Graded Stakes Fireworks Set For Saturday

Ellis Park will host its first Grade I race in its 100-year history Saturday, but there are plenty of other graded stakes scheduled before the Fourth of July at Belmont Park, Delaware Park, Woodbine Racetrack and Gulfstream Park. Here's a rundown of what's on tap.

Showdown in Belmont's Dwyer

One of two graded stakes on Saturday in Elmont is the GIII Dwyer S. Going a mile, the race pits Fort Bragg (Tapit), who was forced to scratch from the GI Woody Stephens S. by trainer Bob Baffert when the 3-year-old colt came down with a fever, against the undefeated Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), who is making his stakes debut for Brad Cox.

“This gives us options. We can see how we do here,” said Tom Ryan, managing partner of SF Racing. “There will be opportunities to stretch him out down the road if we feel that's the right thing. A race like the Allen Jerkens could be on the radar for him later in the summer if we felt like he needs a cutback.”

The other half of the co-feature is the GII John A. Nerud S. for older horses at seven furlongs, which includes Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}) the winner of the GIII Runhappy S. at Belmont May 13 for Bill Mott. “He's run some good races and if he gets a good trip, he usually runs pretty well,” the Hall of Fame trainer said. “I think he's fine on the lead or fine with a target. It just depends how the race sets up.”

Promiseher America Looks to Rebound

Trainer Ray Handal scooped up the first graded race of his career when 3-year-old Promiseher America (American Pharoah) won the GIII Gazelle S. at Aqueduct in early April. With a tough trip in the GI Kentucky Oaks, the chestnut filly will look to rebound in Saturday's GIII Delaware Oaks. She will face a pair of challengers in Juddmonte homebred Fireline (Arrogate) from the barn of Chad Brown and Siena and WinStar Farm's Miracle (Mendelssohn) trained by Todd Pletcher. Also part of this card is the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial S. over the grass, which includes Ian Wilkes trainee Miss Yearwood (Will Take Charge)–winner last out of the Keertana S. at Churchill Downs.

Five at Woodbine

Canada Day on Saturday fits in well as Woodbine Entertainment hosts its own fireworks when it cards five graded races. The GIII Marine S. includes Chad Brown invader Turf King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) whose main rival will be King's Plate hopeful Twin City (Klimt), while the GIII Selene S. witnesses the return of reigning Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief).

Wonder Wheel | Coady Photography

Not seen since she was ninth in the GI Kentucky Oaks, the Mark Casse trainee makes her first start at her trainer's home base. “I was really disappointed with her effort in the Ashland,” Casse said from his Ocala base. “And the Oaks was kind of a weird-run race. Then I wanted to get her up there and train her on the Tapeta. I just find that horses thrive at Woodbine, more than anywhere. I just kind of felt like we needed to get her back to square one, try to get her some confidence.”

Switching to the turf, trainer Larry Rivelli sends sprinter One Timer (Trappe Shot) north of the border for the GII Highlander S. as his 4-year-old gelding meets George Weaver shipper Outlaw Kid (Violence). Also on the grass, the GII Nassau S. includes Todd Pletcher trainee Scotish Star (Arg) (Key Deputy) who will look to upend current Canadian Horse of the Year Moira (Ghostzapper). Back on the Tapeta, the top three finishers from the June 4 running of the GII Eclipse S. at Woodbine–Treason (Constitution), Carrothers (Mshawish) and Tyson (Tapit)–will once again face one another in the GIII Dominion Day S.

Antonucci After More Graded Glory

Trainer Jena Antonucci made history when she won the GI Belmont S. last month and now she is looking for more graded hardware, this time at her southern digs in South Florida. Doc Amster (Midshipman) will compete in Gulfstream Park's GIII Smile Sprint Invitational S., but the 6-year-old will have to face down potential favorites in Dean Delivers (Cajun Breeze) for trainer Michael Yates and Todo Fino (Chi) (Verrazano) for Amador Sanchez.

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Gazelle Produces Yet Another Longshot Winner on Oaks Trail

Less than 24 hours after Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic) caused a 20-1 boilover in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland, Promiseher America (American Pharoah) followed suit with another long-odds victory in Saturday's GIII Gazelle S. at Aqueduct.

Taking a steep rise in class, having graduated by better than a half-dozen lengths going this track's one-turn mile Feb. 19, the $75,000 OBS April graduate was alertly away and settled just off the flank of the rail-drawn Capella (Quality Road) through a half-mile in a moderate :49.60 as favored Occult (Into Mischief) raced with the pace three wide. Asked to claim the front-runner nearing the stretch, Promiseher America wrested command with about a quarter mile to travel, but soon had Occult breathing down her neck. The 26-1 outsider–the only horse to jump at a double-digit quote–turned back that challenge passing the eighth pole and Charging Girl (Dialed In), a latest fourth in what is shaping as a productive renewal of the GIII Honeybee S. Feb. 25, began to find her best finishing kick down the center of the track. But Promiseher America had just enough to narrowly annex the final local GI Longines Kentucky Oaks prep.

“She was super impressive last time and I said, 'Let's go the nine furlongs. We can always go back to the [first-level allowance] if we need to,'” said trainer Ray Handal, winning his first graded stakes. “But I like the idea of two turns. She's just built like a two-turn kind of horse. She obviously had to step up. It was one of those races where whoever took the biggest step forward would win this race today and she was in the realm of them and she hung on.”

Pedigree Notes:

Promiseher America is the 20th worldwide winner at the graded/group level for her sire and 34th black-type winner overall. She is also the 221st stakes winner and 114th graded or group winner out of a daughter of the influential Unbridled's Song. She is inbred 4 x 3 to GI Kentucky Derby hero Unbridled.

On behalf of his clients Robert and Lawana Low, Jacob West acquired Promisedyouheaven for $370,000 with this filly in utero at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, where the mare's then-weanling colt by Practical Joke fetched $240,000 from OXO Equine. Second dam Hurricane Bernie, winner of the 2007 Canterbury Park Lassie, is a half-sister to Mizdirection (Mizzen Mast), two-time winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

Promisedyouheaven is the dam of a yearling filly by Curlin and is due to Constitution for her foal of 2023.

Saturday, Aqueduct
GAZELLE S.-GIII, $250,000, Aqueduct, 4-8, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:51.41, ft.
1–PROMISEHER AMERICA, 118, f, 3, by American Pharoah
                1st Dam: Promisedyouheaven, by Unbridled's Song
                2nd Dam: Hurricane Bernie, by Sea of Secrets
                3rd Dam: Deceptive, by Clever Trick
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($75,000
2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Hoffman Thoroughbreds and Tom F.
McCrocklin,; B-Robert & Lawana Low (KY); T-Raymond Handal;
J-Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0,
$198,138. Werk Nick Rating: C+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Gambling Girl, 118, f, 3, Dialed In–Tulipmania,
by Empire Maker. ($200,000 Ylg '21 SARAUG). O-Repole
Stable; B-Gallagher's Stud (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $50,000.
3–Shidabhuti, 120, f, 3, Practical Joke–A. P. Candy,
by Candy Ride (Arg). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($77,000 Wlg
'20 KEENOV; $310,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Peter M. Brant;
B-Gabriel Duignan & Gerry Dilger (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
$30,000.
Margins: HF, 1HF, 2. Odds: 26.50, 5.70, 3.05.
Also Ran: Capella, Occult, Frosty O Toole.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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