Trainer Todd Pletcher appears to be in a good spot heading into the upcoming Saratoga Race Course meet after enjoying graded-stakes success Saturday at Belmont Park with both Far Bridge (English Channel) and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit).
LSU Stables' Far Bridge earned his first graded stakes triumph in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational. Pletcher said following the race that the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational August 5 would be, “a logical next target.”
Whisper Hill Farm's Charge It is a likely candidate for the GI Whitney S. the same day following a 4 3/4-length victory in the GII Suburban S. which garnered a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.
Pletcher's Belmont-based assistant Byron Hughes reported that both horses exited their winning performances in good order.
“Both looked great this morning. They ate up last night and were walking around with a purpose this morning. They're both happy with themselves,” Hughes said.
Charge It's triumph also garnered a sense of pride from Todd Quast, the general manager of Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm.
“He ran big. We never felt like he had a problem with distance by watching him train in the morning, but he has to do it in the afternoon,” Quast said. “He can be just a little bit quirky. The talent and raw ability are both there, and he can do it in the afternoons. When he puts it all together, it's an amazing performance.”
Quast pointed out that, like Charge It, 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline also is by Tapit and out of an Indian Charlie mare.
“We'll have to see how Flightline does,” Quast said. “I'm not saying we're Flightline at all, but I think about how well received he is in the breeding shed and how good of a racehorse he was. If Charge It were to win the Whitney and then come back and be lucky enough to win the Breeders' Cup, he should be well received in the breeding shed when he does go.”
Irish shipper Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) who captured Saturday's GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational at Belmont Park, is also headed to Saratoga.
The 10-furlong test for sophomore fillies is the first leg of the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple series, which is followed by the GIII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational August 4 at Saratoga Race Course and concludes with the GIII Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational September 16.
“Mark Enright who came over with the filly is going to stay, and I think she'll go into Jack Sisterson's barn,” said Craig Bernick, breeder and co-owner. “But I think Mark will continue to take care of her and ride her [in the mornings]. Fozzy will stay involved, but I think she'll go into Jack's barn. We'll look at the Saratoga Oaks and we'll consider the Del Mar Oaks also. She'll go to Saratoga sometime this week.”
“My own inkling is that I'm not sure if Del Mar would suit her, but I wasn't on her back yesterday,” trainer James Stack added. “One thing that played to her strengths yesterday was stepping up in trip. Grade I's are important to fillies–the Saratoga race is worth more–if she was a gelding, we wouldn't be having this conversation!”
Trainer Melanie Giddings celebrated the first stakes win of her career Saturday with August Dawn Farm's Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic), who was named for her trainer during her tenure as an assistant trainer to the filly's original conditioner Jeremiah Englehart.
The New York-bred notched the second graded coup of her career in Saturday's GIII Victory Ride S. at Belmont and Giddings said Maple Leaf Mel returned to Saratoga Race Course Sunday morning where she will make her preparations towards an intended start in the GI TestS. on August 5 at the Spa.
“She is here and happy to be eating and to be back,” said Giddings. “The Test is the plan. She'll have a few days off like everybody after their race and we'll see how she comes out of it. We'll make sure she's happy and good and her energy is good and go from there. She's a high-energy horse, so it takes quite a bit to knock her down. She looks pretty bright-eyed this morning.”
“It's really special. When you have a horse like that and she's already won four, you just want perfection for her all the time,” Giddings added. “I expected her to run the way she did. She just thrives on running. She's the kind of horse anyone loves to have and when you're taking her over, she's going to give 110 percent.”
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