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U.S.’s First 2-Year-Old Winner Quinoa Tifah Returns In Thursday’s Schuylerville

Arindel Farm's Quinoa Tifah, the winner of the first race for 2-year-olds in the U.S. this year at Gulfstream Park, is set to make her much-anticipated return in Thursday's Schuylerville (G3) on Saratoga's opening-day program.

The Arindel homebred will be joined in the six-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies by two other recent Gulfstream winners, J Stables LLC and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Queen Arella and Briannjenn Racing LLC's Hara.

Juan Alvarado-trained Quinoa Tifah chased the heavily favored Lime before scoring over the Wesley Ward trainee by three-quarters of a length in a $65,000 maiden special weight race April 16 at Gulfstream. The Florida-bred daughter of Gemologist, who is not eligible for the upcoming Florida Sire Stakes series, ran 4 ½-furlongs in 52 seconds. Manny Franco has the call.

Queen Arella overcame a very troubled start in a May 29 maiden special weight race at Gulfstream to win her debut going away by four lengths. The Roderick Rodriguez-trained filly provided freshman sire Speightster with his first winner, running five furlongs in 59.54 seconds. Joel Rosario has the mount aboard the New York-bred filly.

Hara, who set a pressured pace before settling for second behind by Queen Arella in her debut, came back to score an impressive front-running eight-length victory at Gulfstream June 19. Tyler Gaffalione, a multi-meet champion at Gulfstream fresh off winning titles at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, has the call.

John Oxley's Beautiful Memories, a handy 10-length winner at Churchill in her recent debut for trainer Mark Casse, has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite.

One race later on the Saratoga card, Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing LLC's Caracaro, an impressive maiden winner during Gulfstream's Championship Meet, is scheduled to make his long-awaited return to action in the Peter Pan (G3).

Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the son of Uncle Mo has been idle since scoring an eye-catching six-length victory at a mile Jan. 11. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the call on Caracaro, who set a pressured pace in his Dec. 8 debut at Gulfstream before finishing second to a next-out winner. Mathis Stable LLC's Candy Tycoon, who broke his maiden at Gulfstream before finishing second in the Fountain of Youth (G2), is along among the eight 3-year-olds entered in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Saffie Joseph Jr., the Gulfstream Spring/Summer Meet's leading trainer, has sent multiple graded-stakes winner Tonalist's Shape to Saratoga for Saturday's Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Ranch Inc., the daughter of Tonalist, is currently ninth in qualifying points for the Sept. 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Tonalist's Shape, an impressive allowance winner at Gulfstream in her most recent start, won the Forward Gal (G3) and the Davona Dale (G2) during the Championship Meet.

Joseph is also scheduled to send out Ny Traffic for Saturday's $1 million Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park. The 3-year-old son of Cross Traffic, who is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing and Paul Braverman, won an allowance at Gulfstream in his first start for Joseph before finishing third in the Risen Star (G2) and second in both the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds and the Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs. Ny Traffic is currently eighth in qualifying points for the Sept. 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill.

Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team, a runner-up to Sole Volante in a stakes-quality allowance at Gulfstream last time out, was also entered in the Haskell by trainer Jose D'Angelo.

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Decorated Invader Takes On Stablemate Gufo In Saturday’s Hall Of Fame Stakes

Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle a formidable pair of graded stakes winners in Decorated Invader and Gufo, both of who will carry winning streaks into Saturday's 36th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame over the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman, William Sandbrook and Cheryl Manning, Decorated Invader arrives at the 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds off a victory in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge on June 20 at Belmont Park, where the son of Declaration of War tracked the pace while saving ground along the rail, made his move at the quarter pole and drew off to a 4 ¾-length triumph.

The win, which netted a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure, came after a victory in his 2020 debut in the Cutler Bay on March 28 at Gulfstream Park, where he was 15 lengths off the pace and made a five wide move to secure a three-quarter length score.

After finishing second on debut to subsequent graded stakes winner Field Pass over Saratoga's inner turf, he followed up with a turf maiden victory at the Spa over next-out winner and eventual graded stakes placed Summer to Remember.

Decorated Invader took things to the next level in striking Grade 1 gold in the Summer at Woodbine en route to a fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.

“The challenge is when you have a horse that's a standout in a short field, there's going to be a target on his back,” said Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds. “The break and the first eighth of a mile will be important. Ultimately, it will be up to [jockey] Joel [Rosario]. He really fits the horse. When they walk out of the paddock, you just have so much confidence and no concerns that you'll get a top class ride from him. It's very good to have the option to be a closer, but we have seen time and time again where you have the best horse in the race, and they [the pacesetters] don't come back.”

Decorated Invader will be stretching out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time.

“He's doing very well,” Clement said. “He had a good work last Sunday at Belmont [half-mile in 47.79 seconds over the inner turf]. A mile and an eighth should be a good distance for him. We're excited to see him back.”

Finley said that the distance will not be an issue and said that the horse could even be capable of going beyond 1 1/8 miles.

“You can never be certain. Sometimes horses that show you and give you that indication are just not the same horse once they stretch out past a mile and an eighth,” Finley said. “It's a fascinating part of our business and our industry. I would be kind of surprised if he were to not relish the added distance, but I wouldn't be stunned if he didn't. We've seen it many times. That question is still to be answered and I think we'll get a lot of answers on Saturday.”

Jockey Joel Rosario, who piloted Bricks and Mortar (2017) and Raging Bull (2018) to Hall of Fame wins, will retain the mount aboard Decorated Invader from post 7.

Decorated Invader will square off against fellow Clement trainee Gufo, who won his last four starts and is a perfect 2-for-2 when going 1 1/8 miles.

Following a maiden victory on December 29 at Gulfstream Park, Otter Bend Racing's Gufo, who also is by Declaration of War, defeated winners at the South Florida oval en route to a score in the English Channel on May 2, where he gave Clement his 2,000th career victory.

Owned by Otter Bend Stables, Gufo will arrive at the Hall of Fame off two weeks rest having last raced when shipping to Delaware Park to win the Grade 3 Kent on July 4, where made up nearly 10 lengths off a slow pace, began moving into contention around the far turn and made a five wide move to secure the win by a half-length.

Clement was originally planning on training towards the $500,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 15 with Gufo. But he said he likes the way his horse is training and believes that the possibility of Friday showers in the forecast could be to the horse's benefit.

“The original idea was to target the Saratoga Derby, but there's possible rain in the forecast on Friday and he came out of his last race in good order,” Clement said. “It just keeps our options open, so we'll have a look at the race.”

Jockey David Cohen will be aboard Gufo from post 5.

Trainer Chad Brown will seek his sixth win in the Hall of Fame when he saddles Domestic Spending for Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables.

Unbeaten in two starts, the son of Kingman bred in Great Britain by Rabbah Bloodstock won on debut at Tampa Bay Downs on February 12 over next-out winner Maroon Maniac and returned to victory off a four-month layoff to defeat winners over a firm Widener turf course at Belmont Park on June 7.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. won two of his three Hall of Fame victories for Brown and will pilot Domestic Spending from post 1.

Completing the field are Moon Over Miami [post 2, Junior Alvarado], Get Smokin [post 3, Jose Ortiz] and Ever Dangerous [post 6, Javier Castellano].

Money Moves [post 4] has been entered for main track only.

The National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame is slated as Race 3 on Saturday's 11-race card, which offers a first post of 1:10 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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Summer Sunday To Defend Her Title In Woodbine’s Royal North Stakes

Summer Sunday, one of two Stuart Simon trainees in the field, seeks to defend her crown in Saturday's co-featured Grade 2 $175,000 Royal North Stakes, at Woodbine.

Bred in Ontario by Trinity West Stables and owned by Anne and William Scott, five-year-old Summer Sunday will look to make a return to the winner's circle for the first time since her victory in the Royal North last July.

Her stablemate, multiple stakes champion Sister Peacock, will also go postward in the six-furlong turf event, part of a card that also includes the $125,000 Trillium Stakes (Grade 3, 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta) for fillies & mares, three-year-olds and up.

A daughter of Silent Name (JPN) out of the Millennium Allstar mare Dancing Allstar, Summer Sunday heads into the Royal North off a third-place effort in the six-furlong main track Whimsical (Grade 3) on June 21 at Woodbine.

Simon is hoping the bay mare, named Canada's champion female sprinter in 2019, builds off that first start of her campaign.

“I think she was pretty ready the first time,” said Simon. “She hooked a really tough horse [sprint star Jean Elizabeth]. The way the race unfolded, with nobody else going with that filly, I thought she ran a pretty adequate race for her first time this year.”

Debuting in July 2017, Summer Sunday wowed in winning a 5 1/2-furlong Tapeta race by five lengths. She then stepped up to the stakes ranks, notching victories in the Nandi and Muskoka, finishing her campaign a perfect three-for-three.

After a ninth-place finish in the Beaumont (Grade 3) at Keeneland in April 2018 to begin her three-year-old season, Summer Sunday rhymed off wins in four of her next five starts, from April 2018-July 2019.

Summer Sunday, 7-1-1 in 12 starts, closed the curtain on her 2019 season with a runner-up finish in the Seaway Stakes (Grade 3) and a fourth in the Ontario Fashion (Grade 3).

“She's coming into this race in really good shape,” noted Simon. “She seems to be herself. She didn't run badly the first time. I think she'll run that much better this time. With her turf form – she's run once and won this race last year – she should run well on Saturday. I always thought she'd like the turf, I just never had the chance to fit a race in until last year, and after the Royal North, I never had a chance to run her on it again until now.”

A four-year-old daughter of Real Solution, Sister Peacock, co-owned by Simon (along with Brent and Russell McLellan) comes into the Royal North off a sharp score on June 13 at the Toronto oval. The Kentucky-bred took a seven-furlong main track race by three-quarters-of-a-length.

The win was the fifth in 11 starts for the bay filly, who won last year's editions of the Star Shoot Stakes and William D. Graham Memorial.

Bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Sister Peacock sports a record of 1-2-2 in five turf tries.

“I think she'll run well, too,” said Simon. “She's really strong on the turf and won on it here last year. She just got beat on the turf at Saratoga [third, a neck back of winner Eyeinthesky, in the Galway Stakes] last year. She's going into the race in really good shape as well.”

Expect Summer Sunday and Sister Peacock to be prominent early.

“Both of the horses don't need the lead, but they're usually both up close. They have similar running styles that way, but they are both good, honest fillies.”

Other entrants include Gary Barber's four-year-old Eyeinthesky, and Barbara Minshall trainee Another Time (cross-entered in the Trillium), who finished second, a neck back of Elizabeth Way, in the Nassau (Grade 2) on June 27.

The Trillium Stakes has attracted eight starters, including 2019 multiple Sovereign Award finalist Amalfi Coast, graded stakes-placed Painting, who rallied impressively to finish second to Jean Elizabeth in the Whimsical (Grade 3), and Live Oak Plantation's multiple stakes winner Souper Escape.

The Royal North is scheduled as the ninth race on Saturday's 10-race program. The Trillium goes as race eight. First post is 1 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIBet.com.

$175,000 ROYAL NORTH STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Foxxy Belle – Justin Stein – Norm McKnight

2 – Bohemian Bourbon – Leo Salles – Ian Wilkes

3 – Summer Sunday – Rafael Hernandez – Stuart Simon

4 – Another Time – Jerome Lermyte – Barbara Minshall

5 – Sister Peacock – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Stuart Simon

6 – Eyeinthesky – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

7 – Gamble's Candy – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

8 – Lady Grace – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

9 – Charmaine's Mia – Steven Bahen – Michael McDonald

$125,000 TRILLIUM STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Souper Escape – Luis Contreras – Michael McDonald

2 – Amalfi Coast – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

3 – Art of Almost – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield

4 – Theodora B. – Patrick Husbands – Michael Dickinson

5 – Nantucket Red – Steve Bahen – Ashlee Brnjas

6 – Painting – Kazushi Kimura – Josie Carroll

7 – Another Time – Jerome Lermyte – Barbara Minshall

8 – Wings of Dawn – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

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‘Scary’ Good: Tonalist’s Shape Will Add Blinkers For CCA Oaks

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. believes he may have found the key to talented 3-year-old filly Tonalist's Shape, and just in time for Saturday's running of the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.

In her last several workouts, the Tonalist filly has sported blinkers. She'll don the new equipment on Saturday as well, which Joseph believes will help her step up against the competition.

“She's already proven she's a nice filly, but we needed a couple more lengths to be one of the top fillies,” Joseph said on Wednesday's media teleconference organized by the NTRA. “It's almost scary how good she worked in the blinkers. I even asked some of the clockers that I respect, like Mike Welsch, and everyone seems to think she's much better in the blinkers.”

On Tuesday, Tonalist's Shape had her first workout at Saratoga and clocked a bullet three furlongs in 34.26 seconds, more than two seconds faster than any other breeze at the distance.

“She's never been a fast work horse,” Joseph said, adding, “but the blinkers seem to have made all positive notes.”

Tonalist's Shape was entered in last weekend's G1 Ashland at Keeneland, but scratched out of that tough field (won by Speech in track-record time) to point to the nine-furlong CCA Oaks instead.

Both the Ashland, a 1 1/16-mile route, and the Coaching Club will over 170 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first four finishers.

“The Coaching Club seems like a spot where we were likely to be the favorite,” said Joseph. “That doesn't mean we're going to win, but it gives her the best shot to do so.”

In her seven career starts, Tonalist's Shape has only been defeated once, when seventh behind eventual G1 winner Swiss Skydiver in the Gulfstream Park Oaks. Most recently, the filly won the 1 1/16-mile Hollywood Wildcat Stakes at Gulfstream on May 15 by 3 3/4 lengths.

Entries for the CCA Oaks will be taken Wednesday afternoon, with the field expected to include: Altaf (Chad Brown), Antoinette (Bill Mott), Crystal Ball (Bob Baffert), Paris Lights (Bill Mott), and Velvet Crush (Rodolphe Brisset).

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