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Stylish Maiden Winner Northern Invader To Target Spa’s Hall Of Fame Stakes

West Point Thoroughbreds and David Ingordo's Northern Invader, a sophomore son of Collected, drew off to an impressive eight-length score on Saturday in a one-mile maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up over the Widener turf at Belmont Park

Trained by Cherie DeVaux and piloted by John Velazquez, Northern Invader bobbled at the break and settled in fourth position before making a three-wide move on the turn and taking a four-length lead at the stretch call. The talented chestnut kicked away in the final furlong under a strong hand ride to secure the win in a final time of 1:33.76 and garner a career-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

Northern Invader, bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. and Peter A. Berglar Racing Interests, made his first two starts on dirt at Churchill Downs, completing the exacta on both occasions, in May and June.

DeVaux said she was cautiously optimistic of a good effort from Northern Invader in his turf debut.

“He's exciting for sure. The first two races we were trying to see if we should pursue going on the dirt. We always had a feeling he was a turf horse, but he had been training so well on the dirt,” said DeVaux, who secured her first win at Belmont Park. “There's always some apprehension. The two races he ran on the dirt were really solid and the speed figures came back quite fast, so you're just hoping you make the right decision with the surface change.”

DeVaux said Northern Invader is likely to target the $500,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2) at one-mile on turf for sophomores on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course rather than try for a Canadian classic win in the $1-million King's Plate, a 10-furlong Tapeta test restricted to Canadian-breds on August 20 at Woodbine Racetrack.

“Right now, I think we'll stay the course on the turf and maybe try the Hall of Fame. Just see how he's training out of this and go from there,” DeVaux said. “It's a big jump to go from a mile to that [10 furlongs], so we'll just have to see how he progresses in his training.”

The well-bred $310,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is out of the winning Arch mare Androeah, who is a full-sister to Grade 1-winner Archarcharch.

DeVaux credited Northern Invader's breeders, who also found success this meet with the sophomore Ontario-bred Kalik, who captured the Pennine Ridge (G2) in June at Belmont and is targeting Saturday's $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1).

“They both do an excellent job with anything they have their hand in,” said DeVaux of Anderson and Berglar. “They're family friends of ours and both do a really good job in their matings and how the horses are raised. My husband [Ingordo] bought [Grade 1 winner] Hard Not to Love off of Dave Anderson — he has a great breeding program up there.”

Northern Invader, who shipped upstate to Saratoga this morning, was saddled on Saturday by DeVaux's sister and assistant trainer, Adrianne DeVaux, who visited with the budding star when he was a yearling.

“She was actually playing with him in the field and he was chasing her around. He wouldn't leave her alone, so the joke was always that he chose her. She's very attached to him,” DeVaux said, with a laugh.

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Wong Suspended for Metformin; `Our Game Has Been Hijacked’ Says Attorney

by Sue Finley and Stefanie Grimm

The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit has provisionally suspended trainer Jonathan Wong after one of his horses tested positive for a banned substance last month.

Heaven and Earth (Gormley) broke her maiden at Indiana Grand June 1 but subsequently tested positive for the prescription drug metformin, a type 2 diabetes treatment.

Wong was notified that his horses will need to be moved to the care of another trainer and potentially faces up to a two-year suspension and a $25,000 fine.

While metformin is a permitted medication by the U. S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for humans in athletic competition, the National Institutes of Health published a study indicating it has an effect on athletic performance. In a study of 10 men, they determined that “time to exhaustion was significantly higher after metformin than placebo ingestion,” and that “metformin improved performance and anaerobic alactic contribution during high-intensity exercise.”

Wesley Ward is currently serving a 15-day suspension for a metformin positive in a July 15, 2022 race at Monmouth. His attorney, Drew Mollica, said that the Monmouth stewards did not impose a significant fine or suspension because they agreed the metformin positive was the result of contamination.

Wong has retained attorney Alan Pincus.

“Jonathan Wong has a prescription for metformin,” he said. “It is one of the most widely prescribed drugs for humans with diabetes. He uses it, and apparently, he inadvertently contaminated his horse. So they give him the notice yesterday, on a holiday weekend, you're out of horse racing. `Get rid of your horses.' We have requested a split sample and a provisional hearing, but since you're not allowed the data pack from the lab until the split comes back, it makes it very difficult. In fact, their whole system makes it very difficult.”

On Thursday, the TDN published a report saying that HISA had temporarily suspended full enforcement of their intra-articular joint injections rules. Under HISA's rules as written, trainers are prohibited from giving their horse intra-articular joint injections within 14 days prior to the post-time of a race, and within seven days prior to any timed and reported workout. According to HISA Chief Executive Lisa Lazarus, between 15 and 20 trainers have breached the rule surrounding intra-articular joint injections prior to a workout. The reason HISA decided to temporarily modify its enforcement of the rule was due to “confusion” among trainers about the specifics of the rules related to workouts, Lazarus said.

“It's a nightmare,” he continued. “It's unconstitutional. It's unfair. And our game has been hijacked by a bunch of know-nothings posing like they know what they're doing. Lisa Lazarus waved her mighty hand and told 20 trainers who have violated the intra-articular injection rule, `I'm going to let you go.' Even though there is nothing in the regulations allowing her to do so. I imagine when the names of those people come (public), there will be some pretty privileged people. But unfortunately, Jonathan Wong is not one of them. She said the trainers were confused. But confusion is not a defense to strip liability. It's hypocritical. It's not in the regulations, and it just shows they don't know what they're doing. None of it makes sense. And no one will say `boo.' ”

Pincus said that this was the second such case he has had.

“The first one I had was Mario Dominguez,” said Pincus. Dominguez's horse Petulant Delight tested positive for cobalt May 24 at Parx. “Cobalt and the old ARCI guidelines calls it a positive at 25 parts per billion, but since cobalt is in all horses at all times, they say if you have between 25 and 49 parts per billion, the trainer should just get a warning letter. Unfortunately for Mario, if it had happened three days earlier, he gets a warning, but (now), he's thrown out of racing. They give you the notice. You're out. Horses have to be transferred to a new trainer that has nothing to do with you. You lose your owners. You lose your stalls and you lose your livelihood.”

In Dominguez's case, Pincus said that Dominguez asked for a split sample and was asked to send $2,000. He said seven months earlier, Pincus had a case where the same split sample was $750. “So the gouging begins,” said. “He is indigent, and they took away his only means of support, and like most trainers he's living month to month.” He said that Pincus had been unable to afford the fees for the provisional hearing, and had been asked for over $4,000 for the hearing. “They have put a monetary barrier toward someone getting due process,” he said. “We are now 19 days in, and he has not been charged with anything.”

Pincus said that the lack of due process “sickens” him.

“You take a person who has worked their whole life. They're not out there robbing a 7-11. They're out there working seven days a week to try to build something. You're telling me that some person comes to you on a holiday weekend and says `good luck in your next career.' You've not been charged with anything. You have something that would have resulted in some small penalty–as well as it should. But it's going to happen more and more and more, but the idea that you let your friends off because they were confused? It sickens me. This is the game I have been in my whole life. They're an occupying force, and no one will stand up to them. But (trainers) are playing Russian roulette every time they go to the test barn.”

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‘Keeping Some Options Open’: Kingsbarns Still Possible For Either Jim Dandy, Haskell

Graded stakes winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) alumnus Kingsbarns remains a possibility for either the $500,000 Jim Dandy (G2) on July 29 at Saratoga Race Course or the previous week's $1-million TVG.com Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park, Spendthrift Farm General Manager Ned Toffey said.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Kingsbarns was narrowly defeated by Salute the Stars in the last-out Pegasus on June 17 at Monmouth after running 14th in the Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs. The son of Uncle Mo captured his first three starts heading into the Kentucky Derby, including the Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 25 Fair Grounds.

“We're freshening him a little bit, keeping some options open,” Toffey said. “There's the Haskell and the Jim Dandy, and we'll look at those, but we'll talk with Todd and just keep things open. Obviously, it gets pretty tough with fewer spots for these good 3-year-olds. You won't find too many soft spots. We still think he's a nice horse and he should move forward off his last race.”

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Trainer Cook Savoring First Career Graded Stakes Victory With Nerud Winner Three Technique

It took a few moments for trainer Jason Cook to fully believe he had just won his first graded stakes Saturday when Three Technique shipped to Belmont Park to capture John A. Nerud (G2) by 3 3/4 lengths, but by Sunday morning the veteran horseman said it all became reality.

Owned by David Miller, Eric Grindley, and John Werner, Three Technique rated off the pace and saved ground around the far turn under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano before tipping out in the clear past the quarter pole to draw off to a commanding victory and make the grade while earning a 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I had 87 texts within 5-to-8 minutes, but it probably took a few hours for it to really soak in,” said Cook, who turns 50 on July 6. “I appreciate it more because it's well-earned and it's a satisfying feeling. It means more to me for the people that I'm with than actually doing it. I had some people that were with me yesterday that were at work last week and then in the winner's circle for a Grade 2 at Belmont. It means a lot to me for the people that I bring with me and the people I train for.”

Three Technique entered the seven-furlong John A. Nerud from a one-turn mile triumph in a Churchill Downs allowance optional claimer on May 27, where he defeated highly regarded Kupuna by a head.

Cook won a 27-way shake when he claimed Three Technique in November 2021 for $40,000. The 6-year-old Mr Speaker dark bay has proven to be an astute acquisition, winning last year's restricted Knicks Go on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs at 36-1 odds. He also finished a close second to Cody's Wish in the Hanshin last July at Churchill Downs before a third place finish in the Grade 3 Ack Ack in September at Churchill.

Prior to joining Cook's stable, he raced for New York-based conditioner Jeremiah Englehart and retired NFL Head Coach Bill Parcells' August Dawn Farm. He finished third in the 2021 John A. Nerud behind millionaires Mind Control and Firenze Fire for his previous connections.

Cook mentioned this year's one-turn mile Ack Ack as a long-term objective for Three Technique and did not rule out a start at Saratoga Race Course before then. Three Technique broke his maiden at the Spa during his juvenile season.

“I know he loves this racetrack [Belmont Park] so I knew this would be a good spot,” Cook said. “I don't think he likes Saratoga as much as he does Belmont, but I wouldn't rule anything out. He's running really well and how he does after this race and how he comes back from this will determine where we run him. I need a race in between this and the Ack Ack.”

A lifelong horseman, Cook is the son of the late jockey Lois “L.C.” Cook, who captured the 1957 Kentucky Oaks with Lori-El. He said Saturday's victory was a sentimental one.

“I've trained horses for David for about 25 years and my father galloped horses for [John] Werner's grandfather, who used to train horses,” Cook said. “It is absolutely wonderful for me to have pictures at my house of David's kids when they're five, six years old and then to have pictures of David's grandkids there. It's as cool as it can be.”

Cook recalled Three Technique's Knicks Go win on Derby Day last year, saying it was a special moment for everyone involved.

“This horse has given us thrills a couple of times. To win on Derby Day with all our families there was so cool. It was almost surreal,” Cook said. “Looking back, I think, 'Could it really get any better than that?' It got so wild that day when the horse won. All the families were up in the Gold Room out on the balcony. It got so wild when he won that the TV fell off. Nobody knocked it down, it was just from the vibrations of people jumping up and down.”

Cook, who learned the game from the ground up, said he appreciates all the horsemen that helped him along the way.

“I learned a lot from a lot of different people,” Cook said. “I always had a summer job from the time I was 15 and during spring break I would rub horses. I can remember a time when I was about 15, I helped out [trainer] Steve Penrod during spring break. Coming back from break everyone was talking about what they did and I said, 'Steve gave me a check for $325. I'm rich, y'all are broke!'”

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