Spectator-Free Saratoga Meet Kicks Off Thursday With Peter Pan Stakes, Offering Kentucky Derby Points

Pam and Martin Wygod's Grade 2-winner Modernist will headline the 66th renewal of the Grade 3, $100,000 Peter Pan, a nine-furlong test for sophomores slated for Thursday, Opening Day of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 2020 Saratoga summer meet will begin on Thursday, July 16, and run through Labor Day, Monday, September 7. Following the four-day opening weekend, live racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays.

Under current New York State guidelines, Saratoga will open without spectators in attendance. The 40-day meet will be highlighted by the 151st renewal of the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers on Saturday, August 8 and the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney on Saturday, August 1.

Last out, with jockey Junior Alvarado up, Modernist was brushed at the start and failed to fire when off-the-board in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Stakes.

“A mile and an eighth is a good distance for him, but I think last time only going one turn he was a little confused and he was switching his leads back and forth in the race,” said Alvarado. “I think that threw him off his game. Going back to two turns and a little bit of an easier group this time, he should be very competitive.”

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Modernist graduated in January at the Big A and followed up with a prominent score from the inside post in a division of the Grade 2 Risen Star in February at Fair Grounds. The dark bay Uncle Mo colt, a Kentucky homebred, exited the outside post in the 14-horse Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in March at Fair Grounds en route to a solid third.

Modernist breezed a half-mile in 49.34 seconds on July 5 on Belmont's dirt training track in preparation for the Peter Pan, which is traditionally run at Belmont as a key prep race for the Belmont Stakes.

Alvarado said a return to a more prominent running style that was effective at Fair Grounds is likely in the cards on Thursday for Modernist.

“I think he likes when you're aggressive with him and he gets to sit one-two and be more of a game horse,” said Alvarado. “He gives you more of a fight when he's near the lead. I'm hoping we can get him back in the form he showed at Fair Grounds.”

This year's renewal of the Peter Pan will offer 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers. Modernist is currently sixth on the leaderboard with 70 points.

Alvarado will guide Modernist from post 3.

Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide, a Ghostzapper chestnut out of multiple Group 1-winner Music Note, will make his stakes debut for trainer Mike Stidham.

Mystic Guide made his first two starts at Fair Grounds, including a debut third in a six-furlong sprint in February ahead of a five-length maiden score when travelling 1 1/16-miles on March 21.

He finished a closing second last out in a June 4 Belmont allowance contest at 1 1/16-miles won by Tap It to Win, who exited that effort to run fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes.

Stidham said the lightly raced colt, who earned a career-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure at Belmont, will appreciate the stretch out in distance in his first start at Saratoga.

“We knew going in we were at a little disadvantage. Our horse is more of a two-turn, mile and an eighth type horse than a one-turn horse,” said Stidham. “The horse that won stole away on the lead and we kicked in late. We were making up ground at the end and he galloped out real big.

“We were pleased with his effort given that a one-turn mile and a sixteenth isn't really his cup of tea,” added Stidham. “I think the extra distance gives him a better chance. He doesn't come from too far back, but he has a good run when he kicks into gear and I think the Saratoga course will suit him well finishing how he does.”

The improving colt breezed a half-mile solo in 48.80 on the Fair Hill dirt Saturday in preparation for his second start off the layoff.

“The track was wet but he got over it well and handled it well,” said Stidham. “He went real comfortable with a good gallop out. I was very pleased with the work.”

Jose Ortiz will ride Mystic Guide for the first time from post 6.

“Jose rides Saratoga well and we we're looking to have a top rider that knows the course,” said Stidham.

Todd Pletcher will saddle Mathis Stable's Candy Tycoon as the bay son of Twirling Candy makes a return to graded-stakes action. Last out, Candy Tycoon finished second in a May 2 optional-claiming tilt at Oaklawn Park won by Rushie, who came back to finish third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby with a 97 Beyer.

A maiden winner in January at Gulfstream Park, Candy Tycoon was second in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in February and a troubled sixth in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, both at the Hallandale oval.

Candy Tycoon will exit post 5 under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, a two-time Peter Pan winner.

Imperial Racing's Celtic Striker, a bay son of Congrats purchased for $100,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, will aim for a first graded-stakes win.

Trained by Ray Handal and bred in Kentucky by Stoneview Farm and Craig D. Upham, Celtic Striker was a frontrunning 19 3/4-length winner last out on June 25 at Belmont in the 1 1/16-mile Easy Goer, which was reduced via scratches to a match race with Sonneman.

Manny Franco will retain the mount on the three-time winner from post 4.

Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing's Caracaro earned a lofty 92 Beyer when graduating at second asking on January 11 in a Gulfstream Park maiden. Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the Uncle Mo bay was a $95,000 purchase at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

He has trained at Gulfstream Park West for his return to action and will be piloted by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano from post 7.

Paul Pompa, Jr.'s Country Grammer, a Tonalist bay trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, graduated at second asking in a nine-furlong maiden tilt at the Big A.  Country Grammer lost his footing at the start of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth where he made a wide bid for fifth. Last out, off a more than three-month layoff, he finished third behind Tapit It to Win and Peter Pan-rival Mystic Guide in the June 4 allowance tilt at Belmont.

Country Grammer will emerge from post 2 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Rounding out the field are Mo Hawk, a $925,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase trained by Rodolphe Brissett and to be piloted by Joel Rosario from the inside post ; New York-bred Chestertown, a $2 million purchase at the March 2019 OBS 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, will exit post 8 under Ricardo Santana, Jr.; and Katazarelli, a two-time winner, will leave post 9 under Dylan Davis for trainer Tom Amoss.

The Peter Pan is slated as Race 9 on Thursday's 10-race card, which offers a first post of 1:10 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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Monmouth: Trainers’ Race Appears Wide Open Ahead Of Shortened 2020 Meet

Kelly Breen would normally embrace the role as the early favorite for what appears to be a wide-open trainers' race when Monmouth Park launches its 75th season of live racing on Friday, July 3.

But this year has been anything but normal.

Breen, who owns Monmouth Park training titles from 2005 and 2006, is the leading returning trainer from a year ago in terms of wins with 36. But the Covid-19 virus has changed everything about the sport, forcing Monmouth Park into a condensed 37-day meet.

“I don't have the number of runners right know to think about being leading trainer,” Breen said. “When you have 40 horses and quite a few are 2-year-olds they're going to make minimal starts, especially over a shorter meet. Until I start claiming some horses I can't think about a title. We'll see how that goes.”

Breen is one of six trainers stabled on the grounds who have a Monmouth Park training title to their credit, a list that includes Jane Cibelli, Tim Hills, Bruce Alexander, Dan Lopez and Ben Perkins, Jr.

If there's strength in numbers, veteran Michael Stidham should be a factor with 71 stalls, the most of any trainer.

Yet for all of his career success, Stidham has won just one training title – in 2016 at Fair Grounds.

“Generally we don't run the type of operation that goes for a training title because we don't do a lot of claiming,” Stidham said. “We tend to get well-bred young horses that we're trying to develop. That's usually not the formula for a leading trainer.

“Having said that, we did win the title in 2016 at the Fair Grounds. You have to see how things develop and whether the barn gets rolling quickly in a shorter meet. It just kind of happened at the Fair Grounds that year as a byproduct of winning.”

With 25 winners a year ago – from just 81 starts – Jose Delgado is the second-leading returning trainer from Monmouth Park's 2019 meet. With a claiming stable and a high percentage of success he looms as a factor as well.

“I don't know. So much depends on luck,” said Delgado. “I think I've got the right horses to make a run for the title. The thing about being leading trainer is you have to have the right horses for that meet and you have to have a lot of horses. I only have 25.

“But it is a shorter meet and if they're ready to go from the beginning you have a chance. I'm definitely going to give it a shot.”

Delgado, 41, said it would especially significant for him personally to win his first training title at Monmouth Park.

“It would mean a lot to me because I couldn't do it as a jockey,” he said. “I would have loved to have won a riding title as a jockey. Now I have another chance to do it as a trainer.”

Pat McBurney, coming off a successful 2019, should be in contention as well, along with Cibelli, Gregg Sacco, Kent Sweezey and Mike Dini, all of whom are well-represented in the Monmouth Park backside.

With 35 horses stabled at Monmouth, after winning 10 races from just 19 starts a year ago, Jonathan Thomas said “numerically, this is the biggest stable we've ever had in any one place.”

But he doesn't expect to be in contention for leading trainer because of the makeup of his stable, with up to 25 of his 2-year-olds calling Monmouth Park home this summer.

“We're top heavy with 2-year-olds, the majority of which we'd like to get started here,” he said. “We've found it to be a great place for young horses. Maybe if the meet were longer would could be a factor. At this juncture we're more focused on individually starting a campaign for a horse and seeing where that takes us.”

Monmouth Park's semi-sesquicentennial season will feature live racing from Friday, July 3, through Sunday, Sept. 27. Post time on Fridays will be 5 p.m. (except for Sept. 4, which will have a 12:50 post), while Saturdays and Sundays will start at 12:50 p.m. The exception to that will be a noon first post on Saturday, July 18, when the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes headlines a stakes-filled program.

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Micheline Seeks First Graded Stakes Win In Regret

Godolphin's two-time stakes-winning filly Micheline will be in search of her first graded stakes victory in Saturday's 51st running of the $100,000 Regret (Grade III), a 1 1/8-mile turf event for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

The Regret, part of a stakes quartet on Saturday, was carded as Race 11 with a post time of 6:20 p.m. (all times Eastern). The other stakes on Saturday are the $500,000 Stephen Foster GII), $200,000 Fleur de Lis (GII) and $100,000 Bashford Manor (GIII). First post is 1 p.m.

Micheline (8-3-1-1—$147,578), trained by Mike Stidham and ridden by Joe Bravo, scored a 2 ¼-length victory in last month's $75,000 Honey Ryder Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The 3-year-old filly by Bernardini broke her maiden in her second-career start last year in the $106,000 Sorority Stakes at Monmouth. Following an unsuccessful try on dirt in the $400,000 Alcibiades (GI) and an enigmatic eighth-place effort in the $100,000 Chelsey Flower Stakes at Aqueduct, Micheline returned to form in a first-level allowance race at Tampa and a near miss in the $100,000 Sweetest Chant (GIII).

Micheline drew post No. 6 for Saturday's Regret.

Among her rivals in the 13-horse field is The Estate of Harvey Clark and Paul Braverman's $100,000 Busanda Stakes winner Harvey's Lil Goil (4-2-0-0—$97,489); Stonestreet Stables' undefeated Hendy Woods (2-2-0-0—$54,600); Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables' recent allowance winner Crystal Cliffs (FR) (3-2-0-1—$41,543); and Don Alberto Stable's stakes winner Dominga (6-3-1-0—$137,220).

The Regret field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Dominga (Shaun Bridgmohan, Brad Cox); His Glory (Brian Hernandez Jr., Joe Sharp); Stunning Sky (Tyler Gaffalione, Mike Maker); In Good Spirits (Miguel Mena, Al Stall Jr.); Crystal Cliffs (John Velazquez, Graham Motion); Micheline(Bravo, Stidham); Edgee Angel (Corey Lanerie, Garry Simms); Wexx (Adam Beschizza, Larry Jones); Eve of War (Florent Geroux, Todd Pletcher); Harvey's Lil Goil (Martin Garcia, Bill Mott); Witez (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes); Pass the Plate (Julien Leparoux, Paul McGee); and Hendy Woods (Declan Carroll, Mark Casse).

All fillies will carry 118 pounds.

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