Bruce D Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jockey Club Derby: Tango Tango Tango Should ‘Switch Off’ Without Blinkers

Following a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Bruce D on August 14 at Arlington Park, trainer Jack Sisterson will make an equipment change with Calumet Farm's Tango Tango Tango, who will race with blinkers off in Saturday's $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont.

The 12-furlong test for sophomores on the Widener turf, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1, $4 million Longines Turf in November at Del Mar, is the final leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series for males that commenced with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby [won by Bolshoi Ballet] in July and continued with the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby [won by State of Rest] in August at historic Saratoga Race Course.

The Jockey Club Derby is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's lucrative 11-race card which will also feature the 1 3/8-mile $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks, the concluding leg of the Turf Triple series for 3-year-old fillies, in Race 9; and the 1 5/8-mile $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational in Race 4.

The Tourist bay broke his maiden at fourth asking against stakes company in the 1 1/16-mile American Derby on July 17 at Arlington Park when racing with blinkers for the first time. He sported blinkers once more in the last-out Bruce D, where he was a close second down the backstretch before taking command at the quarter-pole. Unable to hold off a mid-stretch confrontation from Point Me By, Tango Tango Tango fended off a game Ginsburned to complete the exacta.

“We pulled the blinkers off to see if we can get him relaxed and get him the distance, and we have a big positive with having Flavien Prat aboard,” Sisterson said. “We'd like to see him switch off a touch more. The removal of the blinkers will get him to switch off. I'd be shocked if he's not on the lead tomorrow, especially drawing the rail. Not sure what Ryan [Moore aboard Bolshoi Ballet] will do on his horse, but I think we'll get an easy lead and hopefully take them all the way.”

Sisterson added that Tango Tango Tango has matured since his American Derby coup.

“He's got that natural speed about him,” Sisterson said. “We put the blinkers on him just to get that maiden win. He's a horse that trains forwardly and doesn't need them. It was just something he needed at the time, but he finally figured out how to put his head in front.”

Tango Tango Tango will make his first start past 1 1/16 miles on Saturday and Sisterson said that the added distance should be no problem for the horse, who scratched out of the Franklin-Simpson on September 11 at Kentucky Downs.

“Looking at his form, he always acted like a two-turn type,” Sisterson said. “The farther the better. When he got invited to this race tomorrow, it was a no brainer for us to scratch out of Kentucky Downs. I don't see the distance being an issue. In his works, he gallops out strong and he puts a lot of energy into his gallops.”

Tango Tango Tango is the fourth offspring out of the Deputy Commander mare First Consul, whose three other progeny are all winners.

Sisterson also added that Grade 1 A.G. Vanderbilt winner Lexitonian and Grade 1 Man o' War victor Channel Cat are likely to train up to their respective Breeders' Cup aspirations. Lexitonian, a son of Speightstown, is on target for the Breeders' Cup Sprint while English Channel progeny Channel Cat will point for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf.

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Point Me By Gets First Graded Stakes Win In Bruce D At Arlington

With only two starts in his short career, Point Me By made his third outing a Grade 1 winning one, taking the Grade 1 Bruce D Stakes (formerly run as the Secretariat Stakes) at Arlington Park on what may be its final Arlington Million card. Facing a field of nine that included a variety of horses from stakes winner Tango Tango Tango to the maiden New Year Surprise, Point Me By bided his time midpack and closed with a rush to win the one-mile Bruce D by 2 3/4 lengths.

Breaking from the six post, Point Me By settled in behind Like a Saltshaker as the 3-year-old gelding grabbed an early lead, with Tango Tango Tango in second on the rail. Luis Saez kept Point Me By off the rail, running in fifth on the backside as Like a Saltshaker set fractions of :25.03 for the first quarter and :50.04 for the first half. On the far turn. Saez took his mount to the outside of horses, as Tango Tango Tango moved to the lead entering the stretch.

With Tango Tango Tango on the lead, Point Me By found running room down the center of the track, closing fast to win. Tango Tango Tango and Ginsburned needed a photo to determine second and third, with Tango Tango Tango notching second by a nose. King of Miami was fourth, with Like a Saltshaker, Therideofalifetime, Mr. Universe, New Year Surprise, and Shadizaar rounding out the field.

The final time was 1:37.70. Find this race's chart here.

Point Me By paid $5.40, $2.80, and $2.40. Tango Tango Tango paid $3.00 and $2.40. Ginsburned paid $3.80.

Bred in Kentucky by Winchester Farm, Point Me By is by Point of Entry out of Viva Allegiance, a Proud Citizen mare. He is owned by Homewrecker Racing Stable and trained by Eddie Kenneally. This was Point Me By's second win in three lifetime starts, for career winnings of $238,268.

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Lexitonian Gets 102 Beyer Speed Figure For Vanderbilt Upset

It took five years and 19 races, but Lexitonian notched a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure for the first time when he registered his first career Grade 1 victory by topping Special Reserve by a half-length to win Saturday's $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., garnering a 102 number.

The Jack Sisterson trainee came close previously to attaining Grade 1-winner status when finishing second by a head to Flagstaff in a highly competitive edition of the seven-furlong Grade 1 Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day May 1.

After running last-of-sixth and being eased in the Grade 1 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan on Belmont Stakes Day June 5, Lexitonian cut back to six furlongs in the Vanderbilt and shined, dueling Special Reserve in the stretch before edging clear, improving his career record to 5-2-2 with earnings at $687,682.

“I was just sitting outside his stall watching him this morning and he looks great and energetic,” Sisterson said. “He came out of the race in great shape. I was really proud of his effort because from a past performance standpoint, he might be a little untrustworthy at times with a good race and a bad race, but he does all the hard work. We don't mind taking a shot with him and being a longshot. As long as he's doing well, he gives us the confidence to run in any type of race we can.”

Lexitonian, who came into Sisterson's care in 2019, won his first graded race as a sophomore when capturing the 2019 Grade 3 Chick Lang that marked his lone graded stakes score before yesterday. Sisterson said the late-blooming success is reminiscent of his sire Speightstown, who did not win a graded stakes until his 6-year-old campaign in 2004 when he won four of them, including that year's Alfred G. Vanderbilt and Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“We always felt, even when we originally got him, that he had talent but could get better with age,” Sisterson said. “Dan Pride from Godolphin stopped by the barn this morning because he has horses with Brendan Walsh, as we share the same barn. Dan told me that Speightstown didn't win his first Grade 1 until 6 and had an 18-month layoff, so I can understand now why Lexitonian is doing what he's doing at the age of 5.”

Lexitonian, a Calumet Farm homebred, won for the first time in his last seven starts overall and posted his first victory since May 2020. Sisterson said it's a possibility the Kentucky homebred could make a return engagement in the $600,000 Grade 1 Forego at seven furlongs on Travers Day August 28.

“Right after the race, I like to set a plan and obviously we're here in Saratoga and he handled the track well yesterday, so the next stop could potentially be the Forego,” Sisterson said. “We'll see how he comes out of the race and goes from there. But you're looking at the race at Belmont [$250,000 Grade 2 Vosburgh on October 9] or bringing back home for the [Grade 2] Phoenix [October 8 at Keeneland]. The ultimate goal is the Breeders' Cup Sprint at the end of the year.”

In last year's Forego, Lexitonian ran fifth in an 11-horse field over a sloppy and sealed track in heavy rain. Sisterson said potential improved conditions could facilitate a better start this time should he choose to run him there.

“I know I'm a little biased, but I didn't think he ran badly in the Forego last year,” Sisterson said. “It was in a downpour and probably not his ideal conditions. He paid $70 yesterday, so no one respected him. But I understand why the public felt that way, because he threw in a clunker there, but when he's on his form, he has a chance.”

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Fellow Calumet Farm homebred Channel Cat set the pace in the $250,000 Grade 2 Bowling Green on Saturday before finishing fourth in the eight-horse field in the 1 3/8-mile inner turf test for older horses. Channel Cat, who was ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez for the third straight race, registered a 97 Beyer in his first race since running seventh in the Grade 1 Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day.

“He looks in great shape this morning,” Sisterson said. “John gave him a great ride. We felt he'd be the speed early and it was, but it just wasn't his day. He's doing well.”

Channel Cat, the winner of the Grade 1 Man o' War in May at Belmont, has already achieved millionaire status, with the 6-year-old English Channel son compiling a 6-3-5 record in 28 starts with earnings of $1,406,022.

Tango Tango Tango, also owned by Calumet Farm, breezed four furlongs in :50.60 seconds on Saturday over the Keeneland Race Course main track.

The 3-year-old Tourist colt, who won his stakes debut last out in the 1 1/16-mile American Derby on July 17 at Arlington Park, was a possibility for the $1 million Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 7. But Sisterson said it's more likely Tango Tango Tango will return to Arlington to run in the $300,000 Grade 1 Bruce D – a race formerly knowns as the Secretariat – on August 14.

“Probably more than likely, we'll go back to Arlington with him,” Sisterson said.

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Sisterson Prepares Channel Cat, Lexitonian For Saratoga Starts

Trainer Jack Sisterson will see a trio of Calumet Farm-owned stakes contenders look to make an impact at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in the next two weeks, with Tango Tango Tango, Channel Cat, and Lexitonian each slated for respective graded stakes contests through August 7.

This coming Saturday will see Channel Cat look to win the $250,000 Grade 2 Bowling Green for the second time in three editions after his 2019 victory in the 1 3/8-mile turf contest for 4-year-olds and up.

The now 6-year-old son of English Channel ran second in the 1 1/2-mile Grade 2 Elkhorn on April 17 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., before returning three weeks later to edge Gufo by a nose in a thrilling finish to win the Grade 1 Man o' War on May 8 at Belmont Park going 1 1/8 miles. That marked Channel Cat's first win since Sisterson took over the training duties – and his first victory in 10 starts overall – with his first winner's circle trip since the 2019 Bowling Green.

Buoyed by the Man o' War effort in which he earned a 98 Beyer, Sisterson ran Channel Cat back on Belmont Stakes Day June 5 in the 1 1/4-mile Grade 1 Manhattan, where he tired and finished seventh. The Chad Brown-trained duo of Domestic Spending and Tribhuvan comprised the Manhattan exacta, with Tribhuvan going on to win the Grade 1 United Nations next out at Monmouth Park.

Sisterson said the extra rest for Channel Cat could put him in a good position to succeed on Saturday.

“I ran him back in three weeks after the Elkhorn because he was doing so well. I probably should have skipped the Manhattan because he had a tough race in the Man o' War, but we gave him a little break now prior to the Bowling Green,” Sisterson said. “It was good to see Chad Brown's horse come back and win the United Nations so the form held up well. Channel Cat should run a good race next week.”

Lexitonian ran second in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day May 1, finishing a head back to Flagstaff, before encountering a troubled trip in a sixth-place Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap effort on Belmont Stakes Day the next month going one turn on Big Sandy. Lexitonian will cut back to six furlongs this Saturday in the $350,000 Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap for 3-year-olds and up.

“He's 110 percent ready to go. It's all about which Lexitonian shows up,” Sisterson said with a laugh. “He's run races that can compete with anyone and then he throws in a clunker now and then. I think a mile is his best distance, so we're cutting him back a little, but if he runs his best race, he'll be right there at the wire. He's shown us training-wise that he's going into next week's race in great shape.”

Lexitonian's previous race at Saratoga was a fifth-place finish in last year's Grade 1 Forego at seven furlongs over a sloppy track. The 5-year-old son of Speightstown will have jockey Jose Lezcano back in the irons.

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Tango Tango Tango, who won his stakes debut last out in the 1 1/16-mile American Derby on July 17 at Arlington Park, could now target the $1 million Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 7, which marks the second leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series for 3-year-olds.

Sisterson said the Tourist colt could also return to Arlington to run in the $600,000 Grade 1 Bruce D – a race formerly knowns as the Secretariat – on August 14.

Tango Tango Tango, unraced as a juvenile, started his career running third in a race moved off the turf in April at Keeneland. After running sixth on the Churchill Downs main track on May 23, Sisterson put him on the turf for the first time on June 27 at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., where he ran second in the 1 1/16-mile contest. For his stakes debut last out, Sisterson added blinkers, and the equipment change netted a personal-best 86 Beyer as he won by two lengths.

“The addition of blinkers really helped him out, as well as putting him on the grass. We thought he'd break his maiden the first time on the grass at Ellis but we ran into a good horse of [trainer] Michael McCarthy [There Goes Harvard]. We thought the blinkers would put him over the edge. It was a 3-year-old stakes, so we figured 'why not take a shot?' He was doing well, and it worked out in his favor.

“He's moved forward in the right direction and we'll obviously keep the blinkers on him. It seemed to be the missing link for him,” he added.

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