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Arrogate’s ‘Rising Star’ Artorius Romps in Curlin

Juddmonte homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius (c, 3, Arrogate–Paulassilverlining, by Ghostzapper), a very promising maiden winner second out going a one-turn mile at Belmont June 10, potentially punched his ticket to the GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 27 with an eye-catching victory in Friday's Curlin S. at Saratoga.

Drawn widest of all in post eight while making his two-turn debut in this 1 1/8-mile affair, the 5-2 chance tucked in to race in a perfect spot in a ground-saving fourth. Locked and loaded beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. on far turn, he was tipped out at the quarter pole and took off impressively in the stretch to win going away by 4 3/4 lengths. Gilded Age (Medaglia d'Oro) was second; favored GI Preakness S. third-place finisher Creative Minister (Creative Cause) was third.

Artorius was featured in Steve Sherack's 'Second Chances' series after rallying smartly from far back to finish a debut second at Keeneland Apr. 16.

Artorius becomes the fourth black-type winner for his brilliant and late second-crop sire Arrogate.

Juddmonte purchased Artorius's dam Paulassilverlining privately from breeder Vince Scuderi ahead of her 5-year-old season with the gone-to-soon Arrogate in mind as a future mate. She recorded two wins at the highest level that term-the GI Madison S. and GI Humana Distaff S.-while carrying Juddmonte's green-and-pink silks.

Paulassilverlining, a half-sister to two-time GI Carter H. winner Dads Caps (Discreet Cat), is also responsible for the 2-year-old filly Parameter (Into Mischief), currently in training with Chad Brown at Saratoga, and a Tapit filly of this year.

CURLIN S., $135,000, Saratoga, 7-29, (C), 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.34, ft.
1–ARTORIUS, 118, c, 3, by Arrogate
                1st Dam: Paulassilverlining (MGISW, $1,516,230), by
                                Ghostzapper
                2nd Dam: Seeking the Silver, by Grindstone
                3rd Dam: Apache Pines, by Pancho Villa
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc
(KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $74,250. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-1-0, $142,250.
2–Gilded Age, 120, c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Angela Renee, by
Bernardini. ($600,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Grandview Equine
& Don Alberto Stable; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY);
T-William I. Mott. $27,000.
3–Creative Minister, 120, c, 3, Creative Cause–Tamboz, by
Tapit. ($180,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Fern Circle Stables, Back
Racing, LLC & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek); B-Dell Ridge
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $16,200.
Margins: 4 3/4, 1HF, NO. Odds: 2.70, 10.90, 1.85.
Also Ran: A. P.'s Secret, Western River, Golden Glider, Make It Big, Be Better. Scratched: Wolfe County.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Fourstardave Handicapping Challenge Registration Open

Registration for the Fourstardave Handicapping Challenge scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 13 at Saratoga officially opened July 29, announced officials at NYRA. Participants may register through Friday, Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. ET on the official webpage with an option to either play online via NYRA Bets or on-track at Saratoga, where seating and lunch is included as part of the entry fee.

The contest will run in conjunction with the 38th running of the one-mile GI $500,000 Fourstardave H. over the inner turf, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile in November at Keeneland. The live-money contest features a $3,000 Entry Fee [$2,000 in Live Money Wagers/$1,000 to Prize Pool], contributing to a prize pool that NYRA is seeding with an additional $5,000. Also on offer for the winner is one seat to an upcoming $3,000 NYRA Challenge event. Players must wager $400 on at least five races during the Aug. 13 card at Saratoga, and can place win, place, show, trifecta, quinella and daily double wagers.

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Sprinters in the Spotlight on Both Coasts Saturday

Male sprinters take their shot at Grade I glory on both coasts Saturday with the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt S. at Saratoga and the GI Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar, which is a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) is four-for-four at Saratoga and three-for-three this year. The GII True North S. romper is the heavy favorite at 1-5 on the morning-line against five quite overmatched foes. The next closest on the morning-line is 6-1 shot Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), who enters off a win in the Chocolate Town S. at Penn National June 17.

“You can't talk about Jackie's Warrior without thanking Kirk and Judy Robison for putting him back in training,” said Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. “It's so rare in this day and age for a champion colt to have another year at the racetrack and for him to have another chance at Saratoga.”

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, a more evenly matched field of 10 seek a spot in the Breeders' Cup starting gate in the Bing Crosby. Three-time Crosby winner Bob Baffert saddles the lightly-raced Shaaz (Uncle Mo) Saturday. Two-for-four thus far, the $1.1-million EASMAY acquisition enters off a third in the GIII Steve Sexton Mile May 30 while under the temporary care of conditioner Sean McCarthy.

Last term's GI Woody Stephens S. winner Drain the Clock (Maclean's Music) avoids rival Jackie's Warrior by making his first start on the West Coast Saturday.

The top three finishers from Santa Anita's GII Triple Bend S. also resurface here: American Theorem (American Pharoah), Principe Carlo (Coil) and Get Her Number (Dialed In).

While this race has been won by some very talented horses, it has not produced a Breeders' Cup winner since Kona Gold in 2000. The last Alfred Vanderbilt winner to score at the World Championships was Speightstown in 2004.

Short, But Sweet Field Set For Jim Dandy

There may only be five colts set to line up for Saturday's GII Jim Dandy S., the local prep for next month's GI Runhappy Travers S., but it's quite a talented quintet.

The field is led by Epicenter (Not This Time), who went off as the Derby favorite after dominating the Fair Grounds preps. He was a valiant second beneath the Twin Spires after being run down late by longshot Rich Strike (Keen Ice) and rallied to fill the same spot last out in the GI Preakness S. May 21.

“He's training as well, or better, as he did throughout the Triple Crown races, so we'll see,” said Winchell Thoroughbreds manager David Fiske said. “It seems like everyone is getting better this time of year, and I don't know that he could be doing any better. Steve is pleased with him. He's a pretty straight forward horse. I think during the Triple Crown I characterized him as almost machine like. He just does what you want him to do, goes back to his stall and lays down.”

Preakness winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) also returns here, hoping to give his sensational young sire his second Grade I winner in as many Saturdays following Cyberknife's Haskell score. He is joined by stablemate and GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Zandon (Upstart), who completed the Derby trifecta.

“I really believe that they both have established themselves for quite some time now to be two of the top-five 3-year-old dirt colts in the country pretty consistently throughout most of the year,” trainer Chad Brown said. “The order might change around those top five and the fifth horse that's in that group might change a little bit, but they're consistently in that group. We're at the midway marker, so there's a lot more racing to take place and these horses are going to have to continue to maintain strong campaigns to stay in that group.”

Country Grammer Returns in the San Diego

Country Grammer (Tonalist) makes his first start since upsetting the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26 Saturday in Del Mar's GII San Diego H. The 1 1/16-mile test is often used as a prep for the GI Pacific Classic, which is the next target for undefeated MGISW Flightline (Tapit).

John Velazquez ships in from Saratoga to ride for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. It is Country Grammer's first start on American soil this year, having kicked off the season with a second in the G1 Saudi Cup Feb. 26.

“It's going to be tight, you know, he's more of a mile and a quarter type of horse,” Baffert said, “but it's nice to have a race into him. We sent him to the farm for a couple of months, Winstar Farm, and they sent him back looking great.”

Baffert pursued a similar path with Dubai World Cup winner Arrogate (Unbridled's Song), who also made his first start after Meydan in the San Diego. He finished fourth that day and went on to be second in the Pac Classic before losing his title defense in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

Mandaloun (Into Mischief), named GI Kentucky Derby and GI Haskell S. winner last year via DQ, ships west to run in this spot rather than facing the aforementioned Life Is Good in the GI Whitney S. next weekend. He enters off a well-beaten fourth in the GII Stephen Foster S. July 2.

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With “No Real Soft Spots to Land,” Corniche Returns

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Nearly nine months after his last race, champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road) will return to competition Sunday, starting the late-developing next chapter in his thus-far unbeaten career with a big test in the GII Amsterdam S.

Corniche will again be carrying the white and red colors of his owner, Speedway Stables, the partnership of Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner. Beyond that, pretty much everything else has changed since his 1 3/4-length victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 5 at Del Mar. Following the colt's long lay-up at WinStar Training Center, Fluor and Weiner announced May 2 that Corniche was being transferred from trainer Bob Baffert to Todd Pletcher. The switch was made, the co-owners said, because Baffert was serving a 90-day suspension and would be unable to prepare Corniche for a hoped-for start in June in advance of the big summer races for 3-year-olds, the GI Haskell S. and the GI Runhappy Travers S.

Starting with a three-furlong breeze June 10 at Belmont Park, Corniche has worked seven times for Pletcher. Under Luis Saez, who replaces Mike Smith, Corniche will make his 3-year-old debut in the 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam. He drew post seven in the nine-horse field.

Pletcher has looked at videos of Corniche's breezes for Baffert and said he appears to be training the same.

“He's had a consistent work program for us,” Pletcher said. “He's not missed a beat since he came in and so, for a horse like that, that's kind of run through his conditions, there's no real soft spots to land coming back. We're starting back in a salty graded stake and hope he can continue to run as well as he has.”

Fluor and Weiner purchased the colt out of the Najran mare Wasted Tears for $1.5 million at the 2021 OBS April 2-year-old sale and turned him over to Baffert. Leading at every point, Corniche reeled off victories in a maiden at Del Mar, the GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita and the Juvenile back at Del Mar. Those three performances earned him the Eclipse Award as the champion 2-year-old male.

Corniche stayed on the farm and never emerged as a Triple Crown prospect. He recorded his first breeze at WinStar Apr. 15.

Corniche (inside) recently worked in company with Nest, winner of the July 23 GI Coaching Club American Oaks | Sarah Andrew

Last year, Pletcher picked up another Baffert trainee, the gifted 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who has won seven of nine starts and is headed to the GI Whitney S. Aug. 6. Life Is Good debuted for Pletcher in the GI H. Allen Jerkens S., where he finished second by a neck to Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music). Pletcher said that Corniche might move on to the seven-furlong Jerkens Aug. 27.

“Could be, based on how this race goes,” he said. “That would be a logical next step should this go well.”

While Pletcher did not compare Corniche to Life is Good, he did note a link to another standout he handled, who began his career with another trainer.

“He reminds me more of his stallion Quality Road. He resembles Quality Road a bit,” Pletcher said. “This was where Quality Road made his first start for us, was in the Amsterdam. He set a track record that still stands.”

Quality Road, bred and owned by Edward P. Evans, had quarter crack issues while in the care of Jimmy Jerkens in 2009 and was subsequently moved to Pletcher.

The Amsterdam often is used as a prep for the Jerkens and Pletcher said the timing and the distance are the right combination for Corniche.

“He's proven versatile enough to win sprinting and going long,” Pletcher said. “We needed a place to come back and obviously the Curlin S. or the GII Jim Dandy S. at a mile and an eighth didn't really make sense. We felt like this race made the most sense.”

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