The Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes is one of the sport’s most famous and important races, but there will be a new twist to it Saturday. The prestigious stakes will be contested at Saratoga Race Course for the first time, highlighting the closing weekend of action at the 40-day meet.
Tag: Racing
Coinage Carries ‘High Cruising Speed’ To Victory In With Anticipation
D.J. Stable and Chester and Mary Broman's Coinage made his turf, open-company and two-turn debut a winning one in Wednesday's Grade 3, $150,000 With Anticipation, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juveniles at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Bred in New York by the Bromans, the Tapit chestnut is out of the Grade 1-winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Bar of Gold, who captured the 2017 Yaddo on the Saratoga turf ahead of a victory in that year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on the Del Mar main track.
Chester Broman said he was surprised by the ease of the gate-to-wire score, despite jockey Junior Alvarado relaying their strategy pre-race.
“When we were in the paddock, [Alvarado] said he was going to put him on the lead and said, 'They'll have to catch me,'” Broman said. “That's easy to say, but they couldn't catch him. Those were pretty good horses, too.”
Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Coinage broke sharp from the outermost post 6 under Alvarado and set splits of 25.66 seconds, 50.65 and 1:15.59 on the firm going with Gooch Go Bragh in second and a keen Portfolio Company on the rail in third.
Coinage led the field into the final turn with Portfolio Company, piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr., advancing up the rail and angling into the two path for the stretch run with Limited Liability, the 4-5 post-time favorite under Jose Ortiz, following his run.
Portfolio Company tried in vain to reel in the pacesetter but the regally-bred chestnut would not be denied a two-length victory in a final time of 1:43.69.
Coinage, a maiden winner at second asking on June 17 at Belmont, followed up with an even third in the Rick Violette at six furlongs on July 21 at the Spa. Casse breezed the chestnut twice on the Oklahoma training turf last month in preparation for his turf debut.
“I told my wife Tina this morning, 'We'll see if they can catch him.' I seldom say this, but I told Junior to take no prisoners and go,” Casse said. “He's a good horse. He has a high cruising speed. We breezed him over the turf a couple of times as we like to do. Training horses is like putting a puzzle together. You have to keep trying the pieces until figuring out where they fit. We figured it out today.
“[I liked] his works, and his pedigree, and two of their wonderful owners bred him and gave us the privilege of training him,” Casse added. “He's a serious horse.”
The victory marked the second stakes score of the meet for Casse following Got Stormy's Grade 1 Fourstardave coup last month.
Alvarado, whose previous Spa stakes wins this summer include the Grade 2 Saratoga Special with High Oak and the Summer Colony with Horologist, said he felt confident throughout.
“Mark told me he's been sharp and to get out of there running. I was only worried a little about the 2 [Silipo] because I thought he might try to go to the lead and get something out of it,” Alvarado said. “But [Coinage] broke out of there that sharp and was so comfortable on the turf the first time; he took it all the way.
“Turning for home, I asked him and he started moving very quick and I said, 'there's no way anybody can go by me,'” he added. “Going for home from the quarter-pole to the wire, I was pretty confident with what I had at that point.”
Portfolio Company, an impressive maiden winner for leading trainer Chad Brown, completed the exacta by 3 1/2-lengths over Limited Liability. Gooch Go Bragh, Kavod, and Silipo rounded out the order of finish. Ready to March was scratched.
Coinage, a $450,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record 4-2-0-2. He returned $15.80 for a $2 win ticket.
Live racing resumes Thursday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring the $120,000 P. G. Johnson for juvenile fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.
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Like The King Stays On Turf, Takes On Brown Pair In Saranac
Kentucky Derby-participant Like the King has continued to acclimate to a surface change in his last two starts and will now look to become a duel-surface graded stakes-winner as he headlines a six-horse field of 3-year-olds in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Saranac at 1 1/16 miles on Saratoga Race Course's inner turf.
The 114th running of the Saranac, slated as Race 8 on the 12-race card, will be part of a packed day that includes the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold up for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/4 miles in a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Del Mar; the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl for older fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles on the turf [“Win and You're In” for Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf; and the Grade 3, $250,000 Prioress for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs. First post will be 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
M Racing Group's Like the King earned a spot in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby by capturing the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks in March over Turfway Park's all-weather track. Trainer Wesley Ward took a shot with the Palace Malice colt in the “Run for the Roses,” as Like the King finished 12th in the 19-horse field on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs.
Ward then switched Like the King to turf, where he ran fifth in the Audubon going 1 1/8 miles on May 29 at Churchill Downs in his first attempt. He improved next out going the same distance, finishing second, one length behind Yes This Time, in the Grade 3 Kent on July 3 at Delaware Park.
“He earned his way in there,” Ward said about the Kentucky Derby. “I kind of thought at least going into the race, he comes from behind and you never know what happens when you have horses that make one big run. We knew we were overmatched looking at his odds and all that. Unfortunately, we were beaten on the square by better horses, but I thought his future was going to be on the grass.”
Like the King continued to train at Keeneland before shipping to Saratoga for his first start at the historic track, posting a bullet five-furlong breeze in 59.80 seconds on August 30 over the main track.
Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride, departing from post 2.
Chad Brown, who is looking to secure his fourth Saratoga training title for a meet that concludes on Monday, will send out two contenders who will look to boost his win total.
Klaravich Stables' Public Sector will look for his second graded stakes win of the meet after tallying a one-length score in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame on August 6. The British-bred son of Kingman has only failed to come in first or second once in seven career starts, when capping his 2-year-old campaign with a 12th-place effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Keeneland.
Public Sector has started his sophomore year with two wins and two seconds, including a runner-up in the Manila on July 4 at Belmont before his Saratoga triumph last month under jockey Flavien Prat, who helped Public Sector adapt to a moderate pace before coaxing a strong turn-of-foot in powering home a winner over Annex.
On Saturday, Irad Ortiz, Jr., the winner of the last three Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Rider, will pick up the mount and break from the inside post.
“It really was a great ride last out by Flavien,” Brown said. “He continues to improve and develop into a real top horse, so hopefully it's another step forward again.”
Jeff Drown and Don Rachel's Founder is also a last-out stakes winner, posting a 1 1/4-length victory in the Tale of the Cat going 1 1/16 miles on July 31 at Monmouth Park. The stakes win marked Founder's second career turf start, with his first foray on the grass a sixth-place effort against optional claimers on June 4 at Belmont.
The Upstart ridgling's next attempt on turf was thwarted when rained forced his July 3 start to a sloppy and sealed main track, where Founder still ran second before his breakthrough in the Tale of the Cat over firm going.
“He's really improving. I think he's found a nice new path on the turf,” Brown said. “Hopefully, he's another one that continues to improve.”
Jose Ortiz will be in the irons from post 5 for Founder, a $600,000 purchase at the 2020 OBS Sale.
“Observing his training and with his turf breeding on the bottom, we thought we'd give it a shot and so far, it's worked out,” Brown said.
Founder is out of the Bernstein mare Blue Beryl, who graduated on debut on the Belmont turf in 2015.
Brown also has Risk Taking, eighth in the Grade 1 Preakness in May at Pimlico, entered for the main track only.
Repole Stable's lightly raced Never Surprised went 2-for-2 as a juvenile, winning his debut on November 8 at the Big A before capturing the Central Park later that month at the same track. After running second in his 2021 bow in the Grade 3 Kitten's Joy in January at Gulfstream Park, Never Surprised will be making his first start off a seven-month layoff for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.
A son of Constitution, Never Surprised was purchased for $200,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Meet-leading rider Luis Saez will pick up the mount for the first time, drawing post 4.
Roseland Farm Stable's He'spuregold will put his two-race winning streak on the line, making his first Saratoga start off victories at Monmouth, including a last-out one-length score in the Irish War Cry Handicap on July 24 going one mile.
Trainer Kelly Breen saw He'spuregold earn a personal-best 81 Beyer Speed Figure for his last-out win. Overall, the gelded son of Vancouver is 2-2-3 in eight career starts. Ricardo Santana, Jr. will have the call from post 3.
Rounding out the field is Mohs, who will graduate to stakes company for the first time after notching two wins in six career starts for trainer Patrick McBurney. Tyler Gaffalione will pick up the mount, breaking from post 6.
Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day 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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Souper Sensational Returns To The Spa For Prioress
Live Oak Plantation's graded stakes-winner Souper Sensational will look to build on a strong runner-up effort in a stakes sprint at Saratoga Race Course with a return engagement at the summer meet, headlining a six-horse field of 3-year-old fillies in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress contested at six furlongs at the Spa.
The 74th running of the Prioress, slated as Race 5 on the 12-race card, will be part of a packed day that includes the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold up for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/4 miles in a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Del Mar; the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl for older fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles on the turf [“Win and You're In” for Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Saranac for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. First post will be 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
Souper Sensational notched her first graded stakes win with a 3 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 10 at Belmont. Making her Saratoga debut, Souper Sensational stalked the pace before running second to Bella Sofia in the Grade 1 Longines Test contested at seven furlongs on August 7 over a fast track.
Returning three weeks later and shortened up in distance, the daughter of Hall of Famer Curlin will again team with jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr., drawing the outermost post.
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said Souper Sensational, a $725,000 purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Sale, has been training forwardly at Saratoga since the Test, including a four-furlong breeze in 47.88 seconds on August 25 over the main track.
“She's doing well. She's a nice horse,” Casse said. “We've been proud of her efforts. She came out of the Test well and is doing everything right.”
Holly Hill Stables' Edie Meeny Miny Mo handled the step up in class last out, running second to Leader of the Band in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks on July 31.
Unraced as a juvenile, the Miguel Vera trainee dominated in her first two career starts at Monmouth, posting a 4 1/4-length debut win on April 23 at six furlongs before besting optional claimers going the same distance on June 13.
After making a strong account of herself against steeper competition, the Upstart filly will make her Saratoga debut with Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza, who rode her in the Monmouth Oaks, back in the irons from post 2.
“She's going to get to the race in perfect condition. I'm very happy with the way she's training,” Vera said. “I'm excited to see her run in New York. The last race, I was happy with how she ran. She didn't break sharp enough but then she did everything right. I'd be more confident if she can sit behind the speed, like we had planned it for that race, but there was no speed in there, so she had to go on the lead. I still think she did awesome for the first time in a graded stakes and going two turns.”
Edie Meeny Mino Mo was a $400,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Vera said returning to sprinting could also be a positive for his horse, who will add blinkers.
“I think she can be a good distance horse, but I she needs a little more experience,” Vera said.
D.J. Stable's Amendment Nineteen will elevate to stakes company for the first time after sandwiching a victory around runner-up efforts in her first three starts for reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox. The Constitution filly ran second in her debut in April sprinting six furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack and posted a maiden-breaking two-length score stretched out to a one-turn mile over a sloppy and sealed Belmont track on May 30.
After running second in a seven-furlong allowance sprint on July 24 at Saratoga, Amendment Nineteen will return to the same track, exiting post 5 with Jose Ortiz drawing the assignment.
Tee-N-Jay Farm's Oxana won her last two starts at Parx in dominating fashion and she makes her first stakes start. Trained by Timothy Hills, the Pennsylvania-bred Oxana ran a dull seventh on turf in her debut in June at Monmouth but has thrived since moving to dirt, drawing away for an 18-length score against a seven-horse field of fellow state breds going 6 1/2 furlongs on June 23. Oxana then posted another double-digit length win [10 1/4] competing at six furlongs against older, open company last out on July 20.
The daughter of Uptowncharlybrown will pick up the services of jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. from the inside post.
Joel Politi's Li'l Tootsie made her turf debut last out in the Galway, running ninth on August 15 at Saratoga, but will return to the main track for the Prioress. Trainer Tom Amoss tried the Tapiture filly on the grass for the first time after a ninth-place finish in the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks in July and will see if she can show the form displayed when she started her sophomore campaign 2-for-2 with both wins at Fair Grounds.
Dylan Davis will have the call from post 3.
P.D. Ladner's Cilla enters her first Saratoga appearance off back-to-back stakes wins as she makes her first start for trainer Charlton Baker after previously being trained by Brett Brinkman. Cilla won the Louisiana Legends Mademoiselle in June at Evangeline before capturing the off-the-turf Blue Sparkler on July 10 at Monmouth Park.
Cilla, 4-0-2 in nine career starts, will have Tyler Gaffalione in the irons from post 4.
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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