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Viadera Outlasts High Opinion In Ballston Spa

Chad Brown continued his winning ways in the first graded stakes on the Travers Day card at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. With three horses entered in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa, Brown claimed two of the top three spots, with Viadera taking the stakes for 4-year-olds and up by a nose while Kalifornia Queen finished third.

With a rain shower putting a brief damper on the day's festivities, the field of six broke evenly, with Tamahere, Brown's third starter, taking the lead over Platinum Paynter and Viadera. Tamahere and Platinum Paynter were several lengths ahead early, setting fractions of :22.60 for the first quarter and :47.55 for the first half-mile. As they approached the final turn, Tamahere's lead began to shrink, the field catching up to her as Platinum Paynter dropped back on the turn. Joel Rosario moved Viadera from the rail to the outside of Tamahere, positioning her for her closing run at the leader.

In the stretch, Tamahere looked like she could wire the field, Irad Ortiz, Jr. urging her to keep up the pace. To her inside, High Opinion and Luis Saez were riding the rail, taking advantage of the open lane, while Rosario had Viadera in a drive on Tamahere's outside. The two passed Tamahere and then hooked up inside the last sixteenth of a mile, with Viadera nosing out High Opinion at the wire. Kalifornia Queen, closing fast on Viadera's outside, rounded out the top three with Tamahere, New York Girl, and Platinum Paynter completing the field of six.

The final time for the 1 1/16-mile G2 Ballston Spa was 1:41.82. Find this race's chart here.

Viadera paid $3.60, $2.90, and $2.30. High Opinion paid $5.00 and $3.30. Kalifornia Queen paid $3.00.

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“Joel [Rosario] got in really good position this time and made sure there weren't too many horses in front of him in his way when he wanted to make his run. She got a nice, pocketed ground-saving trip, and once again she showed that she knows where the wire is. She's won a couple of close photo finishes now in her career,” Brown said after the race.” She has an affinity for the wire, this horse. If you train horses long enough you'll realize that certain horses know where it is on the winning end and some seem to come up on the losing end. She's one of the ones who knows where it is.”

“I think last time she was coming off a long layoff and the pace didn't work out all that well [fourth in the Faisg-Tipton De La Rose on August 8]. It was better here. She was sharper and I still thought the filly on the inside [High Opinion] probably had momentum on us going to the line, but she just has a way of always getting her nose down on the line,” Garrett O'Rourke, Juddmonte general manager, told the NYRA Press Office after the Ballston Spa. “She keeps winning photo finishes and everyone wants a horse with ability, but that competitive edge is fantastic as well.”

“It was a better trip today with horses being in front and I was able to track there for a little bit. Turning for home, I was clear. She always tries really hard. She's a very good filly,” Rosario said after the race. “At the last minute, I knew the horse was coming inside [High Opinion], but she was so game and fighting going forward, so I was never worried about it, but that horse came very close.”

Bred and owned by Juddmonte Farms, Viadera (GB) is a 5-year-old mare by Bated Breath (GB) out of the Beat Hollow (GB) mare, Sacred Shield (GB). The Ballston Spa is her first win of 2021, following a fourth-place finish in the De La Rose at Saratoga on Aug. 8. Her lifetime record is seven wins in 15 starts for career earnings of $618,641.

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Art Collector Takes Charles Town Classic As Solid Favorite

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector validated his status as the 1.30-1 favorite by overcoming a stubborn defending champion in Sleepy Eyes Todd and taking down the top prize in the $800,000 Charles Town Classic (G2) at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in West Virginia on Friday night. Ridden by Luis Saez, the son of Bernardini became the first favorite to win the Charles Town Classic since Game on Dude in 2013.

Sleepy Eyes Todd – trying to become the first repeat Classic winner since Researcher in 2010 – was sent to the lead and carved out opening fractions of 23.80 and 47.90 for the first quarter and half mile under rider Ry Eikleberry, with Art Collector glued to his flank for much of the early running. With Saez and Art Collector seizing the lead, they appeared poised to draw off for a convincing win but were fought every step of the way by the world traveling Sleepy Eyes Todd before prevailing by a length and a half at the wire.

“I thought I had him [Sleepy Eyes Todd] turning for home,” said Saez. “He looked like he was going pretty well and that's why I tried to attack pretty early. Art Collector gave me that kick but he was fighting in the stretch. It was just a great finish.”

In winning the Classic, Art Collector gave his Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott his first victory at the West Virginia oval.

California shipper Rushie finished 5 1/2 lengths back of Art Collector in third with another west coast presence in Restrainedvengence rounding out the superfecta.

On the wagering front, the $7,179,783 wagered on Friday night's Charles Town Classic card established a new single card handle record for the track, shattering the previous mark of $5,720,375 set on the 2019 Classic card.

“We couldn't be happier with the way the night unfolded, the way our horseplayers and fans responded and the record handle that resulted,” said Charles Town's Vice President of Racing and Sports Operations Erich Zimny. “It's a testament to the job that our Director of Racing, Charlie McIntosh, and the racing office staff did in putting such a deep and competitive card together that we can't wait to expand upon in 2022.”

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Medina Spirit Vs. Rock Your World Showdown In Sunday’s Shared Belief Stakes

A delicious confrontation between two of the aces from this year's Triple Crown events will unfold at Del Mar Sunday when Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and Kentucky Derby/Belmont Stakes competitor Rock Your World match strides over a mile in the 47th running of the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes.

Six in all have entered the headliner for 3-year-olds, but the two “Triple” guys will draw the most eyes and the most action. Jon White, Del Mar's morning line maker, has made Medina Spirit a slight 7/5 favorite over rival Rock Your World at 8/5.

It is likely that both colts are using the Shared Belief as a “prep” for bigger and better things to come in the near future. But both undoubtedly have designs on this year's Breeders' Cup, which will be held at Del Mar. Sunday's test will be a perfect chance for each to get a feel for the seaside oval where neither has raced before.

Medina's Spirit, a son of the relatively unknown sire Protonico, made history with his Kentucky Derby win on May 1, then was the victim of a controversy centering on him possibly racing that afternoon with a drug not permitted on race day. A ruling on that matter still awaits a Kentucky Racing Commission statement. Subsequently, he ran third in the Preakness Stakes. The smallish Florida-bred races for Zedan Racing Stables and trains out of the barn of Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

Rock Your World is by the top stallion Candy Ride and lost all chance in the Kentucky Derby when he broke slowly and never had an opportunity to use his natural speed, finishing far back in the 19-horse lineup. Subsequently he showed speed in the 12-furlong Belmont, but could only finish sixth of eight. The tall, dark Kentucky-bred is trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing or Talia Racing.

Medina Spirit has won three of seven starts with purses of $2,285,200. Of that amount, $1,860,000 was earned in the Kentucky Derby. Rock Your World has won three of five starts, including a tally in the Santa Anita Derby, and $591,600.

Both horses have been training in spirited fashion at Del Mar this summer for their return to racing. Both will have first-class riders in the boot Sunday – Hall of Famer John Velazquez coming in from New York to handle Medina Spirit and international riding star Umberto Rispoli returning to his role with Rock Your World.

Four other 3-year-olds are also in the lineup for the race and a victory by any of them obviously would be a large feather in their caps.

Here's the full field for the Shared Belief from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

Thomsen Racing's Willy the Cobbler (Victor Espinoza, 20-1); Medina Spirit; Rock Your World; Reddam Racing's Team Merchants (Mario Gutierrez, 5-1); ERJ Racing, Brennan or Strauss, et al's The Great One (Flavien Prat, 6-1), and Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1).

The Shared Belief was originally run as the El Cajon Stakes from 1973 to 2015. In 2016 it was rename for the champion horse – a winner of 10 of 12 starts and nearly $3 million in purses, including a score in Del Mar's 2014 TVG Pacific Classic — who had died unexpectedly from complications of colic.

The feature will be Race 9 on a 10-race card with a first post of 2 p.m.

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Limited Liability Steps Up To Graded Company In Wednesday’s With Anticipation

While the surface, surroundings and distance will be the same, the stakes will be much higher as Stuart Janney III's homebred Limited Liability makes the step up from eye-catching debut winner to facing graded company in Wednesday's Grade 3, $150,000 With Anticipation at Saratoga Race Course.

The 17th running of the With Anticipation for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles over the Mellon turf course serves as the headliner on a 10-race program that kicks off the final week of the Spa summer meet. First post time is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

By turf champion and prolific grass sire Kitten's Joy, Limited Liability, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, had been preparing for his debut at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Maryland prior to his July 31 unveiling.

“We did like him. He was at Fair Hill for a good while and he was up here long enough,” McGaughey said. “I had worked him on the Tapeta down there, and he really liked it.”

Limited Liability broke near the outside of eight horses in his career opener, a maiden special weight contested over a turf course rated good. He had one horse beat before rallying five wide through the stretch and sweeping past to win by 2 3/4 lengths at odds of nearly 7-1.

“I was very impressed with his race. I've been very impressed since he ran, too,” McGaughey said. “He's training awfully well. I'm looking forward to it. I think he deserves to be in there.”

Jose Ortiz, up for his debut, gets the return call from post 1 in a field of seven at co-topweight of 122 pounds.

While McGaughey will be seeking his first victory in the With Anticipation, newly inducted Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher has captured a record six editions with Opry [2018], Made You Look [2016], Azar [2015], Bashart [2013], Interactif [2009] and Bittel Road [2008]. The only other trainers with more than one win are Patrick Biancone and Chad Brown [with two apiece].

This year, Pletcher will be represented by Donegal Racing's Gooch Go Bragh, a chestnut son of Distorted Humor that fetched $130,000 as a yearling last fall. The colt also debuted at Saratoga, running second behind Dripping Gold in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight August 7 on the inner turf course. Meet leader Luis Saez will ride from post 3 at 118 pounds.

Another son of Kitten's Joy with a debut win at the distance, albeit over Saratoga's inner turf, is Klaravich Stables' Portfolio Company. Sent off as the favorite over eight rivals July 17, he was rank early before settling down and taking a 2 ½-length lead into the stretch, holding on to win by three-quarters of a length. The victory was one of 30 the meet-leading Brown had trained through the first 31 days, including eight over a two-day span August 25 and 26.

“You've got to earn every win at Saratoga. I know we have [the] eight wins and it's starting to look easy, but it's anything but that,” Brown said. “You're going to have to work hard, you're going to need focus and get good rides from these jockeys, and we're going to have to do our part to bring over horses that are really healthy and ready to roll.”

Brown's previous With Anticipation wins came in 2014 with Startup Nation and in 2012 with Balance the Books, both owned or co-owned by Klaravich's Seth Klarman.

“It's cyclical, like any professional sport. When you're doing it long enough, you're going to realize that you can't get too high or too low. Right now, we're in a really good groove, in all different divisions – dirt, turf, long, short, young, old – and the horses are really ready. It's a testament to my staff and the patience of the owners to see it through week-to-week. And these jockeys. There's a handful of different jockeys who have participated in this streak,” Brown said. “It just goes to show you how hard everyone is trying in all areas of the game to get wins at Saratoga.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has been named on Portfolio Company from post 4 at 122 pounds.

D.J. Stable and Chester and Mary Broman's Coinage is entered to make his turf debut for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse after breaking his maiden sprinting 5 ½ furlongs June 17 at Belmont Park and running third in the six-furlong Rick Violette July 21 at Saratoga, both against fellow New York-breds. He is by Tapit out of Grade 1-winning mare Bar of Gold, also bred and owned by the Bromans. Junior Alvarado gets the assignment from post 6 at 120 pounds.

Silipo will be stepping up, stretching out and switching surfaces following his 3 ½-length victory in a 5 ½-furlong maiden claimer August 15 over Saratoga's main track. Trainer Bruce Brown claimed the Candy Ride gelding for $40,000 on behalf of Buffalo-based White Owl Stable.

“He's a real good-looking horse. For a 2-year-old he's just a big, beautiful horse. We were just kind of taking a shot,” Brown said. “You almost kind of wish he wouldn't have won. It's a double-edged sword. You liked that he ran well enough to win but then that takes down your options. If he hadn't have won, we could have run him back in a maiden. But, it's good for him.”

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Based on what he has seen since the claim, Brown believes Silipo should handle the transition to grass. Ricardo Santana Jr. will be aboard from post 2 at 120 pounds.

“For 2-year-olds when they break their maiden, there's not a lot of options for them. This [race] was something that, right when we claimed him and he won, we thought about,” Brown said. “He's got a good turf foot and he's kind of a big, scopey horse. He looks like he could turf so we figured it might be a good opportunity to try it. He should like the distance and should appreciate the grass, hopefully.”

Completing the field are a pair of entrants from trainer and co-owner James Chapman in Kavod [blinkers off from post 5, Manny Franco] and Ready to March [post 7, Luis Rodriguez Castro]. Kavod has raced four times, all on dirt, breaking his maiden April 23 and running second in the June 4 Tremont at Belmont prior to a fifth in the Grade 3 Sanford July 17, his most recent outing. Ready to March graduated in his lone start sprinting five furlongs August 23 over Finger Lakes' main track.

The With Anticipation is slated as Race 9. 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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