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Vequist ‘A Little Ahead Of Schedule’ For 2021 Debut; Cotillion The Goal For Champion Filly

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable's reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Vequist breezed a half-mile in 47.77 Friday on the Saratoga main track under Jose Lezcano in preparation for a potential seasonal debut at the end of the Saratoga meet.

Trainer Butch Reid, Jr. said the sophomore daughter of Nyquist is working towards a long-term goal of the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion, a 1 1/16-mile test for sophomore fillies on September 25 at Parx. It was just the second work back for Vequist, who captured the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile fillies last out in November at Keeneland.

“She did very well this morning,” said Reid, Jr. “I had her galloping out in 1:01 and 2 and on out in about 1:15. She's fitter than I thought she was. She's actually a little ahead of schedule. I wanted her ready to go five-eighths on the first of August and she's a little ahead of that. I'm very happy with her progress. She's coming along nicely. If everything works out, she could run here before the end of the meet.”

The talented dark bay, out of the Mineshaft mare Vero Amore, graduated by 9 1/2-lengths in the Grade 1 Spinaway last summer at Saratoga.

St. Omer's Farm and Christopher J. Feifarek's Beren posted a sharp 46.60 half-mile bullet work Friday on the main track. The Weigelia sophomore has won his last three starts, capturing the Gold Fever and off-the-turf Paradise Creek at Belmont ahead of a last-out score in the Crowd Pleaser on June 22 at Parx.

Initially under consideration for the nine-furlong $120,000 Curlin on July 30, Reid Jr. said the fast work has him considering the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam on August 1.

“It looks like he came out of it well, but it's made me rethink my strategy a little bit,” Reid, Jr. said. “It's hard to think about coming back at a mile and an eighth for the Curlin, when there's the Amsterdam there. Plus, two more days might be very helpful for him.”

Reid, Jr. said Swilcan Stable and LC Racing's Mainstay, a 2-year-old half-sister to stablemate Vequist, has come out of her runner-up effort to Pretty Birdie in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on Opening Day July 15 in good order and will now point to the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on August 8.

A 7 3/4-length maiden winner on June 4 over sloppy going at Monmouth, Mainstay bobbled at the start of her graded stakes debut and was unable to reel in a runaway Pretty Birdie.

“She lost concentration coming down the lane. I don't know if it was the crowd, but she ducked in when I thought she had dead aim on the other horse [Pretty Birdie],” Reid Jr. said. “I really think she'll learn from the experience. She came out of it so well, we're thinking about taking a shot at the Adirondack. She hasn't missed an oat since the race and has been training very well.”

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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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Saturday Insights: Dance to the Music Looks To Validate Price Tag

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

7th-DMR, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, post time: 8:06 p.m. ET
DANCE TO THE MUSIC (Maclean's Music) was a work in progress when Walnut Stream Enterprises, a partnership led by 2-year-old consignor Paul Sharp, snapped her up for a mere $40,000 at Keeneland September last fall. Seven months later, the long-striding chestnut was hammered down to Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal for $575,000 at OBS this past April after breezing in a bullet :10 flat. “We were looking for horses with nice physicals and she developed very well,” Sharp told the TDN's Christie DeBernardis. “Every month she got better and she peaked at the right time.” The April foal is out of an unraced Congrats half-sister to GSW turfer Makeup Artist (Dynaformer). Mirasol (Arrogate) is the latest produce from MGSW & GISP Justwhistledixie (Dixie Union), whose other offspring include MGSW and freshman sire Mohaymen (Tapit), GISW New Year's Day (Street Cry {Ire}), GSW & GISP Enforceable (Tapit) and GSW Kingly (Tapit). The Cleary family also bred the ill-fated MGISW Arrogate. LNF Foxwoods' Honor It (Tapit) is the second foal out of With Honors (War Front), winner of the Juvenile Fillies Turf over the local grass in 2016 and subsequently Grade I-placed on dirt in the GI Chandelier S. The filly's champion third dam Dreaming of Anna (Rahy) is responsible for LNJ Foxwoods' Grade III-winning turf sprinter Dreamologist (Tapit) as well as the late GISP Fast Anna (Medaglia d'Oro) and SP Big Dreaming (Declaration of War). TJCIS PPs

Honor Code Homebred Drawn Wide at Spa…

6th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 3:55 p.m. ET
IRISH SEA (Honor Code) gets gate nine in a field of 10 for his debut. By an eye-popping first-out winner at Saratoga, earning the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction in the process, the dark bay is the second foal out of debut romper Irish Jasper (First Defense), who won the GIII Miss Preakness S. and GIII Victory Ride S. for owner/trainer Derek Ryan in 2015 before being purchased by Will Farish and David Mackie. Trained by Chad Brown in the latter half of her 3-year-old season and throughout her 4-year-old campaign, Irish Jasper was a Spa allowance winner in 2016 before landing that year's GII TCA S. at Keeneland en route to an apperance in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Watasha (Into Mischief) cost owner Peter Brant $450,000 at KEESEP last fall. The half-sister to SW Our Caravan (Daaher) is out of an unraced daughter of GI Acorn S./Mother Goose S./Test S. winner Jersey Girl (Belong to Me), the dam of GISW sire Jersey Town (Speightstown). TJCIS PPs

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Jesus’ Team Will Try To Bounce Back In Aug. 6 Alydar Stakes

Grupo 7C Racing Stable Jesus' Team, second in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and Breeder' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), is headed to Saratoga.

After working a sharp four furlongs in :47.40 from the gate Friday morning at Gulfstream Park's Palm Meadows Training Center in Palm Beach County, trainer Jose D'Angelo said the 4-year-old son of Tapiture will ship north for the $120,000 Alydar at 1 1/8 miles Aug. 6 at Saratoga.

“Everything went very well this morning,” D'Angelo said. “He went in 47 and change and it was perfect, just what we were looking for. The plan is to leave [Saturday] for Saratoga.”

D'Angelo said Jesus' Team would work next weekend at Saratoga, where he finished third last year in the Jim Dandy (G2). Junior Alvarado will be aboard in the Alydar.

After following up his runner-up finish in the Pegasus with a sixth-place finish in the Dubai World Cup (G1) in March, D'Angelo gave Jesus' Team four months off before returning July 11 in an overnight handicap at Gulfstream. Jesus' Team finished fifth while lacking his usual late kick.

“I really think he just needed the race,” D'Angelo said. “He had run eight tough races in a row, and two weeks before his last race it had rained a lot and we didn't do what we wanted to do with him before the race.”

Jesus' Team captured a $25,000 claiming race at Gulfstream in his first start for D'Angelo in May 2020 before taking a tour of the East Coast and Midwest to compete against the best horses in training and amass more than $1.3 million in purses. The Kentucky-bred colt finished third in the Jim Dandy and Preakness (G1) at Pimlico, before finishing second behind Knicks Go in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. He returned to Gulfstream to win the Claiming Crown Jewel in December before finishing second again behind Knicks Go in the $3 million Pegasus in January during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet.

The post Jesus’ Team Will Try To Bounce Back In Aug. 6 Alydar Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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