Runhappy Travers | Horse Racing Free Tips

Swiss Skydiver Gets Final Work For Whitney

Peter Callahan's three-time Grade 1 winner Swiss Skydiver put in her final piece of serious preparation for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Whitney at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

With Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard, the Kenny McPeek-trained 4-year-old daughter of Daredevil went five-eighths in 1:01.21 Sunday over a Saratoga main track rated fast.

A winner over six different ovals, including Saratoga when capturing last year's Grade 1 Alabama, Swiss Skydiver has won with five different jockeys aboard.

Ortiz, Jr. will look to increase that number when he pilots the chestnut filly in the Whitney.

“He loved her and said she felt great,” McPeek said. “We're excited, we should be ready. She's adaptable to racetracks and jockeys, it doesn't really matter.”

Swiss Skydiver has posted six graded stakes wins over five different ovals with her biggest claim to fame taking place against males in last year's Grade 1 Preakness Stakes. The last female to capture the Whitney was undefeated Hall of Famer Personal Ensign in 1988.

McPeek breezed graded stakes winner King Fury over the Oklahoma training turf Sunday in preparation for Saturday's $1 million Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational going 1 3/16 miles over the Mellon turf course.

The son of Curlin, out of Grade 1-winner Taris, worked with Jose Ortiz aboard in company with Fighting Seabee, winner of the 2019 Grade 3 With Anticipation, and finished off his five-furlong move in 1:01.25.

Owned by Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm, King Fury scored in the Grade 3 Lexington on April 10 over a sloppy and sealed track at Keeneland two starts back. He arrives at his turf debut off a close second to Masqueparade in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 26 at Thistledown.

McPeek said he would like to run King Fury in the $1.25 million Grade 1 Runhappy Travers.

“Jose seemed to think that he can handle the turf,” McPeek said. “We'll learn a little something about him and it's a big purse. That's been our goal all summer is to get him to the Travers. The turf race is looking deep but it shouldn't hurt him.

“It's a very good group of 3-year-olds and Essential Quality had another workmanlike win yesterday, but it's hard to separate the 3-year-olds until the Breeders' Cup,” McPeek continued. “That's the race that really separates everybody.”

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Essential Quality Exits Jim Dandy In Good Order, Targets Travers Next

Essential Quality, the reigning Champion 2-Year-Old and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets winner, was a determined victor of Saturday's $600,000 Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and will now target the meet's signature event, the $1.25 million Grade 1 Runhappy Travers on August 28.

The Godolphin-owned son of Tapit, trained by Brad Cox, overcame a five-wide trip on both turns, rating at the rear of the compact field down the backstretch and fended off an inside rally from Keepmeinmind to finish off the nine furlongs in 1:49.92 over the fast main track.

“The more I looked at it, the more I wondered how much pace was in the race and then I thought we'd be forwardly placed just because he was fresh,” Cox said. “The horse to the inside of us [Keepmeinmind] was also fresh. I think it played out kind of the way we expected. Obviously, I didn't think we would be caught quite as wide, but I thought it would be a well-grouped bunch of horses going into the first turn. He's able to dig in and fight and continue on.”

The Jim Dandy marked a sixth graded stakes victory from the gray sophomore colt, who earned championship honors last season with victories in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, both at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

After a triumphant 3-year-old debut over a sloppy track in the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., he returned to the Lexington oval in the Grade 2 Blue Grass where he bested Highly Motivated to secure victory by a neck.

Essential Quality suffered his only defeat as the favorite in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby when fourth beaten a length after a wide trip in upper stretch, but returned to action with a determined victory in the Belmont Stakes when outdueling Hot Rod Charlie down the lane to win by 1 ¼ lengths.

“We always thought he was a good horse, but you just always hope all of them show that talent to reach a Grade 1 level,” Cox said. “Obviously, he was able to do that in only his second start, so he answered a lot of our questions early on as to how good he was.”

Cox expressed appreciation in being able to train horses for a world-class racing and breeding operation like Godolphin.

“Obviously, this is a dream come true, but it's a lot of hard work, good horses, great staff, and great clientele that has given us the opportunity and put us in the position to succeed,” Cox said.

Essential Quality would look to become the first horse since Alpha to capture the Jim Dandy-Runhappy Travers double.

Cox could hold a strong hand for the Runhappy Travers as Juddmonte Farm's Mandaloun, winner of the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, is also a possible contender. Cox said a breeze next weekend will likely determine which direction Mandaloun goes.

Jimmy Bell, president of Godolphin's North American operations, expressed satisfaction in running Essential Quality before the Travers and said both he and Cox were on the same page in terms of running in the Jim Dandy.

“Things are looking well, we have some nice things to look forward to,” Bell said following the Jim Dandy. “He got a lot out of this race. I would not take this for granted and Brad said very quickly he was glad he ran him. I think this will move him forward to his training for the Travers. We're obviously very pleased with the effort, the outcome and he keeps on showing up.”

Essential Quality is out of the multiple stakes-placed Elusive Quality mare Delightful Quality, who has a 2-year-old filly by Uncle Mo named Famed in training at Keeneland.

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Essential Quality Lays Over Rivals in Jim Dandy

As the leader in a contentious 3-year-old division, all eyes will be on Godolphin's champion Essential Quality (Tapit) Saturday at Saratoga, but the race itself may lack for drama, as the gray lays over his five rivals in the GII Jim Dandy S., the Spa's traditional prep for the Aug. 28 GI Runhappy Travers S. Then again, stranger things have happened at the “Graveyard of Favorites”.

Sewing up his Eclipse Award as the top 2-year-old male via a three-for-three campaign that culminated with a score in the GI TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the homebred made a dazzling sophomore debut when romping by 4 1/4 lengths in the sloppy-track GIII Southwest S. Feb. 27 at Oaklawn. Scoring a hard-fought neck success in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. Apr. 3, he suffered his first defeat in finishing a sneaky-good fourth as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby May 1.

Passing on a quick turnaround in the GI Preakness S., Essential Quality produced easily the best race of his career when wearing down Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) deep in the stretch of the GI Belmont S. June 5, scoring by 1 1/4 lengths with a 109 Beyer. He stopped the timer in 2:27.11 for the 1 1/2 miles, the third-fastest Belmont clocking this century. The Brad Cox trainee has gotten acclimated to the Saratoga main track with a trio of local breezes, capped by a five-furlong move in 1:00 4/5 (4/30) July 24.

“He likes it up here big time,” Cox told the NYRA notes team. “We take him out in the afternoons when it's not raining and let him graze. He's a lawnmower. He's real focused here. He's doing well. I'm very anxious to see him race again just for the simple fact of how he's training and how he's filling out. He's a very intelligent horse. He's been wanting to do more. He came out of his last work great. He's been very sharp and his energy has been great. The cooler weather is playing a role in that. But he's ready to run. I'm very excited.”

The most likely upsetter on paper is FTGGG Racing's ascendant Masqueparade (Upstart). Bought for $180,000 at Keeneland September, the bay took four tries to earn his diploma, and only did so by way of disqualification Mar. 20 at Fair Grounds. Something clicked after that though, as he put in one of the most impressive performances of Derby weekend when crushing allowance/optional claiming foes by 11 3/4 lengths May 1 at Churchill. He proved that was no fluke when gutting out a half-length triumph in the GIII Ohio Derby last out June 26 at Thistledown.

“Our horse is on the upswing, so if he keeps improving, he could be there or thereabouts. He deserves a shot,” trainer Al Stall said. “His last two races have been very good and he handled graded competition. The numbers are fine but stepping up to those proven competitors is more a test to me than running against the clock. I think he deserves a chance.”

Chiefswood Stables' Weyburn (Pioneerof the Nile) has consistently outrun his odds and will try to do so again. A third-out graduate in the Aqueduct slop last December, he gamely prevailed by a nose at 46-1 in the GIII Gotham S. and was a solid fourth in the GII Wood Memorial S. after chasing a quick pace that otherwise fell apart. Entered against next-out GI TVG.com Haskell S. winner Mandaloun (Into Mischief) in the Pegasus S., he appeared clealry beaten by that favorite at the sixteenth pole, but refused to give in, coming back on the inside late to just miss an improbable victory by a neck.

“He still acts like he's a little confused by two-turn racing,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. “He breaks on his own and then gets on the bridle and then he was a little keen down the backside [in the Pegasus]. The pacesetter stopped abruptly and he ended up on the lead by himself, and he looked like he spit the bit out a little bit Mandaloun made a big, sweeping move past him and then he went after him again. He did that in the Gotham, when he lost the lead, he came back on. I guess it's like a little game with him … I think the last race did him a lot of good. His only two-turn race before that was the Wood Memorial and there was a big gap from that race. He should get better with more seasoning.”

Rounding out the field are Keepmeinmind (Laoban), third in the Ohio Derby last out, Dr Jack (Pioneerof the Nile), two-for-three with a third in the Pegasus and Risk Taking (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of the GIII Withers S. who made no impact in either the Wood Memorial or Preakness.

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Curlin ‘Rising Star’ Fittingly Favored in Curlin

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY–After capitalizing on an opportunity against a small field in the GIII Dwyer July 5, unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin) returns to trainer Shug McGaughey's original schedule Friday in the $120,000 Curlin S. at Saratoga Race Course.

In his first start away from Belmont Park, the chestnut colt will face six other 3-year-olds in the 1 1/8-mile race that returns after being dropped from last year's COVID-19-scrambled season program. His competition includes GII Wood Memorial runner-up Dynamic One (Union Rags), who is making his first start since he was 18th in the GI Kentucky Derby; Susan Quick and Christopher Feifarek's prolific homebred Beren (Weigelia), already a five-time winner this year; and Juddmonte Farms' Snow House (Twirling Candy), who was third in the Dwyer.

Run the day before the GII Jim Dandy S., the local prep for the GI Runhappy Travers S., the Curlin has become an alternate steppingstone to Saratoga's signature race. Since it is restricted to runners who have not won a graded stake longer than one mile, it typically attracts late-developers–First Captain and three others debuted in 2021–or horses getting back into graded stakes company.

Though he has made but three starts, First Captain brings a solid reputation to the Curlin. Bred by Bobby Flay, he co-topped the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale at $1.5 million. Flay is a partner in the ownership group of West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm and Woodford Racing. He won his debut at seven furlongs on a fast track Apr. 24 and prevailed over a sloppy track May 29. McGaughey selected the Curlin instead of the Jim Dandy to give First Captain his first test around two turns and avoid GI Belmont St. winner Essential Quality (Tapit) until a possible matchup in the $1.25 million Travers.

“He doesn't need to meet him until it's a big day,” McGaughey said. “This was where I was pointing to after we won the allowance race. Then when the Dwyer looked like it was going to come up the way it did and then he had had a really good work the week before that, that's why we decided to go and take a chance. So now he's a graded stakes winner.”

In the Dwyer, First Captain made a wide run on the turn and went on to a 1 3/4-length victory, a performance that strengthened McGaughey opinion that he was a quality horse.

“I thought he ran really good,” McGaughey said. “It's not what he wants to do going a mile around one turn. The first two races it was kind of hard to tell because he made a few mistakes, but he didn't the other day. He was sitting in the right place, maybe a little farther back than I thought he would be, but it showed me that longer, two turns, is what he wants to do.”

McGaughey said the Curlin, with the added distance and the two turns, will be another challenge for First Captain.

“I think his races have all been good,” the Hall of Fame trainer said. “He's an easy horse to train. He's got a lot of composure to him. But he's got to prove that. It ain't nothing to prove in the morning; you got to see it in the afternoon. It's going to be a little bit deeper water this time, but the way he's been training since he got up here gives me the confidence that he's going to run a good race.”

Trainer Saffie Joseph said he thinks that 'Rising Star' Collaborate (Into Mischief), co-owned by Three Chimneys Farm and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds is ready to step back into stakes company. The Curlin will be his second start since undergoing a minor throat procedure to improve his breathing.

“He's a horse that trained, before he ever ran, like a really good horse,” Joseph said. “The first time he got beat. Then the second time he came back and won like the horse we think he was. We put him in the Florida Derby because he had showed that kind of talent. He traveled well and by the three-eighths pole he just kind of hit a wall. I don't think [a lack of] talent beat him on that day. I think more it was something to do with his air intake.”

After the colt finished more than 14 lengths behind Known Agenda (Curlin) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, Joseph ran him back in the 6 1/2 furlong Roar S. He finished third as the 2-5 favorite and Joseph and his connections opted for the throat procedure. On June 20 at Gulfstream Park he won a one-mile comeback race by 5 1/4 lengths.

“For him, this is going to be the real test,” Joseph said. “I just need to see another race to make sure that it's legit as far as everything's functioning well. I know he has the ability, but you want to see it again. He has to prove it again before I can get total confidence.”

Dynamic One, bred by Phipps Stable, which is a partner with Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable on the colt, looked like he would win the Wood Apr. 3, but was caught at the wire by his longshot stablemate Bourbonic (Bernardini). In the Derby, he never was a threat after getting into some early traffic trouble. Trainer Todd Pletcher gave him a break after that and made the Curlin a target.

“We're optimistic,” Pletcher said. “I've seen stuff from him in the mornings that indicates he's capable of competing. Obviously, he just got beat in the Wood Memorial. At Churchill he didn't fire in the race. He's been a little bit inconsistent, but we've seen potential from him at times.”

Snow House started his career on turf Mar. 20 at Fair Grounds, but got away slowly and ended up fourth. When Snow House's second race was moved off the wet Keeneland turf Apr. 21, trainer Brad Cox left him in the field and he led from gate to wire.

“He performed well,” Cox said. “We ran him back and he ran a really big race, a one-turn mile at Churchill [May 29], had plenty of time to recover from the maiden victory. He ran a really gutsy race. I thought he ran a really good race in the Dwyer. This will be his second race around two turns and I feel it like it could be an advantage getting him back around two turns.”

Beren, a Pennsylvania-bred, has won three in a row–two of them in laughers in off-the-turf races–since stumbling at the start and finishing fourth in the GIII Bay Shore S. Apr. 3. The Butch Reid trainee prepped for the Curlin with a bullet half-mile work in :46 3/5 (1/87) here July 23.

Chad Brown will saddle Miles D (Curlin), a maiden winner co-owned by Peter Brant and Robert LaPenta, who drew the rail. Harvard (Pioneerof the Nile), trained by Rodolphe Brisset for China Horse Club and WinStar Farm, finished second in his first two career starts. Since blinkers were added he has shown early speed and won both starts.

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