Fourstardave | Horse Racing Free Tips

Raging Bull Headlines Talented Field Readying For ‘Win And You’re In’ Fourstardave

Peter Brant's Raging Bull will be out for redemption against an all-graded stakes winning field for Saturday's 37th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave for 4-year-olds and upward going one mile over the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Raging Bull, who finished second in 2019 and fifth a year ago, will look to give trainer Chad Brown his first win in the Fourstardave, a “Win And You're In” event offering an automatic entry into the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile on November 6 at Del Mar.

Four of the last ten editions of the Fourstardave were captured by the subsequent winner of the Breeders' Cup Mile with World Approval [2017], Tourist [2016] and Wise Dan [2012-13] securing the Fourstardave-Breeders' Cup Mile double.

This year's Fourstardave field has won a cumulative 22 graded stakes races, which will see Raging Bull attempt a fourth graded stakes triumph.

Raging Bull, a three-time Grade 1-winner with earnings in excess of $1.5 million, secured his top-flight triumphs over three different ovals. At three, he shipped to Southern California to capture the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar after earning graded stakes triumphs at the Spa in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame and the Grade 3 Saranac. The French-bred 6-year-old son of Dark Angel commenced his last two seasons in Grade 1-winning fashion with victories in the Shoemaker Mile in May 2020 at Santa Anita and the Makers' Mark Mile on April 9 at Keeneland.

Raging Bull enters off a troubled second in the Grade 3 Poker on June 20 at Belmont Park, racing in fifth along the rail down the backstretch while four horses battled up front. Lacking racing room in upper stretch, he made an inside rally at the eighth-pole but was unable to catch in-the-clear outside runner Oleksandra, losing by a head.

“I'm hoping he can stay off the inside with a better trip,” Brown said. “His turn of foot seems to be his best characteristic. He's in as good of form as he's ever been in. I love the way he's been training. He's a remarkable horse, very consistent.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. retains the mount from post 1.

Raging Bull will face seven other challengers, including stablemate and fellow Peter Brant color-bearer Blowout, who is one of three accomplished distaffers taking on males in the Fourstardave.

Known for her frontrunning fashion, Blowout was a last-out pacesetting winner of the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on May 1 at Churchill Downs. Never worse than third – and never beaten more than three-quarters of a length in 11 lifetime starts – the daughter of Dansili made her lone Grade 1 start when second beaten a nose to stablemate Viadera in the Grade 1 Matriarch in November at Del Mar.

Both Raging Bull and Blowout were bred by Dayton Investments. Raging Bull is out of the Mr. Greeley mare Rosa Bonheur. Blowout is out of the Group 1-winning Deep Impact mare Beauty Parlour.

Jockey Joel Rosario, a two-time Fourstardave winner, rides Blowout from post 8.

Jim and Susan Hill, who owned 2015 Fourstardave winner Grand Arch, will be represented by four-time Grade 1-placed Daddy Is a Legend, who makes her first start against males for trainer George Weaver.

The 6-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy was a late-closing third in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game on June 5 at Belmont Park behind the Godolphin-owned Althiqa and Summer Romance who replicated said exacta in the Grade 1 Diana on the Spa's opening weekend.

Also third in the 2019 Just a Game behind Rushing Fall and Beau Recall, Daddy Is a Legend notched Grade 1 black type with runner-up efforts in the Matriarch at Del Mar in 2018 and 2019.

“I think a mile is her best distance,” Weaver said. “We were looking at this race after she ran big in the Just a Game and those two fillies came back and ran well here. If she takes another step forward, we're hoping that Saturday can be her day.”

Daddy Is a Legend made the grade in December 2017, capturing the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante in November 2017 at Del Mar. She won the following year's Grade 3 Lake George at Saratoga.

“She's a very good racehorse. She's talented but the other thing she has that all good racehorses have is the fact that she shows up. She gives what she has,” Weaver said. “Right now, she's doing well, she's happy and she's all business. We're looking forward to running her.”

Jockey Manny Franco rides from post 3.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will send out Got Stormy, who seeks a non-consecutive victory in the Fourstardave. Owned by MyRacehorse Stable and Spendthrift Farm, the outstanding daughter of 2010 Fourstardave winner Get Stormy faced males for the first time off one week's rest in the 2019 Fourstardave, which she won by 2 ½ lengths in a track record 1:32 flat while recording a career best 109 Beyer. A six-time graded stakes winner, Got Stormy boasts the highest bankroll in the field with earnings in excess of $2.1 million.

A victory would make Got Stormy the first dual Fourstardave winner since two-time Horse of the Year and recent Hall of Fame inductee Wise Dan [2012-13].

Breaking from post 6, Got Stormy will be ridden by regular pilot Tyler Gaffalione.

Trainer Brad Cox will carry momentum from recent victories with Grade 2 Jim Dandy winner Essential Quality and Grade 1 Whitney winner Knicks Go when saddling Juddmonte's Set Piece for his Grade 1 debut. The Dansili homebred brings three straight wins to Saturday's engagement. After Churchill Downs stakes victories in the Opening Verse on April 29 and the Douglass Park on May 29, Set Piece defeated graded stakes winners Somelikeithotbrown and Ride a Comet in the Grade 2 Wise Dan on June 26 over the Louisville oval.

“He's a Grade 2 winner and obviously he has a good pedigree that all Juddmonte horses do, and it helps some of the siblings that come up from the broodmare band as well,” Cox said. “He deserves the opportunity to take a swing at a Grade 1 and we'll see what he can do.”

Florent Geroux returns to the saddle from post 5.

Following a victory in the Grade 1 Jackpocket Jaipur on June 5 at Belmont Park going six furlongs, Casa Creed will stretch back out to one mile for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The 5-year-old Jimmy Creed bay, third in last year's Fourstardave, took the Grade 2 Hall of Fame in August 2019 going one mile over Saratoga's inner turf.

Owned by LRE Racing and JEH Racing, Casa Creed looks to became a fifth Fourstardave winner for Mott, who campaigned Hap [2000], Silver Tree [2007], Seek Again [2014] and Tourist [2016].

Jockey Junior Alvarado will ride from post 4.

Three Diamonds Farm's Field Pass is a four-time graded stakes winner at four different tracks for trainer Mike Maker. The gray or roan son of Lemon Drop Kid won the Grade 3 Baltimore Washington International Cup on July 24 at Pimlico last out. During his sophomore season, he won the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park and the Grade 3 Ontario Derby at Woodbine – both over synthetic surfaces. He also won the Grade 3 Transylvania last July over the Keeneland turf.

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. rides from post 7.

Rounding out the field is Electric City Racing, Madaket Stables, Christopher Dunn and Jeremy Peskoff's Whisper Not, who won the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile two starts back for trainer Richard Baltas.

Jockey Jose Ortiz picks up the mount from post 2.

The prestigious Fourstardave honors the “Sultan of Saratoga” who earned his nickname by winning at least one race at the Spa from 1987-94. Trained by Leo O'Brien and owned by Richard Bomze and Bernard Connaughton, Fourstardave's signature Spa wins included the 1988 Albany Handicap as well as two non-consecutive wins in the West Point [1989 and 1991]. Fourstardave secured two triumphs in his namesake race when run as the Daryl's Joy [1990-91].

The Fourstardave is carded as Race 9 on Saturday's 11-race program at Saratoga Race Course, which also includes the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for juveniles over the main track. First post is 1:05 p.m. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Quick Call To Have Ashes Interred At Saratoga’s Clare Court

The late Quick Call was more than a gritty horse with a knack for coming up big at Saratoga Race Course.

After winning nine of his 17 starts from 1986 to 1991 at the Spa, Quick Call transitioned in his post-racing career to another starring role in the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's (TRF) pioneering “Second Chances” vocational training program, working with inmates at Wallkill Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

That blend of excellence earned Quick Call rock star status at both the Spa and at Wallkill – and now, a rare honor on the Saratoga backstretch. This week, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will bury the ashes of the two-time Grade 2 Forego champion at Clare Court, the bucolic, half-mile jogging track.

An unveiling of the memorial will be scheduled in July, along with a TRF event to celebrate his life in coordination with the running of the Grade 3 Quick Call on Opening Day, July 15.

“Few Thoroughbreds ever had that kind of dual career and did it so well for so long,” said TRF Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving Kim Weir of Quick Call, who died in October 2019 from the infirmities of old age, at 35. “He had an aura about him. Quick Call was a legendary horse who earned respect from the other horses and from the men at Wallkill. To know he'll be at rest at Saratoga Race Course, which he loved so much, is a great ending.”

Quick Call will be put to rest at Clare Court, a serene and magical spot on the backstretch named in honor of Clare Belmont wife of the late August Belmont II. He will share the hallowed ground with a select group of Thoroughbred racehorses who were beloved stars at Saratoga Race Course.

He joins Fourstardave, another fan favorite from Quick Call's era who won at least one race for eight straight years at the Spa, as well as two other mid-1980s legends, the Irish-bred turf runner Mounjare, and A Phenomenon, a top sprinter. Like the others, Quick Call will have a headstone commemorating his accomplishments.

Over the course of his 86-start career for owner Lynda Stokes, the gelding won $807,817 on the track and established a 16-15-12 record. Putting his affinity for Saratoga to good use, Quick Call and Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day won the 1988 and '89 editions of the Grade 2 Forego Handicap. They narrowly missed a third straight win at the Forego in 1990, losing by a nose to Lay Down.

Prior to retirement, Quick Call, under Jorge Chavez, upset Sewickley in the 1990 Grade 2 Tom Fool at Belmont Park. The son of Quack was trained by Hall of Famers Sid Watters and Warren A. “Jimmy” Croll, Jr. The Quick Call Stakes, now in its 14th year at Saratoga Race Course, is named in his honor.

“He always showed up, he was always prepared, and my goodness, he loved Saratoga, where he had a knack and always stepped it up,” said Day. “Some horses have the talent, but no heart. Quick Call had both talent and heart.”

Just why Quick Call took so well to Saratoga is anyone's guess. “Whether it was the air, the cool mornings, the racing surface, or all of the above, we'll never really know,” said Day. “Quick Call was a good horse downstate, but took it to another level at Saratoga. It was a joy to ride him.”

Retired from the track in 1990, Quick Call became a riding horse, before joining the TRF herd in 2001, and spending the next 18 years at Wallkill, where he worked with inmates on the TRF “Second Chances” accredited equine care and stable management program. At Wallkill, Weir said, Quick Call quickly established himself as the most accomplished and respected horse at the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) accredited program.

NYRA and its horsemen are committed supporters of the TAA, which accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, retire, and rehome thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding.

Quick Call wasn't the first member of the TRF herd at Wallkill; the first to arrive was Promised Road. But at his passing, Quick Call was the senior resident among the approximately 50 horses at Wallkill as well as TRF's 500-member herd at farms across the country.

“Whenever his name is mentioned at a New York track, someone will tell a story about him,” said Pat Stickney, Executive Director of the TRF. “We were honored to have had him in the TRF herd for so many years. People would visit the farm to just see him and to have their picture taken with him. Until the end he was dignified and all class; he knew he was special.”

Bred by Warner Jones, Jr. and David Greathouse, Jr., Quick Call made five starts as a 2-year-old in 1986, winning a Belmont Park maiden race and finishing fifth in the Saratoga Special Stakes. In 1987, he broke through at Saratoga, winning three of four races to help Watters claim the meet championship for trainers with 12 wins. Quick Call was even better in 1988 when he won five of 15 starts including all three Saratoga starts and the first of those two consecutive Grade 2 Foregos.

NYRA TV's Ernie Munick, who was a handicapper with the New York Daily News when Quick Call reigned at Saratoga, vividly remembered him as a handicapper's dream – “a fast, classy and reliable horse who first and foremost, liked the wet track, and gave it his best every single time out.”

“He was an honest horse, one you knew would always give you 110 percent,” says Munick. “As a handicapper, I always looked forward to seeing him, and at Saratoga in particular. You knew he'd be there. God bless that horse.”

Day couldn't be happier that Quick Call's ashes will soon be at Clare Court.

“He loved Saratoga and I'm delighted he's getting that honor,” he said. “He really deserves it.”

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Got Stormy to Spendthrift for $2.75M at Fasig November

Multiple Grade I-winning turf mare Got Stormy (Get Stormy–Super Phoebe, by Malabar Gold) started the ‘Night of the Stars’ fireworks Sunday at Fasig-Tipton November when hammering for $2.75 million to Spendthrift Farm as hip 168, consigned by Bluewater Sales. A winner over boys off seven days’ rest in the GI Fourstardave H. last summer, the chestnut added a victory in the GI Matriarch S. and runner-up finish in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile. She scored in the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint S. and GIII Franklin County S. this season as a 5-year-old before finishing fifth in Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Boasting 10 wins and 23 on-the-board finishes from 25 career starts for owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse, Got Stormy has earned over $2 million in her career.

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War Front’s Halladay all the Way in Fourstardave; Brown Foursome Strike Out

When last seen, Harrell Ventures LLC’s Halladay (War Front) was wrangled back off the pace and ultimately ran fourth in the GII Bernard Baruch H. July 26, allowing Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown) to post a relatively hassle-free, front-running victory. With that failed experiment in the rear view, it was back to pedal-to-the-metal tactics in Saturday’s GI Fourstardave H. and the gray colt repelled a late bid from defending champion Got Stormy (Get Stormy) to land the spoils. Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) rallied to complete the trifecta. The victory earns Halladay a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland Nov. 7.

Not the quickest away from the machine, Halladay was asked to pick up the bit and secured the front passing under the wire for the first time, as Got Stormy, Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Emmaus (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) did the early chasing. The opening quarter-mile was up in a manageable :23.85 with Luis Saez, fresh off a five-timer earlier in the week, sitting hard against Halladay. In the meantime, Got Stormy had fallen into the box seat stalking Halladay through the half-mile that was up in :47.19. The 4-year-old still held the call approaching the lane and was forced into an internal two furlongs in :22.96 and things began to look dicey, as Tyler Gaffalione had Got Stormy ready to pounce after popping off the inside in upper stretch. The mare, who’d been off form in three starts this season, had aim entering the final eighth of a mile and got to the saddle towel of Halladay, but the latter pulled out extra and scored going away. Champion Uni (GB) (More Than Ready), favored at 2.15-1 raced well back and failed to make any late impact in seventh, while second choice Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) finished best of the Chad Brown quartet in fifth.

“We thought we were the speed in the race and we wanted to go ahead and let him do his thing, but he actually didn’t break cleanly and it took him four or five strides to get his legs underneath him,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, winning the Fourstardave for the third time (Red Giant, 2008; Sidney’s Candy, 2011). “Once he was able to get there, he pricked his ears and settled and relaxed nicely and kicked strong coming for home. At the three-sixteenths pole, Got Stormy made a big run at him and I thought it was going to be a close finish from there, but he was able to find a little more.”

Winner of last year’s Tropical Park Derby, Halladay couldn’t find the front and settled for fourth in the GIII Tampa Bay S. Feb. 8 before wiring a Gulfstream allowance over a mile Apr. 4. He accounted for future GI United Nations S. hero Aquaphobia (Giant’s Causeway) in the May 9 Sunshine Forever S. in Hallandale ahead of his Baruch effort.

Pedigree Notes:

With the victory, Halladay–who was purchased privately by bloodstock agent Steve Young after he RNA’d as a Keeneland September yearling–becomes the 22nd G1/GISW and 51st graded/group winner for his hugely successful stallion. He is the first North American Grade I winner bred from a daughter of Tapit and third top-level winner overall out of one of the Gainesway inmate’s producing mares (Gran Alegria {Jpn}; Qafila {Aus}). Tapit is now the broodmare sire of 17 GSWs overall.

Halladay’s dual Grade III-winning dam hails from her sire’s first crop that also included Grade I-winning fillies Stardom Bound, Careless Jewel and Laragh. Hightap was led out unsold on a bid of $130,000 when offered in foal to Gun Runner at Keeneland November in 2018 and produced a filly in 2019. She changed hands for $85,000 in foal to Union Rags at KEENOV last year, foaled a filly earlier this year and was bred to Hard Spun and Arrogate this breeding season.

Saturday, Saratoga
FOURSTARDAVE H.-GI, $400,000, Saratoga, 8-22, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.32, gd.
1–HALLADAY, 118, c, 4, by War Front
                1st Dam: Hightap (MGSW, $300,345), by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Don’tellmichelle, by Regal Classic
                3rd Dam: L’Insatiable, by Caveat
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($225,000 RNA
Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-Harrell Ventures, LLC; B-Gainesway
Thoroughbreds Ltd. & Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Luis Saez. $220,000. Lifetime Record:
14-6-2-4, $517,485. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Got Stormy, 118, m, 5, Get Stormy–Super Phoebe, by
Malabar Gold. ($23,000 Ylg ’16 KEESEP; $45,000 2yo ’17
EASMAY). O-Gary Barber; B-Mt. Joy Stables, Pope McLean,
Marc McLean & Pope McLean Jr. (KY); T-Mark Casse. $80,000.
3–Casa Creed, 118, c, 4, Jimmy Creed–Achalaya, by Bellamy
Road. ($15,000 Ylg ’17 OBSWIN; $105,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP).
O-LRE Racing LLC & JEH Racing Stable LLC; B-Silver Springs
Stud, LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott. $48,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 5.30, 10.70, 10.60.
Also Ran: Emmaus (Ire), Raging Bull (Fr), Without Parole (GB), Uni (GB), Valid Point, Chewing Gum. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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