Michael Dubb | Horse Racing Free Tips

Doctor Jeff Steps Up in Saratoga Special

Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso's Doctor Jeff (Street Boss), a first-out winner in a six-furlong off-turf maiden special weight at Belmont Park July 10, will step right up to graded company as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Saturday's GII Saratoga Special S. The chestnut colt earned a Special field-high 78 Beyer Speed Figure for his 2 1/4-length debut win and he has recorded three breezes over the main track at Saratoga, including a bullet five-furlong work in :59.61 Sunday, for trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

“I'm just very happy with the way he's training over here,” Rodriguez said. “He beat some tough horses the first time and he did it the right way. We just take it day-by-day, but he's been training over here for a while. If he doesn't like the track now, he's never going to like it.”

Joel Rosario, aboard for Doctor Jeff's win and the winner of last year's Saratoga Special aboard Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), will have the return call from post eight.

Freshman sire Gun Runner, who was represented by a pair of graded winners last weekend, has two chances to keep the streak going in the Special. Winchell Thoroughbreds' Gunite (Gun Runner) adds blinkers Saturday following a maiden-breaking score going six furlongs in his third lifetime start at Churchill Downs last time out June 26. The dark bay colt hit the board in both previous five-furlong outings in Louisville.

Another Winchell homebred, Red Run (Gun Runner), was a first-out winner over a sloppy Churchill strip May 9 and was a late-closing fifth in the June 26 GIII Bashford Manor S.

Steve Asmussen, who trained champion Gun Runner, also trains both Winchell colorbearers.

“It's extremely exciting. All a part of what makes racing great,” Asmussen said of Gun Runner's fast start at stud. “We're fortunate to have horses like that and then have the chance for them to prove it. It's amazing how he stamps them just with their attitude. Obviously, he gave them a tremendous amount of ability to find more. Winning and losing is usually the amount of effort willing to be applied.”

Phoenix Thoroughbred's Double Thunder (Super Saver) comes into the Special with a perfect two-for-two record. A debut winner going 4 1/2 furlongs at Monmouth Park June 5, the Todd Pletcher trainee closed from well back to score a 4 3/4-length victory in the Bashford Manor.

Pletcher also saddes Repole Stable's Midnight Worker (Outwork), a debut winner over the Special's six-furlong trip at the Spa July 24.

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$35,000 Claim Dancing Kiki Handles Stretch Out With Ease In Saratoga Dew

Trainer Mike Maker continued his stellar start to the summer meet, racking up his second consecutive win on the card when Michael Dubb's Dancing Kiki set the pace and then drew away for a 4 1/2-length victory in Thursday's $100,000 Saratoga Dew for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at the Spa.

The 17th running of the Saratoga Dew – contested at 1 1/8 miles on the Spa main track – saw Maker extend his meet-leading win total to 19 as Dancing Kiki broke sharp from the inside post under Jose Ortiz, leading the five-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.73 seconds and the half in 48.48 on the fast surface.

Simply Ravishing, the Kenneth McPeek-trained 3-2 favorite under Luis Saez, tracked in second position and made a bid from the outside in the final turn along with Maiden Beauty. But Ortiz kept Dancing Kiki to the inside, where the 4-year-old Blame filly deftly handled the final turn and then closed strong to the wire in outkicking runner-up Maiden Beauty, completing the course in 1:51.71.

“I knew I had speed, the only question was if she would handle the mile-and-an-eighth, and she did it nicely,” Ortiz said. “She had plenty left late in the last eighth of a mile, she was still running pretty decently.”

Claimed for $35,000 out of a 5 1/4-length victory going seven furlongs on the Saratoga main track on July 22, Dancing Kiki handled the stretch out to nine furlongs with aplomb. Three of her four career victories in 23 starts have come in her last six races.

“She was doing well. I claimed her on Michael Dubb's recommendation and I ran her here on Michael Dubb's recommendation,” Maker said. “I wasn't really concerned [about stretching out.] Jose seemed to make an easy lead, so that added to the confidence.”

Dubb won his eighth race of the meet to tie Three Diamonds Farm for the lead among owners.

“When I handicapped the race, I thought McPeek's horse would be aggressive going for the lead,” Dubb said. “When I didn't see McPeek's horse on the lead, I felt pretty comfortable. I thought the fractions were reasonable.”

Off at 7-1, Dancing Kiki returned $16 on a $2 win wager. Bred in the Empire State by Dutchess Views Farm and SGO Thoroughbred, Dancing Kiki improved her career earnings to $256,230.

“It was a little bit the breeding, by Blame,” Dubb said on the decision to claim Dancing Kiki. “The horse had been running at various distances and I have had luck with Mike stretching horses out. I think he's known, whether it's turf or dirt, for stretching horses out. It seemed like a horse you could stretch out.”

Maiden Beauty, claimed for $45,000 last out by trainer Robert Falcone, Jr. for owners John Grossi's Racing Corp, finished as the runner-up for the second consecutive time, besting Mrs. Orb by a half length.

“I thought the break was the key,” said Maiden Beauty jockey Joel Rosario. “She had to sit behind the front two a little bit, but she ran well. She was just second-best today. She seemed like she handled it great. We tried to make a move, we just couldn't catch the winner.”

Espresso Shot and Simply Ravishing completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that start at 1:05 p.m. Eastern. The $120,000 Tale of the Cat, a six-furlong main track sprint for 4-year-olds and up who have not won a graded stakes this year, is carded as Race 9 at 5:39 p.m.

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Russell Brings Wondrwherecraigis To Saratoga In Search Of First Stakes Win

Four-time winner Wondrwherecraigis will attempt to secure his first career stakes score in Friday's eighth running of the $120,000 Tale of the Cat at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Brittany Russell, Wondrwherecraigis enters the six-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up who have not won a graded race in 2021 from a 5 3/4-length optional claiming score on July 18 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The 4-year-old dark bay or brown son of Munnings, who garnered a 102 Beyer Speed Figure in his most recent effort, returns to stakes company on the NYRA circuit after being disqualified from second to third in the Gold Fever in July 2020 at Belmont Park ahead of finishing fourth behind three next-out winners in the Grade 2 Amsterdam last August at Saratoga.

Wondrwherecraigis is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables.

“It was a big race. He's doing really well,” said Russell. “We figured we would take a look. It looks like the race will set up for him, so we're shipping him up and giving him a chance.”

Jockey Sheldon Russell will ride from post 5.

Trainer Ray Handal will saddle last-out stakes winner Foolish Ghost, who defeated his New York-bred counterparts in the John Morrissey on July 29. The son of Mineshaft was claimed by Handal and owner Ken Russell and Richard Newman Racing last August and has since won four times for his current trainer.

“He's doing well,” Handal said. “There aren't too many sprints for him in the northeast area. On his best day, he can run with some of the good ones, so we'll see.”

Jockey Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 6.

Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change arrives at the Tale of the Cat off a sharp win in the Mr. Prospector on May 29 at Monmouth Park for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. The Brazilian-bred Forestry bay seeks his sixth stakes victory, which include four triumphs at such level in his native land.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride from post 4.

My Boy Tate will seek a sixth stakes victory for Little Red Feather Racing and trainer, breeder, and co-owner Michelle Nevin. The 7-year-old son of Boys At Tosconova was second in the 2018 and 2020 Tale of the Cat.

Breaking from post 1, My Boy Tate will be ridden by Manny Franco.

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Multiple stakes-winner Bon Raison [post 3, Jorge Vargas, Jr.] seeks a non-consecutive win in the Tale of the Cat, previously scoring in 2019. Trained by Jack Sisterson, Bon Raison brags the highest bankroll in the field with $685,874.

Completing the field is David Bernsen's Shashashakemeup [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], a four-time winner for trainer Peter Walder.

The Tale of the Cat is carded as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race program at Saratoga Race Course. First post is 1:05 p.m. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 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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Run Curtis Run Leads All The Way To Win Rick Violette Stakes

Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso's Run Curtis Run edged the competition by a neck in his debut win earlier this month at Belmont Park. Stepping up to stakes company for his second start, the Summer Front colt had an easier go of it, breaking sharp from the inside post and leading gate-to-wire in a 3 3/4-length score in Wednesday's $100,000 Rick Violette for New York-bred 2-year-olds sprinting six furlongs on the Saratoga Race Course main track.

After defeating Rick Violette contender Surprise Boss in a five-furlong off-the-turf contest over a sloppy and sealed Belmont track on July 2, Run Curtis Run paced the four-horse field under jockey Jose Ortiz, leading Ready A.P. through an opening quarter-mile in 22.77 seconds and the half in 46.12 on a track labeled fast.

Ready A.P., a Christophe Clement-trained filly competing against males, challenged Run Curtis Run from the outside out of the turn, but Ortiz kept the pacesetter to task and opened up the lead when straightened for home, powering to the wire ahead of Ready A.P. in a final time of 1:12.48 to improve to 2-for-2.

Trained by Mike Maker and bred by Larry Goichman, Run Curtis Run, off at 3-1, paid $8 on a $2 win wager.

“He has some natural speed and with him drawing the inside post, it wasn't that hard to figure out in a small field,” said Maker, who said Run Curtis Run will likely target the $200,000 Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital on August 27.

Ortiz, who was riding Run Curtis Run for the first time, said he was pleased with the trip.

“I broke quite well and he was fast out of there, so I didn't have to ask him for a lot,” Ortiz said. “He put me on the lead and I was very happy with that. I had the rail and I wanted the lead.

“He was going nice and relaxed in the first part of the race and when I asked him to go, he was there for me,” he added. “All credit goes to Mike, who had him ready and the guys at the barn.”

Ready A.P., owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig, was also a first-out winner, posting an 8 1/4-length victory on July 1 at Belmont. Making her stakes bow, the More Than Ready filly bested Coinage by a neck for second. Surprise Boss ran fourth and Barese scratched.

“My filly was pretty tired in the end,” said Ready A.P. jockey Luis Saez. “The horse on the lead was pretty comfortable up there. I thought we were going to get him, but when I asked, she was tired.”

The seventh edition of the Rick Violette, previously run as the Rockville Centre, was renamed for the longtime NYRA-based trainer and former president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association who passed away in October 2018. Violette served more than 25 years on the NYTHA board, including nine as president from 2008-17, and trained 2018 Grade 1 Whitney-winner and New York-bred Diversify.

“He was tough on me, but he just wanted me to get better,” Ortiz said on riding for Violette. “He wanted to ride me so he wanted to teach me the right way and how he liked it. I learned a lot of good things with him and I'm very happy to win this race. I'm sad he's not here.

“He was cranky sometimes, but it was always about looking out for the best for his guys and I respect that,” he added. “He was a great guy. He helped me a lot and he believed in me at a very young age.”

Violette gave Ortiz his first two Kentucky Derby mounts, with Samraat [fifth in 2014] and Upstart [18th in 2015].

“I walked in today with him on my mind and I wanted to win it,” Ortiz said. “I knew I had a shot. My horse ran very good first time out. It was great for me to win the race named after him, especially with his family here. I have a lot of good memories with him. I rode my first Kentucky Derby for him with Samraat and I rode my second Kentucky Derby for him on Upstart. He gave me great opportunities at a very young age. He believed in me. He knew I was up and coming and that meant a lot to me that he believed in me at that point in my career.”

Live racing at Saratoga resumes Thursday with a 10-race card and a 1:05 p.m. Eastern first post. The day's feature will be the Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick in the opener, with the 2 1/16-mile steeplechase contest featuring a six-horse field.

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