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Sadler Faces Class 1 Drug Complaint After Flagstaff Tests Positive For Bisphosphonate

The California Horse Racing Board has filed a complaint against trainer John Sadler after graded stakes winner Flagstaff tested positive for clodronic acid, a bisphosphonate sold under the brand name Osphos, following a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes Sept. 27, 2020, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. A split sample confirmed the presence of the drug.

Flagstaff, a now 7-year-old gelding by Speightstown, is owned by Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing LLC. He recently scored his first G1 victory in the Churchill Downs Stakes on Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs.

Because clodronic acid is not included on the CHRB's current list of prohibited substances, under the regulatory body's rules it automatically falls under the most severe drug category, Class 1. A medication classification proposal working its way through the CHRB's approval process recommends classifying clodronate (clodronic acid) as Class 3, but in the A penalty category.

Proposed amendments for medication violations require a one-year suspension absent mitigating circumstances along with a minimum fine of $10,000 for Category A penalties. Owners face loss of purse and potential placement of a horse on the vet's list for up to 90 days.

Complicating Sadler's status is the fact he is on probation as part of a settlement agreement issued in June 2020 for three medication violations from April and May 2019. Sadler received a 60-day suspension, but 45 days of the ban were stayed provided he have no Class 1, 2 or 3 violations during a probationary period that ends June 28, 2021.

Bisphosphonates are a class of drug approved by the FDA in 2014 and prescribed to prevent bone loss in people and to treat navicular syndrome in horses, a common cause of forelimb lameness. The drug is not approved for horses less than four years old.

Equine surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage of Rood & Riddle warned about the use of bisphosphonates Osphos and Tildren in young horses during a client education seminar in 2018, saying the drug can have unintended, detrimental side effects. Many racing states moved to ban the drugs.

The CHRB banned bisphosphonates effective July 1, 2020, saying that any horse administered the drug in the previous six months – effectively a cutoff date of Jan. 1, 2020 – was prohibited from stabling on CHRB regulated grounds.

Sadler referred questions to attorney Darrell Vienna, who said Flagstaff was legally treated with Osphos on an unspecified date “late in 2019” when Flagstaff was 5 years old.

Vienna cited the extended half life of Osphos as an explanation for the positive test, saying it can linger in a horse's system for many months or even longer than a year.

Sadler, whose best horses include 3-year-old filly champion Stellar Wind and Horse of the Year Accelerate, is the trainer of this year's G1 Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World, a prospective starter in the G1 Belmont Stakes on June 5.

The complaint against Sadler was ordered on April 28 but not published on the CHRB's website until Wednesday, May 26. No hearing date has been set at this time.

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Maiden Hudson Ridge Overcomes Trouble To Win Santa Anita’s Cinema

Despite a tumultuous start, longshot maiden Hudson Ridge ran like a short-priced favorite in Sunday's $100,000 Cinema Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as the son of Bob Baffert's 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah overhauled pacesetting Jimmy Irish turning for home and then outran recent stakes winner Sword Zorro to the wire, winning by 1 ¼ lengths. Trained by Baffert and ridden by Abel Cedillo, Hudson Ridge got 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:49.06.

With American Pharoah's As Time Goes By victorious in Saturday's Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes, the white haired training wonder rolls on, as Hudson Ridge thus provided Kentucky-based “Pharoah” with his second stakes winner of the weekend.

Breaking from post position three in a field of five sophomores, Jimmy Irish, with Victor Espinoza up, appeared to bobble shortly after the break and then veered sharply outward, slamming favored Hubris to his immediate outside, who then swerved outward into the path of Hudson Ridge.

“I gotta give Abel's agent, Tom Knust, the credit for this one,” said Baffert. “I nominated for the race, but I wasn't planning on running here and he said we should, that the horse had trouble last time and that he'd fit well with these horses. The break, I don't know what happened. It was crazy.

“I didn't know who caused it…After that, Abel did a great job, he didn't panic, he got him in a smooth (rhythm)…Then down the backside the four (Hubris) was out of it and turning for home…He's a horse that hadn't really shown us that much, but it's a big weekend for American Pharoah.”

Winless in four starts and a troubled second versus maidens going a flat mile on turf here May 1, Hudson Ridge, who is out of the Galileo mare Shell House, was off at 5-1 and paid $13.60, $6.20 and $3.20 while providing Baffert with his meet-leading 15^th stakes victory.

“Last time, I should have won the race, but in the stretch, I got in a little trouble,” said Cedillo. “My agent told Bob there was a stake coming up and to let me ride him back. I think (the start) affected my horse a little because that took me a little wide, but thank God, I put him in a perfect position. I just followed the speed (Jimmy Irish) and in the stretch I had a lot of horse.”

Owned by Double L Racing and Natalie Baffert, Hudson Ridge, who has run on turf in four out of his five starts, banked $60,000, increasing his earnings to $75,140.

Irish-bred Sword Zorro, the second choice in the wagering at 9-5, was free of any trouble at the break, as he was positioned inside of the erratic Jimmy Irish. From there, he fell into what appeared to be a perfect trip, as he loomed three-wide and full of run turning for home, but was no match for the winner. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Sword Zorro, who finished 2 ¼ lengths in front of Airman, paid $3.60 and $2.40.

Airman, who broke from the rail with Juan Hernandez, was off at 4-1 and paid $2.60 to show while a tiring Jimmy Irish finished fourth, 2 ¾ lengths in arears.

Hubris, the 8-5 favorite with Flavien Prat, was slammed hard at the break and although he was second into the first turn, back up readily as the field turn up the backside and was eased five furlongs from home.

Fractions on the race were 23.49, 48.07, 1:13.50 and 1:37.66.

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Unbeaten Happy Saver Returns For Pletcher On Friday; Mind Control Joins Todd’s Squad

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher expressed excitement for the 4-year-old debut of Wertheimer et Frere's undefeated Happy Saver, who is entered in Race 3 on Belmont's Friday program – a one mile allowance optional claiming event at the Elmont, N.Y., track.

The son of Super Saver last raced in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in September at Belmont, where he defeated subsequent Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide.

Following some down time at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., Happy Saver began working regularly at Palm Beach Downs in early April before shipping to Pletcher's division in Saratoga. His most recent breeze was a five-furlong work in 1:01.70 on May 21 over the Saratoga main track.

“I'm happy to get his season underway. Hopefully, we've done enough with him to have him ready, but I'm looking forward to getting him going,” Pletcher said.

Happy Saver will face a compact-but-salty field that includes stakes-placed Three Technique and recent winner Locally Owned.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who has piloted Happy Saver to three of his four wins, retains the mount from post 3.

Pletcher recently added a new member to his already stellar stable in Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' multiple Grade 1-winner Mind Control, who is targeting the Grade 2, $250,000 John A. Nerud, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses on July 4 offering a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Mind Control, a five-time graded-stakes winner for his former trainer Gregg Sacco, posted both his Grade 1 wins at the Spa, capturing the 2018 Hopeful as a juvenile and added the H. Allen Jerkens to conclude his sophomore season.

The talented horse followed his H. Allen Jerkens score with Grade 3 wins in the Toboggan and Tom Fool last year at the Big A to kick off his 4-year-old campaign.

Mind Control, who was second in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap in April, was seventh last out in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on May 1.

The 5-year-old Stay Thirsty bay worked a half-mile in 48.30 seconds Saturday on the Belmont dirt training track.

“The John Nerud is what we're targeting at the moment,” Pletcher said. “He came to me in great shape and he's a very straightforward and good-training horse. He looks good.”

A Kentucky homebred, Mind Control is out of the turf stakes-winning Lightnin N Thunder mare Feel That Fire, who has an unraced 2-year-old Mineshaft filly named Goddess of Fire.

Robert and Lawanna Low's Spice Is Nice made the grade in the Grade 3 Allaire DuPont Distaff on May 14 at Pimlico and Pletcher said the chestnut Curlin filly, out of Grade 1-winner Dame Dorothy, is a possibility for the Grade 2, $300,000 Fleur de Lis on June 26 at Churchill Downs.

Spice Is Nice entered the Allaire DuPont from a sharp allowance victory on April 9 at Keeneland, when making her first start since finishing a distant sixth in the Grade 1 Alabama in August at Saratoga.

“She needed a break at that point,” Pletcher said. “She got a good break and came back better for it.”

Pletcher is expected to saddle Bourbonic, Known Agenda and Overtook in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 5.

The veteran conditioner will also have a number of runners during the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival which kicks off on Thursday, June 3 and will include 17 stakes races in total with eight Grade 1 races to be contested on Belmont Stakes Day.

Day 1 of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on Thursday, June 3 is a twilight racing program with a first post of 3:05 p.m. First post on Friday, June 4 is 12:50 p.m. First post on Belmont Stakes Day is 11:35 a.m.

Pletcher said his Belmont Stakes Day lineup will include Valiance in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps, a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event for the Distaff; as well as Ajaaweed, Portos and Moretti for the Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational presented by Northwell Health.

Always Shopping, a graded stakes winner on both dirt and turf, will target the Grade 2, $750,000 New York on Friday, June 4.

For information and details on Belmont Stakes hospitality offerings, ticket packages and pricing, visit BelmontStakes.com. For full terms and conditions, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/tickets.

For additional information on health and safety protocols in effect for the 2021 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, please visit: https://www.belmontstakes.com/tickets/know-before-you-go.

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Clement Has Gufo Training Forwardly For Manhattan

Gufo training forwardly for G1 Manhattan

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo registered his first work since running second in his 2021 bow in the Grade 1 Man o' War on May 8 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., with the Declaration of War colt posting a half-mile breeze in 50.85 on Saturday over the Belmont inner turf course.

Trainer Christophe Clement said he was encouraged by the work and will keep Gufo on target for the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Manhattan contested at 1 1/4 miles on the turf on Belmont Stakes Day June 5.

“Gufo is doing well and had a good work yesterday,” Clement said. “It was the first maintenance breeze back, and we'll work him next weekend and then go for the Manhattan.”

Gufo won three stakes during his 3-year-old campaign in 2020, starting with the English Channel in May at Gulfstream Park before winning his first graded stakes contest in the Grade 3 Kent on Independence Day at Delaware Park.

After a close second in the Saratoga Derby Invitational, where he finished just a head back to Domestic Spending, Gufo posted a one-length win in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in October going 1 ¼ miles over a firm turf.

In November, Gufo challenged Domestic Spending again and finished third, just a neck behind his nemesis' winning effort in a blanket finish in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby over firm going at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar.

After more than five months off, Gufo returned to action in the 1 3/8-mile Man o' War over a Belmont turf course rated good, finishing second by a nose to Channel Cat in a thrilling finish that netted the Kentucky Bred a career-best 97 Beyer.

The Manhattan, one of eight Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day, has been won by Clement on three occasions, starting with Forbidden Apple in 2001 and including back-to-back victories by Gio Ponti in 2009 and Winchester in 2010.

Decorated Invader didn't provide the finish Clement was looking for when fifth in Saturday's $100,000 Seek Again. But the fellow Declaration of War colt still earned a 90 Beyer for the effort, which was the second start of his 4-year-old year after running third in the one-mile Danger's Hour on April 10 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman, William Sandbrook and Cheryl Manning, Decorated Invader is 5-2-1 in 12 career starts. The $200,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale won the Grade 2 Hall of Fame and the Grade 2 Hill Prince last year.

“It was a disappointing performance yesterday but he came back in pretty good shape,” Clement said. “We'll just have to regroup and go from there.”

Plum Ali, who started her sophomore year with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Appalachian on April 3 at Keeneland, breezed Sunday in preparation for her next start. Clement said she is on target for the Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles on the turf on Opening Day of the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on Thursday, June 3.

Plum Ali went a half-mile in 48.25 on the Belmont inner turf as she seeks to earn another stakes win after achieving that status twice as a juvenile. The daughter of First Samurai started her career 3-for-3, following a debut score in July with a victory in the Mint Juvenile Fillies in September at Kentucky Downs before winning the Grade 2 Miss Grillo in October at Belmont.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, Plum Ali's lone off-the-board finish in five career starts was her fifth-place effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“She worked for the Wonder Again and did well, so we're really happy with that,” Clement said.

Clement could be well-represented in the annual New York Breeders' Showcase Day, featuring six stakes races for New York-breds on Memorial Day Monday, May 31. The veteran conditioner could have seven contenders in a day designed to show off some of the best talent bred in the Empire State, with Sea Foam targeting the $200,000 Commentator and Timeless Journeyfor the $200,000 Critical Eye.

Waterville Lake Stable's Sea Foam will be making his 6-year-old bow off a nearly six-month layoff, last in action when fourth in the Alex M. Robb in December at the Big A. The Commentator is a handicap for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile on Big Sandy.

Merrylegs Farm homebred Timeless Journey ran fourth in her first start as a 4-year-old, being outkicked in the stretch during a one-mile turf route against optional claimers in May at Belmont after winning her 2020 finale on the Aqueduct main track in December. Clement will have her again try the main track in the Critical Eye, which is also contested at a one-turn mile.

Oak Bluff Stables' Therapist, a winner of eight stakes, is on course for the $125,000 Kingston for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Therapist, who has won stakes in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, will look to extend his streak to five straight years, with the now 6-year-old gelded son of Freud making just his second appearance of 2021. City Man is also a possibility for the Kingston.

Other New York Showcase Day contenders for Clement include Brattle House and Pay Grade for the $125,000 Bouwerie for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs; and Classic Lady for the $125,000 Mount Vernon for older fillies and mares going one mile on the Widener turf course.

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