Runhappy Travers | Horse Racing Free Tips

Paul Pompa, Jr.’s GIII Peter Pan S. hero Country Grammer (Tonalist) could make his next appearance in the GI Runhappy Travers S. at Saratoga Aug. 8, the owner told the NYRA notes team Friday.

“If he comes back well, the Travers would be the logical spot. It’s coming back a little soon but so far, so good,” Pompa, Jr. said. “We always have liked this horse, but the COVID-19 situation has created gaps, just due to lack of racing.”

A $60,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $450,000 OBS April breezer, Country Grammer broke his maiden going nine furlongs over the Aqueduct last November and resumed with an even fifth to Ete Indien (Summer Front) in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 29. He was a wide-trip third in Belmont allowance company June 4, but enjoyed a smoother run in transit in Thursday’s Peter Pan, sneaking through at the rail turning for home before outlasting ‘TDN Rising Star’ Carocaro (Uncle Mo).

Country Grammer became the second graded winner for his second-crop sire in the Peter Pan. The other, Tonalist’s Shape, is the morning-line favorite for Saturday’s GI CCA Oaks at Saratoga.

Dayoutoftheoffice Likely to Reappear During Meet…

Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief), who gave trainer Tim Hamm his first Saratoga stakes winner when upsetting Thursday’s GIII Schuylerville S. at odds of 19-1, is likely to contest one or both of the graded races for juvenile fillies at the Spa over the course of the next six weeks.

“The [GII] Adirondack S. [Aug. 12, 6 1/2 furlongs] is a possibility and the [GI] Spinaway [Sept. 6, seven furlongs] is possible. I don’t know if we would do both or [just] one of the two. But we’ll probably run her up back there at least once.”

Owned by Hamm in partnership with breeder Siena Farm, Dayoutoftheoffice–who led home an Into Mischief exacta–posted a front-running, 4 3/4-length debut victory over 4 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream May 14. Hamm was confident that his filly would relish the extra real estate in the Schuylerville.

“It’s the kind of read we had on her training up to her first race. We thought the 4 1/2 [furlongs] might be too short for her,” he said. “But she got that down, and I was optimistic she wanted to run farther than that. I believe if she stretches out, she’ll be able to handle that as well. If you don’t look good there, it closes a lot of doors. But if you win, you have options open, and you just want to lay out a good schedule now and get her where she needs to be.”

Tap It To Win Aiming For Jerkens…

Live Oak Plantation’s Tap It To Win (Tapit), who defeated GIII Peter Pan S. hero Country Grammer in the aforementioned June 4 allowance ahead of a low-odds fifth to Tiz the Law (Constitution) in the GI Belmont S. 16 days later, breezed a half-mile in :48.09 Monday morning and will shorten back up for the seven-furlong GI H. Allen Jerkens S. presented by Runhappy at Saratoga Aug. 1.

“He’s looking good. We’re going to the Allen Jerkens with him and he should fit well in there,” said Jamie Begg, assistant to trainer Mark Casse. “I think the cutback to seven-eighths is good and we’ll be able to sit off the speed and make a run.”

The post Spa Notes: Country Grammer Possible for Runhappy Travers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Grade 1 Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law resumed serious business on Wednesday morning, posting a five-furlong breeze over Belmont Park's main track for trainer Barclay Tagg.

Under the guidance of regular rider Manny Franco, the three-time Grade 1-winning son of second crop sire Constitution recorded his work in 1:01.10 over a main track rated fast. The move was a second work for Tiz the Law since being the first New York-bred in over a century to capture the Belmont Stakes. Last Wednesday, he went an easy half-mile in 50.06 seconds.

“He looked perfect,” Tagg said. “He's got a lot of energy. He wouldn't blow out a candle.”

Unbeaten in all three starts during his sophomore campaign, Tiz the Law began 2020 with wins in the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby, both at Gulfstream Park, en route to a victory in the Belmont Stakes, which was run as the first leg of the Triple Crown following a rescheduling of the national stakes calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tiz the Law, bred in the Empire State by Twin Creeks Farm, began his career with a maiden triumph against fellow New York-breds at Saratoga Race Course before winning the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park. His only loss took place in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs, where he was third beaten three-quarters of a length over a sloppy main track.

Tiz the Law remains on target for the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers on August 8 at Saratoga Race. The colt currently tops the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 272 points and could add to those totals in the Runhappy Travers, which offers 100-40-20-10 to the top-four finishers.

“It's just a matter of keeping him happy and healthy for seven weeks between now and the Travers,” said Jack Knowlton – operations manager for owner Sackatoga Stable. “[Assistant trainer] Robin [Smullen] says nothing phases him. If you watch him around the stable, on the track, and during his races it all seems to be true. Fortunately, Manny has gotten to know what he has under him and has done a great job. Hopefully we can continue the roll that we're on.”

Knowlton has been down a similar road before when Funny Cide won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness finishing third in the Belmont Stakes but was scratched from that year's Travers.

Knowlton said a win in the Runhappy Travers would be a huge deal for the Sackatoga team.

“Once he won the Champagne in the fall, he was on everyone's radar screen as a top 3-year-old,” Knowlton said. “We had a small bump in the road when we went to Kentucky, but as soon as he won the Holy Bull in Florida, he was right back on top of everyone's list. We're just taking it one race at a time. It will be interesting. No one will have run a mile and a quarter before the Travers and it will be unusual that some horses will have run a mile and quarter before the Derby. This was a race we could have had Funny Cide in, but he got sick. We'd love to complete the New York circle.”

Tiz the Law is scheduled ship to Saratoga on Monday, July 13, where he will continue to train for the Runhappy Travers.

The post ‘We’d Love To Complete The New York Circle’: Tiz The Law Continues Moving Forward Toward Travers appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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