Becky’s Joker Continues to Defy Odds with Unconventional Spa Schedule

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–Trainer Gary Contessa believes in Becky's Joker (Practical Joke) and is not going to waver from his against-the-grain approach with the massive 2-year-old filly.

On the opening day of the Saratoga season, July 13, Contessa had her make her career debut in the GIII Schuylerville. She won for fun by 3 1/4 lengths at 21-1. According to Equibase, she is just the fifth horse since 1991 to start its career with a graded-stakes victory.

After she worked four furlongs in :48.40 seconds on July 26, Contessa said she was a probable starter in the GIII Adirondack S. on Sunday. Following her :48.77 half-mile work on Tuesday, Contessa said Wednesday he definitely would enter her in the Adirondack rather than wait for the GI Spinaway S. on Sept. 3.

The last time a Schuylerville winner ran back in the Adirondack was in 1999 when Magicalmysterycat (Storm Cat) ended up fourth in the second leg of Saratoga's juvenile fillies series.

Contessa is a veteran horseman who is not bound by current norms.

“I'm kind of old school. I race a horse if they're ready to run,” he said. “I don't say, 'Oh my, God, I ran a 2-year-old. I have to give it six weeks to the next.' Nah. I'm old-school.”

Contessa touted Becky's Joker to everyone before the Schuylerville and was not surprised when she won. He said after the race that he and owner Lee Pokoik would look to the Spinaway for her next start.

“I didn't want to run her three times at the meet. But if you really do the math, this is 23 days to this race. Not bad,” Contessa said. “And she's training great and she's a happy horse. Then it's 28 days to the Spinaway. It's not like we're not getting

some time in between.”

Contessa said that if she runs well in the Adirondack, she will go on to the seven-furlong Spinaway. The last Schuylerville winner to run in all three races was Turnback the Alarm (Darn That Alarm) trained by Red Terrill in 1991. She was third in the Adirondack and second in the Spinaway.

The last horse to complete the rare sweep was Over All (Mr. Prospector) in 1989.

Contessa bought Becky's Joker, already an above-average sized filly, as a weanling at Keeneland November 2021 for $130,000. She didn't reach her reserve when offered as a yearling or as a 2-year-old. Contessa had her shipped to his stable at Saratoga in early May and began getting her ready to run in Pokoik's colors. Her size, once considered a negative, has turned out to be an asset. Contessa said she stands about 16.3 hands and estimates that she weighs 1,250 pounds. He figures she will be 17 hands.

When he purchased her, Contessa acknowledged that he wondered whether she would be able to get to the races because big, young horses are prone to injuries.

“But you never know how precocious a horse might be,” he said. “She has defied the odds. There's an exception to every rule. Sometimes there's many exceptions to every rule and this filly is the exception to every rule.

“I'm sure, there are a lot of people that looked at her at the 2-year-old sales and said, 'I like her a lot, but she's too big.' And to me, she was never really too big. I always liked her.

Contessa said the Becky's Joker has made a believer out of some doubters.

“The day that I bought her as a weaning at six months and sent her to Taylor Made, Frank Taylor picked up the phone and said, “As a yearling, Frank called me and said 'Gary, she's kind of big.' Then as a 2-year-old in training, he said, 'Gary, she's kind of big.' Then, after she won the stake, he called me and he said, 'I guess she's not too big.'”

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Notable US-Bred Runners in Japan: June 19 & 20, 2021

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin and Sapporo Racecourses, including the first Japanese runner for Horse of the Year Gun Runner:

Saturday, June 19, 2021
11th-HSN, Yonago S.-Listed, ¥47.6m ($432k), 3yo/up, 1600mT
The progressive LOTUS LAND (f, 4, Point of Entry–Little Miss Muffet, by Scat Daddy) has finished in the exacta in six of her seven career trips to the post and enters this first black-type attempt on the back of consecutive victories at this track, a first-level allowance going this trip Mar. 28 and a soft win over nine furlongs when last seen Apr. 18 (see below, gate 4). Connections have opted for this spot over Sunday's G3 Mermaid S., a gender-restricted event at 2000 meters. B-Dr Aaron Sones & Dr Naoya Yoshida (KY)

 

 

Sunday, June 20, 2021
5th-SAP, ¥13,400,000 ($122k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT
GRAN APLAUSO (c, 2, Gun Runner–Fiducia, by Medaglia d'Oro) becomes the first Japanese starter for his freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}) and is the first foal from his dam, a Japanese listed winner over six furlongs and a near-miss second in the G3 Ibis Summer Dash (1000m). Fiducia is a daughter of Japanese champion Believe (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), who is also responsible for connections' MSW & G1SP Faridat (Kingmambo) and GSW & G1SP Gendarme (Kitten's Joy). B-North Hills Co Limited (KY)

 

 

7th-HSN, ¥14,360,000 ($130k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1800m
ROSE EMPEROR (c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Arch Support, by Arch) was bought back on a bid of $220K at the 2019 Keeneland September sale, but was hammered down for $350K at OBS March after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5. The late April foal is a veteran of two starts to date, both going this track and distance, including a runner-up effort on debut Feb. 14 before a narrow maiden victory Mar. 21 (see below, gate 7). Rose Emperor's dam was second in the 2010 GIII Miss Grillo S. for this breeder and trainer Gary Contessa. B-Lee Pokoik (KY)

 

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Second Chances: Salit

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Salit (f, 3, American Pharoah–Scherzi, by Brahms) came flying home from far back to complete the trifecta in her promising unveiling over the Gulfstream lawn Sunday (video).

Some early trouble and a wide journey around the second turn weren't the only factors working against her that day.

“I really think she probably should've won first time out,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “She ended up with a cut in her mouth post race. We're not sure when or how, but it happened, and she'll need a little time for that to heal. It made [jockey] Jose Ortiz's job difficult. He did a good job just getting out of her what he did. Lots of ways to get beat. That is a very talented filly.”

The Lee Pokoik colorbearer had a trio of bullets on her worktab in Hallandale, including a five-furlong move in 1:00 (1/6) Jan. 12, and was well-backed at 4-1 from a 12-1 morning-line quote.

Salit took an early bump and was checked shortly after the start. The chestnut was a bit of a handful thereafter, tossing her head and fighting Ortiz some as she caboosed the field of 12 heading into the clubhouse turn.

No fewer than 15 lengths back through fractions of :23.54 and :47.87, she finally re-entered the picture as they rounded the far turn and quickly caught the eye with a four-wide blitz.

Widest of all and right in the mix as they straightened for home, Salit continued to roll down the center of the course in the stretch and came within 1 1/4 lengths of the winner Joy of Painting (Munnings).

Salit clocked her final quarter in easily a field-best :22.78 and earned a 60 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

McPeek also saddled Pokoik's 3-year-old homebred filly Tabor Hall (Candy Ride {Arg}) to a maiden victory going 1 1/16 miles on the main track earlier on the same card.

“I needed to keep Lee Pokoik's fillies split, but I think she'll handle the dirt no problem, too,” McPeek said of Salit. “She's done everything right. We're pretty excited about her. We'll get her mouth fixed up–maybe a week to 10 days–and let that heal. She should be locked and loaded next time out.”

Hailing from the second crop of Triple Crown winner and promising young stallion American Pharoah, Salit brought $175,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. Her 15-year-old dam Scherzi, a half-sister to GI Spinaway S. heroine So Many Ways (Sightseeing), was a 12-time winner and made 40 career starts. Salit was bred in Kentucky by John R. Penn.

Previous standouts featured in 'Second Chances' include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner and Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner and MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), and MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

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