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Trainer Orseno Hoping For ‘Another Miracle’ In Wednesday’s Franklin-Simpson Stakes

Four days after winning the $700,000 RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint with Imprimis, trainer Joe Orseno will try to win another Grade 3 sprint stakes with 15-1 shot Another Miracle in Wednesday's closing-day $500,000 Franklin-Simpson for 3-year-olds.

This will be Another Miracle's third start for Orseno, who received the colt from longtime clients Leonard and Jon Green upon the retirement of Gary Contessa. Another Miracle won a stakes at Saratoga as a 2-year-old and was third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

“Believe it or not, I got Another Miracle because of Imprimis,” Orseno said. “They were talking about where the horses should go. Jon said to his dad, 'Listen, Joe knows what to do. He campaigned Imprimis flawlessly. He knows horses like this.' I think I can campaign any horse, but that was nice and I got him because of that, and I'm OK with that.”

Orseno only had Another Miracle 12 days when he ran in Gulfstream Park's March 21 Texas Glitter Stakes, when Another Miracle missed the break, then hit the gate and generally had a bad trip the rest of the way in finishing seventh.

“It was just a throwout race,” he said. “I told Jon, 'I think I just need to regroup with this horse and get to know him.' We dropped back and gelded the horse, which he needed tremendously.”

Back in July 12 at Monmouth Park, Another Miracle won the $80,000 My Frenchman Stakes.

“He's a different horse,” Orseno said of the son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. “He's very happy now. Listen, he was third in the Breeders' Cup last year so he doesn't have to get too much better to have a good campaign. I'm expecting a big race from him. He loves where he's at at Kentucky Downs. He's a horse who is really thriving.

“He's 15-1 for a reason. There are some quality horses in there. But they're all 3-year-olds. This is the time of the year where some get better. I like to think my horse will get better off one race for me.”

With jockey Paco Lopez serving a suspension, Gerardo Corrales has picked up the mount on Another Miracle. Corrales, in his first year riding at Kentucky Downs, has won four of 13 starts.

Meanwhile, Orseno said he's delighted with how Imprimis came out of his victory. The 6-year-old gelding earned a fees-paid spot in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland with his neck victory over Bombard and Front Run the Fed, who dead-heated for second. Imprimis won last year's Grade 2 Shakertown and was third in last fall's Grade 2 Woodford at Keeneland. He came in sixth in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita.

Imprimis had surgery for correct a breathing obstruction and didn't start his 2020 season until Saratoga's Grade 3 Troy Stakes, in which he was disqualified from first to third. The RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint was his second start of the year.

“He looks fantastic,” Orseno said. “Everything says we're leaning and pushing toward the Breeders' Cup. So we'll start to get him ready. He likes Keeneland, and if it's a little soft, it doesn't bother him. And it could be soft on Nov. 7.

“Last year his first race in the Silks Run (at Gulfstream) was just phenomenal, and he came back and won the Shakertown at Keeneland,” Orseno said. “It looked like he was on his way. We got a little sidetracked, took him to Royal Ascot. In retrospect, it probably wasn't the best thing for the horse, but we wanted to try it. It just didn't work. Getting him back off of that was the tough part. So it's really gratifying, especially knowing some of the work we did to him and bringing him back. You never know when you do all that with a horse. You hope and pray he's the same horse. But a lot of them come back and they're not.”

Orseno thinks Imprimis is a better horse this year “all the way around.

“His coat and his weight he's carrying, he's very happy,” he said. “I think it all goes with the time off, what we did and the horse was not getting all his air — and now he's getting all his air and he's very happy.”

Orseno said he'll go into the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with a good measure of confidence.

“I knew I won the race, but I didn't realize the trip he got until I watched the replay a bunch of times,” he said of the RUNHAPPY Turf Sprint. “For him at the top of the stretch to be where he was and to swing out seven-wide — I know it's a long stretch and you still have a quarter-mile to go — but I think he overcame a lot in that race in running them down. I was really pleased with that.”

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Imprimus Earns Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Berth With Hard-Fought Victory At Kentucky Downs

One year after getting beat as the favorite in the Grade 3, $700,000 Runhappy Turf Sprint Stakes, Imprimis rewarded those who retained the faith in him on Saturday as the Broken Vow gelding got up by a neck over Front Run the Fed to capture the 2020 edition of the race at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky.

The six-furlong Turf Sprint offered the winner a fees-paid spot in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (Grade 1) on Nov. 7 at Keeneland as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series' “Win and You're In” program.

The trip to Kentucky Downs for Imprimis represented just the second start of the year for the 6-year-old and his first win since taking the 2019 Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes. Though the record shows the dark bay gelding coming in off a loss in the Grade 3 Troy Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 8, he actually crossed the wire first by 2 1/4 lengths that day but was disqualified for interference and placed third.

“None of us were happy about it. I'd say 90 percent of the people, because they're my friends or trying to make me feel better, they all thought we got a bad deal,” trainer Joe Orseno said. “But it is what it is. You can't take the win away from the horse. He ran his heart out off a 10-month layoff. Went up there and won that. We're going to get to our goal, that's the Breeders' Cup. He loves Keeneland. So we're pretty excited.”

That big run Imprimis put in at Saratoga was his first start since running sixth in the last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, and it served a warning for the kind of form he would bring to Franklin, Ky.

Sent off as the 3-1 favorite in the 11-horse field, Imprimis rated in fifth in an outside path as Bombard covered the opening quarter mile in :22.39 but found himself shuffled back with a wall of horses in front of him as the field reached the top of the stretch.

With three-sixteenths of a mile to go, Imprimis began making his big on the far outside under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and ended up in a three-way battle to the wire that saw him surge past Front Run the Fed and third-place finisher Bombard.

“A year ago (when fourth as the favorite), it was his first race since Royal Ascot,” Orseno said. “He wasn't quite back to himself. We tried to rush him along for the Breeders' Cup. We probably made a couple of bad moves.

“I had him where I wanted him (this year),” Orseno added. “I did everything we could do as far as the training and everything he's doing, his weight. We were very happy with him coming here. I expected this effort. But this was a tough race. There were some quality horses in there. I mean, the Breeders' Cup won't be any tougher. We're very happy where we have him right now.”

Said Ortiz: “He ran big. I rode him before on the soft turf at Pimlico, and I knew he handled it pretty good. So I wasn't afraid. I rode him with confidence. They moved outside of me, and I didn't want to see that, but they moved so I said let me just wait because it was a little early. When I tipped him out, he responded really well. He was coming.”

When Imprimis hit the wire in 1:09.93 over a course rated soft, it capped a huge day for owner Mike Hall of Breeze Easy, LLC, who also won the $500,000 Bal a Bali Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes with Outadore.

“It feels wonderful. What a wonderful horse,” Hall said of Imprimis. “We've had so much fun with him. Since the day we bought him, he's just been an awesome horse. Joe Orseno has done a great job keeping him going.”

Hall was just sorry that his Breeze Easy partner Sam Ross was home in Parkersburg, W.Va., and not at the track. “I know he's jumping up and down,” Hall said. “I love him like my dad, and if it wasn't for him, we probably wouldn't be here. He makes this whole game for us much more exciting than what I could do by myself.”

Totally Boss, winner of the Turf Sprint Stakes last year, finished seventh on Saturday.

“He didn't seem to like the track today,” said Florent Geroux, jockey for Totally Boss. “He was stumbling a lot and never got his footing right. He ran even, but hated the track from the beginning. He was never in a good spot.”

Bred in Florida by Craig Wheeler, Imprimis now boasts eight wins from 15 career starts with $759,948 in earnings.

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Hot-Handed Clement Sends Pure Sensation, Shekky Shebaz Into Troy

Christophe Clement, who topped the trainer standings with 15 wins heading into Wednesday's card at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., will look to add to his impressive numbers when he sends out Pure Sensation and Shekky Shebaz in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Troy over the Spa's Mellon turf course.

The Troy, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint for older males, is one of five graded races on a loaded Runhappy Travers Day card headlined by the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers at 1 1/4 miles for the country's most talented 3-year-olds. The card is bolstered by the Grade 1, $300,000 Longines Test for sophomore fillies; the Grade 1, $300,000 Ballerina presented by NYRA Bets for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going seven furlongs and offering a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Waya, a 1 ½-mile turf route for older fillies and mares. The card will be broadcast on Saratoga Live on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

Patricia Generazio's homebred Pure Sensation, a 9-year-old Zensational gelding, boasts a record of 37-14-5-7 with purse earnings of $2,001,050. The popular grey won 4-of-6 starts last season, including a pair of graded-stakes at Parx where he captured his third Grade 3 Parx Dash [which he also won in 2016-17], and his fourth Grade 3 Turf Monster [2015, 2017-18] at Parx.

Pure Sensation wintered at Payson Park in Florida and made his seasonal debut with a seventh in the Grade 1 Jaipur on June 20 at Belmont Park. He posted a pair of turf works following the Jaipur, including a bullet three-eighths in 37.23 seconds on July 31 on the Oklahoma training turf.

“I was very disappointed with his race in the Jaipur. He was in a speed duel that day and I hope it's the reason that he ran poorly,” said Clement. “He came back and had a very good work on the turf the other day here. He worked well and looks well.”

Pure Sensation will be making his third start in the Troy after finishing sixth in 2018 and third last year. Clement said he's hoping the ultra-consistent Pure Sensation will return to form on Saturday.

“He's 9 years old, so we'll go one race at a time with him,” said Clement. “It's an important race for him as he has to do well in order for me to carry on. He's a very good-looking horse. He still looks very well and he's very sound.”

Kendrick Carmouche, who had guided the gelding to seven wins, has the call from post 5.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables' Shekky Shebaz owns a record of 21-6-5-4 with purse earnings of $382,400 and will look to make the grade in his fourth start of the season.

The 5-year-old Cape Blanco gelding finished third in the 2019 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in his graded-stakes debut. Last out, making his first start for Clement, Shekky Shebaz closed to finish third in the 5 ½-furlong Wolf Hill at Monmouth Park.

Shekky Shebaz posted a bullet three-eighths breeze in 36.98 Sunday on the Oklahoma turf training course.

“He's had one start with us and ran fair at Monmouth,” said Clement. “He ran wide all the way. He also looks good and trained well on the grass here. Irad knows him well, so we'll give him a shot.”

Shekky Shebaz will exit post 4 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Breeze Easy's Imprimis, a seven-time winner from 13 starts for trainer Joe Orseno, is winless in four starts since taking the 2019 Grade 2 Shakertown in April at Keeneland.

The 6-year-old Broken Vow gelding shipped to Ascot last June for the Group 1 King's Stand and finished sixth. He returned stateside for a three-race fall campaign that included a fourth in the Grade 3 Runhappy Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs; a third in the Grade 2 Woodford at Keeneland and a sixth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.

Jose Ortiz, who guided Imprimis to victory in the 2018 Wolf Hill at Monmouth Park, will pilot Imprimis from the inside post.

Rounding out the field is American Sailor [post 2, Tyler Gaffalione], Lonhtwist [post 3, John Velazquez], Pulsate [post 6, Manny Franco], and Chewing Gum [post 7, Joel Rosario].

The Troy is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's 12-race card, which offers a first post of 12 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Azalea, Carry Back Stakes In Rainbow 6 Sequence At Gulfstream; Jackpot Has $250,000 Guarantee

Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., will celebrate Saturday's July 4th holiday with a $250,000 Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool guarantee on a 12-race program highlighted by the $75,000 Carry Back and the $75,000 Azalea.

First race post time is set for noon.

The Rainbow 6 went unsolved Friday for the second day following Tuesday's mandatory payout. Multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $11,255.28.

The carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Saturday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 7-12, including the Azalea, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies, in Race 9 and the Carry Back, a seven-furlong event for 3-year-olds, in Race 11.

Boerne, rated at 6-5 in the morning line, looms as a popular 'single' with Rainbow 6 bettors. The Juan Carlos Avila-trained daughter of Fed Biz, finished second behind talented Up in Smoke in the June 8 Game Face at Gulfstream as the even-money favorite. Boerne has won her three previous starts by a combined 15 lengths.

Double Crown, who outfinished Grade 1 stakes-placed Green Light Go in the May 16 Roar Stakes last time out, tops a highly competitive edition of the Carry Back. The Kathy Ritvo-trained gelded son of Bourbon Courage will be joined by stablemate Ournationonparade and Hutcheson Stakes winner With Verve.

The Rainbow 6 sequence kicks off with 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds and up in Race 7. Whisper Hill Farm's Plum Funny, a 3-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor, is scheduled to make her career debut for trainer Ralph Nicks. Plum Funny is out of Plum Pretty, who won the 2011 Kentucky Oaks (G1). St. George Stable LLC's Mascabroni, a 3-year-old daughter of Hard Spun, also brings strong bloodlines into her debut. The Fausto Gutierrez-trained filly is out of So Much Love, who is out of Grade 1 stakes-winning Love Lock.

Orseno, Jaramillo Team Up for Two Wins
Trainer Joe Orseno had two winners Friday with jockey Emisael Jaramillo bringing both to the winner's circle. Jaramillo rode Cash Call Kitten ($6) to victory in the fifth race and brought home Orseno's 13-1 shot Dakota's Dude ($29.60) in the seventh race.

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