,” Rivelli said. “His last few starts couldn't be any better. I couldn't ask for anything more from the horse.”

Nobals, out of the winning Empire Maker mare Pearly Blue, is a half-sibling to the stakes-placed My First Pearl.

Clark O. Brewster and William and Corinne Heiligbrodt's graded stakes-placed Cogburn [post 3, Ricardo Santana, Jr., 122 pounds] is undefeated since switching to turf two starts back, entering from rallying five-furlong scores at Lone Star Park in the Chamberlain Bridge in May and the Grand Prairie Turf Sprint on June 24.

The 4-year-old Not This Time colt is out of the stakes-winning Saintly Look mare In a Jif, who is a half-sister to the stakes-placed duo Son of a Nut and Nuttin' Faster. The $150,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds-in-Training purchase is a three-time winner over the main track, including a close runner-up effort to Lightening Larry in the six-furlong Grade 3 Chick Lang last May at Pimlico Race Course.

Ryan Scott's Mister Mmmmm [post 6, Luis Saez, 120 pounds] will look to go from claim-to-fame for trainer Jason Barkley after being haltered for $80,000 last out from a winning effort in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint on June 23 at Ellis Park.

The 5-year-old Speightster gelding boasts a consistent record of 18-5-6-1 for purse earnings of $256,047. He finished ninth in the Grade 2 Shakertown in April, landing 4 3/4-lengths back of the victorious Caravel.

Rounding out the field is the graded stakes-placed Thin White Duke [post 1, John Velazquez, 118 pounds], who closed to finish third in this event last year for trainer David Donk; the Jorge Duarte, Jr.-trained Grooms All Bizness [post 5, Dylan Davis, 122 pounds], who has won his last two starts, including a three-quarter length score in the Get Serious at Monmouth Park – a key race that featured three next-out winners, including Wolf Hill-winner Alogon; four-time winner Ikigai [post 2, Jorge Vargas, Jr., 120 pounds] for trainer Michelle Giangiulio; and the four-time winning Eoin Harty-trainee Remuda [post 8, Flavien Prat, 120 pounds], who is cross-entered in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint where he drew the outermost post 14

The Troy is slated as Race 6 on Saturday's stakes-laden card that features a trio of Grade 1 events led by the $1 million Whitney at 1 1/8 miles for older horses offering an automatic berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic on November 4 at Santa Anita.

Completing the Grade 1s on Whitney Day will be the seven-furlong $500,000 Test for sophomore fillies and the $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational at 1 3/16-miles on turf for sophomores. Whitney Day will also include the restricted $135,000 Lure at 1 1/16-miles on turf for older horses. First post on the 12-race card is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

The FOX Sports family of networks will present expansive coverage and analysis of Whitney Day beginning with Saratoga Live on FS2 at 12:30 p.m. Coverage then picks up on FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY which will air from 3-6:00 p.m. on FOX. Saratoga Live will complete the live coverage of Whitney Day on FS2 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Saturday's fifth edition of the Grade 1, $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational at Saratoga Race Course drew a field of nine 3-year-olds representing three nations to tackle 1 3/16 miles on the Mellon turf.

The dynamic affair offers an opportunity for either the American-based runners or invading Europeans to break a 2-2 tie from previous runnings, while also feature a unique clash of the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational and Grade 1 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational winners, who happen to represent each faction.

In its brief existence, the Saratoga Derby has been won by the likes of New York-based Domestic Spending, who reeled off three immediately subsequent consecutive Grade 1 wins; Irish invader State of Rest, who won three subsequent Group 1s in three countries – including Australia's prestigious Cox Plate – following his Spa upset at 21-1; and last year's UK-based victor Nations Pride, who added another Group 1 to his CV earlier this week in Germany's Grosser Dallmayr-Preis.

International implications have further intensified, as the Saratoga Derby now provides an automatic berth into the Group 1, $AUD 5 million Cox Plate, slated for October 28 at Moonee Valley Racing Club in Victoria.

The Saratoga Derby is the second leg of an important three-race turf invitational series for sophomores on the NYRA circuit, following the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby over 1 1/4-miles on July 8 (Belmont Park) and preceding the 11-furlong Grade 3, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby on October 7 (Belmont at the Big A).

LSU Stables' Belmont Derby winner Far Bridge has boasted talent and trajectory for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who also conditioned his Champion sire English Channel. In five runs, he has three wins and a pair of seconds. A maternal grandson of another Champion turf horse, Kitten's Joy, he will be piloted from post 5 by Jose Ortiz, who is perfect in two trips aboard Far Bridge, including the Belmont Derby coup.

“He seems to improve a little each time he runs,” Pletcher said. “All of his races have been good so far and he worked out a good trip last time in the Belmont Derby. He will definitely appreciate more distance going forward.

“English Channels can be a little tricky to ride sometimes and he has that high head carriage in common with his father,” Pletcher continued. “One thing about them is they get better as they age and mature. I think he's a horse we could see in the Breeders' Cup Turf in the long run. He's that kind of quality.”

Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier's Belmont Oaks heroine Aspen Grove [post 3, John Velazquez, 119 pounds], who cross-entered in Friday's Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational, takes on the boys on the strength of her first top-level win. A Group 3-winner at two, who was last-of-10 in May's Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas, she is trained by Fozzy Stack and is a daughter of Coolmore-based Triple Crown winner Justify.

“She seems to be doing really well and is already a Grade 1 winner, so we thought we would go for another Grade 1 that was worth more money,” said Craig Bernick, principal of Glen Hill Farm. “She was drawn wide in a bigger field in the Oaks and also gets some weight against the boys, so we thought it was worth a chance. The speed figures are going to say that the Belmont Derby was a faster race than the Belmont Oaks, but I thought she ran really well considering how slow the pace was and how she closed. We'll line up and see.”

A second Irish raider comes in the form of Lindy Farms' The Franchise [post 4, Luis Saez], who is trained by State of Rest's conditioner, Joseph O'Brien. Graduating at fifth asking in a nine-furlong handicap last out on June 30, he is a son of Siyouni, sire of Wednesday's Group 1 Sussex Stakes winner Paddington. The Franchise hails from a deep Daniel Wildenstein female family and is related to a pack of Group 1 horses, including Loup Sauvage, Loup Solitaire and Loup Breton.

“He's a talented colt and he comes off the back of a good run at The Curragh,” O'Brien said. “I think he'll like the firm track and he really likes a good pace to run at. If he gets the right setup, we are hoping he can get a share of the money.”

Another European of high regard and solid connections entering the fray is Qatar Racing's Lion of War, a son of his ownership's European Horse of the Year of 2018, Roaring Lion. From his late sire's only North American crop, the emblazoned bay has three wins from nine starts and exits a strong second in the Golden Gate at Ascot over 10 furlongs, where he was a bit unlucky for running room when it mattered most. Two races back, he was a green, but successful victor in Musselburgh's Edinburgh Cup over nine furlongs, carrying 131 pounds.

Oisin Murphy, who rode his brilliant sire, takes the reins from post 8.

Cheyenne Stable's Christophe Clement-trained Mondego finished third after setting the pace in the Belmont Derby. The promising colt was making his stakes debut in the Grade 1 affair and returns to top-tier action in what will be his sixth start. Joel Rosario, aboard for his past four runs, including two victories, rides from the inside post.

Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown, who teamed up to win this event in 2020 with Domestic Spending in just his fourth career start, will try to do one better with Program Trading [post 2, Flavien Prat], who races for the third time on Saturday. The bay ridgling won impressively on debut in May at Monmouth and then appeared to improve again when winning in Belmont optional-claiming company on June 25.

“He's done everything right and keeps improving,” Brown said. “I believe more distance should be to his liking, as well.”

Both Mondego [$328,635] and Program Trading [$365,551] are sons of champion Lope de Vega who were purchased out of Book 1 of Tattersalls' 2021 October Yearling Sale by bloodstock agent Mike Ryan.

On the opposite side of the experience spectrum is D. J. Stable's Mark Casse-trained Webslinger [post 6, Javier Castellano], a four-time winner from 10 starts, including Churchill Downs' Grade 2 American Turf. The son of Constitution seeks to become a millionaire with a top-two finish in this spot, having earned more than 18 times his $50,000 auction price thus far. Last out, he was an unlucky fourth when closing wide in the Belmont Derby, beaten a dwindling 1 1/2-lengths.

“I thought his race in the Belmont Derby was good,” the Hall of Fame conditioner said. “He got shuffled back pretty good and had to come very wide and wound up getting the best number in the race. He kept trying, but has to get a better trip. These are tighter turns, but he did win at Churchill and those turns are sharper. The key is pace and a good trip and if he gets those, I believe he can win. He's quite a nice, interesting horse. He doesn't train great usually, but he's training very well right now and he always comes to play.”

Another with ample graded form from the stateside team is West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing's Battle of Normandy [post 7, Tyler Gaffalione], who conquered his debut maiden over the Saratoga turf one year ago. Subsequently second in Saratoga's Grade 3 With Anticipation and fifth in Keeneland's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, he has a pair of rallying seconds in allowance company under Irad Ortiz, Jr. at Keeneland and Pimlico this season for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

“He's a closer and I think distance is going to help him,” McGaughey said. “At Keeneland, Irad said he couldn't get him to where he wanted to get him until late, and then he finished up good. Down at Pimlico, that horse [Evan Harlan, finished third] was in front the whole way and we just couldn't catch him. He broke his maiden here and he just got beat in the 2-year-old stakes. I think the turf here and quick turns suit him.”

The field is completed by Augustin Stable's lightly raced blueblood Truly Quality [post 9, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], a son of Quality Road and grandson of Breeders' Cup champion Forever Together, a dual Grade 1 Diana-winner over the Saratoga sod. The Jonathan Thomas-trained dark bay gelding exits a 2 3/4-length Belmont maiden turf win over 10 furlongs—course and distance of the Belmont Derby, one day later. That effort followed a pair of eye-catching runner-up efforts.

“He's a horse that has done little wrong,” Thomas said. “I know it is a completely different pace dynamic, but his maiden win was almost two seconds faster than the Belmont Derby. Obviously, very, very different dynamics, but had he won an allowance race as impressively around the same number, I'd be thinking the same thing. He's had three starts under his belt around two turns and just missed those first two. We were letting him kind of find his feet, not pushing him into anything just thinking that he would learn through racing. I would call him more just quality compromised in the sense that he hasn't faced anything like this.”

The Saratoga Derby is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's stacked 12-race Whitney Day card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

The FOX Sports family of networks will present expansive coverage and analysis of Whitney Day beginning with Saratoga Live on FS2 at 12:30 p.m. Coverage then picks up on FOX SARATOGA SATURDAY which will air from 3-6:00 p.m. on FOX. Saratoga Live will complete the live coverage of Whitney Day on FS2 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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