The 2023 meet at Colonial Downs began July 13 and the New Kent, Va. racetrack traditionally offers some of the best turf racing in the country. The action heats up quickly as Colonial’s Saturday card features four turf stakes races, each with a purse of $125,000, for Virginia-bred or Virginia-sired runners.
Tag: Racing
Two-Year-Old Spotlight Presented By Stonestreet Bred & Raised: Schuylerville Stakes At Saratoga
Summer means an increased focus on 2-year-olds, most notably at some of the country's most prominent meets.
Each week, we'll look at a race of interest to those looking for horse racing's next rising stars.
The Paulick Report 2-Year-Old Spotlight, presented by Stonestreet Bred & Raised, is hosted by handicapper and horse racing content creator Andrew Champagne. Andrew plies his trade at Saratoga each summer as the featured handicapper within The Pink Sheet and, starting this year, the New York Daily News.
On this week's debut episode, Champagne examines the standouts in Thursday's Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes; a six-furlong race for fillies at Saratoga Race Course.
Watch the inaugural 2-Year-Old Spotlight video below:
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After Nine-Length Stakes Win To Break His Maiden, Gold Sweep Headlines Grade 3 Sanford
Mike McCarty's talented stakes-winner Gold Sweep will look to build upon a stylish maiden-breaking victory in Belmont Park's Tremont when he takes on nine rivals in Saturday's Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford, a six-furlong main track test for juveniles, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the son of Speightstown enters from a dominant victory in the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont on June 11, sailing home a nine-length winner after pouncing from just off the pace under Jose Ortiz. He crossed the wire first geared down in a final time of 1:03.47 and garnered a field-high 91 Beyer Speed Figure.
Gold Sweep finished a hard-fought second on debut when defeated a neck by next-out Bashford Manor runner-up Wilson Q in a five-furlong maiden tilt on May 18 at Churchill Downs. The $285,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Wonder Brew, whose dam Ginger Brew was the Sovereign Award-winner in 2008 for Champion 3-Year-Old Filly.
Ortiz retains the mount from post 9.
Brian Cohen's BC Racing will have two chances to earn its first graded stakes conquest with Jive [post 2, Junior Alvarado] for trainer Phil Serpe and Dickens [post 3, Edgard Zayas] for conditioner Juan Alvarado.
“We really think a lot of both of these horses,” said Cohen. “We weren't really looking to run two horses in the same race, but with the lack of opportunities for winning 2-year-olds, we have tentatively planned to run both in the Sanford.”
Jive will vie to provide his freshman sire St Patrick's Day, a full-brother to 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, with his first stakes-winner as he makes the step up from a gutsy debut maiden win on May 19 at Gulfstream Park. Jive was both the first starter and winner for his sire with a three-quarter-length score in the five-furlong sprint. The effort was awarded a 60 Beyer.
“We had planned to run Jive in the Tremont and he was scratched before the race as a precaution,” said Cohen. “He's all fine and he'd been training well at Belmont, so we kept him in New York with Phil Serpe.”
Dickens, a Florida-bred son of Adios Charlie, was a convincing winner of a 4 1/2-furlong maiden against fellow state-breds on June 10 at Gulfstream. The bay colt broke alertly from post 6-of-8 and battled for the lead into the turn with Catch a Tiger before shaking off his rival and powering home a two-length winner in a final time of 51.64 seconds.
“We'd always been planning for this race with him,” said Cohen. “Hopefully, we'll have some good opportunity there and it's good to run in New York. It's a fun time for us.”
Out of the unraced Malibu Moon mare Malibu Melody, Dickens' second dam Sanadaat is a half-sister to the graded stakes-winning millionaire Super Frolic, as well as graded stakes-placed Stormy Frolic, the second dam of this year's Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun runner-up Drew's Gold.
Back Racing, Run for LaRoses and Magdalena Racing's debut maiden winner Call the Cavalry [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] enters from a two-length victory on June 4 in a five-furlong sprint at Belmont Park for trainer Kenny McPeek.
The Khozan bay bobbled at the start from the inside post of the five-horse field, but recovered quickly to stalk 1 1/2 lengths off the pace before rushing up the inside to take a two-length advantage at the stretch call. He maintained that margin down the stretch to post the victory in a final time of 59.06 seconds, garnering a 59 Beyer.
“I loved his first run,” said McPeek. “It was a short field, but he got it done. He's worked well since then and I think he's a horse we're going to have a lot of fun with. I think he's a horse that wants to go even longer.”
Bred in Florida by Craig L. Wheeler, Call the Cavalry is out of the winning Songandaprayer mare Song and Delight, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Delightful Kiss, who won races up to 1 1/2 miles and excelled on dirt, turf and synthetic. His third dam, the multiple graded stakes-placed Bishop's Delight, is the second dam of Grade 2-winner Shadow Caster.
Completing the field are the stakes-placed Yo Yo Candy [post 4, Angel Castillo], who finished third in the Tremont and adds blinkers for trainer Daniel Velazquez; debut maiden winners Factor U and Me In [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche], who races with blinkers on for trainer Edward Coletti, Jr.; the Barbara Minshall-trained Triple Trea [post 7, Luis Saez]; His Rights [post 8, Javier Castellano] for conditioner Rafael Romero; Market Street [post 10, Tyler Gaffalione] for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas; and second-out maiden-winner Ramming Speed [post 6, Gaddiel Martinez], who tries dirt for the first time after making his first two outings over synthetic for owner/trainer Kevin Rice.
The Sanford is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's loaded 11-race card, which co-features the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana, a nine-furlong turf route for older fillies and mares in Race 4; and the Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso, a one-mile turf test for older horses, in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.
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‘We Got Out Of His Way’: Streaking Big Everest Headlines Saturday’s Kelso
British-bred Big Everest brings a four-race win streak into his graded stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso, a one-mile inner turf test for older horses previously run as the Forbidden Apple, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Christophe Clement for owners Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco and William Branch, the frontrunning Big Everest launched his streak with an optional-claiming score in September at Belmont at the Big A.
The 5-year-old The Gurkha gelding has since captured the Artie Schiller and Danger's Hour traveling one mile at Aqueduct Racetrack ahead of a last-out victory in the 1 1/16-mile Cliff Hanger on May 27 at Monmouth Park.
Big Everest won just one of his first five starts, but since being gelded ahead of his 2022 campaign he has won 6-of-7 outings – all in trademark gate-to-wire fashion.
“He was the kind of horse that, early on, he fought with the jockey,” said co-owner Dean Reeves. “We learned over time that he was fighting with the jockey because he had speed and wanted to go to the front. So, once we got out of his way and once he was gelded, he doesn't back up and they don't have enough to catch him.”
Big Everest will carry 120 pounds when exiting post 5 in rein to Joel Rosario, who has guided the bay to five of his seven wins, including the Artie Schiller score.
LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's multiple Grade 1-winner Casa Creed [post 8, Luis Saez, 124 pounds] looms the one to beat and will certainly appreciate any pace that Big Everest can generate.
The 7-year-old Jimmy Creed bay has posted two of his biggest wins traveling one-mile over the Saratoga turf, taking the 2019 Grade 2 Hall of Fame and last year's Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap.
The late-running horse won back-to-back renewals of the six-furlong Grade 1 Jaipur in 2021-22 over the Belmont Park turf and enters from a rallying third-place finish in his attempt at a threepeat when one length back of the victorious Caravel.
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will saddle a pair of talented Brazilian-breds for owners Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Peter Deutsch in multiple Grade 2-winner Filo Di Arianna [post 6, Jose Ortiz, 122 pounds] and Group 3-winner Ice Chocolat [post 4, Flavien Prat, 118 pounds].
Filo Di Arianna, a 7-year-old son of Drosselmeyer, was a Group 2-winner in his native Brazil before making first appearance for Casse in June 2021 with a smart allowance score at Woodbine. He rose through the ranks in 2022, taking a pair of Grade 2s at Woodbine in frontrunning fashion in the seven-furlong Connaught Cup and one-mile King Edward.
Filo Di Arianna, who won the 2019 Group 3 Mario de Azevedo Ribeiro over heavy ground at Gavea, enters from a narrow pacesetting defeat to Emmanuel in the Grade 3 Poker.
“I thought it was a great effort. I was proud of him,” Casse said. “It was his second start off a long layoff and I think he'll improve from there. He's kind of a chubby-looking type that does benefit from racing.”
Ice Chocolat, a 5-year-old Goldikovic gelding, captured the Group 3 IFHA over heavy going in November 2021 in his final start in Brazil before joining Casse last year for an 8-2-3-1 campaign that included a pair of optional-claiming wins in Woodbine turf sprints and a close runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road over the Tapeta.
The dark bay has made four starts this year led by a close runner-up effort over the Woodbine Tapeta in the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier ahead of a closing sixth-place effort in the Grade 1 Jaipur.
Casse said Ice Chocolat will appreciate stretching out.
“I think 5 1/2-furlongs to three-quarters is a little short for him, so we just want to give it a try,” Casse said. “They complement each other – Filo has speed and will be up on the lead where this horse will sit back a little.”
Bass Racing's Kentucky homebred Annapolis [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 124 pounds] has banked in excess of $1.3 million through a record of 9-6-2-0 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.
The 4-year-old War Front colt has excelled at Saratoga, winning 2-of-3 starts led by scores in the Grade 3 Saranac in September and a close runner-up effort to Nations Pride in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational in August.
Annapolis, out of the Grade 2-winning Unbridled's Song mare My Miss Sophia, took down the Grade 1 Turf Mile in October at Keeneland but lunged at the break and never factored in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in November over the same course to close out his sophomore season.
He returned victorious last out to capture a solid renewal of the one-mile Opening Verse in May at Churchill Downs, besting stakes-winner Churchtown by a head with multiple graded-stakes winner Set Piece in third.
Rounding out the field are graded-stakes winner English Bee [post 1, John Velazquez, 118 pounds] for conditioner Graham Motion; stakes-winner Anaconda [post 7, Tyler Gaffalione, 117 pounds] for trainer Joe Sharp; and the stakes-placed New York-bred Mid Day Image [post 3, Florent Geroux] for trainer and co-owner David Jacobson. Gun It is entered for the main-track only.
The Kelso is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 11-race card which also features the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana in Race 4 and the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford in Race 10. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.
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