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Forest Survivor Best In Lake Huron At Woodbine

The $80,000 Lake Huron Stakes, part of the Ontario Sire Heritage Series, took place Saturday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, with Forest Survivor taking the victory.

The five-furlong inner turf event for colts and geldings is part of the Ontario Sire Heritage Series, a new eight-leg stakes series open to Ontario Sired 3-year-olds, to be contested at Woodbine and Fort Erie racetracks.

Ontario Racing and its Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP) Committee unveiled the series in March. With a total purse structure of $750,000, the Heritage Series will feature a total of four races – three opening legs and one final – for both 3-year-old colts and 3-year-old fillies that are sustained to the Ontario Sires Stakes program.

Forest Survivor and All Canadian both shot out strongly to engage in a speed battle, dueling through a quarter-mile of :21.72. Sent off as the 1/2 favorite, Forest Survivor and Kazushi Kimura turned away All Canadian convincingly to open several lengths in the stretch, running to a 1 ¾ length victory in :57.33.

Galvaston closed in late to finish second, while Jocularity and Dragon's Brew completed the top-four.

“(Forest Survivor) is pretty quick all the time…I'm just doing one job like just send him to the front,” said Kimura, noting it was the same tactics as the colt's most recent start, a second-place effort on June 13.

A son of Old Forester, Forest Survivor has now won two of three starts this season after three of eight starts overall. The chestnut colt is trained by Norm McKnight for owner Bruno Schickedanz.

Forest Survivor paid $3.10 to win.

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Knicks Go Cruises Wire To Wire In Whitney

In a field where every one of the five horses has career earnings in five figures, predicting who would come away with the win in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga might have seemed challenging to say the least. However, by the time the field hit the first turn, the outcome for the most anticipated race of the Saratoga meet thus far was all but decided. It was Knicks Go from the gate to the wire.

Breaking from post four, Joel Rosario hustled Knicks Go to the lead, with Swiss Skydiver on his heels and Maxfield just behind her. On the first turn, the gray 5-year-old increased his lead to four lengths, stretching it to five lengths over Maxfield and Swiss Skydiver on the backstretch, with Silver State and By My Standards trailing. As the five approached the final turn, the margin between Knicks Go and the field was down to a length and a half, as Rosario gave his horse a breather going into the far turn.

As the field for the G1 Whitney rounded that last bend, Knicks Go was still in front with Swiss Skydiver on his outside trying to challenge, Maxfield to her outside going three-wide into the stretch. Jose Ortiz moved Maxfield between Swiss Skydiver and Silver State on the rail, looking for racing room, but it was all Knicks Go running down the middle of the track to win by 4 1/2 lengths, another G1 win going wire to wire. Maxfield was second, with Silver State third. Swiss Skydiver and By My Standards, who broke awkwardly and never factored, rounding out the field.

The final time for the 1 1/8 mile Whitney was 1:47.70. Find this race's chart here.

Knicks Go paid $4.10, $2.70, and $2.20. Maxfield paid $2.80 and $2.10. Silver State paid $2.70 to show.

Bred in Maryland by Angie Moore, Knicks Go is by Grade 1 winner Paynter out of the Outflanker mare Kosmo's Buddy, also a black-type stakes winner. Trained by Brad Cox, the 5-year-old multiple Grade 1 winner is owned by Korea Racing Authority, who purchased Knicks Go for $87,000 from Woods Edge Farm at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With this win in the Whitney, Knicks Go has three wins in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 8-3-1 in 22 starts with career earnings of $5,368,995.

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Joseph O’Brien Shipper State Of Rest Finds Running Room Just In Time To Take Grade 1 Saratoga Derby

There was no rest for European shipper State of Rest (IRE) in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on Aug. 7 as the Joseph O'Brien trainee emerged from a crowd of closers just in time for the wire. The race is the second leg of NYRA's Turf Triple, which started with the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational, won by Bolsohi Ballet.

John Velazquez piloted the 3-year-old colt, tucking in sixth mid-pack behind a blistering early quarter led by Cellist. As the field bunched up going into the final turn, State of Rest was caught up and shuffled down to the rail, where he was boxed in well into the final stretch. Velazquez saw space to swing out into the three path and once the colt got running room, he confidently powered past his rivals to win by a length.

Soldier Rising was second, followed by Du Jour. The final time for the 1 3/16 miles on the Mellon turf course was 1:53.35, with fractions of 1:35.92, 1:11.88, :47.54 and :21.96. See the full chart here.

State of Rest went off at odds of 21-1 and paid $44.20 to win on a $2 bet.

State of Rest comes to this race off a third-place finish in the Dubai Duty Free at The Curragh in June, and was also third in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last fall. He is owned by Teme Valley and was bred in Ireland by Tinnakill Bloodstock. State of Rest is the son of Starspangledbanner (AUS) and Quiet American mare Repose. He was a $80,543 purchase at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Whatton Manor Stud and purchased by Joseph and Aidan O'Brien. Previously, he was a $60,423 purchase at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, where he was consigned by his breeder and bought by Diamond Bloodstock.

G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational Quotes, courtesy NYRA Press Office

Joseph O'Brien, winning trainer of State of Rest (No. 9, $44.20): “I thought Johnny [Velazquez] gave him a fantastic ride. The pace was pretty strong and he got him comfortable and came home strong. We knew he would like the firm turf and getting more distance today.

“He was unlucky not to win his last race. He ran really well and we knew that getting more distance today would suit him well. We'll get him home and talk to the owners and see how he is and see where we go next.

“He ran well the last time and we were figuring out where we could go with him. We figured this was a lovely spot and that the conditions would suit him well. We weren't sure how he would handle this level and he had never been around these turns before, but he handled everything really well.”

John Velazquez, winning jockey aboard State of Rest (No. 9): “The horse is actually a very, very nice horse and he was not really paying attention out in the post parade so I was a little bit worried that his mind wasn't on the business and that's what he did. He didn't break very well. I didn't panic. I just saved all the ground, looking for somewhere to go down the stretch and when I got him out, he responded really good.”

Christophe Clement, trainer of runner-up Soldier Rising (No. 1): “He ran very well, I am very happy. We finished second last year with Gufo and second this year. We'll have to find another one for next year.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr., jockey aboard runner-up Soldier Rising (No. 1): “He missed the break a little, but it was his first time running in this country so I didn't panic. I just let him settle and be where he was happy. I tried to have a good trip after that and that's what I got, a really good trip. When I asked him, he was there for me.

“Christophe always told me that he thought he was more of a mile-and-a-half horse but the race was there and the horse was ready to run so I guess they have to run him. He's a nice horse. Really nice. I had a lot of power under me. He was running home but the winner was the best horse.”

Joel Rosario, jockey aboard third-place Du Jour (No. 2): “It was a very nice run. He responded very well. Turning for home he was a little tired and hesitated for a little bit. He ran really well today.”

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Bella Sofia Passes The Test, Gets Her First Graded Stakes Win

In a race that featured the winner of the Grade 2 Mother Goose in Zaajel and the Grade 1 Acorn in Search Results, it was Rudy Rodriguez's filly Bella Sofia, who had yet to compete in a graded stakes let alone win one, that brought home the victory in the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. In only the fourth start of her career, the daughter of Awesome Patriot brings home her third win, adding G1 winner to her short resume.

At the start, Illumination and John Velazquez got out of the gate fastest, Luis Saez settling Bella Sofia in to her outside in second and Souper Sensational on the rail in third. Illumination was a half-length in front through the first quarter in :22.84 and then the first half in :45.70, with Souper Sensational on the rail briefly challenging Bella Sofia's position in second on the far turn. Saez and Bella Sofia maintained their position just off Illumination's shoulder as they approached the stretch.

With the Saratoga straight ahead of them, Velazquez moved Illumination onto the rail as Saez and Bella Sofia made a big run on their outside. Easily taking over the lead, Bella Sofia drew away from the field, crossing the wire 4 1/4 lengths in the front of Souper Sensational in second and Search Results in third. The final time for the seven-furlong G1 Test was 1:21.54.

Always Carina, Obligatory, Illumination, Zaajel, and Make Mischief rounded out the field. Find this race's chart here.

Bella Sofia paid $10.40, $5.70, and $4.00. Souper Sensational paid $10.20 and $5.00. Search Results paid $2.60 to show.

“I know we asked a lot. We're just happy to have her in the barn. The day she broke her maiden, she put everybody away impressively. She was training good.” Trainer Rodriguez said after the Test. “You know when you draw the outside, you pretty much just let the jockey figure out what they want to do. She broke better than anybody. I thought she was going to be out front when she broke that good. She was nice and comfortable and she was running very well for him and when he asked her, she was there for him.”

“She broke perfectly. We were looking for that spot right there to sit and make a run into the stretch. She did it so well and so beautifully. She came through the stretch pretty smoothly. I knew the one horse [Illumination] had some speed, so the plan was to break from there, relax and make one move with her. She's a pretty nice filly,” Saez said after his win on Bella Sofia.

Bred in Kentucky by Two Tone Farms, Bella Sofia is a 3-year-old filly by Awesome Patriot out of the Consolidator mare Love Contract. Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, she is owned by Michael Imperio, Vincent Scuderi, Sofia Soares, Gabrielle Farm, Mazel Stable Partners LLC, and Matthew Mercurio. With her win in the Test, Bella Sofia improves to three wins in four lifetime starts, all in 2021, for career earnings of $405,100.

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