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Vequist ‘A Little Ahead Of Schedule’ For 2021 Debut; Cotillion The Goal For Champion Filly

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable's reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Vequist breezed a half-mile in 47.77 Friday on the Saratoga main track under Jose Lezcano in preparation for a potential seasonal debut at the end of the Saratoga meet.

Trainer Butch Reid, Jr. said the sophomore daughter of Nyquist is working towards a long-term goal of the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion, a 1 1/16-mile test for sophomore fillies on September 25 at Parx. It was just the second work back for Vequist, who captured the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile fillies last out in November at Keeneland.

“She did very well this morning,” said Reid, Jr. “I had her galloping out in 1:01 and 2 and on out in about 1:15. She's fitter than I thought she was. She's actually a little ahead of schedule. I wanted her ready to go five-eighths on the first of August and she's a little ahead of that. I'm very happy with her progress. She's coming along nicely. If everything works out, she could run here before the end of the meet.”

The talented dark bay, out of the Mineshaft mare Vero Amore, graduated by 9 1/2-lengths in the Grade 1 Spinaway last summer at Saratoga.

St. Omer's Farm and Christopher J. Feifarek's Beren posted a sharp 46.60 half-mile bullet work Friday on the main track. The Weigelia sophomore has won his last three starts, capturing the Gold Fever and off-the-turf Paradise Creek at Belmont ahead of a last-out score in the Crowd Pleaser on June 22 at Parx.

Initially under consideration for the nine-furlong $120,000 Curlin on July 30, Reid Jr. said the fast work has him considering the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam on August 1.

“It looks like he came out of it well, but it's made me rethink my strategy a little bit,” Reid, Jr. said. “It's hard to think about coming back at a mile and an eighth for the Curlin, when there's the Amsterdam there. Plus, two more days might be very helpful for him.”

Reid, Jr. said Swilcan Stable and LC Racing's Mainstay, a 2-year-old half-sister to stablemate Vequist, has come out of her runner-up effort to Pretty Birdie in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on Opening Day July 15 in good order and will now point to the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on August 8.

A 7 3/4-length maiden winner on June 4 over sloppy going at Monmouth, Mainstay bobbled at the start of her graded stakes debut and was unable to reel in a runaway Pretty Birdie.

“She lost concentration coming down the lane. I don't know if it was the crowd, but she ducked in when I thought she had dead aim on the other horse [Pretty Birdie],” Reid Jr. said. “I really think she'll learn from the experience. She came out of it so well, we're thinking about taking a shot at the Adirondack. She hasn't missed an oat since the race and has been training very well.”

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Moquett ‘Couldn’t Be More Pleased’ With Champion Whitmore Ahead Of July 31 Vanderbilt

Reigning Champion Sprinter Whitmore registered his final serious breeze Friday in preparation for the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt on July 31 at Saratoga Race Course.

The 8-year-old gelding, who won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint in November at Keeneland, went a half-mile in 48.78 seconds over a fast main track at the Spa, 12 days after travelling the same distance in a swift 47.21 seconds.

Trained by Ron Moquett, Whitmore has amassed more than $4.4 million in lifetime earnings through a record of 41-15-13-4, which includes seven graded stakes victories at four different racetracks. Prior to the Breeders' Cup Sprint, his only other Grade 1 victory took place in the 2018 Forego at Saratoga, where he defeated subsequent Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup winner City of Light.

Whitmore was second in last year's Vanderbilt, finishing 1 ¼ lengths to Volatile ahead of a distant seventh in the Forego over a sloppy track.

“He went very well this morning,” Moquett said. “I told the rider I wanted 48 or 49 and he did it, and did it the right way so I'm very pleased. He's training well, doing well, and I like the way he's running. I couldn't be more pleased with how everything is right now. He likes the surface at Saratoga. It's a good track and it seems like he's settled right in.”

Whitmore has finished in the money in all three starts this year, beginning with a close second by a neck to C Z Rocket in the Hot Springs at Oaklawn, a race he won from 2017-20. Following another second beaten two lengths in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint at the Arkansas oval in April, Whitmore was third by a head in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on May 1.

Whitmore has won at six different racetracks dating back to November 2015 at Churchill Downs, capturing his debut by 7 ¼ lengths en route to three graded stakes placings at Oaklawn Park while on the Kentucky Derby trail.

While Whitmore is still going strong, most of his previous competitors from 2016 have gone off to the breeding shed. He finished second to 2021 freshman sire Cupid in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park two starts prior to finishing 19th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, which was won by Nyquist – last year's leading first crop stallion.

“The funny thing is, I have a colt by Cupid, and Whitmore ran against Cupid in the Rebel as a 3-year-old,” Moquett said. “We're so grateful that he's with us and we're always amazed at the outpouring of affection and support for the horse. It's great to see how many people like and cheer for him.”

Moquett said Whitmore thrives at Oaklawn, where has posted nine wins, but has the ability to take his game on the road.

“He likes Oaklawn because that's where we're at when he comes back off his break. He always does well then,” Moquett said. “I know he likes Keeneland and Churchill and Saratoga. I don't know which one he likes the best, but he likes a fast track.”

Moquett said a repeat win in the Breeders' Cup Sprint is the main objective with the possibility of using the Grade 2, $250,000 Phoenix on October 8 at Keeneland as a springboard. Whitmore captured the 2017 Phoenix by a nose over Awesome Banner.

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. has piloted Whitmore 17 times, including his last three starts, and will have the call for the Vanderbilt. He piloted last year's winner Volatile.

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Jesus’ Team Will Try To Bounce Back In Aug. 6 Alydar Stakes

Grupo 7C Racing Stable Jesus' Team, second in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and Breeder' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), is headed to Saratoga.

After working a sharp four furlongs in :47.40 from the gate Friday morning at Gulfstream Park's Palm Meadows Training Center in Palm Beach County, trainer Jose D'Angelo said the 4-year-old son of Tapiture will ship north for the $120,000 Alydar at 1 1/8 miles Aug. 6 at Saratoga.

“Everything went very well this morning,” D'Angelo said. “He went in 47 and change and it was perfect, just what we were looking for. The plan is to leave [Saturday] for Saratoga.”

D'Angelo said Jesus' Team would work next weekend at Saratoga, where he finished third last year in the Jim Dandy (G2). Junior Alvarado will be aboard in the Alydar.

After following up his runner-up finish in the Pegasus with a sixth-place finish in the Dubai World Cup (G1) in March, D'Angelo gave Jesus' Team four months off before returning July 11 in an overnight handicap at Gulfstream. Jesus' Team finished fifth while lacking his usual late kick.

“I really think he just needed the race,” D'Angelo said. “He had run eight tough races in a row, and two weeks before his last race it had rained a lot and we didn't do what we wanted to do with him before the race.”

Jesus' Team captured a $25,000 claiming race at Gulfstream in his first start for D'Angelo in May 2020 before taking a tour of the East Coast and Midwest to compete against the best horses in training and amass more than $1.3 million in purses. The Kentucky-bred colt finished third in the Jim Dandy and Preakness (G1) at Pimlico, before finishing second behind Knicks Go in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He returned to Gulfstream to win the Claiming Crown Jewel in December before finishing second again behind Knicks Go in the $3 million Pegasus in January during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet.

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Three-For-Three In 2021, Crystal Ball Will Try To Stay Perfect In Sunday’s Shuvee

WinStar Stablemates Racing's Crystal Ball, perfect through three starts as a 4-year-old, will put that mark on the line when facing five graded stakes winners in Sunday's 45th running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee for older fillies and mares going at Saratoga Race Course.

The nine-furlong test honors the multiple stakes-winning Hall of Fame distaffer whose accolades include victories in the Alabama, Mother Goose, Acorn, Coaching Club American Oaks and Beldame. The daughter of Nashua's biggest claim to fame was defeating males in back-to-back years in the Jockey Club Gold Cup [1970-71]. Shuvee earned Champion 3-Year-Old Filly honors in 1969 before being named Champion Older Female the following two years. She was owned by Anne Minor Stone and trained by Willard Freeman.

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Crystal Ball has won all three of her 2021 starts over different racetracks with different jockeys. The daughter of Malibu Moon commenced her campaign with an allowance optional claiming score on April 2 at Santa Anita where Flavien Prat piloted her to a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure. After shipping to Churchill Downs to win for the next condition going 1 1/16 miles on May 8 under Florent Geroux, she transferred to Brisset's barn and won the nine-furlong Lady Jacqueline on June 26 at Thistledown with Luis Saez up.

“When she got switched to us our main goal was to win a stakes with her and we accomplished that last time,” Brisset said. “The mare is 3-for-3 this year. She's training well, she likes this track. I think it's the next logical spot for her to try and win a graded stakes with her now. She's a gorgeous mare physically. She's obviously going to be in the WinStar broodmare band. It would be nice for her to win that.”

Winless in two starts at the Spa, Crystal Ball made a good showing in her first start at Saratoga in last year's Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, where she set the pace and battled gamely with fellow WinStar Stablemates color bearer Paris Lights, finishing just a head shy of victory.

“We were able to get her back to Keeneland right after the race in Ohio. We gave her two weeks galloping and she had two nice breezes there. She shipped well here,” Brisset said. “She trained very well Thursday morning. We'll school her at the gate, and we'll just do our normal routine, take her over there on Sunday and see what happens.”

Crystal Ball will be piloted by Saez from post 6.

Trainer Chad Brown brings a trio of graded stakes winners to the Shuvee in Gold Spirit [post 2, Javier Castellano], Dunbar Road [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Royal Flag [post 7, Joel Rosario].

Making her first start in North America, Gold Spirit was a Group 1 winner in her native Chile, capturing the Alberto Solari Magnasco at 1 ¼ miles in November. A victory from Gold Spirit would give owner Sumaya U.S. Stable their second Shuvee victory after winning in 2003 with Wild Spirit, who also made her United States debut in the Shuvee.

Peter Brant's Dunbar Road seeks to recapture her winning form from last season, where she won the Shawnee at Churchill Downs and Grade 2 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park in her first two starts. The three-time graded stakes winning daughter of Quality Road conquered her lone start at the Spa with a 2 ¾-length victory in the 2019 Grade 1 Alabama.

Dunbar Road boasts the highest lifetime earnings as the field's lone millionaire, banking $1,210,740 through a 12-6-1-3 record.

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W.S. Farish's Royal Flag, second in last year's Shuvee to subsequent Grade 1 winner Letruska, has never missed the board in nine starts bragging a 4-3-2 record.

The 5-year-old daughter of Candy Ride won the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm on November 7 at Aqueduct going nine furlongs in her only graded stakes victory and returned five months later to finish a narrow second in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare on April 16 at Keeneland.

A Kentucky homebred, Royal Flag is out of the Mineshaft mare Sea Gull, making her a full-sister to graded stakes winner Eagle and multiple graded stakes-winner Catalina Cruiser.

“All three horses are doing well. They're coming off layoffs of some sort, so it's a bit of an obstacle to overcome, but they're all training well,” Brown said. “I've gotten to know Gold Spirit pretty well over the past couple of months and she seems like a quality horse. Dunbar Road ended up having a throat infection that we've been working on and it's good now. I've been very pleased with her last few works.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle two graded stakes winners seeking his second Shuvee victory.

Godolphin's versatile Antoinette, a stakes winner on both dirt and turf, arrives off a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis on June 26 at Churchill Downs, where she maintained second position throughout and held off a late run from Envoutante.

Following a successful 4-year-old debut on turf, going gate-to-wire in the Grade 3 The Very One on February 27 at Gulfstream Park, she stretched out to 1 3/8 miles for the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay on May 1 at Belmont Park, where she set the pace once more and faded to fifth.

A win would make the bay daughter of Hard Spun a stakes-winner on both surfaces at the Spa having captured last year's Saratoga Oaks Invitational in frontrunning fashion.

“For the time being, she's on dirt,” said Mott, who saddled 2019 Shuvee winner Golden Award. “She's run a couple of good races this year. The Sheepshead Bay may have been a little far. She's shown the natural progression that horses from three to four show. They typically run faster. You like to see them do that.”

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will ride Antoinette from post 5.

Horologist seeks a fourth graded stakes victory when breaking from post 1 under Junior Alvarado.

The 2020 New Jersey-Bred Horse of the Year, owned by There's A Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farms Corporation and David Staudacher, won last year's Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park and the Grade 2 Beldame Invitational at Belmont Park.

The daughter of Gemologist captured her 5-year-old debut in the Top Flight Invitational at Aqueduct and was a disappointing fifth last out as the favorite in the Lady Jacqueline. Through a record of 23-8-2-4, Horologist brags the most lifetime victories.

Completing the field is Christine Hatfield and Phil Hatfield's Liberty M D, who makes her first start going two turns and at stakes caliber for trainer Ian Wilkes.

The 4-year-old bay daughter of third crop sire Constitution won her career debut on May 14 at Churchill Downs going seven furlongs before defeating winners at a one-turn mile by a half-length on June 3.

Jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. will ride from post 3.

The Shuvee is slated as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race card. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern. 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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