Dwyer Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

First Captain Sails to Dwyer Win

West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Bobby Flay and Woodford Racing's First Captain (Curlin) remained unbeaten with an authoritative victory in the GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park Monday. Sent off the 2-5 favorite, First Captain raced at the back of the five-horse field as Ridin With Biden (Constitution) set the pace under a snug hold through an opening quarter in :23.47. The pacesetting longshot was still a length in front after a half in :46.67, but First Captain was tipped out for clear sailing at the top of the lane and loomed an ominious presence outside the tiring frontrunner. The long-striding colt took a moment to put it all together before rolling to the lead with a furlong to run and pulled away to score by 1 3/4 lengths.

“He was behind horses and took some dirt,” winning jockey Jose Ortiz said of his trip. “They were running. They went [:46.67] and when I put him in the clear, it took me awhile to get into high gear, but when he did it, he used that beautiful stride of his. He went by them as he is supposed to and he galloped out really good. I think he's going to improve with distance.”

West Point Thoroughbreds president Terry Finley expects First Captain to only improve from here.

“He's never going to be a horse that just dazzles you, but you can tell he's just starting to get going,” said Finley. “We're very happy with him. We would have loved to have got him a little farther in his third start, but it just wasn't to be. We were going back and forth to run in the [July 30 nine-furlong] Curlin S. [at Saratoga], but this spot came up and it was too attractive. Now, I guess we can go to the [July 31 GII] Jim Dandy S. or wait for the [Aug. 28 GI Runhappy] Travers S.”

First Captain, a $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, debuted a winner going seven furlongs at Belmont Apr. 24 and was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after being headed and battling back to win a one-mile allowance May 29.

His charge's progression through his first three starts has impressed trainer Shug McGaughey.

“He was a lot more steady today,” McCaughey said. “I knew he was winning his first two races on ability, but I didn't really know what to think of him. Today, he showed me something, especially that two turns is going to be in the bag, I think. I liked the way he took the dirt; he took it a lot better today than he did the last time. He was a little farther back than I thought he would be. But that's why they are what they are.”

Of a potential next start in the Jim Dandy, McGaughey said, “We'll take a look at it. I'll see how he comes back and how he is when he gets up there. That would be the best-case scenario. I'm glad to get this one.”

Pedigree Notes:

Breeder Bobby Flay purchased First Captain's second dam Lacadena privately after the stakes-placed mare RNA'd for $1.4 million at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Her daughter America, who RNA'd for $725,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September sale, won the GIII Turnback the Alarm H. and was third in the GI Mother Goose S. and GI Delaware H. First Captain is her first foal. She also has an unraced 2-year-old filly named American Caviar (Curlin), a yearling colt by Uncle Mo and she produced a Curlin filly this year. America RNA'd for $3.1-million while carrying the Uncle Mo colt at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Lacadena is also the dam of Paris Bikini (Bernardini), who produced last year's GI Coaching Club American Oaks winner Paris Lights (Curlin). Paris Bikini has a weanling filly by Uncle Mo and a yearling colt by Always Dreaming.

First Captain's third dam, Butterfly Blue (Ire), is a half-sister to broodmare of the year Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister).

First Captain is the 44th graded winner for Curlin. He is the 113th graded winner out of an A.P. Indy mare and the fourth sired by Curlin. The same cross produced last year's GI Woodward S. winner Global Campaign (Curlin).

Monday, Belmont Park
DWYER S.-GIII, $242,500, Belmont, 7-5, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.19, ft.
1–FIRST CAPTAIN, 118, c, 3, by Curlin
1st Dam: America (GSW & MGISP, $580,532), by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Lacadena, by Fasliyev
3rd Dam: Butterfly Blue (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($1,500,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm LLC, Bobby Flay & Woodford Racing, LLC; B-B Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III; J-Jose L Ortiz. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $237,600. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Ridin With Biden, 118, c, 3, Constitution–Allemande, by Medaglia d'Oro. ($80,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $85,000 2yo '20 EASMAY). O-Cash is King LLC & LC Racing; B-William Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo (KY); T-Robert E Reid Jr. $50,000.
3–Snow House, 118, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Structure, by Bernardini. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H Cox. $30,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 7HF. Odds: 0.40, 11.70, 3.05.
Also Ran: Gershwin, Civil War.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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First Captain Takes Next Step in Dwyer

Two-for-two 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin) takes the next logical step in Monday's GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park. The $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga co-topper defeated subsequent winner and 'Rising Star' recipient Mahaamel (Into Mischief) in their respective debuts going a furlong shorter here Apr. 24, then doubled up in a track-and-trip allowance in the slop May 29, good for a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

First Captain is owned by a powerful conglomerate led by West Point Thoroughbreds and conditioned by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey.

“We're super excited and it's a wonderful and really powerful partnership assembled,” West Point's Terry Finley said. “We've got Siena Farm, who we owned part of the [2017 GI] Kentucky Derby winner [Always Dreaming] with, Woodford who are a part of the Lanes' End partnership and, of course, [First Captain's breeder] Bobby Flay. He breeds really good horses and is just one of the many class horses he bred. I remember when his mother ran and Bobby owned her, too. Everyone is excited. This is what you go to these yearling sales for.”

The First Captain team is hopeful their charge can stake his claim on a wide-open 3-year-old division during this second half of the season.

“We know that there are moving parts in every division,” Finley said. “You have horses that come back from the Triple Crown in races like the Haskell and Jim Dandy. We'd like to think that he would be able to throw his hat in the ring. The beautiful part of our industry is that it doesn't matter what we think or what we say, what matters is what the horse does on the track. Opinions don't matter, it's all about getting to the wire first.”

Juddmonte homebred Snow House (Twirling Candy) appears to be First Captain's main challenger. After finishing fourth on debut over the Fair Grounds turf in March, he has reeled off back-to-back wins of his own for Brad Cox, at Keeneland Apr. 21 and in a Churchill optional claimer May 29. Godolphin's Gershwin (Distorted Humor–Music Note) scratched out of Delaware's GIII Kent S. Saturday for this. He was last seen taking the rained-off GIII Penn Mile in the slop May 28.

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Pletcher Targets Suburban For Happy Saver, Haskell For Following Sea

Todd Pletcher worked a number of his top horses over the weekend, including undefeated Happy Saver who breezed in company with Country Grammer Sunday in preparation for Saturday's $400,000 10-furlong Grade 2 Suburban Stakes for 4-year-olds and up on Saturday, July 3 at Belmont Park in Elmont, Ny.

Belmont's Independence Day weekend slate runs July 3 through Monday, July 5, offering six stakes races including a pair of Breeders' Cup Win and You're In qualifiers led by the Grade 2 Suburban [Classic] and the $250,000 Grade 2 John A. Nerud [Sprint], which will see 4-year-olds and up contest at seven furlongs on July 4.

The holiday weekend kicks off July 3 with the $100,000 Perfect Sting Stakes and continues on July 4 with the $100,000 Manila Stakes, while the $250,000 Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes anchors a Monday, July 5 card that also offers the $150,000 Grand Couturier Stakes.

Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver, a 4-year-old Super Saver chestnut, completed his sophomore season by making the grade in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup with a three-quarter length win over Suburban-rival Mystic Guide in October at Belmont Park.

Happy Saver made his seasonal debut a winning one last out with a one-length score in an optional-claiming mile on May 28 on Big Sandy. At 7:45 a.m. Sunday, a rail-riding Happy Saver worked a half-mile in company with fellow Suburban contender Country Grammer in :49.26 on the Belmont dirt training track.

“I thought it was a good work from both. Happy Saver was just a little bit better at the end of the gallop out, but they both worked well,” said Pletcher. “We'll see how they bounce out of it. I'll talk to Elliott [Walden] at WinStar and talk about the Suburban potentially for Country Grammer. We'll firm that up tomorrow.”

Pletcher said Happy Saver's previous work – five-eighths in :59.40 on the dirt training track in company with Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Moretti – was also impressive.

“We gave him a really solid five-eighths work last week with a big gallop out; that was the one we were looking for,” said Pletcher. “He is coming off just the one start and we're stretching him out to a mile and a quarter, so we wanted to get a good one into him last week.”

Moretti, who is also targeting the Suburban, worked a half-mile in 48.75 Saturday on the Belmont dirt training track.

“We breezed Moretti yesterday, and I think we're on target with him, so we could have as many as three in there,” said Pletcher.

A 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro, out of the Grade 1-winning Concerto mare Rigoletta, Moretti is a half-brother to 2017 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile-winner Battle of Midway.

Last week, WinStar Farm's Country Grammer worked a half-mile in :49.05 on June 21 in company with Mahaamel on the Belmont training track.

Country Grammer, a 4-year-old Tonalist bay, captured the Grade 1 Gold Cup last out on May 31 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. He was recently transferred to Pletcher.

Pletcher said the change of work partners for Country Grammer was a matter of timing.

“I didn't want to work him too quickly after arriving and I wanted to space him out to get there, so that's just the way it worked out from the time he arrived,” said Pletcher.

In trying to separate a number of his top sophomores, Pletcher said Shadwell Stable's Mahaamel, an Into Mischief colt bred in Kentucky by Clarkland Farm, will target next Monday's one-turn mile G3 Dwyer, while Spendthrift Farm's Following Sea, a Runhappy colt, is pointed to the nine-furlong $1 million Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 17 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

“I think we'll go in the Dwyer with Mahaamel. He's going to breeze tomorrow and assuming we're happy with that, we'll go to the Dwyer with him,” said Pletcher. “I spoke to Ned Toffey at Spendthrift and we've decided we'll go to the Haskell with Following Sea.”

A $700,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Mahaamel earned a 99 Beyer with the addition of blinkers in his second-out graduation in a seven-furlong maiden special weight on June 4 at Belmont.

Following Sea earned a career-best 100 Beyer winning a 6 ½-furlong allowance sprint against older horses by 6 1/2-lengths on June 3 on Big Sandy.

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' multiple Grade 1-winning 5-year-old Mind Control, recently transferred to Pletcher, worked a half-mile in :48.06 Sunday on the Belmont dirt training track in preparation for the John A. Nerud Stakes.

“He's been a terrific work horse since he came in,” said Pletcher. “We've been targeting this race for a while and he looks good. He's proven he's a really nice horse and he's trained the way you'd expect for a horse with his credentials. He seems like he's doing really well.”

Mind Control, a five-time graded-stakes winner for his former trainer Gregg Sacco, posted both of his Grade 1 wins at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, Ny., capturing the 2018 Hopeful Stakes as a juvenile and added the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes to conclude his sophomore season.

Pletcher said a good result in the Nerud could propel Mind Control to another Grade 1 engagement at Saratoga, with the $600,000 Forego Stakes, a seven-furlong test for older horses on August 28, a possibility.

“We'll see how he does in here, but something like the Forego could be on the radar,” said Pletcher.

Pletcher said Donegal Racing's Shamrocket, a 4-year-old Tonalist colt, could return in the $150,000 Grand Couturier Stakes, a 12-furlong Widener turf test for older horses on July 5 at Belmont. Also under consideration is the 11-furlong Grade 1 United Nations on July 17 at Monmouth Park.

“The Grand Couturier is a possibility,” said Pletcher. “He'll work tomorrow. We've kicked around the United Nations a little bit or even an allowance race at Saratoga.”

Two starts back, Shamrocket closed to finish fourth in the Grade 1 Man o' War Stakes on May 8 at Belmont Park and returned last out to win a 10-furlong turf allowance by a neck on June 11 on the same course.

Repole Stable, Phipps Stable, and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One breezed five-eighths in 1:01.90 Friday on the Belmont dirt training track.

The Union Rags chestnut, who finished second in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York, Ny., finished 18th last out in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Pletcher said Dynamic One could point to the $120,000 Curlin Stakes, a nine-furlong test for sophomores on July 30 at Saratoga.

“He'll either go to an allowance race or the Curlin,” said Pletcher. “We gave him a little bit of time after the Derby and he's done really well physically and put on some weight. We've freshened him up with a couple of races at Saratoga in mind.”

St. Elias Stable's graded stakes winner Dr Post added blinkers for a half-mile breeze Friday in :49.42 on the Belmont dirt training track.

The Quality Road colt captured the Grade 3 Westchester in his seasonal debut on May 1 at Belmont and finished fifth last out in the Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 5.

“We put blinkers on him and I liked the response we got. I'm not sure where his next start will be, but it will be with the addition of blinkers,” said Pletcher.

Dr Post tracked a moderate pace from fifth in the Met Mile but wasn't able to make up ground in the stretch run as a more prominent Silver State pounced to a one-length score.

“He got too far back, and, for a race on paper that you thought would have a lot of pace, it never really developed,” said Pletcher. “He was starting to close into a pace-less race, but it just didn't work out.

“I've had blinkers in mind for a little while,” added Pletcher. “But when he won the Westchester off the layoff, I didn't want to make an equipment change. Now we can make that move.”

Pletcher saddled a pair of contenders in Con Lima and Jouster in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Wonder Again Stakes for sophomore fillies on June 3 on the Belmont turf, a key prep for the 10-furlong $700,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks, the first leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies on July 10.

Although sent to post as the longer price at 8-1, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus, and Troy Johnson's Con Lima prevailed by a half-length, while the pacesetting Jouster settled for fourth for owners Starlight Racing and Glen Hill Farm.

Pletcher said the experienced Con Lima, who boasts a record of 11-6-4-0 with purse earnings of $379,865, showed more than enough to start the first leg of the Turf Triple.

“She's ultra-consistent. She shows up and runs hard every time,” said Pletcher. “I thought she handled the mile and an eighth really well and it gives us optimism that she'll handle the mile and a quarter.”

Pletcher said Jouster, who captured the one-mile Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes on April 3 at Keeneland, will point to the one-mile $150,000 Grade 3 Lake George Stakes on July 23 at Saratoga.

“She'll go the Lake George. She didn't quite see out the mile and an eighth, so we'll focus on shorter races,” said Pletcher. “That's why we wanted to go in the Wonder Again, to see if maybe we could stretch her out for these lucrative races at longer distances, but I think she's best at a mile.”

Lawana and Robert Low's Sweet Melania, a 4-year-old American Pharoah chestnut, breezed a half-mile in :50.97 on the Oklahoma training turf at Saratoga on Friday.

The multiple graded stakes winner captured last year's Grade 3 Wonder Again but has not raced since finishing last-of-9 in the License Fee Stakes on April 30 at Belmont.

Pletcher said Sweet Melania is under consideration for Saturday's $100,000 Perfect Sting Stakes, a one-mile Widener turf test for older fillies and mares.

“I've not firmly decided yet. I'm looking to see what options I have at Saratoga with her,” said Pletcher.

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Justify’s Half-Brother Stage Raider Could Target Dwyer

Justify's 3-year-old half-brother Stage Raider, a colt sired by Pioneerof the Nile, posted a workmanlike victory in an allowance race on Friday, May 14 at Belmont Park. He won the one-mile contest by three lengths in a final time of 1:38.22.

It was the second win from three starts for the John Gunther-owned homebred, and trainer Chad Brown told the Daily Racing Form that Stage Raider could be pointed to the G3 Dwyer Stakes on July 5 at Belmont for his graded stakes debut.

“The time wasn't going to turn any heads,” Brown told DRF of the allowance win. “He got a good education out of it, being down inside and going up the rail. Sometimes these kinds of horses that still need a little bit of seasoning, that's the most important part of running in these races, to get more experience.”