Sand Dollar Stables | Horse Racing Free Tips

Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border continued his dominance on the Saratoga turf with a decisive 1 1/4-length score in Saturday's $250,000 Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 7-year-old New York-bred tracked in third position as Channel Maker and Channel Cat – fellow progeny of English Channel – set the early pace over the inner turf. Luis Saez tipped Cross Border out a path for the stretch run and the dark bay ridgling responded with a powerful turn of foot to secure the win and a 100 Beyer.

Trained by Mike Maker, who tops the Spa trainer standings with 12 wins heading into Sunday's card, Cross Border boasts a record of 7-6-1-0 on the Saratoga turf, including four wins on the inner course.

“The race shaped up like it looked on paper,” Maker said. “We had a great trip and we were fortunate enough to get the job done. He came back super.”

Bred in the Empire State by Berkshire Stud and B.D. Gibbs, Cross Border went 3-for-3 over the local turf in 2019, led by an open allowance score.

Last year, Cross Border stepped things up a notch, winning the state-bred Lubash ahead of a win in the Bowling Green by disqualification. He completed his 2020 Spa campaign with a runner-up effort to Channel Maker in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer.

Maker said Cross Border will now target a return engagement in the $750,000 Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer on August 28. The 1 1/2-mile turf contest for 4-year-olds and up is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” qualifier to the $4 million Longines Turf in November at Del Mar.

Maker said he is hoping to send out another New York-bred for a stakes win this summer when he saddles multiple graded stakes winner Somelikeithotbrown in the $150,000 West Point presented by Trustco Bank, a 1 1/16-mile test for state-breds 3-years-old and up on August 27.

“We have another New York-bred, Somelikeithotbrown, who will show up in the West Point and Cross Border will come back in the Sword Dancer,” Maker said.

Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's Somelikeithotbrown has made three starts on the Saratoga turf, including a maiden win ahead of a runner-up effort in the 2018 Grade 3 With Anticipation. Last year, the talented bay, bred in the Empire State by Hot Pink Stables and Sand Dollar Stables, won the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch in gate-to-wire fashion.

Maker will also look to secure a Grade 1 win later in the meet with Three Diamonds Farm's Kentucky-bred Army Wife in the $600,000 Alabama, a 10-furlong test for sophomore fillies on August 21.

By Declaration of War, Army Wife will be in search of a graded-stakes hat trick following scores in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., and the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks on July 2 at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa.

Maker, who is four wins clear of Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher heading into Day 14 of the summer meet, credited his staff for the strong start to the meet.

“We have a lot of horses that fit the book well and we're fortunate enough to get some wins,” Maker said. “I know we're on top but we've got a long way to go. It would be great for the staff [to win the meet] and they deserve it.”

The post Maker Talks Next Starts For Cross Border, Somelikeithotbrown appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The second time in the Grade 2 Dinner Party Stakes was the charm for Somelikeithotbrown, who vindicated last year's runner-up effort in the race on Saturday. Jockey Jose Ortiz tucked the 5-year-old horse in behind 25-1 early leader Flying Scotsman, stalking his pace just outside and poking a nose out in front on the final turn. Somelikeithotbrown faced down a stubborn Flying Scotsman in the stretch under a calculated ride by Ortiz and held off late charges from Talk or Listen and favored Sacred Life to prevail by one length.

The victory was trainer Mike Maker's fourth graded stakes win in the previous two days.

Talk or Listen was second, followed by Midnight Tea Time. Bye Bye Melvin and Flying Scotsman finished in a dead heat for fourth.

Somelikeithotbrown went off at odds of 3-1 and paid $7.60 to win.

The final time of 1:40.09 was a course record for the 1 1/16 miles on the Pimlico turf course. Fractions were :23.78, :47.33, 1:10.52, and 1:34.17.

Mike Maker trains Somelikeithotbrown for owners Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stables. The horse came to the race after a disappointing seventh in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile earlier this year. He also has wins in the G2 Bernard Baruch and the G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks to his credit.

Somelikeithotbrown was bred in New York by Sand Dollar Stables and Hot Pink Stables and is the son of Big Brown and Tapit mare Marilyn Monroan.

See the full chart here.

$250,000 Dinner Party (G2) Quotes, courtesy Pimlico press office

Winning trainer Mike Maker (Somelikeithotbrown): “Jose and I talked about it. Last time that horse [Flying Scotsman] broke a step slow, came to our outside and he never settled in the Maker's Mark and it cost him in the end. I told Jose, 'If the horse goes, let's see if we can't get to the outside of him and see you in the winner's circle.'”

“He just doesn't seem to fire his A game at Gulfstream. After [the Dec. 12 Fort Lauderdale], we decided just to give him the winter off and point to this year.”

(On thinking this might have clinched the $50K trainer's bonus) “Well, Steve Asmussen has a lot more starters and placings so it might be a lot closer than people think.”

“I did like most of our horses. We had a couple of others that ran up the track.”

“We have a lot of options. He's run well at Saratoga multiple times. He's a New York-bred, so we'll look at a couple of those races as well.”

Winning jockey Jose Ortiz (Somelikeithotbrown): “I have ridden this horse before in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf as a 2-year-old, and it has been a long time since I have ridden him. He's matured a lot. He showed me some speed early on, and I got him to relax on the first turn and that was the key. He relaxed nicely and from the half-mile pole to the 3/8ths pole I was just waiting and waiting and when I asked him to go he did.”

Trainer Arnaud Delacour (Talk Or Listen; 2^nd): “They were all bunched up together. I thought we had a great trip. Flavien [Prat] did a great job and the horse was there for him, so I'm delighted. I'll have to see how he comes back. I wouldn't mind to run him a little bit longer.”

Jockey Flavien Prat (Talk Or Listen; 2^nd): “We had a really good trip. No troubles at all. He made a good move around the turn. He ran a great race.”

Trainer Joe Sharp (Midnight Tea Time; 3^rd): “We were really happy. Obviously, this was a big step up from his last race, but he's just a horse that has continued to move forward as he's gotten older. [Owner] Frank [Corigliano] has been patient with him and given him the right amount to time and spacing and breaks when he needed them. He just keeps on taking us to fun places and showing up every time. That's all you can ask for.”

Jockey Javier Castellano (Sacred Life, beaten favorite, 4^th): “He tried really hard. Today just wasn't his day. He is developing himself. I tried hard to get him closer, but he is a European horse and you can't rush him too much. All his races, he comes from behind. They just didn't come back to me.”

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