THE soft ground will prevent Battaash from bettering his track record of last year in today’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, but the conditions will not stop this hot rod from taking the prize.
The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Who’s Really Training That Horse?
Regulators and racetrack officials often shrug and say it's hard to prove when a horse is entered in the name of a trainer who, in fact, has not been supervising the conditioning of a racehorse. These so-called “program trainers” or “paper trainers” may be doing a favor for someone who, for a variety of reasons, is not at a licensed track but is training the horse at a private training facility not under the auspices of regulators.
This past week, however, the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) told trainer Wayne Potts to vacate his 30 stalls at Laurel Park within seven days after concluding he was fronting for trainer Marcus Vitali, who was coming off a one-year suspension and unable to race horses at Laurel. Potts entered some horses in his own name that MJC officials were convinced Vitali was training at a private training center in New Jersey.
In this week's edition of the Friday Show, Ray Paulick and editor-in-chief Natalie Voss discuss a story they co-bylined that included details about Potts and Vitali, how the trainers' alleged actions were uncovered and the role that unregulated private training centers can play when it comes to efforts by horsemen to deceive racing officials.
Also discussed this week is the warning made at last week's Jockey Club Round Table on Matters Pertaining to Racing by Stuart Janney, chairman of The Jockey Club, that more federal indictments are likely in the FBI's anti-doping probe and why there has been a delay since the arrests of trainers Jorge Navarro, Jason Servis and more than two dozen others in March.
Watch the Friday Show below.
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Pletcher Eyeing Runhappy Hopeful With Sharp Debut Winner Mutasaabeq
Following a highly impressive debut victory on the Runhappy Travers Day undercard at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Shadwell Stables' Mutasaabeq will attempt to make the grade in the Grade 1, $250,000 Runhappy Hopeful on Monday, September 7.
The Todd Pletcher trained son of Into Mischief, out of the Scat Daddy broodmare Downside Scenario, arrived at his career debut off two sharp bullet works from the gate, where he went five furlongs in 59.03 and a half-mile in 46.53.
Since his maiden win, he worked a half-mile in 48.88 seconds on Monday over the Saratoga main track.
In his career debut traveling 5 ½ furlongs, Mutasaabeq broke a step slow out of the gate, was four wide in pursuit and powered away to a 4 1/2-length score that garnered an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He had been touting himself in the morning, so we were hoping for a good debut out of him. His first step isn't that quick, we knew that going in. But once he gets going, he gets to be pretty fast,” Pletcher said. “He seemed to emerge from his race well and so right now we're pointing towards the Hopeful. We're very pleased with him. He definitely has trained as though the stretch out won't bother him, so we're excited about the way he's doing and we're looking forward to it.”
Bred in Kentucky by BlackRidge Stables, Mutasaabeq was purchased for $425,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.
Pletcher is a three-time winner of the Runhappy Hopeful, scoring with Circular Quay (2006), Shanghai Bobby (2012), and Competitive Edge (2014).
On Saturday, Pletcher will be sending out Harrell Ventures' Halladay in the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave Handicap at one mile over the inner turf at Saratoga.
The consistent 4-year-old son of War Front arrives at the Fourstardave after finishing fourth beaten 1 ¼ lengths in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch, where he tracked a slow pace in second behind gate-to-wire winner Somelikeithotbrown.
A two-time stakes winner going 1 1/16 miles over the Gulfstream Park turf, Halladay has only finished off the board twice in 13 starts.
Halladay has posted two half-mile breezes over the Saratoga main track since his last effort going 48.55 seconds in his most recent move.
“We'll play it on the break, but if he's the main speed we won't take that away from him,” Pletcher said. “He's been doing well. I liked his two breezes since the race. It's a very tough race, but hopefully he's able to step up.”
Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Farm and Winchell Thoroughbreds, Halladay is out of two-time graded stakes winning Tapit broodmare Hightap.
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French Pair Among 10 Rivals For Laura’s Light In Del Mar Oaks
Eleven 3-year-old fillies will test their mettle over nine furlongs on the Del Mar turf course Saturday in Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, a key race on a five-stakes program offering more than $1-million in purse money at the seaside oval north of San Diego, Calif.
The $250,000 Oaks, which starts out of the diagonal infield chute, will have its 64th running and goes as race No. 9 on the 11-race card.
The likely favorite in the highly sought lawn test is Gary Barber's Laura's Light, a daughter of Constitution who has won five of her seven lifetime starts, including a last-out tally in the one-mile, Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes on the Del Mar grass July 25, a race considered the key prep for the Del Mar Oaks. Trainer Peter Miller's bay filly was ridden that day by Abel Cedillo and the Guatemalan jockey is back aboard Saturday. They'll break from Post 10 and carry 122 pounds, just as all runners in the race do.
Here's the complete field for the Oaks from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:
MyRacehorsecom or Platts' Carpe Vinum (Aaron Gryder, 15-1); Barber or Wachtel Stable's California Kook (Edwin Maldonado, 15-1); Jathiere or Lazare's Miss Extra (Umberto Rispoli, 9/2); Benjamin and Sally Warren's Warren's Showtime (Mike Smith, 6-1); Calvin Nguyen's Aqua Seaform Shame (Ruben Fuentes, 12-1); What Time Is It Racing's Trickle In (Ricardo Gonzalez, 12-1); Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Red Lark (Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1); Madaket Stables, DeSeroux or Naif's Neige Blanche (Flavien Prat, 5-1); L N J Foxwoods' Parkour (Giovanni Franco, 15-1); Laura's Light, and Benowitz Family Trust and Madaket Stables' Guitty (Juan Hernandez, 8-1).
Chief threats to Laura's Light are a pair of French fillies who'll be making their U.S. debuts in the nine-panel showdown. Miss Extra, a bay by Masterstroke, last raced on July 5 at Chantilly, the French racecourse about 30 miles north of Paris. The bay has won three of her four starts this year, including the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly on June 18 at a mile on turf. Trainer Richard Mandella is listed as her conditioner for the Oaks.
Neige Blanche is in the barn of the American-based, French-born trainer Leonard Powell. Her last outing was on June 6 at Lyon-Parilly near Lyon in the central part of France. She won the Group 3 Prix Cleopatre that day, her third victory in her sixth lifetime start.
Powell also trains Guitty, who was second to Laura's Light in the San Clemente after having to take the overland for the last three-eighths of a mile. She shows two wins and two seconds from eight lifetime outings.
Warren's Showtime had a taste of bad racing luck in the stretch in finishing third in the San Clemente. The chestnut homebred by Clubhouse Ride has won five of 11 races and has earnings of $430,251. She won four minor stakes and will be making her first Grade I appearance Saturday.
First post Saturday will be 2 p.m.
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