saratoga | Horse Racing Free Tips

Beau Liam All Heart In Salty Saratoga Allowance

8th-Saratoga, $103,000, Alw, 7-17, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, 7f, 1:22.90, gd, nose.
BEAU LIAM (c, 3, Liam's Map–Belle of Perintown {GSW, $265,465}, by Dehere), sent off the even-money selection in a field that would not look out of place for a graded stakes, was made to work for every yard of the seven-furlong distance, but called on his considerable class to just hold off the late lunge of the comebacking Witsel (Nyquist) Saturday at Saratoga. Hustled away from gate one by Ricardo Santana, Jr., the Stonestreet homebred sped through at the fence to make the lead, but had pace pressure to his outside in the form of longshot Wudda U Think Now (Fast Anna), as Witsel settled just to the inside of 'Rising Star' Mahaamel (Into Mischief) a few lengths back. Narrowly in front turning for home, Beau Liam still had plenty to give, was roused sharply a furlong down and fought his way home first. Witsel split rivals and looked all over a winner, only to be rebuffed by a nose in the run to the line. Mahaamel ran with credit to be third, albeit soundly defeated. The winner's dam, herself a Grade III winner going long at three, is also the responsible for MSW & MGSP Tomlin (Distorted Humor, $251,895); and GSW Strike It Rich (Unbridled's Song, $193,966), the dam of MSW Sea Foam (Medaglia d'Oro) and SP Straw Into Gold (Hard Spun). Another daughter of Belle of Perintown, the MSP Sumptuous (Hennessy), is responsible for GSW & GISP Great Stuff (Quality Road) and SP Decant (Tapit). Beau Liam had a 2-year-old half-sister named Ari Oakley (Gun Runner) and a yearling half-sister by Good Magic. Belle of Perintown was most recently covered by Uncle Mo. Sales history: $385,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $114,138. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M Asmussen.

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Kitten’s Joy Firster Gets Brown Off The Schneid at the Spa

6th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 7-17, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:45.57, gd, 3/4 length.
PORTFOLIO COMPANY (c, 2, Kitten's Joy–Iteration, by Wild Again) snapped a 10-starter, 2 1/2-day 'skid' for the Chad Brown barn to get the job done at first asking. The $125,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase graduate jumped alertly and wanted to overrace passing under the line for the first time, but ultimately settled not far from a walking early pace which saw the half go up in :50.86. Always traveling with the front-runner well within his sights, Portfolio Company was roused to the front by Irad Ortiz, Jr. three-sixteenths of a mile from home and held firm late to score as the 6-5 chalk. The well-backed James Aloysius (More Than Ready) sat a midfield trip at a tactical disadvantage vis-a-vis the eventual winner, came with a wide sweep into the stretch and kept on nicely while trying to get in a time or two to miss by about three-parts of a length. Portfolio Kitten is a full-brother to Queen'splatekitten, SW-Can, MGSP-US, $387,313; and Charming Kitten, GSW & GISP-US, SP-Ire, $1,018,701. Iteration, bought back on a bid of $90,000 with this colt in utero at Keeneland November in 2018, was sold for $30,000 at KEENOV in 2019 and produced a colt last year. The mare foaled a filly from the first crop of Volatile this year and was bred back to Good Magic. Sales history: $125,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Klaravich Stables Inc; B-Kenneth L & Sarah K Ramsey (KY); T-Chad C Brown.

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Spa Notebook: Essential Quality Tunes Up for Jim Dandy

Champion Essential Quality (Tapit) drilled five furlongs over the Saratoga main track in 1:01.81 (7/13) Saturday morning, two weeks out from his expected start in the GII Jim Dandy S. at the Spa.

Last seen outgaming Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) in the GI Belmont S. June 5, the Godolphin-owned 'TDN Rising Star' worked in the company of New York-bred maiden winner Bingo John (Oxbow) and was caught in sectional times of :25 flate and :48.3 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.2 and seven-eighths in 1:28.3.

“It was a solid move,” said Cox, the reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer. “It looked like he stayed on well. We wanted to let him get a little blow out of this. He had a nice gallop out.”

The move was the second for Essential Quality since his arrival in Saratoga. He went an easy half-mile in :50.44 July 10.

“We have another work to come, but so far I'm happy with how everything is going,” said Cox. “From what we saw this morning, he's doing very well.”

Malathaat Ready For Reapperance…

Shadwell Stable's undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) got her final tightener ahead of the GI Coaching Club American Oaks over the main track during a flurry of activity Saturday morning, breezing a half-mile in :48.05 alongside GII Mother Goose S. upsetter Zaajel (Street Sense). The duo was forced to shift out and around a couple of other workers at the top of the lane, then finished with good energy.

Set to make her first start besting next-out GI Acorn S. winner Search Results (Flatter) in the GI Kentucky Oaks Apr. 30, the $1.05-million Keeneland September yearling was caught by NYRA clockers galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.3. Her big-race rider John Velazquez put her through her paces.

“She finished up excellent,” said Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. “The work was very good, it was just unfortunate they got caught up with a couple horses, but it worked out fine in the end.”

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Spa Notebook: Maxfield Breezes Towards Whitney

Godolphin's once-beaten Maxfield (Street Sense), the impressive 3 1/4-length winner of Churchill's GII Stephen Foster S. when last seen June 26, tuned up for his next appearance in the Aug. 7 GI Whitney S. with a half-mile breeze over the Oklahoma training track Friday morning that was timed in :49.09 (14/46).

Working in the company of stablemate Longpants Required (New Year's Day), the son of Velvety (Bernardini) covered his first two furlongs in :25.3 and was out five-eighths of a mile in 1:01.1 according to NYRA clockers.

“I just wanted them to start out nice and easy and pick it up as they went,” Walsh said. “It was a good work. I just wanted to get him back in the swing of things again. He looks like he's doing great. I was delighted with him yesterday when I got up here. He looked as good if not better than ever.”

Walsh told the NYRA notes team that he was pleased with what he saw from his charge in his first work since the Foster.

“It's three weeks since he ran and it worked out fine,” Walsh said. “I wasn't in a rush to work him back with the shipping. It's just a question of keeping him happy and keeping him healthy.”

Masqueparade Works For Jim Dandy…

Masqueparade (Upstart) was also among those on the Friday worktab at the Spa, covering four furlongs in a steady :49.23 (28/98). Recent winner of the GIII Ohio Derby, the bay is slated to make his next start in the GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga July 31.

“He's an improving 3-year-old mentally, physically and figure wise and that's why we're taking our chance in a race like the Jim Dandy,” said the conditioner, who added that his colt was also under consideration for this weekend's GI TVG.com Haskell S. and the Aug. 7 GII West Virginia Derby. “He's easy on himself. He won't grab the bit and go down there in :47 and change and gallop out in a minute, which is good at this point in time. It might help his longevity.”

Hendrickson, Casse Reflect on Schuylerville Win…

One day following Pretty Birdie (Bird Song)'s front-running success in the GIII Schuylerville S., trainer Norm Casse and John Hendrickson, the husband of the late Marylou Whitney, were still on cloud nine.

“Everyone assumes I love horse racing because of who my family is and who my father is, but Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality) is the reason I fell in love with horse racing,” said Casse. “I think we all know the story on how that one ends with Marylou beating him [with Birdstone with the Triple Crown on the line in 2004], and now I train for her. It's just surreal. I thank her and John [Hendrickson] so much. They've really given me everything and I really appreciate everything they've done.”

Added Hendrickson of the late owner/breeder, “This is where she felt the most alive. This is the way she is alive and she has a win on Opening Day. It's pretty special. This is a dream come true for me and Marylou. Things getting back to normal and winning on Opening Day, she's throwing a party. She said, 'I want to race, get back to work.'”

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