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Pletcher Eyeing Runhappy Hopeful With Sharp Debut Winner Mutasaabeq

Following a highly impressive debut victory on the Runhappy Travers Day undercard at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Shadwell Stables' Mutasaabeq will attempt to make the grade in the Grade 1, $250,000 Runhappy Hopeful on Monday, September 7.

The Todd Pletcher trained son of Into Mischief, out of the Scat Daddy broodmare Downside Scenario, arrived at his career debut off two sharp bullet works from the gate, where he went five furlongs in 59.03 and a half-mile in 46.53.

Since his maiden win, he worked a half-mile in 48.88 seconds on Monday over the Saratoga main track.

In his career debut traveling 5 ½ furlongs, Mutasaabeq broke a step slow out of the gate, was four wide in pursuit and powered away to a 4 1/2-length score that garnered an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He had been touting himself in the morning, so we were hoping for a good debut out of him. His first step isn't that quick, we knew that going in. But once he gets going, he gets to be pretty fast,” Pletcher said. “He seemed to emerge from his race well and so right now we're pointing towards the Hopeful. We're very pleased with him. He definitely has trained as though the stretch out won't bother him, so we're excited about the way he's doing and we're looking forward to it.”

Bred in Kentucky by BlackRidge Stables, Mutasaabeq was purchased for $425,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

Pletcher is a three-time winner of the Runhappy Hopeful, scoring with Circular Quay (2006), Shanghai Bobby (2012), and Competitive Edge (2014).

On Saturday, Pletcher will be sending out Harrell Ventures' Halladay in the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave Handicap at one mile over the inner turf at Saratoga.

The consistent 4-year-old son of War Front arrives at the Fourstardave after finishing fourth beaten 1 ¼ lengths in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch, where he tracked a slow pace in second behind gate-to-wire winner Somelikeithotbrown.

A two-time stakes winner going 1 1/16 miles over the Gulfstream Park turf, Halladay has only finished off the board twice in 13 starts.

Halladay has posted two half-mile breezes over the Saratoga main track since his last effort going 48.55 seconds in his most recent move.

“We'll play it on the break, but if he's the main speed we won't take that away from him,” Pletcher said. “He's been doing well. I liked his two breezes since the race. It's a very tough race, but hopefully he's able to step up.”

Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Farm and Winchell Thoroughbreds, Halladay is out of two-time graded stakes winning Tapit broodmare Hightap.

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French Pair Among 10 Rivals For Laura’s Light In Del Mar Oaks

Eleven 3-year-old fillies will test their mettle over nine furlongs on the Del Mar turf course Saturday in Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, a key race on a five-stakes program offering more than $1-million in purse money at the seaside oval north of San Diego, Calif.

The $250,000 Oaks, which starts out of the diagonal infield chute, will have its 64th running and goes as race No. 9 on the 11-race card.

The likely favorite in the highly sought lawn test is Gary Barber's Laura's Light, a daughter of Constitution who has won five of her seven lifetime starts, including a last-out tally in the one-mile, Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes on the Del Mar grass July 25, a race considered the key prep for the Del Mar Oaks. Trainer Peter Miller's bay filly was ridden that day by Abel Cedillo and the Guatemalan jockey is back aboard Saturday. They'll break from Post 10 and carry 122 pounds, just as all runners in the race do.

Here's the complete field for the Oaks from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

MyRacehorsecom or Platts' Carpe Vinum (Aaron Gryder, 15-1); Barber or Wachtel Stable's California Kook (Edwin Maldonado, 15-1); Jathiere or Lazare's Miss Extra (Umberto Rispoli, 9/2); Benjamin and Sally Warren's Warren's Showtime (Mike Smith, 6-1); Calvin Nguyen's Aqua Seaform Shame (Ruben Fuentes, 12-1); What Time Is It Racing's Trickle In (Ricardo Gonzalez, 12-1); Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Red Lark (Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1); Madaket Stables, DeSeroux or Naif's Neige Blanche (Flavien Prat, 5-1); L N J Foxwoods' Parkour (Giovanni Franco, 15-1); Laura's Light, and Benowitz Family Trust and Madaket Stables' Guitty (Juan Hernandez, 8-1).

Chief threats to Laura's Light are a pair of French fillies who'll be making their U.S. debuts in the nine-panel showdown. Miss Extra, a bay by Masterstroke, last raced on July 5 at Chantilly, the French racecourse about 30 miles north of Paris. The bay has won three of her four starts this year, including the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly on June 18 at a mile on turf. Trainer Richard Mandella is listed as her conditioner for the Oaks.

Neige Blanche is in the barn of the American-based, French-born trainer Leonard Powell. Her last outing was on June 6 at Lyon-Parilly near Lyon in the central part of France. She won the Group 3 Prix Cleopatre that day, her third victory in her sixth lifetime start.

Powell also trains Guitty, who was second to Laura's Light in the San Clemente after having to take the overland for the last three-eighths of a mile. She shows two wins and two seconds from eight lifetime outings.

Warren's Showtime had a taste of bad racing luck in the stretch in finishing third in the San Clemente. The chestnut homebred by Clubhouse Ride has won five of 11 races and has earnings of $430,251. She won four minor stakes and will be making her first Grade I appearance Saturday.

First post Saturday will be 2 p.m.

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TVG Pacific Classic: More On The Line For Maximum Security Than $500,000 Purse, Breeders’ Cup Berth

Maximum Security, a winner of nine of 11 starts and nearly $12-million in purses, a remarkably talented and unfortunately star-crossed colt, a runner who – despite his enviable record – is looking to reestablish himself as the big dog on the American racing scene, gets his chance to do just that at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif., on Saturday when he headlines the track's headliner on a five-stakes afternoon — the Grade 1, $500,000 TVG Pacific Classic.

The son of New Year's Day, bred by owners Gary and Mary West, who have added partners to his ownership group in the European trio of Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, will take on five rivals in the mile and a quarter for 3-year-old and up and he'll have Abel Cedillo in the boot for the run. Cedillo rode the bay to a hard-fought nose victory in the San Diego Handicapat Del Mar on July 25 in his first start in five months and first under the care of trainer Bob Baffert. The 4-year-old carried top weight of 127 pounds that day but, under the weight-for-age conditions of the “Classic,” he – and all the other runners – will go postward with 124 pounds Saturday.

The TVG Pacific Classic offers all the monetary and prestige advantages of a $500,000 Grade 1 race, but it also provides a notable plus in that it is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” race, meaning its winner gets a guaranteed entry into its designated race, one with all fees paid. In this case that race is the $7-million Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run on Saturday, November 7, at Keeneland in Lexington, KY.

Here's the field for the 30th edition of the TVG Pacific Classic from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

C R K Stable's Midcourt (Victor Espinoza, 7/2); Hronis Racing's Higher Power (Flavien Prat, 3-1); Parque Patricios Racing Stables' Mirinaque (Tiago Pereira, 10-1); Estate of Sharon Alesia and Burns Racing's Dark Vader (Umberto Rispoli, 12-1); Maximum Security (even), and Red Barons Barn and Rancho Temescal's Sharp Samurai (Juan Hernandez, 8-1).

The TVG Pacific Classic is Race 10 on Saturday's 11-race program, the premier offering of five Graded stakes on the card. It has a $300,000 winner's share.

Maximum Security finished first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, but was disqualified and placed 17th in the world's most famous race. Then this year he again finished first, this time in the world's richest race — $20-million Saudi Cup — only to have his purse money put on hold because of issues with his previous trainer and allegations of the use of drugs on his horses. The horse surely does his share with the running; he could, however, use a bit of racing luck besides.

Higher Power won this TVG Pacific Classic last year and will be a stout threat to repeat on Saturday. The 5-year-old horse by Medaglia d'Oro shows a record of five firsts and a bankroll of more than $1.5 million to his credit.

Midcourt gave Maximum Security a ferocious tussle in the mile and one-sixteenth San Diego 'Cap last month. He's a multiple-stakes winner, including the Native Diver at Del Mar last fall.

Sharp Samurai is switching from grass to dirt to try his luck Saturday. The 6-year-old gelding by First Samurai has won eight races and more than $800,000, but only shows three dirt starts from 20 total outings.

Mirinaque is a South American by way of Argentina making his U.S. bow Saturday. He was a four-time winner in his native land, among them a pair of Group 1 races.

Dark Vader will be looking for his first stakes win in the TVG Pacific Classic. He's a 5-year-old horse by Tale of Ekatai.

First post for Saturday's big program is 2 p.m.

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Take Five: Big Day At Saratoga For Saez, Winning On 5 Of 6 Mounts

Luis Saez became the second jockey to notch a five-win day during the 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., going 5-for-6 on his mounts on Thursday's nine-race card.

“This was an amazing day. I'm so grateful and so blessed. Especially to do this in Saratoga, where it can be tough to even win one, winning five is big,” said Saez. “I was confident today. The first horse I rode, she stumbled and still won easily. The track is good, the rail is a little bit heavy, but the outside is pretty good

Saez kicked off the flat racing portion of Thursday's card by guiding Thankful [No. 6, $3.60] to a maiden win as the favorite in Race 2. He followed up in Race 4 with a front-running score aboard favored Threepointninenine [No. 8, $4.90] as the Tom Morley-trained gelding graduated at third asking.

The veteran rider utilized a prominent approach in Race 5 to guide mutuel favorite Leaveuwithasmile [No. 6, $4.90] to a neck score in a claiming sprint and was on the engine again in Race 6 aboard Wild William [No. 4, $11.40] en route to a 1 1/4-length win in a turf claiming sprint.

In Race 7, the $85,000 Tale of the Cat, Saez piloted T Loves a Fight to a dead-heat for third with Binkster in his lone non-winning mount.

Saez completed the quintet of victories in Race 9 with a hard-fought win aboard Foolish Ghost [No. 6, $13.60] after battling to the wire to edge a game Bronx Bomber.

Saez now boasts 20 wins at the Saratoga summer meet, good for fifth in the standings.

Irad Ortiz, Jr., won with 5-of-8 mounts on July 23rd during a 10-race card at the Spa.

Live racing returns on Friday with a nine-race card which features the $85,000 Skidmore for juveniles going 5 ½ furlongs over the Mellon turf. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

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