In reference to yesterday's article about the Metropolitan Handicap not being on Memorial Day, when it was traditionally held, yes, I totally agree with you. I am very much a traditionalist also. However, you know what the trend is, right? The bean counters think that apparently big championship racing days generate the most handle. I guess that might be a trend for the future.

But that's not my issue with the article. You referred to this Memorial Day as “it will be just another day at the track”. Come on Bill!!

It's New York-bred Showcase Day, the biggest day of racing for New York-breds in the spring at beautiful Belmont Park. We showcase the best New York-breds in stake race after stake race. New York breeders spend a ton of money all over the country including Kentucky. We just passed a rule whereby you can buy a mare at any auction in Kentucky and other states, ship the mare back within 15 days and take advantage of everything the program has to offer. New York-breds race with up to a 30% advantage over non-New York-breds at New York tracks for some of the biggest purses in the country.

Times are tough. We went from an annual 50,000 foal crop nationally when I got into the business back in the 70s to around an 18,000 foal crop presently. Let's go easy on each other and try and be supportive of all the state programs, including New York's.
And go easy on me with all that ink in your barrel!

Respectfully,
Tom Gallo
President, New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc.

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In 1976 and 1977, they saw the mighty Forego win the race. In 1982, the 3-year-old Conquistador Cielo won by 7 1/4 lengths, five days before he would return to win the GI Belmont S. In 1990, Criminal Type beat Easy Goer and Housebuster. In 1994, Holy Bull won the Met, rebounding from his lackluster performance in the GI Kentucky Derby. Ghostzapper won in 2005. The winner in 2010 was Quality Road.

Fast forward to Memorial Day 2022 and the Belmont card not only won't include the Met Mile, but there are no graded stakes on the program. The highlight on this afternoon will be five stakes races for New York-breds. There were supposed to be six, but one, the Commentator H., did not fill. It will be just another day at the track.

During the three-day holiday weekend, Belmont offered just one graded stakes, Saturday's GIII Soaring Softly S. The weekend was crying out for a big race, and there is no better way to fill the void than returning the Met Mile to its traditional place on the calendar.

The Met Mile was last run on Memorial Day in 2013. The following year, it was moved to Belmont Day and it has remained there ever since. The idea was to create a blockbuster card that went beyond just the Belmont Stakes. This year, there will be nine graded stakes on the card, eight of them Grade I's. It's working. With the exception of the Saturday Breeders' Cup program, the Belmont Stakes card might be the best in the sport. Last year's handle for the card was $112 million, a record for a non-Triple Crown year.

But there's been a price to pay. The weekend racing leading up to and following the Belmont has absolutely no sizzle. That might be fine for some of the weeks, but it shouldn't be ok for Memorial Day.

You can make a case that the Met is the third most important, most prestigious race run each year in New York, behind only the GI Travers S. and the Belmont. Put it along side eight claiming races if you have to and it can carry a day. But on Belmont Day it tends to get lost.

The solution is to go back to Memorial Day. To do so wouldn't affect Belmont Day one bit. A Met Mile-less card that still had eight stakes, seven of them Grade I's, and a Triple Crown event would get by just fine without the Met. And moving the Met back to Memorial Day would instantly make the Monday holiday program the special type of occasion that it was for 42 years but is no longer.

Repole-Viola Partnership Off To Good Start

It comes as no surprise that the first two-year-old to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status this year in New York is owned by the partnership of Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola. The feat was accomplished Friday at Belmont when Forte (Violence) romped by 7 3/4 lengths, paying $2.40 to win. Forte was purchased for $110,000 last year at Keeneland September.

On the same day, Repole and Viola finished third in a 2-year-old maiden at Churchill Downs with Summonyourcourage (Practical Joke). Summonyourcourage and Forte were their first two 2-year-old starters on the year.

Viola and Repole have assembled a stable of 2-year-olds that is so large and so potent that it is unlike anything ever seen in racing before. They bought 43 yearlings last year at Keeneland September, paying a combined $16.045 million. They also bought three yearlings at Fasig-Tipton sales for an aggregate cost of $1.725 million. The vast majority of the horses are colts.

“Vinnie and I have at least 50 2-year-olds together,” Repole said via text. “Plus, we probably have at least 25 each alone. I'm extremely excited about these 2-year-olds. Forte looked great in his debut, winning by almost eight lengths and getting an 81 Beyer. Vinnie and I are excited about unleashing some potential future stars at Saratoga. Building this stable has been 15 years in the making for me and the great team I have managing the stable.”

While awaiting the debut of more 2-year-olds, Repole can turn his attention to the GI Belmont S. He has a confirmed starter in Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and says that he is “leaning heavily” toward running the filly Nest (Curlin) in the race.

“If we run her, it will be because she deserves to be in this race,” Repole said. “She is just as fast as the 3-year-old colts. She is a daughter of Curlin and will relish the distance.”

Piggott in the North America

Equibase stats on Lestor Piggott's rides in North America go back only to 1976. Starting with that time, Piggott, who passed away Sunday at age 86, had seven winners in North America from 68 mounts. That includes two stakes wins, with Royal Academy in the 1990 GI Breeders' Cup Mile, and with Argument (Fr) in the 1980 GI Washington D.C. International.

Piggott's last-ever mount in the U.S. was one he probably would have liked to forget. He rode Mr. Brooks (GB) in the 1992 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, where the horse broke down and had to be euthanized.

In 1979, the Meadowlands brought him over to take part in an international jockey challenge pitting U.S. versus European riders. Steve Cauthen captained the victorious U.S. team. Piggott did not win a race that night.

Before the advent of the Breeders' Cup, the Washington D.C. International at Laurel led the way when it came to attracting star horses and riders from Europe. With three wins in the International, Piggott is tied with Manny Ycaza for most wins in the race by a jockey. Piggott also won the International in 1968 with Sir Ivor and in 1969 with Karabas. He also won the 1974 Canadian International aboard Dahlia.

After riding in the 1967 D.C. International, Piggott stayed in the U.S and tried to break in at Aqueduct during a time of year when flat racing is shutdown in the U.K. According to a New York Times report, he was 2-for-his-first-18 over the course of seven days. He said his intention was to finish the Aqueduct meet, which ended Dec. 15. When asked why he had made a detour at Aqueduct before returning to the U.K., Piggott said: “because I enjoy riding. Why not ride here?” He admitted he wasn't getting on the best mounts. “I wouldn't be riding these bad ones in England,” he said. “But I guess there's nothing else I can do here.”

The post The Week in Review: The Met Mile Belongs on Memorial Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Silver State is the 11th domestic Grade I winner (besides three in Australia) by Hard Spun, who carried Porter's silks in a GI Kentucky Derby that truly served its purpose as a signpost to merit for breeders. Only Street Sense managed to overhaul him, with Curlin well held in third. Those two have given us seven and 14 Grade I winners, respectively, taking the 2007 podium aggregate to 32, in the process earning themselves fees of $60,000 and $175,000. In that context, $35,000 for Hard Spun–especially as one of the last direct links to his breed-shaping sire Danzig–transparently represents some of the best value around at that level of the market.

In fairness, the genetic seam that has proved so fertile was first opened up by Hard Spun's breeders, Michael Moran and Brushwood Stable. But Porter and his team certainly showcased the breadth of his talent, trainer Larry Jones developing him from the company of Pennsylvania-breds to become a key player in the Classics before dropping back to seven furlongs to win his Grade I in the King's Bishop S. Hard Spun then disclosed the kind of versatility we associate with Danzig, as a global influence, by subsequently beating Street Sense on a synthetic surface and then chasing home Curlin in that ghastly mudbath at the Monmouth Breeders' Cup.

As luck should have it, Hard Spun's sophomore campaign coincided with a conspicuous determination by Sheikh Mohammed that his Turf empire needed to upgrade its seeding by in-house stallions. A deal was duly done with Porter to include Hard Spun among a series of expensive recruits made that year for Godolphin's feeder farms around the world: in Europe, champion juvenile Teofilo (Ire) and G1 Epsom Derby winner Authorized (Ire) gave the Sheikh precious access to the blood of two titans, Galileo (Ire) and Montjeu (Ire), revealing their potency for his great rivals at Coolmore; G1 Japan Cup winner Admire Moon (Jpn) joined the Hokkaido roster; while both Street Sense and Hard Spun arrived at Jonabell Farm in Kentucky, at $75,000 and $50,000 respectively, alongside fellow rookies Any Given Saturday and Discreet Cat.

Both Street Sense and Hard Spun would soon be asked to risk their early domestic momentum with a year in Japan. That mission might not have been entertained on a purely commercial farm, but they belong to a global program and, besides, were always guaranteed swift rehabilitation in the Bluegrass by the quality of the herd on their home farm.

Nor would external clients forget Hard Spun during his absence. His first crop ultimately yielded a record 17 stakes winners, while the fourth-crop table of 2014–the year of his absence–put Hard Spun clear (whether by prizemoney, winners or graded stakes success) of no less a trio than Street Sense, English Channel and Scat Daddy. One way or another, then, he has routinely maintained books of around 150, which amounts to full subscription on a wholesome farm like this.

Sure enough, having had no 2017 U.S. juveniles/2018  sophomores, Hard Spun didn't miss a beat on his return. Indeed, the prizemoney banked by his comeback 3-year-olds in 2019 was exceeded only by those of champion Into Mischief.

Moreover he had been helped through his blank year by a useful propensity in his stock to keep thriving with maturity. That, in turn, reflects the soundness that underpinned Hard Spun's own career, which spanned 13 starts in barely a year, repeatedly giving everything he had in stretching his speed.

The chances are that Hard Spun might have reached still greater heights at four–he would surely have been an ideal type for the Met Mile himself–but his services were impatiently awaited at Jonabell. So while he can also produce a romping GII Saratoga Special winner, in Green Light Go, we often see the benefits of maturity in his stock. Silver State himself is one such case, having seamlessly regrouped since his comeback last fall, while Smooth Roller only surfaced at four before thrashing Hoppertunity and Bayern in the GI Awesome Again S. Moreover, American breeders may not be aware of the durability exhibited by some of Hard Spun's high achievers overseas, Le Romain (Aus) and Moviesta having each soaked up six campaigns in Australia and Europe, respectively.

Both also operated not just on turf but in sprints. Moviesta's biggest win, in fact, came over five furlongs on the downhill ramp at Goodwood–and he's out of an A.P. Indy mare. That versatility is the trademark of a sire who has shown a Danzig serviceability on turf (see Hard Not To Like) but has proved no less adept on dirt (see Hard Not To Love!). And his speed is very often carried through a second turn: as, for instance, by runaway GI Alabama S. winner Questing (GB), GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun To Run, or GI Wood Memorial winner Wicked Strong.

A flair for dirt gives Hard Spun priceless distinction, of course, in an environment that might otherwise be wary of the strong grass flavor to Danzig's dynasty, notably through Danehill (in both Australia and Europe) and Green Desert (in Europe). But “priceless” is only a figure of speech, when he trades at a rate so much more affordable than another of Danzig's later sons, War Front, whose career fits that international/grass branding so closely.

Regardless of any surface prejudices, it is rare in this day and age to retain such proximate access to such a hallowed influence on the modern breed. Danzig was 26 when he conceived Hard Spun (a mere youngster of 24 when he came up with War Front). We've often remarked on the self-fulfilling nature of commercial prejudice against older sires. With Danzig, admittedly, we're rolling back the years to an era of much smaller books, one somewhat evoked by the conservative management of War Front himself. But even today it's funny how those horses unchallenged by fashion, like Galileo, maintain into the evening of their careers a mechanical output that is duly presented as an exception to the perceived “rule”.

Be that as it may, it certainly feels special to have a stallion in his prime, at 17, who not only provides a direct tap into Danzig but also brings in names like Roberto and My Babu (Fr) as close up as his second and third dams. The only chink in Hard Spun's genetic armor was always his damsire Turkoman, a son of Alydar who won an Eclipse Award as an older horse but made little impact at stud, excepting another daughter who became dam of Horse of the Year Point Given (Thunder Gulch). Turkoman can perhaps be credited for the physical immensity of that horse–and Hard Spun is another imposing specimen, who has stamped Silver State in much the same way–but he did not recycle his acceleration consistently enough and ended up wandering round California.

Incidentally, Turkoman lived to 34 and was lovingly tended to the end. But I remember being incredulous on reading that there had been problems getting full syndicate support for his upkeep, once pensioned, with an ordinary race fan from Michigan among those who stepped up to the plate. I can just imagine what Rick Porter might have had to say about that situation.

Turkoman had started his stud career in a noble setting at Darby Dan and it was his daughter out of a Roberto half-sister to farm champion Little Current that was alertly bought by Michael Moran as a yearling for just $39,000 in 1992. Named Turkish Tryst, she won four times and made the podium on the only occasion she was tried in graded company (GII Matchmaker S.). It was her yearling son by Danzig that Porter acquired privately after he failed at $485,000 to meet what was evidently a pretty ambitious reserve (necessarily, given the cost of access even to the ageing Danzig; and quite rightly, as things would turn out) at the Keeneland September Sale of 2005.

It is not just Danzig, then, who gives old-school luster to Hard Spun. Since his granddam was a half-sister to Little Current, remember, then that meant she was out of a half-sister (by My Babu, as noted) to two other Darby Dan legends (both by Swaps) in Chateaugay and Primonetta. The former was notoriously denied the Triple Crown only by a runner-up finish in the Preakness, five days after an unscheduled crack at the Pimlico track record in his final gallop; the latter, a 17-for-25 champion on the track, produced two Grade I winners (plus one at Grade II level).

So while Turkish Tryst did not have a straightforward breeding career, she was certainly working with the right stuff. Five of her seven foals won and, though Hard Spun was much the most accomplished, her stakes-placed daughter Our Rite Of Spring (Stravinsky) has since brought the family new distinction as second dam of multiple Grade I winner Improbable (City Zip).

Hard Spun, then, really represents the full package and, given the inaccessibility of War Front, is surely a more important resource for breeders than is implied by his fee.

His one omission for now remains a proven heir to maintain that abbreviated link to Danzig. War Front already has Declaration Of War and The Factor doing well, with a number of younger sons now making their way either side of the ocean, not least a wonderful parting gift from Porter in Omaha Beach.     But several of Hard Spun's best sons have been geldings, while Wicked Strong is down to just $3,500 as he seeks a reboot at a smaller farm. Spun To Run will be given every chance at Gainesway, but the opportunity is plainly there for Silver State to stake his claim.

Silver State's family, after all, introduces complementary Classic influences of its own. His dam Supreme (Empire Maker) was acquired by Stonestreet for $800,000 at Keeneland in January 2013 when carrying her first foal. She owed that valuation partly to her own merit, as a Grade II-placed stakes winner, but also to the fact that her mother was a sister to Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos. Supreme's mating with Hard Spun meanwhile consolidated his trademark toughness with a second strand of that redoubtable influence, Roberto–already noted as sire of Hard Spun's granddam–being responsible for her third dam.

A $450,000 Keeneland September purchase by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Silver State (who is raced in partnership with Wills Horton Racing LLC) has been expertly brought back through the ranks by Steve Asmussen, who gained due reward with a third Met Mile in four years. That stands the trainer up to all comers since Eddie Neloy won the great race three years straight with Gun Bow, Bold Lad and Buckpasser.

The traditionalists among us love this race as a stallion showcase because that sweeping, one-turn mile permits no hiding place in the honest, big-hearted carrying of speed. That's an asset in every environment, and the key to Danzig's international success. It is also the hallmark of a stallion who, above all through the hardiness implicit in his name, covers all bases. At his intermediate fee, Hard Spun can prove a young mare; he gives you a margin to work with, at market; and he can introduce old-school class to any aspiring track program.

The fact is that Hard Spun, already fairly priced before taking his pandemic trim, has been returning the yield of an elite stallion from the moment he could again count on two consecutive domestic crops. A fine ninth in the general sires' list in 2020, he had done even better the preceding campaign, finishing behind only Into Mischief (now $225,000), Curlin ($175,000) and Tapit ($185,000). So while Rick Porter reminded us to respect all horses, regardless of their ability, it seems that sometimes we don't show quite enough even to those who do make the grade.

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Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the son of Hard Spun carried five straight triumphs into the prestigious one-turn mile event, including three stakes wins at Oaklawn Park. He made his seasonal bow with a narrow victory in the Fifth Season on January 23 going a two-turn mile before notching wins in the Essex on March 13 and the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 17.

Silver State began his six-race tear off a seven-month layoff when defeating winners going seven furlongs on October 22 at Keeneland. He produced a career-best 101 Beyer when traveling the same distance next out at Churchill Downs.

Given Silver State's versatility, Fiske said he is still determining a target for the 4-year-old bay colt, who earned an automatic entry into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in capturing the Met Mile.

“He's in that spot where we could stretch him out again, or we could shorten him up,” Fiske said. “He seems to be effective at seven [furlongs], a mile, a mile and a sixteenth and a mile and an eighth, He can go just about anywhere. We'll probably talk about whether we want to go in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and keep him at a middle distance or if we want to stretch him out again.”

Campaigned on the Fair Grounds division of the Kentucky Derby trail last year, Silver State was put on the shelf following a distant seventh in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. Fiske said his mental maturity has been highly instrumental.

“He's always had a lot of talent and we always thought a lot of him,” Fiske said. “We had him on the Triple Crown trail last year and maybe he was a little immature for that. We did some body work on him and sent him to the sidelines after the Louisiana Derby. With the pandemic, there was a lot of uncertainty as to when. We brought him back in the fall. He was a bigger, stronger version of himself.

“He's always been a large extremely good-looking horse,” he added. “He probably would have gotten good sooner with a more consistent pattern of racing. He may have been victimized by the pandemic a bit.”

Additionally, Fiske expressed delight in seeing Tapit, who was campaigned by Winchell, sire a fourth Belmont Stakes winner. The influential stallion put himself on even terms with Lexington, who sired General Duke [1868], Kingfisher [1870], Harry Basset [1871] and Duke of Magenta [1878].

“Ron and I joke that he hasn't gotten a Derby win because it's too short,” Fiske quipped. “No one has done that in the modern era. We were hoping he would get a Derby winner this year, if not for a slightly troubled trip for Essential Quality.”

The post Fiske Pondering Next Step For Silver State appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Silver State was a fringe player on the 2020 Triple Crown trail, finishing second in the GIII Lecomte S. and third in a division of the GII Risen Star S. before a seventh-place run in the GII Louisiana Derby in March. He reemerged a seven-length romper over Keeneland's almost-a-mile Beard Course in allowance company last October, and hasn't looked back since. The bay cleared his '2X' at Churchill in November, followed by narrow scores in Oaklawn's Fifth Season S. Jan. 23 and Essex H. Mar. 13. He most recently got up by a half-length in the nine-furlong GII Oaklawn H. Apr. 17, pairing up his 101 Beyer Speed Figure top.

Let go as the 57-10 third choice, Silver State broke well enough despite pressure from both sides, and tucked in behind Knicks Go as Mischevious Alex rushed up to apply pressure. Shuffled back a bit and ridden along near a :46.31 half, he looked to be going well heading for home as the favorites knocked heads. Knicks Go floated Mischevious Alex very wide, and that gave Silver State a perfect path if he had the horse. He did, and pushed past the fading Knicks Go, outkicked Mischevious Alex and held safe By My Standards by a length.

“He broke really sharp today and put me in a great spot,” said winning rider Ricardo Santana, Jr., who escaped injury Friday at Churchill Downs when his mount broke through the temporary rail and caused the declaration of a no contest. “I was just a passenger today. He put me where he wanted to be. The rail opened, so I decided to go through it and he gave me the victory… Steve's done a good job with him. He gave him time off. He came back fresh last year and he's the best that he's been right now… The good thing about that horse is that he can do whatever you want to. He's really smart. I'm really impressed with him.”

Hall of Famer Asmussen took the 2018 Met Mile with Bee Jersey (Jersey Town) and 2019 renewal with Mitole (Eskendereya)–both were also piloted by his go-to jock Santana.

“I'm very proud of Silver State, the whole team, and the trip Ricardo gave him and the faith he has in the horse,” said Asmussen. “The Met Mile is an extremely significant win and one of the great races in American racing.

“This is six wins in a row for him. He's an absolutely beautiful Stonestreet bred that Ron Winchell and Mr. [Willis] Horton purchased and have campaigned. Their patience in allowing him to get to this level has been perfect.

“Silver State's one-turn races last year were brilliant. Ricardo knows the horse and has a great amount of confidence in him. He was away cleanly and he was traveling very comfortably. Ricardo's level of confidence in this horse, and it's obviously warranted, had a lot to do with the outcome today.

“This horse takes a step forward with every race. The one thing you really noticed at Oaklawn is every time he went to the wire like he was trying to win. He's a Met Mile winner. We built it up to this point. To be in this position today will give him the credit he deserves. That's the great part about racing. You have to earn it. That's what he did today. The Met Mile was our target since last fall.”

Saturday, Belmont Park
HILL 'N' DALE METROPOLITAN H.-GI, $955,000, Belmont, 6-5, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:35.45, ft.
1–SILVER STATE, 120, c, 4, by Hard Spun
                1st Dam: Supreme (SW-USA, GSP-Can, $162,789),
                                by Empire Maker
                2nd Dam: Mon Belle, by Maria's Mon
                3rd Dam: Regal Band, by Dixieland Band
   1ST GRADE I WIN. ($450,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Winchell
Thoroughbreds LLC and Willis Horton Racing LLC;
B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $535,000. Lifetime Record:
11-7-2-1, $1,765,094. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–By My Standards, 122, h, 5, Goldencents–A Jealous Woman,
by Muqtarib. ($150,000 2yo '18 OBSAPR). O-Allied Racing
Stable, LLC & Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Don Ladd (KY); T-W. Bret
Calhoun. $185,000.
3–Mischevious Alex, 124, c, 4, Into Mischief–White Pants Night,
by Speightstown. ($75,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $140,000 RNA 2yo
'19 OBSAPR). O-Cash is King LLC and LC Racing; B-WinStar
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. $100,000.
Margins: 1, 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 5.70, 8.90, 3.55.
Also Ran: Knicks Go, Dr Post, Lexitonian.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Silver State is the 14th highest-level winner for good racehorse sire Hard Spun, whose runners perform at a variety of distances and over both surfaces. Among his recent standouts are 2019 Dirt Mile winner Spun to Run. The late Empire Maker is the broodmare sire of 27 graded winners and, for now, six Grade I winners–he is also the dam sire of current GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Mandaloun (Into Mischief). Among the six are GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner and GI Belmont S. also-ran Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}).

The winner's dam Supreme was a two-time sprint winner on dirt, but improved significantly when switched to the sod and was a stakes winner and GSP in dashes over that surface. Stonestreet paid $800,000 for Supreme in foal to Giant's Causeway at the 2013 Keeneland January sale. Supreme is out of a full-sister to GI Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos. Supreme's 2-year-old Candy Ride (Arg) colt was a $95,000 KEESEP RNA turned $500,000 OBS March purchase by Yuji Hasegawa off a :10 flat breeze. Supreme produced an Uncle Mo colt last May but was not bred back.

The post Silver State Proves His Mettle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Sydney's leading trainer, Chris Waller, will saddle an incredible seven runners in the Epsom (G1). While post positions are not a huge impediment at the Randwick mile start, favoritism changed as a result of the draw and now rests with a Waller trainee who will break from the rail. Star of the Seas (4-1) finished third in last year's Epsom – one of four G1 minor placings in the past 12 months, at odds ranging from 11-1 to 30-1. The 6-year-old gelding is finally receiving the respect he deserves atop the market, and few would begrudge him a breakthrough at the elite level.

If there is such a thing as a race within a race, the fillies Probabeel (7-1) and Funstar (10-1) carry a terrific rivalry from their 3-year-old season into the Epsom as newly-turned 4-year-olds. The pair has met six times and share the honors (3-3) in head-to-head clashes. Appropriately, they will be neighbors in the starting gate (18 and 19, with Probabeel losing favoritism as a result). Probabeel and Funstar will be ridden by two of Australia's most accomplished jockeys, Kerrin McEvoy and Glen Boss respectively, who also share a 3-3 scoreline – in Melbourne Cup victories. By coincidence, they have also won the first three runnings of The Everest (McEvoy leads 2-1). Boss captured his first Epsom last year, a prize that has so far eluded McEvoy.

In Friday night's co-feature, Kerrin McEvoy will get a leg-up on the Metropolitan (G1) favorite, Mugatoo (9-5). Since arriving from England in the second half of 2019, Mugatoo has been a gradually growing force in the Australian staying ranks for respected trainer, Kris Lees. The gelded son of Henry the Navigator has won his past three races and is primed for this Group One test at 1-1/2 miles, with regular rider McEvoy declaring Mugatoo to be “the best he's been” in his Australian career. While Mugatoo appears one of the soundest investments on the card, Rondinella (15-1) is ticking over nicely and has been set for this specific target. The mare represents value beneath Rachel King, one of numerous talented female jockeys plying their trade Down Under.

McEvoy's strong book of rides extends to the final prep for The Everest, the world's richest turf race which is now just two weeks away. The Premiere Stakes (like The Everest, at six furlongs) pits a pair of prodigiously gifted sprinters against each other: Nature Strip (4/5) and Classique Legend (2-1). McEvoy rides the latter, a lightly raced gray who was third in last year's Premiere before an unlucky midfield finish in The Everest at just his seventh career start. Classique Legend's resumption from a layoff two weeks ago was breathtaking, as he unleashed a paralyzing burst once hooked into the clear by McEvoy.

Trainer Les Bridge is based at Randwick, where he was the youngest trainer when beginning his career as a 22-year-old – and is now the oldest resident trainer at 82. In the 1980s, Bridge trained the winner of a Golden Slipper (world's richest juvenile race) and a Melbourne Cup (two-mile handicap). The highly respected, veteran conditioner has no hesitation in declaring Classique Legend the best horse he's handled.

In the Premiere – as in the forthcoming The Everest – the horse to beat is Nature Strip, whose raw speed and immense talent are matched only by his enigmatic nature. In a recent “barrier trial” (training race), Nature Strip dumped rider James McDonald at the start and was ordered by stewards to trial satisfactorily before his entry for Friday's race would be accepted. Trainer Chris Waller fulfilled that obligation, but any appearance by Nature Strip creates anticipation on multiple levels: at his best, there is simply no turf sprinter on the planet capable of beating him, but his record of 24:14-3-0 shows that he's more likely to completely bomb than fill a minor placing — he is the epitome of equine “must-see TV.”

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 10:25 p.m. ET / 7:25 p.m. PT) alongside cards from Eagle Farm and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, AmWager, and BetAmerica. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael's vast U.S. experience includes: race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway

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McGaughey, a member of racing’s Hall of Fame since 2004, will try for his fourth victory in Saratoga’s premier dirt race for older horses Saturday with William Farish’s 4-year-old homebred colt.

The chestnut drew in the middle of the strong five-horse field, that features Tom’s d’Etat (Smart Strike), who has won four straight stakes, and GI Hollywood Gold Cup winner Improbable (City Zip), trained by Bob Baffert. Last year, Baffert won the Whitney with McKinzie (Street Sense).

The Whitney field also includes three-time graded stakes winner By My Standards (Goldencents) and Mr. Buff (Friend Or Foe), the massive New York-bred division champion seeking his first graded stakes victory.

With Whitney winners Personal Ensign (1988) and Easy Goer (1989), both Hall of Famers, and Honor Code (2015) on his vast stakes resume, McGaughey, 69, spent a fair amount of time talking about the present and the past.

Code of Honor was moved up to second in the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby following the disqualification of Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) and won last year’s GI Runhappy Travers and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup via the disqualification of eventual GI Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin).

Code of Honor enters the Whitney following a third-place finish in the GI Runhappy Metropolian H. July 4.

Though the Whitney field is the smallest since Personal Ensign beat just two others 32 years ago, McGaughey said it is deep in quality and will be a big test for his late-runner. Tom’s d’Etat with Joel Rosario up, is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the “Win and You’re In” race for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Improbable and Code of Honor are listed at 5-2. On June 27, Tom’s d’Etat extended his win streak in the GII Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.

“It won’t be easy,” he said. “I’ve just got to hope that Code of Honor runs a monster race. It will be kind of interesting to see what the tactics are with only five. I know where I’m going to be, but I’m not sure what the others are going to do or how much they’re going to press. You know that Joel isn’t going to do anything stupid. Hopefully, he’ll be up there fairly close, as he was, I think, in the Stephen Foster and we are able to pick him up. It’s a pretty solid field. I feel like we’re lucky to be in it. If he runs his race, they’ll know he is there.”

McGaughey said that Code of Honor is better suited for the two-turn 1 1/8 miles of the Whitney than the one-turn Met Mile at Belmont Park. Code of Honor is two-for-two at the Spa.

“I have a lot of confidence,” McGaughey said. “He was so fresh last year for the Travers. I think it will be a little different kind of a race this year because he ran on June 6 [winning the GIII Westchester] and ran back in the Met Mile. He’s bounced out of it good. His two works here were good. I’ve got confidence that he will run his race. If that is good enough, we’ll get our picture taken. If not, we’ll figure out something else.”

McGaughey was in his third year training for Ogden Phipps and his family when he ran Personal Ensign in the Whitney. She had recovered from an injury–a broken bone in a rear leg–that had kept her away from the races for almost a year. The 4-year-old filly faced two very capable runners, Gulch and King’s Swan, and McGaughey said he had some concerns about asking her to face males over a sloppy track.

“The rain came up early, so I came over here to kind of see what was going on with the track,” McGaughey said. “They ran a sprint race earlier in the card–I remember Angel Penna had a horse in there–and it looked like to me that the water was just on top of the track. I told Mr. Phipps that I thought they were going down into a drier track and I didn’t think it would be a problem. I knew she didn’t mind the mud.”

Personal Ensign prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths over Gulch at 4-5 and is the last female to win the Whitney.

“She was able to run an incredible race,” he said. “It’s funny, one of the numbers guys called me earlier in the week and said ‘She can win this race if she gets the perfect trip.’ If you remember, [jockey Angel] Cordero and King’s Swan pushed her way out in the middle of the racetrack. She was out there kind of the whole way, but she was good enough to win.”

Three months later, Personal Ensign finished her career at 13-0 record with a heart-stopping victory by a nose over Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs.

McGaughey said the Whitney was part of the plan to silence some critics and put her at the top of the older female division.

“I remember on the West Coast they said, ‘She only wins at Belmont.'” McGaughey said. “So I said, ‘Well, I’ll take care of that part of it.’ We took her down to Monmouth and she won the Molly Pitcher from here to across the street. Mr. Phipps was anxious to start her against the colts and I thought this was the perfect place to do it. In case we were wrong and it took too much out of her, we would still have enough time for the fall racing. We thought this was a pretty good opportunity. Plus, he didn’t want to duck and run to some place, like Chicago, to run against the colts. He wanted to do it here.”

The following summer, McGaughey became the first trainer to win-back-to-back Whitneys in over 50 years with the 3-year-old Easy Goer. After runner-up finishes to Sunday Silence in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, Easy Goer beat Sunday Silence by eight lengths in the GI Belmont S.. Rather than prep him for the Travers in the Jim Dandy, McGaughey put him in the Whitney and ran Fast Play in the Jim Dandy. Easy Goer, the last 3-year-old to win the Whitney, won as he pleased by three lengths over Clever Trevor at 1-5.

“We knew that Easy Goer was an exceptional horse,” McGaughey said. “He came out of the Belmont–and I wouldn’t have done it–but he gave you the feeling that you could run him back in two weeks. We obviously didn’t do that, but we pointed for here. Mr. Phipps was anxious to do something of that sort and we had an alternative, too, with Fast Play, who we could run in the Jim Dandy. Obviously, it was the right decision and I thought it was the right decision going in, too.”

Hall of Fame jockey Jacinto Vazquez provided some drama by pinning Easy Goer along the rail behind the pacesetter for a while, but he took advantage of an opening.

“He had to come through there, but he was in a little bit of trouble,” McGaughey said. “I can remember watching Pat Day and thinking, ‘He’s got a lot of horse. Whenever it opens he’s going to be there.'”

McGaughey was second to Criminal Type with Dancing Spree by 1 1/2 lengths in 1990 and Out of Place was second by a nose in 1992. He added his third Whitney five years ago with Honor Code, who edged Liam’s Map by a neck at 7-2. It followed his victory in the Met Mile and was the last of his six wins in an 11-race career.

“Honor Code was an exceptional horse,” McGaughey said. “He wasn’t the easiest horse to train. He kind of did a little bit of what he wanted to do. After he won in the Whitney, he didn’t want to go back to the training track. I had to bring him up here and train. I don’t know why.”

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“We are extremely excited about Vekoma and his future as a stallion. It's not often you see an elite racehorse that is by a Grade 1 winner and out of a Grade 1 winner,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “Vekoma is a terrific blend of his sire Candy Ride and his Speightstown dam Mona de Momma, showing brilliance from six furlongs to a mile and an eighth and from ages two to four. There's sire power throughout the pedigree, with Vekoma's second dam being a sister to Mr. Greeley. You just will not find a better-bred son of Candy Ride. Vekoma proved he is one of the best horses in training with wins over good fields in the Carter and Met Mile, which have been two of the best performances we have seen this year. The combination of brilliance and pedigree is special.”

Trained by George Weaver for owners R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma has always been one of the top racehorses in his crop, capturing graded stakes wins at two, three and four. After breaking his maiden at first asking in 1:08 4/5 at Belmont, the talented chestnut stretched out to win the one-mile G3 Nashua at Aqueduct to complete an undefeated juvenile campaign. At three, Vekoma jumped onto the Triple Crown trail, finishing third to Code of Honor in the G2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream in his seasonal debut. He went on to score a dominant 3 1/2-length win in the 1 1/8-mile G2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, earning a berth into the Kentucky Derby.

This year, Vekoma has been perfect in three starts at three different racetracks, kicking off his 4-year-old season with a 3 3/4-length victory in Gulfstream's Sir Shackleton Stakes in March. Vekoma earned his first Grade 1 triumph in the form of a dazzling 7 1/4-length win in the G1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct, earning a career-high 110 Beyer Speed Figure. Last Saturday, he validated his Carter performance with a front-running win in the aforementioned Met Mile, defeating Grade 1 winners Code of Honor and McKinzie, among others, while stopping the clock in a crisp 1:32 4/5 – just .15 seconds off the stakes record for the 129-year-old fixture in New York.

“Vekoma has been an outstanding talent since the moment we got him. He's such a special horse,” said Weaver. “We will take our time to enjoy this win, but Saratoga is the likely next place for him to run. We would like to put the horse in a position to become a champion.”

An earner of $1,245,525 to date, Vekoma was bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stables. He is out of the Speightstown mare Mona de Momma who scored her biggest win as a racehorse in the G1 Humana Distaff on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill. Vekoma's second dam, Society Gal, is a half-sister to successful sire Mr. Greeley.

Vekoma is the third Met Mile winner in the last four years that will take up stud duty at Spendthrift. Mor Spirit, the 2017 winner, and Mitole, the 2019 winner, both stand at the historic Lexington-based farm.

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Vekoma has shown quality throughout his eight career starts, winning the Grade 3 Nashua Stakes as a juvenile and taking the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes last April to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby field. He was put away for the rest of 2019 after finishing 12th in the Run for the Roses and has returned with a vengeance as a 4-year-old, prevailing in each of his three outings. The son of Candy Ride (ARG) opened his 2020 campaign with a win in the Sir Shackleton Stakes on March 28 before taking the Grade 1 Carter Handicap on June 6 and the historic Met Mile this past weekend.

Vekoma's presence was the only major shift near the top of the Thoroughbred Poll rankings as champion Midnight Bisou continues to reign with 24 first-place votes and 375 points. G M B Racing's Tom's d'Etat (8 first-place votes, 333 points) holds in second with Grade 1 winner-Mucho Gusto (171) dropping one spot to fourth.

By My Standards ranks fifth with 157 points followed by top sophomore runner Tiz the Law (2 first-place votes, 130 points) and Code of Honor (1 first-place vote, 123 points). Grade 1-winner Zulu Alpha is eighth with 99 points as Maximum Security (3 first-place votes, 98 points) sits ninth. Instilled Regard, winner of the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes this past weekend, joins the top 10 in the final spot with a total of 65 points.

Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law stays in command of the NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Poll for yet another week, earning 39 first-place votes and 399 points. Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (1 first-place vote, 358 points) remains second followed by graded-stakes winner Authentic (260 points) and Belmont Stakes runner-up Dr Post (211).

King Guillermo (188 points) ranks fifth and he is followed by the only newcomer to the poll's top 10, Uncle Chuck, who sits sixth with 135 points on the heels of his victory in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby July 4. Top filly Gamine (134 points) dips one spot to seventh with Max Player (82), Charlatan (81) and Swiss Skydiver (67) completing the top 10.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in both the Top 3-Year-Old Poll and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through the conclusion of the Breeders' Cup in November.

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“What a horse,” an emphatic Hill said. “I'll never own another horse like this. I've watched the race about 20 times and it just gives me goosebumps. I really wish I could have been there, but I'd rather win than be there and lose them.”

Owned by Hill in partnership with Gatsas Stables, Vekoma's win earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. Vekoma controlled the pace before being confronted around the far turn. He shook off his competition when asked by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano and drew off to a 1 1/4-length score, keeping his record as a 4-year-old unblemished in three starts for trainer George Weaver.

Prior to the Runhappy Met Mile, Vekoma won the Sir Shackleton at Gulfstream Park in his 2020 debut before an impressive 7 1/4-length win in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter on June 6 at Belmont Park, netting a 110 Beyer.

The Grade 1, $300,000 Forego presented by America's Best Racing on August 29 at Saratoga Race Course could be the next start for Vekoma, Hill said.

Hill also mentioned the possibility of Vekoma training up to the Breeders' Cup World Championships on November 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course.

Vekoma has earned an automatic entry into both the Breeders' Cup Sprint and the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile when taking the Runhappy Carter and Runhappy Met Mile, which are both Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” events.

“I think he's the best older horse in the country,” Hill said. “George is thinking about the Forego or training right up to the Breeders' Cup and we leave all of that up to him. The horse will tell us. He's such a warrior.”

Blair Golen, who oversees Weaver's Belmont string, reported that the Runhappy Met Mile hero emerged from Saturday's triumph in good shape.

“He came out of it in good order,” Golen said. “What impressed me last time and this time was that he wasn't that tired. When he ran here at seven furlongs, he recovered fast and was really on the muscle, and it was the same again this time too.”

Bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stables, Vekoma is by multiple-champion producing stallion Candy Ride out of the Speightstown broodmare Mona de Momma who, like Vekoma, also was a Grade 1-winner going seven furlongs.

The post ‘It Just Gives Me Goosebumps’: Co-Owner Of Vekoma Recounts Big Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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