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Weekend Lineup Presented By Woodbine: Mandaloun Returns In Sunday’s Pegasus

This weekend's horse racing action is highlighted by the long-awaited return of live racing to Woodbine on Saturday, June 12, thanks to the provincial loosening of COVID-19 restrictions, while graded stakes action is relatively light across the U.S. Of course, next week's Royal Ascot meeting will begin on Tuesday, June 15, featuring 11 American contenders in the top-notch turf action.

Leading a quiet weekend of stakes racing is Juddmonte's Mandaloun, who is slated to make his first start since finishing second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on Sunday at Monmouth Park in the Pegasus Stakes.

Saturday, June 12

4:28 p.m. – $150,000 Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park on TVG

Last July, John Fanelli, Cash is King, LC Racing, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley's Ny Traffic gave future Horse of the Year Authentic all he could handle in the Grade 1 TVG.com Haskell Stakes, losing by a nose. Ny Traffic returns to Monmouth Park on Saturday facing nine rivals in the Grade 3 $150,000 Salvator Mile on the main track. A 4-year-old gray/roan son of Cross Traffic, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., and ridden from post seven by Paco Lopez, Ny Traffic made an impressive 2021 debut at Belmont Park on May 2 with a 6 ¾-length victory in a 7-furlong optional allowance claiming race. Breaking from post 10 under Robby Albarado is the defending Salvator Mile champion Pirate's Punch. Owned by Gulliver Racing, Craig Drager and Dan Legan, and trained by Grant Forster, Pirate's Punch came from off the pace to win last year's race, held Sept. 20, by 2 lengths. A 5-year-old gelded son of Eclipse Award-winner Shanghai Bobby, Pirate's Punch will be making his first start since trailing the field in the Grade 1 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland in November.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/MTH061221USA10-EQB.html

10:11 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes at Churchill Downs

Led by 6-5 morning line favorite Juliet Foxtrot (GB), 11 fillies and mares have been entered for Saturday evening's featured Grade 3 Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes at Churchill Downs going 1 1/16 miles on turf. Owned by Juddmonte and trained by Brad Cox, Juliet Foxtrot has six wins, including an impressive wire-to-wire 2-length victory in her 2021 debut on April 10 in the Grade 1, 1 1/16-mile Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland over a yielding course. A 6-year-old bay daughter of Dansili (GB), who will be ridden from post two by Tyler Gaffalione, Juliet Foxtrot won last October's Grade 3 Gallorette at Pimlico. WinStar Stablemates Racing's Crystal Ball has won optional allowance claiming races at Santa Anita and at Churchill Downs this year. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, the 4-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon finished second in last year's Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. James Graham rides from post nine. Stonestreet Stables' Hendy Woods, trained by Mark Casse, tuned up for this race by taking a 1-mile optional claimer at Churchill on May 14. Ridden by Florent Geroux from post three, the 4-year-old filly finished second in last September's Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes at Churchill.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD061221USA9-EQB.html

Sunday, June 13

4:50 p.m. ― $150,00 TVG.com Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park on TVG

Juddmonte's Mandaloun headlines Sunday's TVG.com Pegasus Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles at Monmouth Park. Facing four rivals, the Brad Cox-trained son of Into Mischief fought all the way in the Kentucky Derby on May 1, finishing second to Medina Spirit by a half-length at 26-1. Winner of the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds in February, Mandaloun will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post 2. Chiefswood Stables' Canadian-bred Weyburn, trained by Jimmy Jerkens, won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct in March, and returns to the races following a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 3. Dylan Davis has the mount, breaking from post four. Also coming out of the Kentucky Derby is Mark Schwartz's Brooklyn Strong. Trained by Daniel Velazquez and ridden from post two by Abner Adorno, Brooklyn Strong, who won last year's Grade 3 Remsen at Aqueduct, finished 15th in the Derby.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/MTH061321USA10-EQB.html

8:30 p.m. ― $100,000 Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

California-bred gelding The Chosen Vron, winner of his last two races, leads five starters in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita. Owned by Eric Kruljac, Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker and Richard Thornburgh, and trained by Krurjac, The Chosen Vron won Santa Anita's Echo Eddie against state breds on April 3, and followed that score with a 3 ½-length win as the odds-on favorite in the 6 ½-furlong Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera by 3 ½ lengths at Santa Anita on May 15. Umberto Rispoli will ride, breaking from post 3. Trainer Bob Baffert has entered two runners: Karl Watson, Paul Weitman and Mike Pegram's Defunded, fourth in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill on May 1, and SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm and Robert Masterson's Classier, who will be making his 2021 debut since finishing eighth in last year's Grade 1 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Abel Cedillo rides Defunded from post four, and Flavien Prat has the mount on Classier breaking from post one.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA061321USA10-EQB.html

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Equibase Analysis: Ny Traffic Top Choice In Salvator Mile, But Croatian Intriguing Underneath

This Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Salvatore Mile Stakes at Monmouth Park drew a strong field of 10, including four horses which won their most recent start. In addition, 2020 Salvatore Mile winner Pirate's Punch returns to defend his title but does so following seven months off and an 11th place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Bal Harbour and NY Traffic lead the field in career earnings at more than $600,000, but Bal Harbour returns from a seven month layoff as well and has not earned a win in his last 14 races going back to November, 2018. On the other hand, NY Traffic makes his second start off a seven month rest and ran the best race of his career at Monmouth last summer when second and a nose behind Authentic.

Basin won the Sir Shackleton Stakes when sprinting in March and can likely handle the stretch out to two turns as he finished second in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby last May. Another horse stakes placed as a 3-year-old in 2020 is Green Light Go, who was second in the Roar Stakes last May as well as second in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes as a 2-year-old.

Galerio finished second in the Harrison E. Johnson Memorial and John B. Campbell Stakes in succession earlier this year and must be considered, particularly as he has finished first or second in 20 of 24 career races. War Stopper finished third in the Grade 3 Challenger Stakes in his stakes debut in March before a fourth-place effort in the similar Grade 3 Ghostzapper Stakes at the end of the same month.

Croatian, Informative and West Will Power round out the field but are not without chances either. Croatian has won two of four races at Monmouth and makes his second start off a layoff, Informative finished second in his most recent race last month, and West Will Power won his most recent race decisively by nine lengths.

NY Traffic gets top billing in this year's Salvatore Mile Stakes by virtue of a strong seven-length win in his 4-year-old debut last month. That win came at the distance of seven furlongs and earned a 99 ™ Equibase® Speed Figure, which is highly likely to be improved upon significantly in his second start off the layoff and on the stretch out to two turns. Last spring and summer, NY Traffic proved competitive with top 3-year-olds Maxfield and then Authentic when second in three straight graded stakes – the Risen Star, Louisiana Derby and Matt Winn.

Next came the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth last July in which NY Traffic ran the best race of his career, earning a 107 figure and coming up just a nose shy of beating subsequent Kentucky Derby winner Authentic. Following an eighth-place finish in the Derby and a ninth-place effort in the Preakness, NY Traffic was given time off to mature and he certainly did so as evidenced by his comeback last month. With Paco Lopez returning to the saddle to ride him as he did in the Haskell, NY Traffic may be the one to beat in this race.

Croatian is the veteran in this field, having run 31 times. This will be only his second career start in a stakes race and the other, back in March of last year, was a poor effort in which he finished sixth. However, Croatian was claimed shortly thereafter by Jerry Hollendorfer and reeled off four straight top efforts including two wins and a defeat by a neck, all at Monmouth. The best of those, last September, earned Croatian a 107 ™ figure on par with the figure NY Traffic earned in the Haskell.

Also similar to NY Traffic, Croatian stretches out off a sprint prep following a layoff (October to April). In that sprint, Croatian finished fourth, beaten just two lengths by the winner, with a 97 figure very similar to NY Traffic. As such, it is very likely Croatian will take a big step forward and if he does and can duplicate any of his four efforts over the track last summer, he could post the upset or at the least run much better than his high odds suggest he will.

Pirate's Punch has one big question mark regarding his chances which NY Traffic and Croatian do not and that is he is making his first start of 2021, returning off a seven moth layoff. Pirate's Punch won the 2020 Salvatore Mile with a strong 110 ™ figure and fairly easily by two lengths in a field of eight, as the two to one betting favorite. He had won the Philip H. Iselin Stakes one month prior to that but was disqualified and placed second. Following a last of 12 finish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Pirate's Punch was given time to rest and his recent workouts indicated he is in excellent physical form. Additionally, Pirate's Punch won his 2020 debut with a 112 figure but that was following two months off and seven months can be quite different. Nevertheless as he's proven at the level and over the track, Pirate's Punch rounds out a trio I feel stand out against the others in this year's Salvatore Mile Stakes.

The rest of the field, with their best ™ Equibase Speed Figures, is Bal Harbour (108), Basin (104), Galerio (107), Green Light Go (99), Informative (103), West Will Power (102) and War Stopper (103).

Win Contenders:
NY Traffic
Croatian
Pirate's Punch

Salvatore Mile Stakes – Grade 3
Race 10 at Monmouth
Saturday, June 12 – Post Time 4:28 PM E.T.
One Mile
Three Year Olds and Upward
Purse: $150,000

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Pirate’s Punch Returns To Face Ny Traffic In Saturday’s Salvator Mile

Pirate's Punch and Ny Traffic took turns with impressive performances a year ago at Monmouth Park. Now they'll match their considerable talents in the same race at the track.

Pirate's Punch, idle since the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 7, and Ny Traffic, who made his return to racing on May 2, top a field of 10 for the Grade 3, $150,000 Salvator Mile, the headliner on Monmouth Park's Saturday card.

When last seen at Monmouth Park, Pirate's Punch won the Salvator Mile in 2020 – a race after being disqualified from a victory in the Grade 3 Iselin Stakes. Ny Traffic was second in last year's Grade 1 TVG.com Haskell Stakes, beaten a nose by 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic.

Rounding out the Salvator Mile field are Bal Harbour, Basin, Croatian, Galerio, Green Light Go, Informative, War Stopper and West Will Power.

A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred, Pirate's Punch needed surgery to remove a chip from one of his knees shortly after the Breeders' Cup, with trainer Grant Forster now eager to get him started on his 2021 campaign.

“After his surgery we took our time with him and did the proper rehab. Hopefully we have a foundation in him,” said Forster. “He's doing fantastic. He seems like he's a bigger, stronger horse this year.

“Since we put him back in training he hasn't missed a day of training, hasn't missed a work, hasn't missed a gallop. He has been ultra-consistent and we think we have him ready to run and ready to get back in the game and get going.”

The 4-year-old Ny Traffic, in his first race since the Preakness Stakes on Oct. 3, impressed in his 2021 debut, blazing to a 6¾-length victory in an allowance optional claimer at Belmont Park on May 2.

“He came back in a big way. He won emphatically,” said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “We were hoping he would win but we never envisioned he would run like that in his first race back after seven months off.

“It's a long year and he has a lot in front of him. We're hoping this race can be a building block for the year.”

Ny Traffic, a son of Cross Traffic-Mamie Reilly by Graeme Hall, has a 3-3-2 line from 12 career starts, with lifetime earnings of $612,220. Despite that, he has yet to win a graded stakes race.

“He came close (in last year's) Haskell,” said Joseph. “He definitely has a graded stakes win in him. Hopefully it's this year – and maybe this weekend.”

Ny Traffic is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley.

Pirate's Punch, a son of of Shanghai Bobby-Catch the Moon by Malibu Moon, sports a 5-3-4 line from 18 career starts with $332,751 in earnings. He is owned by Gulliver Racing LLC, Craig W. Drager and Dan Lehan.

Saturday marks the 74th running of the Salvator Mile.

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‘Glad To Be In It’: Forster Excited For First Breeders’ Cup With Dirt Mile Hopeful Pirate’s Punch

Nestled five miles from Churchill Downs, trainer Grant Forster is eagerly preparing for the biggest race of his career at Trackside Louisville where Gulliver Racing, Craig Drager and Dan Legan's five-time winner Pirate's Punch will tackle a likely full field of competitors in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (Grade I) on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“Sort of like every horse trainer, I'm just holding my breath until we get there,” Forster said. “It's been a great ride so far with this horse and the (Dirt Mile) is shaping up to be a really competitive. It'll be a tough field but we're glad to be in it.”

Pirate's Punch had a unique two-race stand over the summer when Forster shipped the Shanghai Bobby gelding to Monmouth Park to compete in the $200,000 Philip Iselin Stakes (GIII) and one month later returned for the $155,000 Salvator Mile (GIII). In the Philip Iselin, the gutsy Pirate's Punch finished a half-length in front of Warrior's Charge but was subsequently disqualified and placed second following a stewards' inquiry and objection lodged by the runner-up finisher's jockey Paco Lopez.

Forster would return to Monmouth for redemption in the Salvator Mile where Pirate's Punch scored a convincing two-length score and sealed his likely starting gate position in the Dirt Mile.

In the Breeders' Cup, East Coast-based jockey Jorge Vargas Jr., who rode Pirate's Punch in each of his two starts at Monmouth, will ship to Kentucky to ride in the Breeders' Cup. The 26-year-old Vargas, whose grandfather and father both trained horses in his native Puerto Rico, is named to ride Shimmering (IRE) for trainer Graham Motion on Wednesday at Churchill Downs.

“He's rode Pirate's Punch perfectly in his last two starts, so why not continue to use him for the Breeders' Cup,” Forster said. “He's coming to Kentucky early and hopes to ride a few at Churchill before the Breeders' Cup.”

Starting on Friday, there will be a special training period from 7:30-7:45 a.m. for Breeders' Cup contenders. The special training session is scheduled to run through Wednesday, Nov. 4.

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