Hello Beautiful Breezes At Laurel With Eye On Saratoga’s Test

Multiple stakes-winning 3-year-old filly Hello Beautiful continued preparations for a possible start in next month's Test (G1) at Saratoga with a strong five-furlong breeze over Laurel Park's main track Sunday morning in Laurel, Md.

With jockey Jevian Toledo subbing for injured regular rider and work partner Sheldon Russell, Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stable and Magic City Stables' Hello Beautiful covered the distance in 1:01.20, the fastest of six horses.

It was the second work for Hello Beautiful since her front-running 8 1/4-length allowance romp June 20 at Laurel that improved her record to four wins, two seconds and a third with $199,360 in purse earnings from eight career starts.

“Toledo has worked some good ones and prepped for some big races, so he knows how to work a good horse,” trainer Brittany Russell said. “Toledo worked her beautifully, and she went excellent. She's just doing great.”

The connections have yet to settle on a next start for Hello Beautiful but are giving strong consideration to the Test, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies Aug. 8 on the undercard of the Travers (G1).

Wherever she runs next, Hello Beautiful will need a new rider. Sheldon Russell, the trainer's husband, is expected to miss four to six weeks after breaking his right wrist in a starting gate mishap July 16 at Delaware Park. He has been aboard for all of Hello Beautiful's races.

Due to the track's health and safety protocols, out-of-town jockeys are currently not allowed to ride at Saratoga this summer. Brittany Russell said two-time defending Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr. would likely get the call if Hello Beautiful runs in the Test.

“It depends on where we decide to go,” she said. “but I think we're going to go with Irad if we go to New York.”

Though he couldn't be aboard, Sheldon Russell was at Laurel to see Hello Beautiful work, bringing along the couple's 11-month-old daughter, Edy.

“He did show up to watch. He wanted to supervise. He showed up with Edy. I don't know how he managed that with one arm,” Brittany Russell said. “He called me and said, 'I'm on my way.' I'm like, 'How are you on your way?' He got here with Edy and they watched her work, so that was great that he came out.”

Hello Beautiful has raced exclusively in Maryland since her unveiling last May at Pimlico Race Course. She captured the Maryland Million Lassie and Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship last fall at Laurel by a combined 15 ½ lengths.

The combination of a planned break and a 2 ½-month pause in live racing from mid-March to late May amid the coronavirus pandemic pushed Hello Beautiful's sophomore debut to a June 1 sprint over Laurel's world-class turf course, where she faded to seventh, her only time off the board. She rebounded impressively 19 days later on a sloppy and sealed main track.

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Clement-Rosario Strike Again With Speaktomeofsummer In Lake Placid Stakes

Waterford Stable's Speaktomeofsummer answered the question about handling increased distance, finding a seam in the stretch to split competitors and gamely digging in with Stunning Sky to her inside, fending off her challenger in the final jumps for a victory by a head in Sunday's Grade 2, $150,000 Lake Placid Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

After making her first four starts at a mile, the Christophe Clement-trained Speaktomeofsummer was stretched out to 1 1/8 miles but utilized a patient trip under jockey Joel Rosario. The Summer Front filly sat in sixth position as Blame Debbie led the eight-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 24.01 seconds and the half in 49.03 on the inner turf coursed labeled firm.

Coming out of the clubhouse turn, Speaktomeofsummer lost some ground in a tightly bunched field, but Rosario quickly recovered and kept her to the inside. Approaching the far turn, she picked off a pair of rivals before surging when straightening for home.

In the stretch, she overtook Blame Debbie, who Jose Ortiz tried to prevent from lugging out, before linking up with Stunning Sky, positioned by Irad Ortiz, Jr. near the rail, for an exciting final furlong that saw the winner stop the clock in a 1:49.44 final time.

“I was really happy with the trip. I thought I would be a little closer, like Christophe told me, but everybody had the same idea to be up there,” said Rosario, who teamed with Clement to win a Grade 2 at the Spa for a second consecutive day after Decorated Invader captured Saturday's National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. “It looked like the first part was fast but they all got into their position, so I thought I'd let her be happy there and hopefully have a good run at the end.

“She was moving beautifully but when I passed the leader, she waited a little bit and the other horse came back again,” he added. “But she came on again and I was able to hold them off.”

After running fourth last out with blinkers on for the first time in the Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 20 at Belmont, Clement ran Speaktomeofsummer without blinkers. The equipment change, along with a change in venue in her Saratoga debut, resulted in her third win in five career starts.

“I put the blinkers on [last time] because I thought she was a little lazy in her work in the morning before her last race. That's what happens when trainers start to think too much,” said Clement, who notched his third career Lake Placid win, joining Spotlight and Naissance Royale [the respective 2004 and 2005 victors].

“She had a great trip. Thank you, Joel. He's riding great at the moment. The filly has trained well since the last race at Belmont. She's by Summer Front which is a big deal for us as we trained him plus he's a young sire at the moment. He belongs to Mr. [Tom] Moore, who also owned Summer Front so it is even more meaningful.

“She had a great trip. It was a pretty game last eighth of a mile,” he continued. “I'm delighted. She can do a mile to a mile an eighth for sure, but any further I don't know. I would have to think about it.”

Clement recorded three wins Sunday and totaled five on the weekend.

“The last two days have been good. Let's keep it going,” he said.

Off at 9-2, Speaktomeofsummer returned $11.60 on a $2 win wager. She nearly doubled her career earnings to $175,500. She is a possibility for the 1 3/16-mile $500,000 Saratoga Oaks on August 16.

“I would need to think about it because of the timing,” Clement said. “We will keep it open. Instead of me, we'll let her tell us and see what happens.”

Stunning Sky, trained by Mike Maker, was 1 ½ lengths the better of Queens Embrace for second, marking her best stakes finish in five attempts.

“She showed up and ran her race. She just needed to be a head better today,” said Maker assistant Nolan Ramsey. “At the sixteenth pole, I thought the other horse was going to run right by her, but she was game. No complaints. She ran a great race.”

Key Biscayne, 2-1 favorite Cat's Pajamas, Lashara, Blame Debbie and Mirabell Mei completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Wednesday with a 10-race card showcasing the $85,000 Lubash for New York-bred 3-year-olds and up in Race 3 at 1:54 p.m. Eastern. First post is 12:50 p.m. and features the summer meet's first steeplechase race in the $55,000 Jonathan Kiser Novice.

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Tiz The Law, Gamine Favored In Latest Kentucky Derby, Oaks Future Wagers

Seven weeks in advance of the rescheduled $3 million Kentucky Derby  (Grade 1), bettors reaffirmed Belmont Stakes (Grade 1) winner Tiz the Law as the horse to beat when he closed as the 5-2 favorite Sunday in Pool 6 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Honor A. P. and unbeaten Los Alamitos Derby (G3) winner Uncle Chuck both closed at odds of 6-1. Blue Grass (G2) winner Art Collector was the 8-1 fourth betting choice and was followed by Haskell (G1) winner Authentic at 9-1.

Horses in order of favoritism in the three-day July 17-19 KDFW Pool 6 (Final Odds and $2 Win Will Pays): #21 Tiz the Law (5-2, $7.20); #8 Honor A. P. (6-1, $14); #22 Uncle Chuck (6-1, $15.80); #1 Art Collector (8-1, $19); #3 Authentic (9-1, $21.40); #24 “All Other 3-Year-Old Males” (14-1, $31.60); #4 Cezanne (18-1, $39); #14 Ny Traffic (19-1, $40.20); #6 Dr Post (24-1, $51.80); #11 Max Player (25-1, $52.80); #9 King Guillermo (25-1, $53.20); #5 Dean Martini (37-1, $76.60); #7 Enforceable (38-1, $78.60); #17 Shared Sense (42-1, $86); #13 Mystic Guide (50-1, $103); #23 “All 3-Year-Old Fillies” (52-1, $107.80); #20 Thousand Words (65-1, $132.20); #15 Pneumatic (87-1, $176.80); #19 Storm the Court (88-1, $179.20); #10 Major Fed (90-1, $182.40); #12 Modernist (96-1, $194.80); #2 Attachment Rate (105-1, $212.40); #18 South Bend (106-1, $215.60); and #16 Rushie (141-1, $285.40).

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager, offered for a 22nd consecutive year, enables bettors to wager on possible Kentucky Derby contenders in advance of America's greatest race at odds that could be more attractive than those available on the day of the race.

On March 17, Churchill Downs Incorporated announced the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby, the 1 1/4-mile classic for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, would be rescheduled from Saturday, May 2, to Saturday, Sept. 5, amid public health concerns in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Pool 2 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which was conducted concurrently with the KDFW, 18-length Acorn (G1) winner Gamine closed as the 2-1 favorite over Road to the Kentucky Oaks points leader and Blue Grass (G2) runner-up Swiss Skydiver, who was 9-2. Ashland (G1) winner Speech was the 10-1 third choice.

The final odds for the Oaks Future Wager: #8 Gamine (2-1, $6.20); #19 Swiss Skydiver (9-2, $11.20); #17 Speech (10-1, $23.80); #12 Paris Lights (14-1, $31); #4 Donna Veloce (14-1, $31.40); #1 Altaf (17-1, $37); #21 Tonalist's Shape (19-1, $40); #16 Shedaresthedevil (19-1, $40.40); #18 Spice is Nice (21-1, $45); #24 “All Other 3-Year-Old Fillies” (22-1, $46.60); #7 Finite (24-1, $51); #9 Harvey's Lil Goil (24-1, $51); #22 Venetian Harbor (27-1, $56); #3 Bonny South (27-1, $56.60); #11 Mundaye Call (37-1, $77); #6 Envoutante (72-1, $147.20); #13 Pleasant Orb (78-1, $158); #2 Bayerness (91-1, $185.20); #5 Dream Marie (92-1, $186.20); #14 Project Whiskey (97-1, $197.60); #23 Water White (106-1), $215.60; #15 Queen of God (126-1, $255.60); #10 Impeccable Style (159-1, $320.80); and #20 Tempers Rising (175-1, $353.80).

The 146th running of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI), the nation's most lucrative race for 3-year-old fillies, will be run over 1 1/8 miles on Friday, Sept. 4.

All told, $305,488 was bet in future wagers over the three-day period. Total handle for Pool 6 of the KDFW was $191,346 ($126,026 in the Win pool and $65,320 in Exactas). Betting on the Oaks Future Wager totaled $54,897 ($35,383 in the Win pool and $19,514 in Exactas). The Oaks/Derby Future Double, which requires fans to correctly select the winners of both races, handled $59,245.

Pool 7 of the KDFW – the final future wager opportunity in advance of the races – is scheduled for Aug. 7-9.

Visit www.KentuckyDerby.com/FutureWager for more information.

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COVID-19: Luis Saez Could Be Cleared To Return To Saddle Friday At Saratoga

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) on Sunday announced that pending the completion of a 14-day quarantine period, a negative COVID-19 test and clearance from a physician noting that NYRA-based jockey Luis Saez can no longer transmit the virus, that Saez would be permitted to ride at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Friday, July 24.

Saez tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, July 10 while riding at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. He has remained asymptomatic throughout the period of quarantine, which will total 14-days on July 24.

Current Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C.) guidance recommends a 10-day quarantine period for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19, but remained asymptomatic prior to and throughout the duration of quarantine. Saez made the determination to extend his quarantine to 14-days in the interest of protecting his fellow riders.

Following the completion of 10-days in isolation, according to the same C.D.C. guidance, a COVID-19 diagnostic test should be administered to rule out the potential for ongoing infection and transmission. As such, Saez will only be tested once he has completed 10-days in quarantine.

Additional information regarding the discontinuation of quarantine/isolation for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 can be found at CDC.gov.

The decision to allow Saez to potentially return to action on Friday, so long as all steps are completed to the satisfaction of NYRA and his attending physician, was made in consultation with the Jockeys' Guild and the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC).

Saratoga Race Course is closed to out-of-town jockeys. In addition, any member of the regular NYRA jockey colony who travels to ride at any other racetrack will not be permitted to return to Saratoga Race Course.

Out-of-town jockeys that are not currently riding at another racetrack may be considered for inclusion in the regular NYRA jockey colony provided the jockey does not ride at another racetrack beginning on Thursday, July 16.

Any jockey that rides at a racetrack outside of Saratoga beginning Thursday, July 16 will be considered an out-of-town jockey and will not be permitted at Saratoga Race Course.

All personnel working at Saratoga Race Course in any capacity are required by NYRA to produce a negative COVID-19 test in order to access the property. This policy is inclusive of jockeys, valets, NYRA employees, trainers and their staff, outside vendors and credentialed media.

In addition to race day safety protocols including standard health screening and temperature check, the jockey quarters at Saratoga Race Course have been substantially altered to provide maximum social distancing and reduce density. All areas accessed by jockeys during the regular course of a race day are closed to all outside personnel, including credentialed media, and are cleaned and disinfected throughout the day.

Jockeys and valets are not permitted access to the barn area. In order to work a horse in the morning, the jockey must meet the horse in the paddock and can then proceed to the main track.

Jockey agents must produce a negative COVID-19 test in order to gain access to the barn area. Races will continue to be drawn via Zoom.

All common areas as well as the jockey's dining area have been closed and will remain closed through the end of the meet.

NYRA's COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan Committee, comprised of key NYRA staff members as well as representatives from the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.), Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) and the New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America (NYRTCA), will continue to implement the most current health and safety protocols as described by the C.D.C. and the New York State Department of Health.

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