Tag: Saratoga Race Course

Amoss Filly Fights It Out, Wins Spa Maiden

The one thing trainer Tom Amoss knew about his starter in Sunday's sixth race at Saratoga was that if she got into a fight in the stretch she would be able to handle it. That proved to be the case in the 6 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies. Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Alys Beach (Omaha Beach) scored a game win, out-battling the Todd Pletcher-trained Life Talk (Gun Runner) to win by a head.

“On the track, she showed her competitiveness in practice,” Amoss said. “She needed that today.”

Amoss has had a lot of success with horses who didn't necessarily break the bank at the sales and Alys Beach is no exception. He bought her for $120,000 at Keeneland September for owner Greg Tramontin.

“She was a very good looking yearling that I picked out for Greg,” Amoss said.

Alys Beach had her first recorded workout on May 4 at Keeneland. After two workouts in Saratoga, including a five-furlong work on July 19 in 1:02 1/5, Gaffalione knew what he had.

“I got familiar with her in her last work,” he said. “She went really well that day. We sat outside a horse and she kicked to the wire full of energy and galloped out strong. She showed she has a great mind.”

Alys Beach was fourth early on and was three wide. In upper stretch, Gaffalione made the decision to dart to the rail. She got past 2-1 favorite Mugen (Into Mischief), took a narrow lead and then had to dig down to hold off  Life Talk.

“She put it all together today,” Gaffalione said. “When I dove back into the rail she didn't hesitate at all. She did everything I asked her to.”

It wasn't the trip Amoss had hoped for.

“I was recalling that 10 minutes earlier, I was telling Tyler, `I think the rail is the wrong place to be; try to go around,'” Amoss said. “That's what I was thinking.”

Alys Beach, overlooked at the windows, paid $18.60 and completed the distance in 1:18.58.

Mugen is a $1.2 million yearling purchase at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga. She held a one-length lead at the eighth-pole but couldn't fight off Alys Beach or Life Talk. She lost by 3 1/4 lengths.

Amoss is off to an excellent start at Saratoga. He's 3-for-5 at the meet and has sent out three straight winners.

“I'm loving riding for Tom,” Gaffalione said. “He's been so good to me. Tom has a great team behind him and they do a really good job.”

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Cody’s Wish, Zandon Work for Whitney; Elite Power, Forte Fine Sunday

Godolphin's Cody's Wish (Curlin) had his final work ahead of the Aug. 5 GI Whitney S. Sunday at Saratoga, going four furlongs in :48.28 (9/69) over the Oklahoma training track. With Neil Poznansky aboard, the multiple Grade I winner clocked the first quarter-mile in :24 2/5 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 and seven furlongs in 1:27.

“I thought it was perfect. If there is such a thing as a perfect work,” trainer Bill Mott said. “Neil did a perfect job. The warm-up was good, the breeze went well, he went off easily enough. He was off in :12 and 2 or 3. He came home well. He let him off the bridle a little bit at the eighth pole and he finished up his last quarter very nicely. We didn't make him gallop out too much today, obviously. We're right on top of the race.”

Cody's Wish will be looking for his seventh straight victory while seeking his first win beyond a mile in the nine-furlong Whitney, which is a 'Win and You're In' challenge race for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. He is coming off a win in the June 10 GI Metropolitan H. and will look to be the first horse to record the Met Mile-Whitney double since fellow Godolphin colorbearer Frosted in 2016.

Another Mott trainee on a win streak, Elite Power (Curlin), who extended his string of victories to eight with a gritty victory in Saturday's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. was doing well Sunday morning, according to his trainer.

“He looked great this morning,” Mott said. “I was very impressed just because I feel that when you have a sloppy or muddy track like that, it gives the advantage to the horse three in front turning for home. If you have to make up that much ground on a sloppy or muddy track, it can be difficult, so I give the horse a lot of credit for being able to do that. The horse he beat was running and he's a very good horse, too. He's in good form. I have to be pleased and I am pleased.”

Elite Power is expected to start next in the Aug. 26 GI Forego S.

Also exiting his victory at Saratoga Saturday in fine shape was GII Jim Dandy S. winner Forte (Violence).

“He came back very well and his energy level is good,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “He had a well-deserved nap this morning and I liked the way he looked last night after the race and this morning.”

Forte remains on target for the Aug. 26 GI Travers S. where he will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Pletcher's previous winners of the race, Flower Alley and Stay Thirsty, both of whom won the Jim Dandy before taking the Midsummer Derby.

“It's exciting and we've been fortunate that both our Travers winners came out of the Jim Dandy,” Pletcher said. “We'd love to do it again.”

Jeff Drown's Zandon (Upstart), also aiming for the Whitney, worked a half-mile in :49.24 (24/69) Sunday over the Spa's main track.

“The breeze went super and the horse is doing great. I'm looking forward to running him,” said trainer Chad Brown, who is in search of his first Whitney win.

Winner of last year's GI Toyota Blue Grass S. and third in the GI Kentucky Derby, Zandon was second in last year's Jim Dandy and third in the Travers. He comes into the Whitney off a runner-up effort behind Cody's Wish in the Met Mile.

“I was very pleased with his effort [in the Met Mile],” Brown said. “He showed a lot of heart to be second. Clearly, he was second best in the race. Cody's Wish is arguably the best dirt horse in training in this country, so a lot of respect for him. Our horse is doing fine and I think he's better around two turns. He's got a tall order here. It probably won't be a big field, but it's a very strong field with Cody's Wish and some other top horses. He's got his work cut out for him, but I really like the way the horse is going and I like him at a mile and an eighth. I think that's his best distance. I'm just hoping he runs the race of his life and is able to spring an upset.”

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NY Aftercare Day at Saratoga Aug. 17

The New York Racing Association, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, and New York Thoroughbred Breeders will host the third annual New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day Aug. 17 at Saratoga Race Course.

The featured race on Thursday's card will be the $125,000 Rick Violette, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for New York-bred sophomores named for the late trainer and NYTHA President who spearheaded the creation of the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program and TAKE THE LEAD Retirement Program.

Representatives from Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance-accredited organizations will be on-site to educate both racing fans and the general public about the importance of responsible aftercare efforts, including Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue, ACTT Naturally, Equine Advocates, Lollipop Farm, Lucky Orphans, New Vocations, Old Friends at Cabin Creek, ReRun, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, and Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga.

New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day will begin with an on-track demonstration of retired racehorses showcasing the skills learned in their second careers. New Vocations will be the first to demonstrate the Thoroughbred's athleticism with a jumping display prior to the day's races, and ReRun will follow after the second race with flatwork/dressage exhibition.

The Horse Sense stall, located just outside of the Saratoga grandstand, will feature retired racehorses from Old Friends at Cabin Creek between 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and from the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation between 1:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

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Pletcher Filly Romps In Off-The-Turf Maiden At Saratoga

When Todd Pletcher entered Miz Sense (Street Sense) in Sunday's first race at Saratoga, a maiden special weight race carded for a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf, he wasn't so much thinking grass. He wanted to run the Kentucky-bred in a route race, which they don't card during the Saratoga meet for 2-year-olds on the dirt. So when the race was washed off the turf course, Pletcher never hesitated to go ahead and run her in a race in which there were six scratches. It proved to be the right move.

Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Miz Sense sat fifth early before finding a open path on the inside near the top of the stretch. From there, she drew off from her five rivals to win by a comfortable 4 1/4 lengths. The race was run at one mile out of the Wilson Chute.

“She is a typical Street Sense filly, so we thought she wanted to run long,” Pletcher said. “We entered her to run on the grass but she wound up on the also-eligible list. We got lucky. With the rain the race came off the turf and were able to run her long first time out. I think this is the first year they've run the mile out of the chute for two-year-olds. I'm glad they did it because it worked out for this filly. This win gives us some options.”

Pletcher also sent out first-time starter Life's An Audible (Audible). The pair were sent off as the 6-5 betting favorite. Life's an Audible flashed early speed but faded late and finished fourth. She was beaten 21 1/4 lengths.

Miz Sense is co-owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable and was a $500,000 Keeneland September purchase. She was bred by Stonehaven Steadings.

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