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High Oak May Go For BC Juvenile Spot In Champagne At Belmont

LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's High Oak improved to 2-for-2 with an impressive 4 1/4-length score in Saturday's $200,000 Grade 2 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juveniles at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the Gormley bay bid three-wide at the top of the lane under Junior Alvarado, overtaking Doctor Jeff and the runner-up Gunite to stop the clock in 1:16.53.

High Oak closed to win his debut by a neck sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs in June at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., but the bettors let the $70,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase leave the gate at odds of 10-1 on Saturday.

Mott said High Oak ran to his training, including a bullet half-mile breeze in :48.11 seconds on August 7 on the Oklahoma dirt training track.

“We were pleased but not totally surprised,” Mott said. “He had been working quite well and he had run well enough in his first race.”

Mott said he was pleased with how High Oak, who garnered a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure, finished up the race.

“He was determined,” Mott said.

While Mott said he will leave all options open, the next likely consideration for High Oak is the $500,000 Grade 1 Champagne on October 2 at Belmont, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 5 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The win by High Oak completed a Mott-trained double that launched a race earlier when Godolphin homebred Speaker's Corner drew off to a 5 1/4-length allowance score, registering a 101 Beyer.

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With Jose Ortiz up, the 3-year-old Street Sense bay bobbled at the start of the seven-furlong main-track sprint but quickly found his footing to track the pacesetting Mahaamel from third before taking command at the five-sixteenths and powering home in a final time of 1:22.29.

Speaker's Corner graduated at second asking with a three-quarter length score over eventual graded-stakes placed Caddo River and multiple graded-stakes winner Greatest Honour in a seven-furlong maiden special weight in October at Belmont.

Mott said he had hoped to start Speaker's Corner around two turns but was pleasantly surprised at Saturday's one-turn score.

“Visually, he ran good and numbers-wise he ran good. And he came back good, too,” Mott said. “We had entered him in a two-turn race the day before which didn't fill thinking that this might not work out that well for him because I knew there would be some fast horses in there, but we got lucky and it worked out.”

Mott said he had initially hoped to get the lightly-raced colt to the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers slated for August 28 at the Spa but circumstances led to a more patient schedule.

“That's what we were hoping for, but it didn't work out that way. One little setback after another and before you know it, the Travers is upon us,” Mott said. “There's other races and we'll have to make it count somewhere else, hopefully.”

Among a number of options for Speaker's Corner is the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby on September 25 at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Penn.

“That would have to be on the radar. It would fit into the timing,” Mott said. “But everything is an option. We try to keep all our options open.”

LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's Casa Creed closed five-wide to finish third in Saturday's Grade 1 Fourstardave, just two lengths in arrears of the more prominently placed Got Stormy.

The 5-year-old Jimmy Creed bay entered the one-mile inner turf test from a two-length score in the six-furlong Grade 1 Jackpocket Jaipur on June 5 at Belmont.

“He ran a good race. It's hard not to be pleased with his effort,” Mott said.

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Gormley’s High Oak Fells Favorites in Special

High Oak was let go at double-digit odds off a narrow victory downstate June 26 that earned just a 57 Beyer Speed Figure, but he took a serious step forward Saturday to become freshman sire Gormley (Malibu Moon)'s first black-type winner.

Having signaled his readiness with a :48.11 bullet breeze last week on the Oklahoma Training Track in company with his older Grade I-winning stablemate Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), who would finish third in the GI Fourstardave H. one race later, the bay stalked out wide behind splits of :21.82 and :44.93 set by Gunite. He ranged up in the clear to challenge at the top of the lane, wore down the pacesetter past the eighth and poured it on from there to prove clearly best.

“He broke very sharp today,” noted winning rider Junior Alvarado. “He was a whole different horse today. He was mentally prepared and sharp. To be honest, I was just a passenger today. He put me in the spot that I wanted and he took me all the way around. When I turned for home, I just had to ask him a little bit and he took off.”

Hall of Famer Bill Mott was winning his first Saratoga Special.

“We were just off the pace so he was right behind them,” Mott said. “He was running plenty fast enough himself. When they hung up those fractions, I thought he'd have to be pretty good to hang in there himself.”

As for working the youngster with 5-year-old Casa Creed, who is also owned by Lee Einsidler's LRE Racing and Mike Francesa's JEH Racing: “If they're going to run in these kind of races they better be able to do that. We just gave him some company to go with and thought they looked like a good pair. He was very professional today. We were very pleased. He's been a little tough to handle, but great in the paddock, great on the race track. He did everything right.”

The GI Champagne S. Oct. 2 appears a logical next step.

“You certainly would look at him and say that a one-turn mile is going to be okay,” Mott said. “I guess you find all those things out as you go along. It's usually guesswork until you do it… I'm sure there will be plenty of discussion with Lee. He's probably not going to want to pass up too many spots, but we'll talk and figure out a game plan.”

Saturday, Saratoga
SARATOGA SPECIAL S. PRESENTED BY MILLER LITE-GII, $200,000, Saratoga, 8-14, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:16.53, ft.
1–HIGH OAK, 120, c, 2, by Gormley
                1st Dam: Champagne Sue, by Elusive Quality
                2nd Dam: Golden Tiy, by Dixieland Band
                3rd Dam: Tiy, by Nalees Man
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($37,000
Wlg '19 KEENOV; $70,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-LRE Racing LLC &
JEH Racing Stable LLC; B-Catherine Parke (KY); T-William I.
Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $110,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$159,500. *1st black-type winner for freshman sire (by Malibu
Moon). Werk Nick Rating: B+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Gunite, 120, c, 2, Gun Runner–Simple Surprise, by Cowboy
Cal. O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen. $40,000.
3–Nakatomi, 120, g, 2, Firing Line–Applelicious, by Flatter.
($18,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $25,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT). O-Marc
Detampel, Qatar Racing & Tim O. Banker; B-Arnold Zetcher LLC
& Crestwood Farm (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. $24,000.
Margins: 4 1/4, 3 1/4, 3. Odds: 10.20, 4.70, 5.90.
Also Ran: Double Thunder, Doctor Jeff, Stolen Base, Ottoman Empire, Glacial, Dance Code, Red Run. Scratched: Kitodan, Midnight Worker. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

High Oak is one of six winners for Spendthrift freshman Gormley, a debut winner late in the Del Mar meet as a juvenile who stretched out to take the GI FrontRunner S. in 2016 and added the GI Santa Anita Derby the following year. Gormley was also represented last month by GIII Sanford S. runner-up Headline Report.

Fellow Mott trainee Elusive Quality has been represented by the dams of 61 graded winners, including last year's champion juvenile and leading sophomore Essential Quality (Tapit).

Dam Champagne Sue was an $80,000 KEENOV '10 purchase by Catherine Parke while in foal to Seeking the Dia. The Oaklawn maiden special weight and Fair Grounds allowance winner is a half to GSWs Golden Itiz (Tiznow) and Sapphire n' Silk (Pleasant Tap)–also a graded stakes-winning produer–as well as the dam of GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf heroine Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect). Champagne Sue produced a Super Saver filly in 2020. She was barren to West Coast the following season, and was bred to Instagrand for 2022.

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Wesley Ward-Trained Headline Report Tops Field Of 12 Juveniles In Saturday’s Sanford

Trainer Wesley Ward will continue the tradition of using the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course to help springboard careers of talented juveniles, with the conditioner sending out Headline Report as part of a 12-horse field in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford for 2-year-olds going six furlongs on the main track.

The 106th edition of the Sanford, on the first Saturday of the 40-day meet at the Spa, will go off in Race 9 on the 11-race card that will be highlighted by the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana for older fillies and mares in Race 10. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Headline Report captured his debut by 2 1/4 lengths on April 23 at Keeneland, besting a five-horse field by completing the 4 1/2 furlongs in a final time of 51.75 seconds as the heavy favorite over a fast track. Ward, who will be seeking his first Sanford win, kept Headline Report training at Keeneland since, and the Gormley ridgling worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 from the gate on Independence Day.

Owned by Breeze Easy and bred in Kentucky by Ledgelands and Andrew C. Ritter, Headline Report started his career with lofty expectations after being purchased for $550,000 at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

“We're excited about that guy,” Ward said. “He's been coming along pretty well. He had a nice work from the gate at Keeneland. We're excited to get him in the Sanford.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez piloted Headline Report in his first start and will have the return call on Saturday, breaking from post 9.

Greg Tramontin's Ottoman Empire rallied from seventh-of-11 in his debut to post a one-length victory in a five-furlong maiden special weight on June 20 at Churchill Downs. Trainer Tom Amoss said the Classic Empire colt had been training well at Churchill leading into his first race but then showed an ability to take dirt and adapt to racing circumstances under pressure.

“What I really liked was how he handled the shock that a lot of young horses get when breaking from the gate for the first time,” Amoss said. “When they all break at the same time and get that experience, they get dirt kicked in their face, which is a lot for a young horse to take in. He broke fine, but it was just a lot for him to take in at once and he handled it well.”

A $120,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Ottoman Empire showed a strong closing kick, rallying from third in the stretch to overtake Chileno and Conagher before holding off Texas Red Hot's late charge.

“I really liked how he finished,” Amoss said. “He had a bit of a wide trip but he still finished up nice and strong.”

Bred in Kentucky by Pedro Gonzalez and Lenny Cohen, Ottoman Empire will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 7.

Bell Gable Stable's Maryland Brando trounced an eight-horse field by 11 1/2 lengths in a five-furlong maiden sprint on June 2 at Delaware Park. The first-out effort for trainer Gary Contessa netted a 59 Beyer Speed Figure and showed the form that made the Flatter colt a $250,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale.

“I knew what I had; he won and he was being pulled up the last eighth of a mile,” Contessa said. “He drew away but there's a lot more left in the tank with that horse. He just has everything in the right place. His mind is good – not great – but he's very business-minded. He's got a big, strong shoulder on him. As soon as I started training him, I pretty much knew what I had. He dots all the i's and crosses all the t's.”

Bred in Maryland by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds, Maryland Brando has found a comfort zone training at Delaware Park but will now ship in for a race for the first time, drawing post 6 with Carol Cedeno aboard.

“I'm coming far enough in advance where he'll get over it if he doesn't ship well,” Contessa said. “I'll school him a couple of times in the paddock, which you need in Saratoga. I've been at Saratoga for the last 35 years, so it's an opportunity for me to be there and I think I'm bringing the right horse.”

Mueller Thoroughbred Stable's Candy Landing also made an impact in his first start, cruising to a 4 1/2-length score that netted the Brendan Walsh trainee a 70 Beyer for his victory going 5 1/2 furlongs on June 11 at Churchill.

A son of Twirling Candy, Candy Landing will be shipping to Saratoga from his base at Churchill, drawing post 2 with James Graham in the irons.

Wit, owned by Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway Stable, showed the form that made the Practical Joke colt a $575,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, drawing away to a six-length score in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint over a good Belmont main track on June 5. Wit will enjoy a formidable trainer-jockey combination, as Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher will saddle the horse with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard from the inside post.

Willis Horton Racing's Seize the Night won on debut for conditioner Dallas Stewart on May 14 going five furlongs at Churchill and will take the step up in class, drawing post 11 in tandem with Jon Kenton Court.

Due Vini was a half-length winner in his first start on June 20 at Monmouth Park. Trained by Kelly Breen, the Florida homebred owned by Mr. Amore Stable will exit from post 8 as Luis Saez rides.

Kavod, who ran second in the Tremont for co-owner and trainer James Chapman, will be making his fourth career start. After running fourth on debut in April at Keeneland, the Lea colt earned a winner's circle trip in April at Belmont before his stakes bow in early June. He is also co-owned by Tritain Biddinger. Manny Franco rides from post 10.

Palm Beach Racing's Trust Our Journey, an American Pharoah chestnut trained by Carlos David, enters from a prominent third in the Tremont.
A maiden winner at first asking in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on May 1 at Gulfstream, Trust Our Journey will exit post 4 under Eric Cancel.

Cammarota Racing's Lucago, third in his first start on June 3 at Gulfstream, won over the same track in his second start, besting Fishing for Fun by three-quarters of a length on July 1. Junior Alvarado will have the call from the outermost post.

Richie's World Stables' Dance Code edged For the Dreamers by a neck to win his debut going 4 1/2 furlongs on June 28 at Parx. Trained by Juan Vazquez, Dance Code will depart post 5 with Jose Lezcano aboard.

Frank Catapano and Nicholas Primpas' Catch the Smoke, a half-length first-out maiden-claiming winner on June 20 at Monmouth Park, will look to go 2-for-2 for trainer Wayne Potts, drawing post 3 with Dylan Davis on the bridle.

Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day 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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Spendthrift’s Young Guns at F-T July

Generally well-represented at most sales venues throughout the yearling season, Spendthrift Farm offers a sextet of homebred youngsters, dominated by the offspring of a trio of the nursery's fledgling stallions, at the Fasig-Tipton July sale, set to take place July 13. And while the operation has reached great heights with its marquee stallions–the late Malibu Moon and Into Mischief–the basis of Spendthrift's program has been largely built upon the continuous replenishment of young stallions offered at affordable fees.

“We want breeding to work for everybody involved,” explained Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “Of course, we are always looking for the caliber of superstars of the late Malibu Moon and Into Mischief, but we haven't forgotten that Into Mischief initially stood for $12,500 and, in his second year, he stood for $6,500. We also appreciate the fact that good horses can come from anywhere. Fasig-Tipton has always had a long tradition of showcasing new sires and we think this is a great place to try to introduce our young stallions and to show the buyers and the breeders what kind of horses these sires are able to produce. And that is very much what this group of yearlings is there to do.”

Case in point, Spendthrift's stallion roster is represented at the July sale by a pair of Grade I-winning stallions who are represented by their first yearlings in 2021: Mor Spirit (Eskendereya) and Free Drop Billy (Union Rags), in addition to freshman sire Lord Nelson (Pulpit).

Among those represented by first yearlings this season is GI Los Alamitos and GI Met Mile winner Mor Spirit. A $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida graduate, he also won the GIII Robert Lewis S. and GIII Sexton Mile. A total of eight yearlings by the sire are on offer in this season's July catalog, and Spendthrift's homebred duo consists of a pair of colts: Hip 44, out of Malibu Cove (Malibu Moon); and Hip 62, out of Palmilla Moon (Malibu Moon). The former, consigned by Eaton Sales, is a half-brother to GSW and GISP Kalypso (Brody's Cause). Out of a full-sister to Grade III scorer Prospective, the Jan. 29 foal is from the extended family of champion North Sider.

“He is out of a mare that is the dam of Kalypso, from the first crop of [Spendthrift sire] Brody's Cause,” offered Toffey. “We think this is an exceptional individual. Physically speaking, this colt takes a backseat to nobody. We think he's very much what buyers will like. He's got good size, but he's not too big. He has very good bone and is correct. He's also beautifully muscled. And he looks very fast. We think he's a horse that will really appeal to buyers.”

Spendthrift also serves up hip 62–consigned by Scott Mallory–the second foal out of 6-year-old Palmilla Moon. A $180,000 KEESEP yearling purchase in 2016, the mare is a granddaughter of the prolific Aletta Maria (Diesis {GB}), who is responsible for Grade I-scoring turfers Cetewayo and Dynaforce, in addition to Grade II winner Bowman Mill. Covering over 300 mares in his first two seasons at stud, Mor Spirit stands for $5,000 S&N this year.

“This colt is very a strong, well balanced and really sturdy individual,” said Toffey. “He has tremendous bone and very athletic. He's just one of those horses who has always done everything right for us. We think he is a very good example of what this sire is throwing.”

Also standing for the same advertised fee in 2021, Free Drop Billy recorded his most important career victory at two, taking the GI Breeders' Futurity. Appearing early in the catalog under the Scott Mallory banner is Hip 5, a filly out of SP Cedar Summer (Souvenir Copy). The Feb. 26 foal is a half-sister to MSW and GSP Populist Politics (Don't Get Mad).

“This is a very fast, athletic looking filly,” Toffey said.

Outlining the sire's attributes, Toffey added, “He is a beautifully made, compact horse. He's a beautifully-bred horse and we're really seeing that in this offspring. He tends to throw more size than he has himself. They have a lot of substance and a lot of bone and classy looking animals. You are seeing the depth of his pedigree come out.”

Hip 91, who also represents the young stallion in this year's catalog, will be precluded from the sale, confirmed Toffey. Out of the Tiznow mare Tiz the Key, the filly hails from the family of European champion juvenile filly Gay Gallanta (Fr).

“We have an absolute monster of a physical by Free Drop Billy out of Tiz the Key that has to come out because of a minor issue coming along at the wrong time,” he said. “But we expect to have her in Fasig-Tipon's October sale.”

A stakes winner at two, Lord Nelson won the GII San Vincente S. the following season, although he enjoyed his best season at four, annexing a trio of Grade I sprints–the Santa Anita Championship, Bing Crosby S. and Triple Bend S. With six yearlings by the sire catalogued for July, Spendthrift is represented by Hip 114, a colt out of Bonita Mia (Warrior's Reward) who is also consigned by Scott Mallory. The colt's unraced dam is out of Miss Simpatia (Arg)–a sister to Argentine Champion Miss Linda (Arg)–making her a half-sister to GI Acorn S. winner Carina Mia (Malibu Moon) and Miss Match (Arg) (Indygo Shiner), victorious in the GI Santa Margarita invitational S. as well as the G1 Argentine Oaks.

“We felt this was a very quick-looking and athletic colt,” stated Toffey. “The pinhookers appeared to do well with the Lord Nelsons this year. And we felt they would be more than willing to go back to the well on him. His 2-year-olds have been very promising so far and we're excited about his chances this year.”

In 2020, a total of 37 yearlings by Lord Nelson sold for an average of $84,972, including a half-brother to Spendthrift resident sire Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief) who realized $460,000 at Keeneland last September. This season, 26 juveniles by Lord Nelson sold for an average of $99,903, headed by a $385,000 OBSMAR purchase out of Luna Dorada (Seeking the Gold). The stallion was advertised at $10,000 S&N for 2021.

“His horses are really developing beautifully,” Toffey opined. “They are good, medium sized horses that are very athletic and well balanced. And they look quick.”

Rounding out Spendthrift's offering at July are a pair of yearlings by the operation's marquee stallions. Consigned by Four Star Sales, Hip 339 is by the nation's leading sire Into Mischief and out of MSP Anahauc (Henny Hughes), a sister to stakes winners Gangbuster and Dreamcall. Recently deceased sire Malibu Moon is also represented by seven yearlings in the catalog, including Spendthrift's Hip 141. Consigned by Scott Mallory, the colt is out of GSW Daring Kathy (Wildcat Heir).

“Any stud farm is so fortunate when they can get a stallion of the caliber of Malibu Moon or Into Mischief, but you always know that you have to continue to be looking for the next one,” said Toffey. “They don't come along that often. There will be a lot of stallions that are given a shot at stud and that just don't make it, so there are no guarantees. It's an ongoing process to find the next good horse. And any farm that gets a horse like Malibu Moon at all is very fortunate, and you'd like not one but two, but that is very difficult to do so you always have to keep looking. In this game, whether it's stallions, racehorses or mares, you're always looking for the next big horse. And that's what we're trying to do.”

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