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Law Professor Set For Return In Woodward

Twin Creeks Racing Stable's graded stakes winner Law Professor, last seen finishing a distant sixth in the Pimlico Special (G3) on May 19, will return in Saturday's $400,000 Woodward (G2) at Belmont at the Big A. He was second in last year's Grade 1 edition of the 1 1/8-mile event.

Trained by Rob Atras, the 5-year-old Constitution gelding received a freshening after racing seven times at five different tracks from September through May, including open-lengths victories at Aqueduct in the Queens County in January and Excelsior in April.

“He went home to Twin Creeks Farm for 30 days and got a real good freshening and came back looking really good,” trainer Rob Atras said. “He put some weight on, which he needed. He'd been in training for a while and shipping around a lot, so I think he needed it.”

The versatile Law Professor, who won the restricted Tapit last September at Kentucky Downs, made the grade in an off-the-turf edition of the 2021 Santa Anita Mathis Mile (G2) when in the care of conditioner Michael McCarthy.

Law Professor was a game runner-up in last year's Woodward, battling with multiple Grade 1 winner Life Is Good the length of the lane and falling just 1 1/4-lengths short. He is slated to face a strong field on his return, including Grade 1 winner Zandon, dual graded stakes-winner Charge It, and Dubai World Cup (G1) runner-up Algiers.

“If we were shipping to face those kind, we probably wouldn't do it off the bench,” Atras said. “But we get to run at Aqueduct, which he seems to like, and we've been able to put quite a bit of good training into him. I'm hopeful he'll run a good race.”

Law Professor returned to Atras' barn in July and has since breezed seven times over the Belmont dirt training track, including a half-mile effort in 48.52 last Sunday. He was scheduled to breeze this morning but wet conditions have pushed the work back one day.

“I galloped him this morning. He's doing everything we need – I was just looking for a light half. We'll probably do it tomorrow now,” Atras said.

Manny Franco, aboard for both stakes scores here, will retain the mount in the Woodward.

Atras also noted that Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Kentucky homebred Harrodsburg is set to resume training after being sidelined with an injury following a third-place finish in the Dwyer (G3) on July 1 at Belmont Park.

The sophomore Constitution gelding graduated impressively in his March debut at Aqueduct and earned a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure for a close runner-up effort against older allowance company in May at Belmont.

“He came out of the race with a knee injury, which required surgery,” Atras said. “I was devastated as I thought he had a real bright future. He has a tremendous amount of ability that horse.”

Atras said that Harrodsburg is likely to resume light training in the next few weeks.

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‘Fact-Finding Mission’: DWC Runner-Up Algiers To Get ‘American Dirt’ Test In Woodward

A strong run of form in Dubai this winter from Algiers has British-based conditioners Ed and Simon Crisford thinking that the multiple group stakes winner is worthy of a try in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in November at Santa Anita Park. But should he make the journey to California, he'll first audition by way of New York when contesting Saturday's $400,000 Woodward (G2) going nine furlongs at Belmont at the Big A.

Owned by Rabbah Bloodstock, Algiers has not raced since finishing a game second in the Dubai World Cup (G1) in March at Meydan Racecourse, finishing 2 3/4 lengths behind Japanese invader Ushba Tesoro. The 6-year-old Shamardal gelding captured two of the three rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge (G2) by open lengths. He took the one-mile Round 1 on January 6 by 6 1/2 lengths before stretching out to 1 3/16 miles for Round 2 on February 3, winning by six lengths.

“Obviously, he ran a super race in the Dubai World Cup, but there's nothing really for him here in England. We wanted to keep him on dirt because he seems so effective on it,” said Ed Crisford. “He had a hard campaign last winter. He started racing around this time last year and went all the way through to April, so we gave him a nice summer holiday and aimed him for the Breeders' Cup. He needs a prep run for the Breeders' Cup, so the Ack Ack at Churchill and the Woodward were what we were looking at. It's a good prep. If you go well in the Woodward, you have options basically.”

Crisford noted that Algiers will have to prove his Dubai success can translate stateside.

“It is a fact-finding mission. We want to see if he can handle the American dirt because it is different than Meydan. I do think the New York tracks are more similar to Meydan than some of the other tracks,” Crisford said. “We want to see what he can do against top American dirt horses. If he goes well, wins or runs very well, we can justify going to the Breeders' Cup. If not, we'll probably just take him back to Dubai. It all depends on what happens on the weekend.”

Algiers was initially campaigned by trainer Andre Fabre and transferred to the Crisfords following a three-year campaign in France, where he raced exclusively on grass and won three times. He made his main track debut in his first start for Crisford at Jebel Ali Racecourse last January, finishing second going 1 3/16 miles before capturing the 2022 Jebel Ali Mile (G3). He was subsequently a distant eighth in the Godolphin Mile (G2) in his lone off-the-board effort on dirt.

Following a summer freshening, Algiers was reintroduced to turf when capturing a 1 5/16-mile handicap event in October at York before finishing a distant sixth in the James Seymour going 10 furlongs three weeks later at Newmarket. He was then narrowly beaten in the Churchill over the all-weather surface at Lingfield to round out his 2022 campaign.

“We took him out to Dubai after he came to us from France, where he'd been running on turf. He started to go really well on the dirt, covering the ground super well,” Crisford said. “We ran him in a Group 3 at Jebel Ali and he won. So, we figured he took to the surface really well. We ran him on Dubai World Cup night and he ran OK. After that we brought him back to England, gelded him, gave him the summer off and got him on turf again.

“We ran him on the all-weather and he put up some good figures in that race,” Crisford continued. “When he went back to Meydan, he improved almost 10-15 pounds for running on that dirt, he was just a different animal. The year before training on the dirt, he really knew what he was doing. He's such a natural. He's got such a high cruising speed and he can quicken off the strong pace. That's what you need for dirt and he's a natural at it.”

While neither Crisford will make the trip to New York, Algiers, who was slated to arrive in New York Sunday, will be overseen and saddled by traveling assistant Les Reynolds.

Bred in Ireland by Godolphin, Algiers is out of the Platini mare Antara, a group winner in Germany and England who was also Group 1-placed in England, France, and Italy. Algiers has banked $3,026,934 through a record of 21-7-6-2.

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‘He Was The Fastest In The Race’: El Grande O Wires Bertram F. Bongard

Barry Schwartz's homebred El Grande O lived up to his 3-5 favoritism with a front-running score in Sunday's $125,000 Bertram F. Bongard, a seven-furlong main track sprint for New York-bred juveniles at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Linda Rice, El Grande O notched his first stakes victory on the heels of two runner-up efforts in stakes company this summer at Saratoga Race Course, including a head defeat to The Wine Steward last out in the Funny Cide on August 27.

Ridden to victory Sunday by Jose Ortiz, the dark bay son of Take Charge Indy brushed with a foe when breaking from post 3 while Detective Tom broke sharpest of all, but took back as El Grande O skipped to the front and clocked fractions of :22.76 and :46.03 over the sloppy and sealed main track.

Detective Tom stalked in second into the turn with Aggelos the Great in third before El Grande O began to draw clear of the former with Bonne Chance putting in his bid from fourth on the outside of Aggelos the Great. El Grande O held a six-length advantage at the top of the stretch and drew clear with ease over Aggelos the Great, who passed a tiring Detective Tom on the inside to give chase down the lane after three-quarters in 1:10.79.

El Grande O was never threatened and was wrapped up within the final sixteenth by Ortiz, crossing the wire 8 1/4 lengths in front and stopping the clock in a final time of 1:23.89. Aggelos the Great was a clear second two lengths ahead of Bonne Chance with Skyler's Starship rounding out the superfecta. Detective Tom and Ranger Blue completed the order of finish. Trust Fund was scratched.

Rice said she left the race tactics in the capable hands of Ortiz.

“I told Jose to just use his best judgement, and obviously he put him up on the front end and everything worked out well,” said Rice.

Ortiz said El Grande O was simply superior in a race where the other likely speed, Detective Tom, was making his dirt debut.

“He broke sharp. Obviously, he has speed. I went out there and he was the fastest in the race,” said Ortiz. “He proved that he was much the best today. I can't take any credit – he was the best horse.

“I rode the six horse [Detective Tom] first time out and I knew moving to dirt, especially on the slop, he wasn't going to have as much speed,” Ortiz added. “Plus, my horse can rate, so I had that option. But I broke so clean and so smoothly, I just went up there and took control of the race.”

Rice said El Grande O will now likely be pointed to the $200,000 Sleepy Hollow, a one-turn mile for state-bred juveniles, on October 29 at Belmont at the Big A.

“I think he can stretch out,” said Rice. “He certainly ran nicely today at seven [furlongs].”

El Grande O, a half-brother to graded stakes-placed Meal Ticket, is out of the stakes-placed Unbridled's Song mare Rainbow's Song. He banked $68,750 in victory, boosting his total purse earnings to $204,000 through a perfect in-the-money record of 6-2-3-1, returning $3.40 for a $2 win ticket.

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No Catching 22-1 Upsetter Cara’s Time In Joseph A. Gimma

Richard Greeley's Cara's Time took control early on and was never headed, fending off a late surge from 4-5 post time favorite Caldwell Luvs Gold to post a 22-1 upset in Sunday's $125,000 Joseph A. Gimma for New York-bred juvenile fillies going seven furlongs at Belmont at the Big A.

Cara's Time made amends from the last-out Seeking the Ante on August 27 at Saratoga Race Course, where she first sported blinkers and finished a distant fifth behind Caldwell Luvs Gold. The Mitchell Friedman-trained daughter of prominent Central Kentucky sire Not This Time took the blinkers off for Sunday's race, where she appeared comfortable on the front end and won by 1 1/2 lengths under Dylan Davis.

Breaking from post 1, Cara's Time was in command within a few strides out of the gate with My Shea D Lady keeping company a close second through a :22.87 opening quarter mile over the sloppy and sealed main track. Nicky Jolene and My Mane Squeeze raced a respective third and fourth with Caldwell Luvs Gold bringing up the rear, five lengths behind Cara's Time.

As the field rounded the far turn, Cara's Time remained in front through a half-mile in :46.23 with Caldwell Luvs Gold advancing a position under Florent Geroux, who had his filly under an all-out drive and went four-wide nearing upper stretch.

Cara's Time was at a five-length advantage in the stretch, but Caldwell Luvs Gold had dead aim at the pacesetter and attempted to reel her in in the final furlong. Cara's Time had enough to hold on for victory, completing the trip in 1:23.28. Caldwell Luvs Gold finished another 5 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher My Mane Squeeze, followed by My Shea D Lady and Nicky Jolene.

Davis said his filly appreciated the sloppy going.

“I'd never sat on her in the morning, but I saw she had good gate speed. Our plan was to break and come out running,” Davis said. “When she got there, she was loving every part of it. She was a little skipper on that mud and she really got comfortable. I could hear them behind me trying to range up at the 2 1/2, and I just tried to get her run going a little bit, but not too much because she got late there with [Jose] Lezcano last time out. She just kept finding more and more down the lane, so it was great. The one closer [Caldwell Luvs Gold] was coming, but I knew it was too late for her.”

Friedman spoke of the decision to use blinkers for her last start, which came following a debut triumph in June at Belmont Park where she unseated jockey Jose Lezcano following the race.

“I thought she would probably get the lead by herself, but I was surprised [to win] a bit. She didn't run good last time, but I knew she had a good excuse,” Friedman said. “I put the blinkers on her and it made her a little worse. She's nervous and wants to react to it. She had dumped the rider after she broke her maiden, and in the mornings, if she sees something, she won't walk through the end of the barn – she has to go through the middle if there's something she doesn't like. I thought the blinkers would help with all of that and she worked well with them, but we took them off and [hoped] she would stay focused.”

While Friedman said he is in “no rush” to decide a next target for Cara's Time, other stakes events for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies include the $200,000 Maid of the Mist on October 29 going a one-turn mile at Belmont at the Big A and the six-furlong $100,000 Key Cents on November 18 at the Aqueduct fall meet.

Geroux said the sloppy track hindered the previously undefeated Caldwell Luvs Gold's chances.

“She had a tough time. The first half-mile of the race, I just couldn't get her going. I know usually she's far back, but she's in contention – this time she was completely out of it and they were getting away from me,” Geroux said. “I got her into the clear and she came with a nice run, but the horse on the lead just never stopped. I feel like if she was a little closer, she could have won.”

Cara's Time returned a cool $47 for a $2 win wager, also banking $68,750 in victory which brought her lifetime earnings up to $118,000. Her record now stands at 3-2-0-0.

Bred in the Empire State by Stephen Crestani Jr., Cara's Time is out of the Macho Uno mare Zindra, whose multiple stakes-placed half-sister Bahia Beach produced multiple graded stakes winner Next, also a son of Not This Time who landed the Greenwood Cup (G3) Saturday at Parx Racing.

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