Trainer Tom Albertrani will look to pull off a Sunday stakes sweep at the Big A when he saddles half-siblings Wolfie's Dynaghost in the $135,000 Artie Schiller and Hail To in the $135,000 Winter Memories for owner-breeder Woodslane Farm.
The Kentucky homebreds are out of the prolific Dyanformer mare Dynaire, who produced the Albertrani-trained Sadler's Joy – a multiple graded stakes winner, who banked more than $2.6 million in purse earnings.
Hail To, by Kitten's Joy, is a 3-year-old full-sister to Sadler's Joy. The chestnut boasts a record of 10-2-1-0 for purse earnings of $148,725, while the 4-year-old Wolfie's Dynaghost, a multiple graded stakes-placed bay gelding by Ghostzapper, sports a ledger of 17-5-2-4 for purse earnings of $349,005.
“Sadler and Hail To resemble each other,” Albertrani said. “She's not as big and robust as him but they have almost the same body style, and the markings on their head are close. Wolfie is opposite from both of them – different color and frame.”
Hail To graduated in August 2021 at Saratoga traveling 1 1/16 miles over firm turf, but has focused on longer distances recently, including a rallying score against older company when posting a half-length win at 1 3/16 miles on Sept. 2 at Saratoga over next-out allowance winner Transient, who is entered in Saturday's Grade 3 Maple Leaf at Woodbine.
Albertrani said he is hopeful that Hail To can make amends for her off-the-board effort last out when on the pace in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Sands Point on October 15 here.
“We're hoping she'll come back and run that same race she did at Saratoga, which was really impressive running with the older fillies,” Albertrani said. “She probably wants to go a lot further than a mile and a sixteenth, but we're limited with our options at the moment.”
Hail To, listed at 15-1 on the morning line, will exit post 1 under Jose Lezcano in a field led by a trio of contenders for trainer Chad Brown in Eminent Victor [5-2], Salimah [9-2] and Veronica Greene [6-1].
The consistent Wolfie's Dynaghost will exit post 4 under Lezcano in the one-mile Artie Schiller with a morning-line assessment of 8-1. The omni-surface star boasts wins on dirt, turf and synthetic, but has found his best success in one-mile turf events led by runner-up efforts in the Grade 3 Appleton in April at Gulfstream and the Grade 3 Poker in June at Belmont.
He captured the 1 1/16 mile Bert Allen in September over firm footing at Colonial and enters from a third-place finish in an off-the-turf renewal of the nine furlong Bucks County on October 3 at Parx where he set a pressured pace to finish eight lengths back of the victorious Shooger Ray Too and runner-up Tax.
“Coming off the turf last time probably wasn't his best race, but he always tries and this could be a race that sets up nicely for him,” Albertrani said. “He's always consistent and the mile suits him. The mile and an eighth last time was maybe a little too far for him and he took a little pressure on the front end. Things could be different here.”
Wolfie's Dynaghost has breezed back four times, including a bullet half-mile in 47.80 over Big Sandy on November 6.
“He's doing well and in good form. Hopefully, the work will relate to the run this weekend,” Albertrani said.
With heavy rain expected Friday and Saturday, precipitating the move of the Artie Schiller from Saturday to Sunday, Albertrani said he is hopeful the turf won't be too soft.
“Both of them would probably prefer firmer turf, but we'll have to wait and see the outcome of this rain storm,” Albertrani said.
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