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Weyburn, Rocketry Breeze Ahead Of Saratoga Stakes Tries

Chiefswood Stables homebred Weyburn worked a bullet five-eighths in :59.40 in company Saturday on the Saratoga main track in preparation for next Saturday's $600,000 Grade 2 Jim Dandy, a nine-furlong test for sophomores.

“We wanted him to go good. I hope it wasn't too fast, but he seemed to handle it really well,” Jerkens said. “He went by the workmate once they passed the quarter pole and galloped out on his own. He had a target in the first part of the work, which is why he probably went so fast.”

Saturday's breeze by the Ontario-bred son of Pioneerof the Nile followed a bullet five-eighths in 1:00.60 on July 16 over the Spa main track.

“We weren't planning on doing that, but the weather was creeping up on us. We gave him a work and the track was heavy and he worked good and he was blowing pretty hard,” Jerkens said. “That work really tightened him up and the work yesterday was no problem at all.”

Centennial Farms' multiple graded stakes winner Rocketry breezed six furlongs in 1:17.70 Saturday on the Oklahoma dirt training track in preparation for the $120,000 Birdstone, a 1 3/4-mile test for older horses on August 5.

“It was a nice long work,” Jerkens said. “We're going to come back and work him in company before he runs.”

The 7-year-old Hard Spun bay was off-the-board last out in the 12-furlong Grade 1 Brooklyn, which was won by emerging marathon star Lone Rock.

Jerkens said he is hopeful that the added distance will suit Rocketry, whose last win came three starts back in the 1 5/8-mile Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in November at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

“That one horse [Lone Rock] looks like a standout in that category. If ever he's going to beat horses like that, it's going that distance,” Jerkens said. “That's what happened in Kentucky. The pace was just too sharp for going that far and they came back to him and he went by them in the very end.”

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Sisterson Prepares Channel Cat, Lexitonian For Saratoga Starts

Trainer Jack Sisterson will see a trio of Calumet Farm-owned stakes contenders look to make an impact at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in the next two weeks, with Tango Tango Tango, Channel Cat, and Lexitonian each slated for respective graded stakes contests through August 7.

This coming Saturday will see Channel Cat look to win the $250,000 Grade 2 Bowling Green for the second time in three editions after his 2019 victory in the 1 3/8-mile turf contest for 4-year-olds and up.

The now 6-year-old son of English Channel ran second in the 1 1/2-mile Grade 2 Elkhorn on April 17 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., before returning three weeks later to edge Gufo by a nose in a thrilling finish to win the Grade 1 Man o' War on May 8 at Belmont Park going 1 1/8 miles. That marked Channel Cat's first win since Sisterson took over the training duties – and his first victory in 10 starts overall – with his first winner's circle trip since the 2019 Bowling Green.

Buoyed by the Man o' War effort in which he earned a 98 Beyer, Sisterson ran Channel Cat back on Belmont Stakes Day June 5 in the 1 1/4-mile Grade 1 Manhattan, where he tired and finished seventh. The Chad Brown-trained duo of Domestic Spending and Tribhuvan comprised the Manhattan exacta, with Tribhuvan going on to win the Grade 1 United Nations next out at Monmouth Park.

Sisterson said the extra rest for Channel Cat could put him in a good position to succeed on Saturday.

“I ran him back in three weeks after the Elkhorn because he was doing so well. I probably should have skipped the Manhattan because he had a tough race in the Man o' War, but we gave him a little break now prior to the Bowling Green,” Sisterson said. “It was good to see Chad Brown's horse come back and win the United Nations so the form held up well. Channel Cat should run a good race next week.”

Lexitonian ran second in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day May 1, finishing a head back to Flagstaff, before encountering a troubled trip in a sixth-place Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap effort on Belmont Stakes Day the next month going one turn on Big Sandy. Lexitonian will cut back to six furlongs this Saturday in the $350,000 Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap for 3-year-olds and up.

“He's 110 percent ready to go. It's all about which Lexitonian shows up,” Sisterson said with a laugh. “He's run races that can compete with anyone and then he throws in a clunker now and then. I think a mile is his best distance, so we're cutting him back a little, but if he runs his best race, he'll be right there at the wire. He's shown us training-wise that he's going into next week's race in great shape.”

Lexitonian's previous race at Saratoga was a fifth-place finish in last year's Grade 1 Forego at seven furlongs over a sloppy track. The 5-year-old son of Speightstown will have jockey Jose Lezcano back in the irons.

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Tango Tango Tango, who won his stakes debut last out in the 1 1/16-mile American Derby on July 17 at Arlington Park, could now target the $1 million Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 7, which marks the second leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series for 3-year-olds.

Sisterson said the Tourist colt could also return to Arlington to run in the $600,000 Grade 1 Bruce D – a race formerly knowns as the Secretariat – on August 14.

Tango Tango Tango, unraced as a juvenile, started his career running third in a race moved off the turf in April at Keeneland. After running sixth on the Churchill Downs main track on May 23, Sisterson put him on the turf for the first time on June 27 at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., where he ran second in the 1 1/16-mile contest. For his stakes debut last out, Sisterson added blinkers, and the equipment change netted a personal-best 86 Beyer as he won by two lengths.

“The addition of blinkers really helped him out, as well as putting him on the grass. We thought he'd break his maiden the first time on the grass at Ellis but we ran into a good horse of [trainer] Michael McCarthy [There Goes Harvard]. We thought the blinkers would put him over the edge. It was a 3-year-old stakes, so we figured 'why not take a shot?' He was doing well, and it worked out in his favor.

“He's moved forward in the right direction and we'll obviously keep the blinkers on him. It seemed to be the missing link for him,” he added.

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First Captain Headlines Friday’s Curlin Stakes At Saratoga

First Captain has stamped himself as a rising star through a perfect 3-for-3 record, and will try to keep winning ways intact when racing outside of Belmont Park for the first time in Friday's 12th running of the $120,000 Curlin for sophomores going nine furlongs at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The restricted stakes outing for 3-year-olds who have not won a stakes race over one mile in 2021 is named in honor of the 2007-08 Horse of the Year who became the first North American thoroughbred to reach the $10 million earnings mark. Through a record of 16-11-2-2, Curlin captured the 2007 Preakness, Jockey Club Gold Cup, and Breeders' Cup Classic during his 3-year-old campaign before adding four more Grade 1 events to his ledger in the Dubai World Cup, Stephen Foster, Woodward, and Jockey Club Gold Cup the following year.

First Captain will look to become the second Curlin offspring to capture his sire's namesake race after Connect won in 2013. Since breaking his maiden at seven furlongs by three-quarters of a length over next-out winner Mahaamel in April at Belmont Park, First Captain scored once more against winners five weeks later over Big Sandy going a one-turn mile.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey entered First Captain for his first stakes test last out in the Grade 3 Dwyer on July 5 at Belmont Park, and he handled the class boost with flying colors, capturing the one-turn mile by 1 ¾ lengths.

“He is doing really well up here,” McGaughey said. “He lost his whole 2-year-old year so he's still behind, but he's trying to catch up. I think that his last race was good and he certainly likes this track here. I'm looking forward to it. We have been taking it one step at a time.”

First Captain is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Woodford Racing, and celebrity culinary artist Bobby Flay, the latter of whom also bred the chestnut colt.

Purchased for $1.5 million from the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale, First Captain is out of the graded stakes-winning and Grade 1-placed A.P. Indy broodmare America and hails from the prestigious line of blue hen mare Best in Show, whose descendants include Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches as well as multiple Group 1-winning Irish champion distaffer Peeping Fawn.

Jockey Jose Ortiz, who guided 2019 Curlin victor Highest Honors, retains the mount from post 4.

Three Chimneys Farm and e Five Thoroughbreds' Collaborate seeks to live up to the hype he garnered following an astonishing 12 ½-length maiden romp on February 27 at a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. The son of Into Mischief followed with a distant fifth in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Florida Derby for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.

After a significant cutback in distance when third to stablemate Moonlite Strike in the 6 ½-furlong Roar on May 15, Collaborate defeated winners in a one-mile allowance on June 20, both at Gulfstream Park.

“The Florida Derby was a bit disappointing; but it was probably a bit quick back also,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He ran third after that. We did a minor throat procedure on him and thought we saw the right horse last time going a mile again. I'm hoping to build on that. The Curlin will be a big test.”

Collaborate is out of the graded stakes-winning Quiet American mare Quiet Temper and was bought for $600,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 6.

Repole Stable, Phipps Stable, and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One is the lone Kentucky Derby alumni in the Curlin field and has not raced since finishing 18th in the 'Run for the Roses.'

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the son of Union Rags broke his maiden at fourth asking at nine furlongs on March 7 at Aqueduct.

“He got a good freshening after the Derby, and we've been thinking about the Curlin since then,” said Pletcher, who previously saddled Turbo Compressor [2011] and Outplay [2017] to Curlin scores. “He's trained accordingly, and we'll see if he can make a move forward. He and [Kentucky Oaks winner] Malathaat trained quite a bit together at Belmont and made good companions on a similar schedule.”

Dynamic One registered his final work for the Curlin on Friday, breezing five furlongs in 1:02.20 over the Oklahoma training track.

“I thought he handled it fine,” Pletcher said of the breeze. “He's always been a good work horse and trained really well. He's still putting it all together. Hopefully, as he continues to mature, he will continue to improve.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call from post 7.

Susan Quick and Christopher Feifarek's Beren arrives at the Curlin as the most seasoned horse in the field with ten starts and brings three consecutive stakes victories into the race for trainer Butch Reid, Jr.

The son of Weigelia, a previous track record holder at Belmont Park for six furlongs over the inner turf [1:07.04 on June 17, 2006], captured the Gold Fever and an off-the-turf edition of the Paradise Creek over Big Sandy before beating his Pennsylvania-bred counterparts in the Crowd Pleaser on June 22 at Parx Racing.

Reid, Jr. said Beren, who breezed a bullet half-mile in :46.60 seconds Friday over the Saratoga main track, could cross-enter in the $200,000 Grade 2 Amsterdam on August 1 going 6 ½ furlongs.

“We may end up cross-entering in the Amsterdam. He breezed awful fast the other day and I'm not sure that's conducive to going a mile and eighth the way he breezed. He came out of it great and hasn't missed an oat. He's doing very well,” Reid, Jr. said. “My inclination is to keep him around two turns, but the way he breezed the other day, it looks like he really handled the track well. He gives you options, that's for sure.”

Reid, Jr. did not rule out starting Beren on turf at some point.

“We wanted to try the turf with him too, but that one rained off,” Reid, Jr. said. “His father was the track record holder at Belmont at six furlongs on the turf. His mother, Silmaril, was a multiple-graded-stakes winner. He's very well bred and we have a lot of options. We'll see how he goes the next couple of days and make up our minds.”

Jockey Frankie Pennington retains the mount from post 5.

Trainer Rodolphe Brisset will saddle CHC and WinStar Farm's regally-bred Harvard, a full-brother to 2016 Champion 2-Year-Old Classic Empire who is unbeaten in two starts around two turns.

After making the third time the charm in his two-turn debut in May at Indiana Grand, the son of Pioneerof the Nile bested winners in a nine-furlong allowance race on June 11 at Churchill Downs, which featured next-out winner Dack Janiel's.

Harvard will be ridden by Luis Saez from post 3.

Peter Brant and Robert V. LaPenta's Miles D, a son of Curlin, makes his two-turn debut for trainer Chad Brown after a sharp one-turn mile maiden triumph on June 12 at Belmont Park. The bay colt made his first start since October, when fourth on debut finishing behind Speaker's Corner and stakes-winners Caddo River and Greatest Honour.

Breaking from post 1, Miles D will be ridden by Joel Rosario.

Completing the field is Juddmonte Farms' Snow House, who was previously third in the Grade 3 Dwyer. The bay son of Twirling Candy broke his maiden going a two-turn mile on April 21 at Keeneland Race Course before defeating winners around a one-turn mile on May 29 at Churchill Downs for trainer Brad Cox.

Snow House will break from post 2 under Manny Franco.

The Curlin is slated as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race card, which offers a first post of 1:05 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Swiss Skydiver To Try Open Company Again In Whitney

Trainer Kenny McPeek said he will look to give his superstar filly Swiss Skydiver a second triumph against males in the $1 million Grade 1 Whitney on August 7 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The historic nine-furlong event offers a “Win And You're In” berth to the $6 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic on November 6 at Del Mar.

Owned by Peter Callahan, the 4-year-old daughter of Daredevil bested the boys in last year's Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, where she became only the sixth filly to win the American Classic.

Swiss Skydiver has registered two starts this year, shipping to the West Coast to capture the Grade 1 Beholder Mile on March 13 at Santa Anita ahead of a distant third to Letruska in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 17 at Oaklawn Park.

Initially entered in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, Swiss Skydiver scratched from the race when spiking a temperature. With sights set on the Grade 3 Shuvee on July 25, McPeek had to alter course when NYRA and the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) placed Barn 86 at Saratoga under a precautionary quarantine on July 15 due to a positive case of Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in that barn.

McPeek said Swiss Skydiver is ready for a second triumph against males.

“She had some hiccups in the spring,” McPeek said. “She had a hind leg infection which contributed to her uncharacteristic run at Oaklawn, and she had a fever when we shipped to Belmont. We're hoping to get into a little rhythm with her and I'm looking forward to running her.”

Swiss Skydiver has notched six graded stakes victories, dating back to last March when taking the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks in gate-to-wire fashion. From there, she added miles to the tank with triumphs in the Grade 3 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park last May and the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks last June.

After making her first start against males with a game second in the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland Race Course last July, she recorded her first triple-digit Beyer with a 3 ½-length win in the Grade 1 Alabama in August in her lone start at the Spa, where she posted a 102 Beyer.

“Throughout the time I've had her, she's gone from a girl to a woman. She's as attractive as ever and maybe more so now,” McPeek said. “From two to three to four, you never know how they're going to evolve but she's doing everything right. She's bigger in her shoulder and her hip at this stage. She's always been an extremely intelligent filly. She's a happy horse and still loves her job.”

A Whitney triumph would make Swiss Skydiver the seventh female to strike gold in the prestigious event for older horses. The most recent Whitney victress was Ogden Phipps' undefeated Hall of Famer Personal Ensign in 1988.

McPeek selected Swiss Skydiver for $35,000 from Select Sales consignment barn at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Through a career of 14-7-3-2, she has amassed $2,125,480.

“We'll see if she can pull it off. I think she should have a real good second half of the year,” McPeek said. “She's already got a Grade 1 this year which is good. Good horses ship well. Trainers like Todd [Pletcher] do it a lot, but good horses can and will ship well. We're blessed to have some quality stock in the barn.”

McPeek said Phoenix Thoroughbred III's Crazy Beautiful is likely to bypass the $700,000 Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational on August 8 in favor of the $600,000 Grade 1 Alabama on August 21 at the Spa.

The gray or roan daughter of third-crop sire Liam's Map worked five furlongs in 1:01.87 Saturday over the Oklahoma training track.

“I'm leaning against it today, but I have a couple weeks,” McPeek said of the Saratoga Oaks. “They are inviting her, but we need to make sure she's on tilt before committing to anything. I thought she'd work better than she did yesterday. I want to give her a few days. She will be nominated to the Alabama, but I just need to make sure she's 110 percent.”

Crazy Beautiful has already taken down three graded stakes events this season, capturing the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 27 before running tenth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. She returned to action with style when taking the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks on May 30 at Santa Anita Park before a six-length romp over a good and sealed track at Delaware Park in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks on July 3.

While Crazy Beautiful appears unlikely for the Saratoga Oaks, McPeek plans on running King Fury in its male counterpart race – the $1 million Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 6.

Owned by Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm, King Fury was a last out second beaten a half-length in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 26 at Thistledown after an 18-1 upset win in the Grade 3 Lexington on April 10 at Keeneland.

King Fury blitzed through five furlongs Saturday over the Oklahoma training track in :59.86 seconds, the fastest of 19 recorded works at the distance.

King Fury has yet to race on turf, but McPeek said he should handle it well.

“His work was awesome yesterday. He was really impressive,” McPeek said. “He definitely will run in the Saratoga Derby. I think he can handle the turf. We'll give him a work over the grass next week and that ought to have him ready.”

King Fury boasts a royal pedigree being by multiple champion-producing sire Curlin out of Grade 1-winner Taris.

McPeek selected Curlin as a yearling for $57,000 and the talented chestnut went on to be named two-time Horse of the Year.

“They're a little different bodied horses, but he certainly his father's son,” McPeek said. “Curlin was a little heavier; this one is a little more finesse which is why I think he'll handle the grass.”

McPeek said graded stakes winner and dual Grade 1-placed Envoutante, a last-out third to Letruska in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis on June 26 at Churchill Downs has been given a break with sights set on the $500,000 Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster on October 10 at Keeneland.

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