Beren Considers Options Ahead of Curlin, Amsterdam At Saratoga

Susan Quick and Christopher J. Feifarek's Beren is entered in Friday's nine-furlong $120,000 Curlin, but trainer Butch Reid Jr. said a recent bullet half-mile work in :46.60 on the Spa main track has him considering cross-entering in the 6 1/2-furlong $200,000 Grade 2 Amsterdam on August 1 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

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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Vequist Breezes at the Spa

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable's reigning champion juvenile filly Vequist (Nyquist) breezed a half-mile in :47.77 on Saratoga's main track Friday under Jose Lezcano in preparation for a potential seasonal debut at the end of the Saratoga meet. According to trainer Butch Reid, Jr., the filly will target Parx's GI Cotillion S. Sept. 25. Winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile fillies at Keeneland last fall, last summer's GI Spinaway S. winner finished ninth in her season return in the GII Davona Dale S. in February.

“She did very well this morning,” confirmed Reid, Jr. “I had her galloping out in 1:01 and 2, and in about 1:15 [three quarters]. She's fitter than I thought she was. She's actually a little ahead of schedule. I wanted her ready to go five-eighths on the first of August and she's a little ahead of that. I'm very happy with her progress. She's coming along nicely. If everything works out, she could run here before the end of the meet.”

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Casse Points Souper Sensational To Test Stakes At Saratoga

After acing a proverbial quiz with a 3 1/4-length win in Saturday's Grade 3 Victory Ride at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said Souper Sensational could now be ready for a test – the $500,000 Grade 1 Longines Test on August 7 at Saratoga Race Course  in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. that is – after coming out of her effort yesterday in good order.

Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational notched her first career graded stakes score when going five-wide in the upper stretch and surging home under jockey Flavien Prat to win the 6 1/2-furlong main track sprint for 3-year-old fillies. Her win over Ova Charged earned the Curlin filly a personal-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure as she improved her career record to 3-1-1 in seven starts.

Casse had Souper Sensational on the trail for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks earlier in her sophomore campaign, where she finished third in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March over a fast track. In her last start, she ran fourth in the Grade 2 Eight Belles in April at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., also over a fast track. The Victory Ride was the first time Souper Sensational ran over a track rated good.

“She's always shown a lot of talent,” said Casse. “We tried to get her to the Oaks and maybe in retrospect, she might just be a good sprinter type or going a mile. But the race set up for her yesterday and Flavien rode her well. She was impressive.”

In the Eight Belles, Hall of Famer John Velazquez was aboard for the seven-furlong sprint, and the veteran rider told Casse afterward he was disappointed in the effort based on Souper Sensational's ability.

“She trained really well into this race. [Assistant trainer] David Carroll, who had her for me at Louisville, thought she trained as well, if not better, than ever coming into the race, and he was right,” Casse said. “The last time she ran at Churchill, Johnny came back and was very frustrated. He said he was following a horse and a horse stopped in front of him and said we should have done a lot better than she did.

“So, we gave her a little break. She had been running hard,” Casse added. “I gave her just a little training beak. Sometimes you don't have to go home to get a break. We just didn't do anything with her for a little while. After the race at Churchill, our goal was the Test, and I figured, what's the best way to get to that race?' And yesterday was a great step.”

The G1 Longines Test for sophomore fillies is held at seven furlongs. Casse said Souper Sensational was headed upstate to Saratoga Springs to begin training for that contest next month.

“She got a 95 Beyer, which is very good for a 3-year-old filly. If you consider the wide trip too, it was impressive,” Casse said reflecting on the Victory Ride. “She's now headed to Saratoga this morning and we'll look at the Test.”

John C. Oxley's Palazzi had a troubled trip and finished sixth in Saturday's $1 million Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational at 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf. After breaking from the inside post under Tyler Gaffalione in the nine-horse field, Palazzi could not find racing room until it was too late, finishing 3 1/4 lengths behind winner Bolshoi Ballet. It was the third time in six starts Palazzi drew the inside post in a stakes race.

“Poor Palazzi, he can't catch a break,” Casse said. “He drew the one-hole again and there wasn't anything Tyler did wrong, but there was nowhere to go and there was too much to do when he finally got loose. I guess we'll go to the next big one in Saratoga.”

With the Belmont Derby Invitational serving as the first leg of the Turf Triple series, the “big one” at Saratoga will host the middle jewel of the series, with the $1 million Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational at 1 3/16 miles set for Whitney Day on August 7.

Casse's other entry in a Turf Triple race, Spanish Loveaffair, ran last-of-eight in the $700,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf. Casse didn't pick up a next spot yet but said a shorter distance could suit the Karakontie filly better. Spanish Loveaffair is owned by Gary Barber, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael Hernon.

“I just think we're going to cut her back and go a mile,” Casse said. “She wants a race where there's a little more pace. The problem is the further you run, the less pace there is. She was just too rambunctious early on yesterday.”

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Noble Mission’s Spanish Mission Takes the Yorkshire Cup

Providing a boost to Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) who had beaten him so readily in the Mar. 27 G2 Dubai Gold Cup, Team Valor and Gary Barber's Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) was at the fore with a smooth success in Friday's G2 Yorkshire Cup. Held up in last early by William Buick, last year's G2 Doncaster Cup winner who was making his European return having been fifth at Meydan was moved closer travelling notably strongly as Sir Ron Priestley (GB) (Australia {GB}) attacked approaching three out. Getting the better of that 6-5 favourite a furlong from home, the 11-2 shot was firmly in command from there and had 2 3/4 lengths to spare over Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) at the line, with Sir Ron Priestley surprisingly backing out of the fight late to be a further length away in third. “It was a great performance. He won the Doncaster Cup last year in great style and it was similar conditions today,” Buick said of the June 17 G1 Ascot Gold Cup-bound winner. “He doesn't have many blips in his career and they've only been when the ground has been bad or he's been unfortunate. He travelled smoothly today and over this trip he has that turn of foot, that tactical pace which is great to have in a stayer.”

Having proven himself a genuine pattern-race performer when beating Nayef Road (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by four lengths in Newmarket's 13-furlong G3 Bahrain Trophy in July 2019, Spanish Mission also garnered the Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont that season before trying staying trips. Second in Sandown's G3 Henry II S. over two miles in early July, the bay was sixth in the G1 Goodwood Cup later that month before leaving David Simcock and marking his debut for this stable with a comprehensive win in the Listed Chester S. in August. Proving that the near two-and-a-quarter-mile trip of the Doncaster Cup held no fears when following up at the St Leger meeting, he was seventh in the G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup on testing ground at Ascot in October. Runner-up in the 15-furlong Red Sea Turf H. at Riyadh Feb. 20 before his Dubai Gold Cup effort.

Underlining just what a stamina influence Noble Mission has been in this instance, the first foal out of the listed-winning dam Limonar (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}) was the Listed Rose Bowl S.-winning sprinter Mokarris (More Than Ready) who was also runner-up in the G2 Gimcrack S. Limonar is a half-sister to the GI Shoemaker Mile winner Talco (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) and to the dam of the recent G3 Prix de la Grotte third Silvestri (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who lines up in Sunday's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. This is also the family of the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Bachelor Duke (Miswaki) and the G1 National S.-winning sire Fatherland (Ire) which includes Sonnyboyliston (Ire) (Power {GB}) who was third in this month's G3 Ormonde S. Her 2-year-old colt is by Mastery, while she also has a yearling son of Uncle Mo.

Friday, York, Britain
MATCHBOOK YORKSHIRE CUP-G2, £120,000, York, 5-14, 4yo/up, 13f 188yT, 2:59.56, gd.
1–SPANISH MISSION, 130, h, 5, by Noble Mission (GB)
     1st Dam: Limonar (Ire) (SW-Fr, $124,447), by Street Cry (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Trylko, by Diesis (GB)
     3rd Dam: Gossamer, by Seattle Slew
($125,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP; 60,000gns RNA 2yo '18 TATBRE). O-Team Valor LLC & Gary Barber; B-St. Elias Stables, LLC (KY); T-Andrew Balding; J-William Buick. £68,052. Lifetime Record: SW-US, 16-6-3-2, $1,432,645. *1/2 to Mokarris (More Than Ready), SW & GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Santiago (Ire), 127, c, 4, Authorized (Ire)–Wadyhatta (GB), by Cape Cross (Ire). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Lynch Bages Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £25,800.
3–Sir Ron Priestley (GB), 130, h, 5, Australia (GB)–Reckoning (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (70,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Paul Dean; B-Mascalls Stud (GB); T-Mark Johnston. £12,912.
Margins: 2 3/4, 1, 9HF. Odds: 5.5, 2.25, 1.20.
Also Ran: Wells Farhh Go (Ire), Nayef Road (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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