The 'TDN Rising Star' spent some time at WinStar after his championships season and, with Bob Baffert serving his suspension, was sent to Pletcher in May with an eye on the late season sophomore highlights. (Click here for Pletcher's thoughts in Mike Kane's Saturday feature).

“We're hoping that with the good fortune we had with his sire Quality Road and him making his debut for us in the Amsterdam, which produced a track record performance, that hopefully some of that good fortune will follow through here,” said Pletcher, who seeks his fifth Amsterdam win.

While he will be the favorite, he won't have it easy. Corniche is joined by Grade I winner Gunite (Gun Runner) and graded stakes-winning fellow Pletcher trainee My Prankster (Into Mischief), who finished one-two in Churchill's Maxfield S. last out July 3. The champ also faces one of his former shedrow mates from the Baffert barn in GISW Pinehurst (Twirling Candy).

Also on tap at Saratoga Sunday is the GII Bowling Green S. for turf marathoners. Grade I winners Arklow (Arch) and Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).

Juju's Map Headlines Monmouth Oaks

Never worse than second in a juvenile campaign that included a win in the GI Darley Alcibiades S., Juju's Map (Liam's Map) looks to return to winning ways Sunday in the GIII Monmouth Oaks. Making her seasonal debut with a dominant optional claimer score on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard, the dark bay checked in third as the favorite last out in Belmont's GII Mother Goose S. June 25.

She will be made to work for it though with the presence of Meydan sensation and 'TDN Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings), who receives Lasix for the first time Sunday. The $425,000 OBSAPR acquisition was second in the Mother Goose after rallying for sixth in the Oaks.

A pair of Gun Runner fillies look to add to their sire's stakes success at Monmouth last weekend in SW Shotgun Hottie and GSP Runaway Wife.

Sunday's graded action wraps at Del Mar with the GII Eddie Read S., where GII Charles Whittingham S. top two Beyond Brilliant (Twirling Candy) and Masteroffoxhounds (War Front) top the field.

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Based at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., the 4-year-old gelding's front-running 2 ¾-length triumph under jockey Luis Saez has the connections thinking of taking the next step in their own backyard in the prestigious $200,000 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Saturday, Sept. 18 at Laurel Park.

Named for the late president and chairman of both Laurel and Pimlico, the De Francis' illustrious roster of winners includes Hall of Famer Housebuster, fellow sprint champions Cherokee Run, Smoke Glacken, Thor's Echo and Benny the Bull, and Lite the Fuse, the race's only two-time winner (1995-96) honored with his own stakes race in Maryland.

The six-furlong De Francis for 3-year-olds and up headlines four stakes worth $500,000 in purses, representing the first stakes action over Laurel's newly reconstructed main track. Laurel's fall meet is scheduled to open Thursday, Sept. 9.

“It's not out of the question. It seems like the timing is good, but we'll have to just see how things fall into place,” Russell said. “We have to see who nominates and what it looks like, but I think he could be very useful around here. If it means the Grade 3, great. If not, we'll look around.

“I like the idea. I like the distance, the timing, all those things,” she added. “But, we also want to be reasonable. It would be exciting for me.”

Married to jockey Sheldon Russell and 10 weeks away from delivering the couple's second child, Russell stayed behind in Maryland to watch Friday's race, leaving the saddling to assistant trainer Amanda Knox. Saturday morning's report was encouraging.

“Amanda said he's fantastic, sound, ate up,” Russell said. “He was bouncing around, happy as could be.”

Since mid-April, Wondrwherecraigis has been part of Russell's string at Pimlico, where he prepped for the Tale of the Cat with a commanding 5 ¾-length optional claiming allowance triumph July 18. Of his five career wins, two have come at both Pimlico and Laurel.

By multiple graded-stakes winning sprinter Munnings, Wondrwherecraigis cruised by three lengths in gate-to-wire fashion on the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan undercard May 14 at Pimlico, his first race in nearly nine months since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Amsterdam last August at Saratoga.

Wondrwherecraigis was unraced at 2 after selling for $67,000 as a yearling, debuting with back-to-back wins at Laurel March 13 and June 6, 2020. Two weeks later, he was entered in the Keeneland Horse Association's Horses of Racing Age Sale but failed to meet his $210,000 reserve.

Sent to New York, Wondrwherecraigis ran third in the Gold Fever at Belmont Park before taking on graded competition in the Amsterdam, finishing 7 ½ lengths behind Yaupon – who would come back to win the Grade 3 Chick Lang last October and Lite the Fuse July 4 at Pimlico – before going to the sidelines.

“The partners have been patient. It's a perfect example of if you know the horse has ability, just do the right thing by them,” Russell said. “Hopefully it works out the way it seems to have with this horse.”

Wondrwherecraigis was nominated to the $100,000 Chesapeake Aug. 23 at Colonial Downs, also six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up, but how well he had done since the Pimlico race and the prospect of a smaller field landed him in Saratoga instead. It was Russell's fourth career win at Saratoga and first in a stakes.

“I sort of wrote this race off originally. We actually supplemented him. I didn't even nominate him because I didn't want to feel pressured,” Russell said. “He ran such a big number when he won the last time at Pimlico. I was really thinking that Colonial race was good timing and that track seems to be good for speed horses. There seemed like a lot of positives to go to Colonial.

“But then looking at it, it seemed as though it wasn't going to be a large field [at Saratoga]. I wasn't sure about quality at the time,” she added. “It worked out. It doesn't always work out that well, but it did this time.”

Wondrwherecraigis will return to Maryland next week and begin preparations for his next race. All stakes races at Saratoga and Maryland's graded races such as the De Francis are run Lasix-free.

“I'm going to leave him up there a couple days and just kind of let him recover. I didn't want to put him right on a truck and ship him six hours after that run,” Russell said. “We'll get him back home and see how he is. I think the main thing is, we learned that he doesn't need Lasix and that's a big deal when you're talking about running in the better races like that.”

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A troubled break in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens last time out compromised Jackie's Warrior's chances at the victory on the Belmont Stakes undercard, with Drain the Clock taking that G1 stakes race. The two hooked up again early in the G2 Amsterdam, dueling for the first couple of furlongs out of the gate. As the field of six entered the turn, Jackie's Warrior accelerated, leaving Drain the Clock in his wake, stretching his lead out to five lengths before they hit the stretch.

Jackie's Warrior lengthened his lead in the stretch, easily pulling away from the rest of the field with jockey Joel Rosario chilly in the saddle. Behind him, Crowded Trade looked poised to make a move on the rail, Drain the Clock in the center of the track trying as well, but neither had enough to catch up to the Asmussen trainee. Rosario eased his colt in the last part of the stretch, the margin of victory 7 1/4 lengths. The final time for the 6 1/2-furlong G2 Amsterdam was 1:15.46. Drain the Clock, Crowded Trade, Flash of Mischief, Mister Luigi, and River Dog rounded out the order of finish.

Jackie's Warrior paid $3.00, $2.20, and $2.10. Drain the Clock paid $2.90 and $2.50. Crowded Trade paid $3.00 to show.

Find this race's chart here.

Bred in Kentucky by J & J Stables, Jackie's Warrior is by Maclean's Music out of Unicorn Girl, by A. P. Five Hundred. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, the 3-year-old colt sold for $95,000 to owner J. Kirk Robison at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The G2 Amsterdam brings Jackie's Warrior to a record of 2-1-1 in four starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in nine starts with career earnings of $1,058,964.

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Slam Dunk Racing and Madaket Stables' Drain the Clock, 2-1 on the morning line, captured the seven-furlong GIII Swale S. at Gulfstream in January and was second in the 1 1/16-mile GII Fountain of Youth S. Shipped north and cut back to seven furlongs, the chestnut colt won the Apr. 3 GIII Bay Shore S. before his Woody Stephens victory.

“Most of his one-turn races were won in hand,” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said. “He was basically geared down the last sixteenth in the Bay Shore. We always thought he had more to give but until you see it you don't know for sure and the Woody Stephens was definitely his breakout race. He earned his respect that day and beat a game horse in Jackie's Warrior. He's in good form and I think he's going over there with a really good chance.”

J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior is already a two-time graded winner over the Saratoga surface having won last year's GII Saratoga Special and GI Hopeful S. during his flashy juvenile campaign. Fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and third when again trying 1 1/16 miles in the Feb. 27 GIII Southwest S., he was cut back in distance to win the May 1 GII Pat Day Mile and was game in defeat in the Woody Stephens. The bay colt, trained by Steve Asmussen, is 6-5 on the morning line.

Klaravich Stables' Crowded Trade (More Than Ready) graduated going one mile at Aqueduct in his Jan. 28 debut and jumped right up to graded company where he was nosed out of the win when second in the Mar. 6 GIII Gotham S. He was third in the Apr. 3 GII Wood Memorial and will be making his first start since finishing fifth in the GI Preakness S. May 15. The Chad Brown trainee is 7-2 on the morning line.

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The Weigelia sophomore boasts five wins and two seconds from 10 starts, including a pair of off-the-turf scores in his last two starts by 10 3/4-lengths in the seven-furlong Paradise Creek at Belmont and by 9 1/2-lengths in the 1 1/16-mile $100,000 Crowd Pleaser at Parx.

Reid, Jr. said the latter effort has him interested in stretching out the versatile bay.

“That last one is why I'm tempted to keep him around two turns,” Reid, Jr. said. “Both races look like they're coming up equally tough, so it's not going to be easy either way we go.”

Reid Jr. said he is considering longer-term options at Parx for the Pennsylvania-bred colt, out of the millionaire multiple graded-stakes winning Diamond mare Silmaril, including the Grade 3 Smarty Jones on August 24 and the nine-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on September 25.

“Being a 'PA' bred, the bonuses are worth a lot,” Reid, Jr. “When we won the $100,000 race in that last start, his owners own the stallion and the dam, so they got 110 percent of the purse. If he wins the Pennsylvania Derby, the breeder awards are big.”

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Swilcan Stable's reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Vequist breezed a half-mile in :47.77 Friday on the Saratoga main track under Jose Lezcano in preparation for a potential comeback at the end of the Saratoga meet.

“Vequist likes this mountain air,” Reid, Jr. said. “She's handling it very well. She didn't do well in the Florida heat. She's training very forwardly and we're right on schedule with her.”

Reid, Jr. said Swilcan Stable and LC Racing's Mainstay, a 2-year-old half-sister to stablemate Vequist, has come out of her runner-up effort to Pretty Birdie in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on Opening Day July 15 in good order and will now point to the 6 1/2-furlong $200,000 Grade 2 Adirondack on August 8.

“Mainstay came back so well, we'll take a shot in the Adirondack with her. I think that race did her a world of good,” Reid. Jr said.

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“All they told me when I got him was that he was a very nice horse,” Trombetta said.

What the veteran conditioner has found out since then is that the son of Tapiture has the ability to be a top-notch sprinter, maybe even one with a graded stakes-winning future. For now, Wednesday's $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park is the next step toward that, with Premier Star set to take on nine other 3-year-olds in the six-furlong feature, including stablemate Newstome.

Trained by Jorge Navarro for his first three career starts, Premier Star opened with two impressive victories before faltering in the Grade 3 Sam Davis.

Trombetta has had the colt for his three starts since then, the most recent being a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 29. In that race, Premier Star finished four lengths behind race winner Yaupon, a leading contender for the Breeders' Cup Sprint trained by Steve Asmussen, and was two lengths behind multiple Grade 1 winner Basin.

“The first time I ran him (a fourth-place finish at Laurel) he took a bad stumble leaving the gate and it really compromised his chances,” said Trombetta. “Then we were able to get things going much better after that.

“He won his next start and then we took him to Saratoga for the Amsterdam. As tough as that race was he showed up in a good way and ran credible.”

The Amsterdam was contested over a muddy track, which is significant given the two days of steady rain Monmouth Park has had Monday and Tuesday.

“He can deal with a sloppy track,” Trombetta said. “I think he will be fine if it's off. Quite frankly, it's getting late in the season for 3-year-olds so we only have so many opportunities left.”

Owned by Sonata Stable, the Kentucky-bred Premier Star has won three of his six career starts, with two of the defeats in graded stakes and the other because of a stumbled start.

But he does have his limitations.

“I don't know if he's truly a two-turn horse. Hopefully at some point he can be,” Trombetta said. “Hopefully he can go a little bit further. We would certainly entertain seven furlongs for sure and maybe a one-turn mile. Whether he is a two-turn horse or not only time will tell.”

For this race, Premier Star is at his optimal distance, facing a solid mix of sophomore runners. The field includes the Kelly Breen-trained As Seen On TV, who is back sprinting after lackluster effort in the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park in his last start. He was similarly unimpressive in the Grade 1 Florida Derby after a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.

Newstome, Stidham's other entry in the race, will mark his 10th straight stakes appearance, but is just 1-for-5 as a 3-year-old after winning three of five starts at 2. The son of Goldencents has four career victories and has banked $226,646.

First race post time for the eight-race card on Wednesday is 12:50 p.m.

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Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Yaupon was unraced as a juvenile but won his debut by a nose going six furlongs on June 20 at Churchill Downs. The Uncle Mo colt proved he could ship well in his last start, a 3 3/4-length allowance win at Saratoga on July 18, before handling the step up in class on Saturday.

Breaking well from post 2 under jockey Joel Rosario, Yaupon was sent to the front, where he registered the opening quarter-mile in 21.93 seconds and the half in 44.68 over a muddy and sealed main track after earlier rainfall.

Out of the turn, Rosario kept Yaupon focused for the stretch run, repelling any potential challenge from runner-up Basin, completing six furlongs in 1:08.50.

“He's extremely fast. He's got an elite amount of speed,” Asmussen said. “It's very important that a horse with his physical [gifts], and as fast as he is, is a graded stakes winner here at Saratoga. I think we can sit down and map out a serious future for him from here.”

Owned by L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Yaupon rewarded his 7-5 favoritism, returning $4.80 on a $2 win wager.

“He broke out of there well. I was trying to get a forward position and he put himself on the lead,” said Rosario, who notched his third win on the card. “He went on well. He's a very talented horse. He had no problem [with the surface].”

Yaupon, purchased for $255,000 at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sale, won on an off track for the first time. He nearly doubled his career earnings to $168,264.

“He had very minor issues, but it was just the physics of it when you're capable of going that fast,” Asmussen said. “We wanted to give him all the maturity we could. We were trying to follow a similar plan with him as we were with Mitole for the Heiligbrodts. They had expected to run him over the winter at the Fair Grounds, but he had another minor issue, so we erred on the side of caution as far as waiting and letting him get to 100 percent.”

Basin, making his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher, finished two lengths in front of Premier Star for second in his first start at Saratoga since winning last year's Grade 1 Hopeful.

“The winner was very good,” Pletcher said. “We were hoping for a bit of a speed duel, but it never really developed. We were pleased with the effort though.”

Wondrwherecraigis, Long Weekend and Liam's Pride completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that features the Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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“He’s been training well and I’ve been pleased with his works,” Pletcher said. “We’ll see how he responds to the cutback in distance.”

Long Weekend (Majesticperfection) won his first three starts of the year by just over 11 1/2 combined lengths, including the Mar. 21 Gazebo S. and Apr. 25 Bachelor S. His only loss this year came when a close third in a sloppy renewal of Belmont’s Gold Fever S. July 10, but he was promoted to second after the DQ of the original runner-up.

“There’s no secret to our game plan,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “He’s very, very fast out the gate and we’re going to try and use that speed. We were a little disappointed with how things turned out at Belmont with the track condition and not breaking well that day, which was very uncharacteristic of him. We thought he fought hard but was certainly compromised right at the start of the race. We’re looking to make amends for that.”

The unbeaten Yaupon (Uncle Mo) takes a step up to black-type company in this event. A narrow debut winner at Churchill June 20, the $255,000 OBSOPN buy wired a track-and-trip optional claimer July 18, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. The dark bay enters this test off a three-panel bullet in :37 flat (1/7) over the Oklahoma training track Aug. 24.

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The 28th running of the Amsterdam for sophomores is one of four graded stakes on the 11-race card, highlighted by the Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer for 4-year-olds and up on the inner turf in a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Breeders' Cup Turf in November at Keeneland. Also featured will be the Grade 1, $300,000 Forego presented by America's Best Racing for 4-year-olds and up going seven furlongs, and the Grade 3, $100,000 Saranac for 3-year-olds competing at one mile on the inner turf.

After registering four breezes over the Saratoga main track since July, the Liam's Map colt will be making his first start at the historic course since winning the Grade 1 Hopeful last September to cap his juvenile campaign.

Keeping at the two-turn 1 1/8-mile distance, Basin won his second career Grade 1 in a division of the Arkansas Derby on May 2, crossing the wire second, six lengths back of Charlatan, who was later disqualified from purse money.

A troubled trip that saw Basin bumped at the start resulted in a 10th-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Grade 2 Blue Grass last out on July 11 at Keeneland. He will now return to sprinting for the first time in five starts as a sophomore, picking up the services of jockey Jose Ortiz for the first time out of the inside post.

“He's been training well and I've been pleased with his works,” Pletcher said. “We'll see how he responds to the cutback in distance.”

Long Weekend will return to the site of his lone previous graded stakes start, making his first appearance of the year against graded caliber for trainer Tom Amoss. The ultra-consistent Majesticperection colt is 4-1-0 in six career starts, with his only off-the-board effort coming in his second start last year when sixth in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special.

After getting six months off, Long Weekend won his first three starts to begin his 3-year-old campaign and placed second last out in the Gold Fever going six furlongs over a sloppy and sealed Belmont Park main track on July 10. The speedy Kentucky bred has served as the pacesetter in five of his six starts and tracked in second position in the Gold Fever despite what Amoss said was a disappointing break.

“There's no secret to our game plan,” Amoss said. “He's very, very fast out the gate and we're going to try and use that speed. We were a little disappointed with how things turned out at Belmont with the track condition and not breaking well that day, which was very uncharacteristic of him. We thought he fought hard but was certainly compromised right at the start of the race. We're looking to make amends for that.”

Jockey Luis Saez will pick up the mount for the first time and will break from post 3.

Liam's Pride will look to bounce back after finishing last of 11 in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens on August 1, Whitney Day, at Saratoga. But the Liam's Map colt notched a victory in the race prior, overcoming a sloppy and sealed track to win the six-furlong Gold Fever by a head on July 10 at Belmont Park.

Trained by Doug O'Neill, Liam's Pride was unraced as a juvenile but has already made nine starts this year with two wins, breaking his maiden at fourth asking in March at Oaklawn Park before his stakes win last month.

Owned by Tom Mansor, Richard Pushor, Robert Roy, Chadwick Calvert and Jerry Caroom, Liam's Pride will return the services of jockey Dylan Davis for a third straight race, drawing the outermost post 6.

“He is a really cool horse that has a lot of fight to him,” O'Neill said. “He continues to train full of energy, and Dylan Davis has a been a great addition to him as well.”

Yaupon will make his stakes debut in attempting to start his career 3-for-3 after a debut win by a nose in June at Churchill Downs. Conditioned by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Yaupon handled the Saratoga track well last month, besting allowance company by 3 ¾ lengths on July 18 to earn a field-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Purchased for $225,000 at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sale, Yaupon, owned by William and Corrine Heiligbrodt, is a son of Uncle Mo and is looking to give Asmussen his fourth career Amsterdam victory after previously winning with Bwana Charlie [2004], Santana Strings [2005] and Holy Boss [2015].

Joel Rosario, aboard for his win last month, will ride again, breaking from post 2.
Rounding out the field is Premier Star, a last-out winner going six furlongs at Laurel Park on August 6, for trainer Michael Trombetta [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Wondrwherecraigis, who was placed third in the Gold Fever in his previous start, for trainer Brittany Russell, drawing post 5 with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano aboard.

The Amsterdam is carded as Race 7 with a post time of 4.32 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m. Saratoga Live will present 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 https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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