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Twirling Candy’s Collusion Illusion Bests Elders in Bing Crosby

Collusion Illusion (Twirling Candy) got the better of his elders and earned a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, holding off a late rally from Lexitonian (Speightstown) to take Del Mar’s GI Bing Crosby S. Settling near the back of the pack, the 9-5 chalk ran off the fence with only Lexitonian, who trailed the field by several lengths, beat as the remaining five scrambled for control through a sharp first quarter in :21.58. Wildman Jack (Goldencents) gained a very narrow advantage as the half went up in :44.73. Collusion Illusion wove his way between horses at the top of the stretch, pushing through at the fence to take control in the final sixteenth, and held off a powerful late rally from Lexitonian to win by a nose.

A debut winner at this venue last July, Collusion Illusion followed suit with a win in the GII Best Pal S. over track and trip a month later. Pulled up and walked off when trying two turns in the GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita last fall, he was subsequently shelved for the reason and returned a winner in an Arcadia sprint May 17. The $300,000 OBSAPR purchase captured the GIII Laz Barrera S. last time at Santa Anita June 20.

Pedigree Notes:

Collusion Illusion is the fourth Grade I winner for Twirling Candy and one of nine graded victors and 24 black-type scorers for the stallion. The winner’s unraced dam Natalie Grace is a half-sister to GSW & GISP Bahamian Squall (Gone West) and Apriority (Grand Slam). Collusion Illusion is the only foal for his dam.

Saturday, Del Mar
BING CROSBY S.-GI, $251,500, Del Mar, 8-1, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:10.41, ft.
1–COLLUSION ILLUSION, 118, c, 3, by Twirling Candy
                1st Dam: Natalie Grace, by First Dude
                2nd Dam: Midway Squall, by Storm Bird
                3rd Dam: Oh So Precious, by Best Turn
   1ST GRADE I WIN. ($50,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $300,000 2yo ’19
OBSAPR). O-Agnew, Dan J., Orr, Rodney E., Schneider, Jerry
and Xitco, John V.; B-Donald R. Dizney, LLC (FL); T-Mark Glatt;
J-Flavien Prat. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 6-5-0-0, $398,751.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Lexitonian, 122, c, 4, Speightstown–Riviera Romper, by Tapit.
O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Jack Sisterson. $50,000.
3–Law Abidin Citizen, 122, g, 6, Twirling Candy–Honest Answer,
by Tale of the Cat. ($100,000 Ylg ’15 KEESEP). O-Agnew, Dan J.,
Schneider, Gerry and Xitco, John V.; B-Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine
Holdings, Inc (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $30,000.
Margins: NO, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 1.90, 8.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Wildman Jack, Heartwood, Fashionably Fast, Anyportinastorm, Desert Law. Scratched: McKinzie, P R Radio Star. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Record $35.8 Million Wagered On Whitney Day Card At Saratoga

Saturday's 12-race Whitney Day card, featuring four graded stakes and highlighted by Improbable's victory in the 93rd running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney, generated an all-sources handle record of $35,796,435, eclipsing the previous Whitney Day record of $31,835,863 set in 2019.

2019 Whitney Day, which was held on August 3, saw paid attendance of 40,791 with fans on the grounds of Saratoga wagering $4,658,622.

Live racing resumes at the Spa on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. ET with a 10-race card highlighted by the $100,000 Birdstone for 4-year-olds and up going 1 3/4 miles on the dirt.

Saratoga Live presents daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at NYRABets.com.

The 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 7. Racing at Saratoga is conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays. Closing week will run Wednesday, September 2 through Labor Day, Monday, September 7.

Under New York state guidelines, Saratoga Race Course is currently operating without spectators in attendance.

For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com

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Cross Border Gets The ‘W’ In Bowling Green After DQ Of Sadler’s Joy

The 62nd running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., was not without some anxious moments during the stretch run, but Cross Border, 10 days removed from a victory in the Lubash, was awarded the victory and kept an unbeaten record at Saratoga intact for leading owner Three Diamonds Farm and trainer Mike Maker.

The dark bay son of English Channel was named the winner of the 1 3/8-mile event over the Mellon turf following the disqualification of four-time graded stakes winning millionaire Sadler's Joy, who was placed fourth due to interference within the final eighth of a mile. Cross Border arrived at the Bowling Green off a 6 1/4-length victory in the Lubash on July 22.

Stable mate Marzo established command heading into the first turn and opened up by five lengths past the Saratoga grandstand through an opening quarter-mile in 25.30 seconds and a half in 50.38 seconds over a firm turf course.

Meanwhile, jockey Jose Ortiz had Cross Border tucked along the rail in fourth with Sadler's Joy just to his outside. Approaching the far turn, Ortiz gave Cross Border his cue while Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano did the same aboard Sadler's Joy. At the top of the stretch, Cross Border was five wide in between horses with Sadler's Joy in pursuit.

In the final furlong, Sadler's Joy assumed command with Cross Border and Channel Maker to his inside coming in close quarters and crossed the wire first by a neck in a final time of 2:14.77.

Highland Sky, who crossed the wire third, was subsequently elevated to second.

Following the race, the stewards ruled that Sadler's Joy would be disqualified from first to fourth due to lugging into the path of Cross Border and Channel Maker who crossed the wire second and fourth respectively. Following the ruling, Channel Maker was elevated to third.

The official remaining order of finish was Sadler's Joy, Marzo and Dot Matrix. Pillar Mountain was scratched.

The triumph was a fifth victory in as many starts over the Saratoga turf for Cross Border, who joined Maker's stable last year.

“We weren't sure which horse would be the pacesetter, but Marzo coming off the layoff was up there. I thought Marzo ran an incredible race. When it comes down to a street fight, Cross Border is awfully tough,” Maker said.

The victory pushed Cross Border's lifetime earnings past the half-million mark to $534,471 after banking $137,500 in victory. He returned $6.40 for a $2 win wager.

The Bowling Green marked a fifth win of the meet for current leading owners Three Diamonds Farm.

“This is just a gutsy New York bred and it's good for the game that they can breed a New York bred that can win a Grade 2 at Saratoga,” said Three Diamonds Farm owner Kirk Wycoff. “We love the Bowling Green. We were second in it three years ago with Bigger Picture. It was a calculated risk to come back in 10 days and we weren't all in agreement, but Mike Maker made the decision and obviously it was the right one.”

The win was a third stakes victory of the meet for Maker, who also saddled Somelikeithotbrown to victory in Sunday's Grade 2 Bernard Baruch over the inner turf.

Bred in New York by Berkshire Stud and B.D. Gibbs, Cross Border is out of the Empire Maker broodmare Empress Josephine and comes from the same family as leading New York sire Central Banker.

Castellano, aboard Sadler's Joy, stated his case and said the contact was incidental.

“You could see I hit the hole when it opened and I saw the [other] horse, but I never came over,” Castellano said. “We were all on the same line and I think the inside horses was involved a little bit and we all ended up caught in an overreaction. Of course, that put everyone under pressure and they were going to blame the horse on the outside [Sadler's Joy]. It was a decision for the stewards.”

Live racing returns on Sunday with a 10-race card which features the $100,000 Birdstone for 4-year-olds and upward going 1 ¾ miles over the main track. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

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Thousand Words Stuns Honor A. P., Collusion Illusion Punches Breeders’ Cup Ticket

This spring after dull performances from Thousand Words when he ran fourth in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes and 11th in the Oaklawn Stakes, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert gave the dual graded winner a freshening, believing the colt had lost his will to perform.