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Grade 1 Winner Green Gratto Finishes Last In Comeback Race, Will Be Retired

Grade 1-winning millionaire Green Gratto was returning to the races off a 16-month layoff on Sunday at Monmouth Park, but the 10-year-old gelding incurred a superficial wound on his right foreleg at the start and was eased to finish last in the field of seven. Trainer Kathleen O'Connell told the Daily Racing Form that Green Gratto's owners will take him back to their Florida farm for retirement.

“Other than that small mark, he's okay,” O'Connell told drf.com. “He jogs sound, but he is being retired and after resting a few days he is going back to his farm.”

Retired to stud in 2018, Green Gratto was found to be infertile and thus gelded. He had been entered for a comeback last fall at Gulfstream when a social media firestorm forced him to be withdrawn from that race.

Unraced since April of 2018, Green Gratto was under the care of trainer Tamara Levy when his first comeback attempt was spoiled. He returned to owner Norman Wilson's farm, where Wilson said the gelding became listless and unhappy, before he was sent to trainer Kathleen O'Connell in 2020.

Green Gratto recorded three workouts at Monmouth since late June, and shows works at Tampa Bay Downs as early as Feb. 8 of this year. The gelding was listed at 8-1 on the morning line for Sunday's six-furlong contest, which was a $20,000 optional claiming race restricted to New Jersey-breds.

Prior to his unsuccessful stallion career, Green Gratto amassed earnings of $1,149,202 with a record of nine wins, nine seconds, and nine thirds from 65 starts. His graded stakes victories include the G1 Carter in 2017, G3 Toboggan in 2017 and G3 Fall Heighweight in 2015.

Math Wizard, Runnin’toluvya Top Nominees For Aug. 28 Charles Town Classic

Led by 2019 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner Math Wizard, defending race champ Runnin'toluvya and 2019 Frizette (G1) heroine Wicked Whisper, a total of 141 nominations were received for the $600,000 Charles Town Classic (G2) and $200,000 Charles Town Oaks (G3) which closed this past Friday. When the two races are run together on Friday, August 28, it will mark the first time Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races will hold both of its graded stakes on the same day. The 12th running of the Charles Town Classic, postponed from its original April 18 date following the track's closure due to the COVID pandemic, and the Charles Town Oaks, moved up from its September 19 spot on the calendar are only two of seven total stakes races on the card totaling $1,250,000 in purse money.

Steve Asmussen, who trained Four Gifts to a win in the inaugural running of the Charles Town Oaks in 2009, led the way with 15 nominations for the two races, with the Charles Town Classic brigade headlined by 2019 Pimlico Special (G3) victor and 2018 Preaknesss (G1) runner-up Tenfold who scratched out of Sunday's Alydar Stakes at Saratoga.

Trainer Brad Cox looks to send out his first runner in the Charles Town Classic and has a trio of older horses to choose from in Night Ops, a winner of the Cornhusker Handicap (G3) in his last start, multiple graded stakes winner Owendale and Warrior's Charge, most recently a good fourth behind Vekoma, Network Effect and Code of Honor in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park.

Much like Cox, Bret Calhoun would be saddling his first Charles Town Classic starter and appears possible to do so with Mr. Money, a winner of four straight graded stakes events as a three-year-old, including the West Virginia Derby (G3), before seeing that winning streak snapped by a close-up second place effort in the Pennsylvania Derby. Calhoun also has the multiple graded stakes winning six-year-old Silver Dust nominated to the Classic.

Others nominated to the Charles Town Classic include 2019 race runner-up Diamond King, 2019 Woodward (G1) runner-up Bal Harbour, Monmouth Cup (G3) winner Global Campaign, Santa Anita Handicap (G1) second place finisher and expected starter Multiplier, Challenger (G3) victor Trophy Chaser and War Story, a winner of more than $3.2 million over his career that includes three previous efforts in the Charles Town Classic.

While Math Wizard stands as his lone Charles Town Classic nomination, trainer Saffie Joseph was well represented amongst Charles Town Oaks nominees with four sophomore fillies, including the multiple graded stakes winner Tonalist's Shape and Loriloupies, an impressive winner in consecutive starts earlier this year at Gulfstream.

Others nominated and possible for the Charles Town Oaks include Boerne, winner of the Azalea in her last start at Gulfstream, Hopeful Growth, most recently victorious in the Monmouth Oaks (G3) and Project Whiskey, who scored in the Delaware Oaks (G3) at odds of nearly 40-to-1.

Entries for the August 28 Charles Town Classic card will be taken on Tuesday, August 25.

Nominations for three more unrestricted stakes all run at seven furlongs – the $150,000 Dance to Bristol for older fillies and mares, the $100,000 Russell Road and the $100,000 Robert Hilton Memorial for three-year-olds – close this upcoming Friday, August 14.

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Rispoli Guides Smooth Like Strait To Victory In La Jolla Handicap

Cannon Thoroughbreds' Smooth Like Strait used his speed to good advantage Sunday and scored a handy victory in the 80th running of the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif.

Under 124 pounds and Umberto Rispoli, Del Mar's leading rider, the 4-5 favorite drew out in the lane to tally by 2 1/2 lengths at the end of the 1 1/16-mile grass test and earned $75,000 from the $125,000 purse. The victory by the Midnight Lute colt was his fourth in eight lifetime starts and pushed his bankroll to $253,323. He is trained by Michael McCarthy.

Finishing second was Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen and partners' Storm the Court and running third was Karl Pergola's K P All Systems Go.

As the 4-5 race favorite, Smooth Like Strait returned $3.60, $2.60 and $2.20 across the board. He covered the distance on the green in a solid 1:40.29.

Three of the Kentucky-bred's four victories have come in stakes races, including the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar last December 1.

“I knew I had the most speed,” said Rispoli. “Mike (trainer Michael McCarthy) told me to ride like I was on the best horse. When you hear that, you have confidence. When Mike Smith's horse (Indian Peak) came up outside me on the backstretch, that was OK. It wasn't a worry. My horse was relaxed, so we were just helping each other. Then he had good speed at the end and we were gone. I like this place (Del Mar) and I like racing in California. There's good competition here. We go against each other and make each other better. It's good.”

Rispoli was a double winner on the afternoon and took a 24 to 21 advantage over Flavien Prat for the riding crown at Del Mar after 13 days of racing at the shore oval.

“Very pleased,” McCarthy said. “The race unfolded like it looked on paper. I thought Umberto (rider Rispoli) did a wonderful job of getting him out in the clear on the first turn. When that horse came up outside of him on the backside it was something we're not used to. But Umberto was very cool, didn't panic, did the right thing and knew he was on the best horse today. When the other horse went ahead it didn't bother me because I knew we were still traveling well in hand. When we re-engaged and got a half a length ahead I was just happy to see no one was coming from behind.”

Nobody hit the Pick Six Sunday afternoon meaning there will be a carryover of $142,511 heading into this Friday's card. The track's Jackpot carryover rose to $56,395.

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Art Collector Impresses in Runhappy Ellis Park Derby

Unwilling to have his perfect 2020 record marred with a less-than-perfect finish, Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector led at every point of call Aug. 9 in the $193,750 Runhappy Ellis Park Derby at Ellis Park to tally his fourth consecutive win.