Saratoga Race Course | Horse Racing Free Tips

Caravel Passes Robin Sparkles In Stretch To Win Caress At Saratoga

In her last start with breeder and part-owner Elizabeth Merryman as trainer, Caravel bided her time behind front-running Robin Sparkles, went to the outside around the final turn, and then sprinted down the center of the Saratoga turf course to win the Grade 3 Caress Stakes. The win brings Pennsylvania's reigning Horse of the Year to three victories in four starts in 2021.

Under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Caravel broke well, settling in behind Robin Sparkles and Jakarta, who was running for only purse money after an inadvertent scratch Saturday morning, as the field ran down the backstretch at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Robin Sparkles, with Jose Ortiz in the saddle, held a length and a half lead going in the final turn, as Irad took Caravel to the outside for her stretch run.

With Jakarta in second on the rail, Robin Sparkles maintained her front runner status through the first part of the stretch, with Caravel sprinting down the stretch to her outside. In the race's final yards, Caravel passed Robin Sparkles to take over the lead and draw away to win by two and a half lengths. Robin Sparkles held on for third behind a surging In Good Spirits, who was second. The final time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:02.38.

Tass, Flower Point, and Jakarta rounded out the field. Caravel paid $4.00, $2.70, and $2.10. In Good Spirits paid $5.70 and $2.80. Robin Sparkles paid $2.10.

Find this race's chart here.

The Mizzen Mast filly went into the G3 turf sprint off of victories in the Goldwood at Monmouth Park and the Very One at Pimlico Race Course, performances that led Bobby Flay to purchase a majority interest in Caravel from Merryman. From here, Caravel will join the barn of trainer Graham Motion.

“Bobby Flay now owns a majority interest in her and we made a plan when he was interested in buying to make that change,” Merryman said after the Caress. “That was something I was in agreement with from the time of the sale of the majority of her. Graham is in the next barn to me at Fair Hill [in Maryland]. It'll all be good.”

“Hopefully, the goal is the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and Graham has so much experience going that route. It seemed like a really smart thing to do from my perspective as well. Not that I don't think I could handle it, but with the change in the ownership, Graham has a system that works great and he's been through all that. It'll be a good way to go. I'll still own part of her.”

“The whole turn, she was on the bridle waiting for the time to go.” Irad Ortiz, Jr. told the NYRA Press Office after the race. “I wanted to make sure to go around the horses like she did last time at Monmouth [winning the Goldwood on June 25]. I was able to get in the clear and as soon as I asked, she gave me a really good kick – a good turn-of-foot.”

Bred in Pennsylvania, Caravel is a 4-year-old gray filly by Mizzen Mast out of Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom. With this victory in the G3 Caress, Caravel has seven wins in nine lifetime starts, for career earnings of $367,872.

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Maracuja Upsets Malathaat In CCA Oaks At Saratoga

In her much-anticipated return to the races after her April 30 victory in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, Malathaat battled Maracuja down the stretch and found herself on the losing end of a close finish for the first time in her six starts. Maracuja, who finished seventh behind Malathaat in the Oaks, came away with the upset and the first stakes victory of her career, winning the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks by a head at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Facing only three others, Malathaat, trained by Todd Pletcher, broke cleanly from post position one, taking a short lead over Clairiere around the first turn. John Velazquez kept the Shadwell filly on the lead throughout the race, setting early fractions of :23.38 for the first quarter and :47.13 for the half-mile. Clairiere settled in a half-length back, with Maracuja and Rockpaperscissors lingering close on the backstretch.

Around the final turn, Clairiere challenged Malathaat's lead, Irad Ortiz, Jr. keeping pressure on the Pletcher trainee. On their outside, Maracuja accelerated, Ricardo Santana, Jr. positioning his filly for their stretch run. Into the Saratoga straight, Malathaat maintained her short lead on the rail, Clairiere unable to catch her while Maracuja moved up to confront the leader. Malathaat and Maracuja dueled through the last half of the stretch, Maracuja showing a head in front as they hit the wire. Clairiere was third and Rockpaperscissors fourth. The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.29.

Find this race's chart here.

With only four horses in the field, the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks had no show betting. Maracuja paid $31.40 and $6.00. Malathaat paid $2.10.

“She broke really sharp, which I was happy with, and she was kind of right there. They all seemed like they were coming and I thought Ricardo [Santana, Jr.] made a smart move by backing off and coming around the outside. What a race.” said trainer Rob Atras after the race. “She loves the two turns. She puts a lot into her gallops every day. The further, the better for her.”

“The trip was perfect. She broke really well today. She was running comfortably. Rob liked the filly a lot and I was happy with her. There wasn't much pressure in this race.” Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. said after the CCA Oaks. “He told me, 'Just do what you have to do' and we took the victory today. I had some pressure on the side from the 4 [Clairiere] and I just let my filly take a deep breath. As soon as I took her back out, she came rolling. She ran a great race today.”

Bred in Kentucky by River Bend Farm and Austin and Janie Musselman, Maracuja is a 3-year-old daughter of Honor Code out of the Unbridled's Song mare Patti's Regal Song. She is owned by Beach Haven Thoroughbreds. Maracuja was consigned by Buck Pond Farm at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale and was purchased by Jason Servis for $200,000. The G1 Coaching Club American Oaks is Maracuja's second victory in five starts in 2021. Her record is two wins in six lifetime starts for career earnings of $407,100.

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Sunday’s Racing Insights: Flashy Juveniles Line Up on Both Coasts

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:05 p.m.

Tout Ensemble (Practical Joke) makes her first start here for Chad Brown and the powerful partnership of Peter Brant, Mrs. M. V. Magnier and Mrs. Paul Shanahan. The $185,000 KEENOV weanling topped the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale this April at 360,000gns (approximately $520,000). Click for more. A half to Group 2-placed juvenile Rebel Tale (Tale of the Cat), the May 4 foal hails from a productive female family of graded/group winners. Her dam is half to European SW/MGSP Arch Rebel (Arch) and to the dam of GSW Customer Base (Lemon Drop Kid). This is the family of Archarcharch, et al.

Woodslane Farm homebred S Oh S (Into Mischief) is out of a half-sister to two-turn MGISW and young sire Tonalist (Tapit). This is also the female family of superstars Havre de Grace and Riskaverse. Dream Lith (Medaglia d'Oro), a $590,000 Fasig-Tipton November buyback as a weanling, is a granddaughter of GISW juvenile Mi Sueno (Pulpit), who in turn is a daughter of GISW Madcap Escapade (Hennessy). Openthegate (Arrogate), a $60,000 KEESEP yearling, is out of a half-sister to MGSW Thiskyhasnolimit (Sky Mesa) from the family of Bernardini.

Trade Secret (Goldencents) and Tap N Glo (Tapiture) each invade off of narrow runner-up outings in Kentucky. TJCIS PPs

6th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 3:55 p.m.

Gal in a Rush (Ghostzapper) debuts in the second division of maiden special weight fillies at Saratoga Sunday for the red-hot Christophe Clement, West Point Thoroughbreds, Chris Larsen and Titletown Racing Stables. The $130,000 KEENOV weanling blossomed into a $375,000 OBS March juvenile off a smooth

:10 1/5 breeze and quick gallop out. Her two-time winning dam, who races exclusively in turf routes, is out of Martha Washington S. winner Miss City Halo (Carson City).

Demandsrespect (Union Rags) was a $195,000 KEESEP yearling out of juvenile stakes winner Walkwithapurpose (Candy Ride {Arg}), who has already produced two stakes horses as well as $575,000 Palm Collage (American Pharoah), who took her debut at Ellis earlier this month as a 3-year-old. Ike and Dawn Thrash homebred Four Dawn (Nyquist) is out of SW Third Dawn (Sky Mesa), who was beaten a nose by Stardom Bound (Tapit) in the 2009 GI Santa Anita Oaks.

Miss Interpret (Street Sense) was beaten a head at second asking downstate June 25. She is out of a half-sister to MGISW sprinters Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper) and Dads Caps (Discreet Cat). Lemieux (Nyquist) was a well-beaten second on debut at Belmont May 13 to Happy Soul (Runhappy), who returned to romp in the Astoria S. She's out of a half-sister to MGISW Diamondrella (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}). TJCIS PPs

2nd-DMR, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:05 p.m.

Bob Baffert and “The Avengers” have three of the seven juvenile colts signed on for this. Carbonite (Union Rags), a $560,000 KEESEP buy, was third in his Los Alamitos debut with minor traffic trouble. He's out of a half-sister to GI Preakness S. hero Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music) and now adds blinkers. Barossa (Into Mischief), meanwhile, was a $775,000 September yearling and is out of GSW Bouquet Booth (Flower Alley). Murray (Street Sense), a relative bargain buy at the same auction at $300,000, is out of a half to MGSW juvenile Listen Here (Gulch) and to the GSP dam of GISW grasser La Coronel (Colonel John).

Peachtree Stable homebred Drink the Wind (More Than Ready) is favored on the morning line at 2-1 for the Peter Miller barn. He's out of GSP Crushed Velvet (Malibu Moon), a debut romper as a late season juvenile for Baffert from the family of the Hall of Famer's champion sprinter Midnight Lute. The bay ridgling prepped for this with a :46 1/5 (1/82) bullet from the gate here July 19 and may be a bit of a talking horse.

Sumter (War Front) could be prepping for a future start on the grass–his dam A Little Bit Sassy (More Than Ready) was a SW/MGSP on the infield, and has a year-older full-sister to Sumter named Pizzazz who broke her maiden over a grassy mile here last November and took the California Oaks on Golden Gate synthetic in April. TJCIS PPs

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Moquett ‘Couldn’t Be More Pleased’ With Champion Whitmore Ahead Of July 31 Vanderbilt

Reigning Champion Sprinter Whitmore registered his final serious breeze Friday in preparation for the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt on July 31 at Saratoga Race Course.

The 8-year-old gelding, who won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint in November at Keeneland, went a half-mile in 48.78 seconds over a fast main track at the Spa, 12 days after travelling the same distance in a swift 47.21 seconds.

Trained by Ron Moquett, Whitmore has amassed more than $4.4 million in lifetime earnings through a record of 41-15-13-4, which includes seven graded stakes victories at four different racetracks. Prior to the Breeders' Cup Sprint, his only other Grade 1 victory took place in the 2018 Forego at Saratoga, where he defeated subsequent Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup winner City of Light.

Whitmore was second in last year's Vanderbilt, finishing 1 ¼ lengths to Volatile ahead of a distant seventh in the Forego over a sloppy track.

“He went very well this morning,” Moquett said. “I told the rider I wanted 48 or 49 and he did it, and did it the right way so I'm very pleased. He's training well, doing well, and I like the way he's running. I couldn't be more pleased with how everything is right now. He likes the surface at Saratoga. It's a good track and it seems like he's settled right in.”

Whitmore has finished in the money in all three starts this year, beginning with a close second by a neck to C Z Rocket in the Hot Springs at Oaklawn, a race he won from 2017-20. Following another second beaten two lengths in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint at the Arkansas oval in April, Whitmore was third by a head in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on May 1.

Whitmore has won at six different racetracks dating back to November 2015 at Churchill Downs, capturing his debut by 7 ¼ lengths en route to three graded stakes placings at Oaklawn Park while on the Kentucky Derby trail.

While Whitmore is still going strong, most of his previous competitors from 2016 have gone off to the breeding shed. He finished second to 2021 freshman sire Cupid in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park two starts prior to finishing 19th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, which was won by Nyquist – last year's leading first crop stallion.

“The funny thing is, I have a colt by Cupid, and Whitmore ran against Cupid in the Rebel as a 3-year-old,” Moquett said. “We're so grateful that he's with us and we're always amazed at the outpouring of affection and support for the horse. It's great to see how many people like and cheer for him.”

Moquett said Whitmore thrives at Oaklawn, where has posted nine wins, but has the ability to take his game on the road.

“He likes Oaklawn because that's where we're at when he comes back off his break. He always does well then,” Moquett said. “I know he likes Keeneland and Churchill and Saratoga. I don't know which one he likes the best, but he likes a fast track.”

Moquett said a repeat win in the Breeders' Cup Sprint is the main objective with the possibility of using the Grade 2, $250,000 Phoenix on October 8 at Keeneland as a springboard. Whitmore captured the 2017 Phoenix by a nose over Awesome Banner.

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. has piloted Whitmore 17 times, including his last three starts, and will have the call for the Vanderbilt. He piloted last year's winner Volatile.

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