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Art Collector Leads Derby Workers, Caracaro Injured

With just seven days remaining until the coronavirus-delayed GI Kentucky Derby, the race’s likely second favorite Art Collector (Bernardini) topped a busy Friday morning worktab at Churchill Downs. News also emerged from Saratoga that ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Caracaro (Uncle Mo) would be forced to miss the ‘Run for the Roses’ after suffering an undetermined injury in a breeze Friday morning.

With gameday jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. in the irons, Bruce Lunsford homebred Art Collector (second in the TDN Kentucky Derby Top 12) went five-eighths of a mile in a 1:00.80 (XBTV video) under the watchful eye of trainer Tom Drury, Jr. Art Collector enters the Derby on a four-race winning streak, including the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 12 and a defeat of Attachment Rate (Hard Spun) in the Aug. 1 Runhappy Ellis Park Derby.

“He really loves this track here at Churchill,” Drury said. “He galloped pretty strong yesterday on his first day back at Churchill and turned in a really strong work today. The difficult part is out of the way and now we just need to keep him happy and healthy until Saturday.”

Louisville native Lunsford added in an NTRA teleconference: “He did exactly what we wanted. He worked in basically ’12s’ and I would say that he came out of it looking like he hadn’t really done much. There wasn’t any sense in taking any unnecessary chances. [Tom and Brian] were very happy with the work and how he handled it. He looks terrific.”

Art Collector figures to be a clear second wagering choice to GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. hero Tiz the Law (Constitution), who works at Saratoga either Saturday or Sunday.

Caracaro (#11 TDN Derby Top 12) was ruled out of Derby contention by trainer Gustavo Delgado after suffering a slight injury to his right front leg during the gallop out of a six-furlong breeze at Saratoga Friday morning. The GIII Peter Pan S. and Travers runner-up was timed in 1:12.26 for his move, but exercise rider J.J. Delgado dismounted when he felt there was an issue.

“I don’t know how bad it is, but later on we’re going to x-ray and find out,” assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado, Jr. said. “It’s disappointing because he worked so well. He just took a bad step and he wasn’t feeling right. His work had already been done. I don’t think it’s going to be that bad, but we’ll know more once we do the proper examination.”

Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic, #10), who nearly came back on ‘TDN Rising Star’ Authentic (Into Mischief) when last seen in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 18, was also in action up at Saratoga, breezing five furlongs in :59.45 just after the renovation break with David Cohen up.

“I thought he went super. It’s what we wanted,” said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “I got him in 59 and change and out in 1:12 [for six furlongs. I just wanted to see him cool out good and scope good. With our fingers crossed and with a good eight days [before the Derby], we have a very good chance. Today was important. I just wanted to see him come out of the work good.”

Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}, #8)) is taking a somewhat less-conventional approach to his pre-Derby preparation and in that vein, the GIII Sam F. Davis S. winner and runner-up to King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) in the GII Tampa Bay Derby, went five furlongs over the Palm Meadows turf course in :57.80 to the delight of co-owner and assistant trainer Andie Biancone.

“He worked really well. We did a shorter work today to get a little speed into him,” said Biancone. “He worked very well and came back great.”

Luca Panici has the call on the gelding, a distant sixth to Tiz the Law in the Belmont in his most recent racetrack appearance.

“I’m excited to be there. I’m thankful to the connections for giving me this opportunity with a good horse. I’m very, very happy to be a part of this team,” Panici said. “I’m very, very proud and proud of the people who work with me.”

Back at Churchill, the morning’s other breezers included:

Major Fed (Ghostzapper), five furlongs in :59 flat (:12.20, :23.80, :47, out six furlongs in 1:12)
Necker Island (Hard Spun), a half-mile in :48.40 with Miguel Mena (:12.60, :25, :36.60) (XBTV video)
Rushie (Liam’s Map), five-eighths in 1:01.60 (:12.80, :24.80) (XBTV video)
Winning Impression (Paynter), five furlongs in :59.20 (:11.80, :23.40, :34.60, :47, out three-quarters in 1:12.60) (XBTV video)

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Selflessly Pips Sweet Melania in Lake George

For the considerable success he’s achieved on the New York circuit and particularly on the turf, it wasn’t until 2015 that trainer Chad Brown unsaddled the winner of the GIII Lake George S. for the first time (Mrs McDougal {Medaglia d’Oro}).

The stable’s lone chance in Friday’s renewal, Selflessly (More Than Ready), was pegged as a 6-1 chance on David Aragona’s morning line, but the tote read a remarkable 14-1 at post time and those who ignored her paid dearly, as the Maryland-bred was up in the final jump to upset 7-10 Sweet Melania (American Pharoah). The future Hall of Fame conditioner has now won the Lake George in four of the last six years.

“Some loyal Chad Brown fans made money today, for sure,” Brown deadpanned after the victory.

Sweet Melania, who enjoyed a very soft time of things on the engine when taking her seasonal debut in the GIII Wonder Again S. at Belmont June 20, was beaten for speed by outposted longshots Windracer (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) and Sugar Fix (Treasure Beach {GB}), but used her rail draw to best advantage to secure the box seat while traveling comfortably beneath jockey Jose Ortiz. David Cohen, pinch-hitting for the sidelined Irad Ortiz, Jr. had selflessly in a ground-saving position in the slipstream of the long odds-on choice down the backstretch. Waited with behind the top two nearing the stretch, Sweet Melania was asked to sprint and she gamely went underneath Windrush to grab control a furlong from home. But Cohen kept busy on Selflessly and grabbed Sweet Melania under whipless encouragement in the shadow of the wire.

“We were happy to get a good trip behind the horse [Sweet Melania] I thought would take us the whole way,” said Cohen, winning his first graded race at Saratoga since dead-heating in the 2012 GI Travers S. aboard Golden Ticket (Speightstown). “You never really want to get stuck behind a horse that’s going to back up into you. My filly really finished up strong and showed a lot of heart.”

A fast-finishing second sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs over this course one year ago to the day, Selflessly broke her maiden in the GII Miss Grillo S. Sept. 29 and was a creditable fifth, two spots behind Sweet Melania, in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf Nov. 1. An 11-4 chance in the Wonder Again, she went to her knees at the start, suffering some superficial cuts, according to Brown, and finished a too-bad-to-be-true fifth.

Pedigree Notes:

One of 203 black-type winners and 91 graded/group winners for her enormously successful dual-hemisphere sire, Selflessly is out of an unplaced half-sister to Sans Souci Island (Chester House), the dam of MGSW River Seven (Johannesburg) and SP Henry’s Island (Stormy Atlantic). Uniformly Yours is responsible for the 2-year-old filly Honor Yours (Honor Code), a yearling colt by Kitten’s Joy and a colt foal by the Hill ‘n’ Dale sire. She was most recently bred back to 23-year-old More Than Ready.

Friday, Saratoga
LAKE GEORGE S.-GIII, $100,000, Saratoga, 8-28, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.06, gd.
1–SELFLESSLY, 122, f, 3, by More Than Ready
                1st Dam: Uniformly Yours, by Grand Slam
                2nd Dam: Faux Pas (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells
                3rd Dam: Negligence (GB), by Roan Rocket (GB)
($190,000 Wlg ’17 KEENOV). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-George Louis Doetsch (MD); T-Chad C. Brown; J-David
Cohen. $55,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-0, $219,000. *1/2 to
Enchanted Ghost (Ghostzapper), MSW, $271,182. Werk Nick
   Rating: Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sweet Melania, 124, f, 3, American Pharoah–Sweet N
Discreet, by Discreet Cat. ($600,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Low,
Lawana L. and Robert E.; B-St. Elias Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher. $20,000.
3–Witez, 118, f, 3, More Than Ready–Glamour N Glory, by
Gulch. O/B-Mary Ann Charlston (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes. $12,000.
Margins: NO, HF, 3/4. Odds: 14.30, 0.70, 9.60.
Also Ran: Micheline, Sugar Fix, American Giant, My Sassy Sarah, Windracer (Ire), Velvet Crush, Cat’s Pajamas. Scratched: Miss Peppina. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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‘He Looked At Me Like I Was Crazy’: Gatsas Looks Back At Shadow Caster’s Forego Upset

When owner Mike Gatsas runs four-time stakes winner Funny Guy in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Forego presented by America's Best Racing, he will be reminded of his first graded stakes triumph 20 years ago when Shadow Caster pulled a 50-1 upset in the prestigious sprint at Saratoga.

The native of Manchester, New Hampshire, who operates under the moniker Gatsas Thoroughbreds alongside his brother Ted, had only owned horses for about five years and had just made the transition from former trainer Charlie Assinakopolous to John Terranova, who also conditions Funny Guy.

Shadow Caster arrived at the Forego with 28 starts under his belt but still appeared to be overmatched against the likes of multiple graded stakes winners Richter Scale and Successful Appeal.

“I remember saying to John, 'Let's get into the Forego' and he looked at me like I was crazy,” Gatsas recalled. “We took a leap of faith. I had just moved my horses to Terranova's barn at the time a month and a half prior to the Forego. But he went in there and outraced himself for sure and beat a very, very good field.”

Shadow Caster recorded a 113 Beyer for his upset victory in the Forego, which was a Grade 2 contested at 6 1/2 furlongs in 2000.

“That was a good field of sprinters and he had never faced anything quite like that, but he pulled it off,” Terranova said. “The following year, they changed it to a Grade 1, otherwise that would have been [my first Grade 1 win].”

Funny Guy won't be arriving at the Forego as quite as big an underdog as Shadow Caster, but the 4-year-old Big Brown bay has still yet to prove himself against open graded stakes company. However, the versatile New York-bred has defeated some of the best the Empire State-bred program has to offer, like multiple stakes-winner Mr. Buff, who was second to Funny Guy twice this year in the Commentator and John Morrissey.

“He's another good New York bred coming up. He's certainly in top form right now and the best of his life so far,” Terranova said. “We'll see how he goes from here. It seems as if he looks to be running the better races of his career whereas some of the top ones have maybe run a little bit less than what they've run before, but it's hard to say for sure.”

Funny Guy, who Gatsas owns in partnership with R.A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable, has displayed versatility from several different standpoints. In addition to winning stakes races at distances ranging from 6 ½ furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, he also has found the winner's circle when demonstrating different running styles.

In the Commentator, he came from off the pace under a well-timed ride by Rosario to record a 101 Beyer and followed up with a stalk-and-pounce triumph in the Morrissey, where he tracked just a length off the pace to draw off to a two-length win.

Jockey Joel Rosario was aboard for both efforts and Gatsas praised the jockey for executing well-timed rides in his last two starts.

“He has multiple gears and if you get into a little traffic, Joel can take hold and let him out a bit and he responds to Joel when he does that,” Gatsas said. “He's a very smart horse. On days of the race, he rests because he knows he's going to war. But he has those multiple gears and we've seen that in the morning with him, too.”

Gatsas also owned multiple New York-bred champion Gander, who finished a game second to Lemon Drop Kid in the Woodward just two weeks after Shadow Caster won the Forego. He also currently co-owns Vekoma, winner of the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter and Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile, with R. A. Hill Stable.

Despite having not yet won a graded stakes race, Gatsas still holds Funny Guy in high regard and said that he is already one of the best horses that he has owned.

“We've had some real nice horses and it looks like Funny Guy might rise to the top of the list,” Gatsas said. “We had Shadow Caster and Gander with John as well. I think Funny Guy is going to surprise a lot of people. It's a bigger and tougher field but no bigger or tougher than Shadow Caster's field. He's doing great now and Joel staying on shows how much confidence he really has. We're lucky to have such a jockey on him as Joel, he has tremendous confidence in this horse.”

For the past two decades, Terranova has been one of the go-to trainers for Gatsas, who also has horses with George Weaver.

“I've been in the business almost 25 years and all trainers have been gentleman and excellent horsemen. I brought a bunch of horses to John and [wife] Tonja and we've become family,” Gatsas said. “My daughter and son and John and his whole family have become friends. We've done a lot together and had some real good horses. We had [Grade 1 winner] Negligee, who was owned by my son [Matthew Gatsas of Sovereign Stables] and went to the Breeders Cup with her.

“We've done quite well over the years with he and Tonja; they are hard-working, great people. They care about their horses and they care about their owners. To have a relationship this long is pretty unique.”

A big run from Funny Guy could mean a trip to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

“I'm not faint of heart to run in the Breeders' Cup,” Gatsas said. “I supplemented Gander for a lot of money to go to the Breeders' Cup in 2000. If he comes out great and John says 'Hey let's take a shot' I'm sure we'll be in Kentucky. I'm thinking he'll run really well on Saturday. He's that good right now.”

Terranova also would be in favor of taking a shot in the Breeders' Cup.

“If he were to show up and everything went well, it would be something for sure we would give great consideration to,” Terranova said.

The post ‘He Looked At Me Like I Was Crazy’: Gatsas Looks Back At Shadow Caster’s Forego Upset appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Ny Traffic Has ‘Very Good Chance’ After Successful Final Breeze

John Fanelli, Cash is King, LC Racing and Paul Braverman's multiple graded-stakes placed New York-bred Ny Traffic breezed five-eighths in company on the Saratoga main track Friday in preparation for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

The Cross Traffic grey, bred in the Empire State by Brian Culnan, went to the track with jockey David Cohen aboard and tracked a stablemate before taking command to cover five furlongs in 59.45 seconds over the just-harrowed track at 8:45 a.m.

“I thought he went super. It's what we wanted,” said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “I got him in 59 and change and out in 1:12 (for six furlongs). I just wanted to see him cool out good and scope good. With our fingers crossed and with a good eight days (before the Derby), we have a very good chance. Today was important. I just wanted to see him come out of the work good.”

Since winning a Gulfstream Park allowance race in January by a sharp 6 3/4 lengths, Ny Traffic has finished second or third in all four stakes races, including a narrow nose defeat to Authentic in the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 18, which garnered a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

While Ny Traffic continues to show improvement, Joseph said Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers winner Tiz the Law – who is stabled across from him – is the horse to beat.

“He's earned that. He's the champ right now and everyone is trying to beat him,” Joseph said. “We're going to give it a try.”

Joseph, Jr. will be well represented at Charles Town on Saturday when he sends out Tonalist's Shape in the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks and Math Wizard in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic. He will also saddle Overdeliver in the Russell Road and Queen Nekia in the Dance to Bristol on the undercard.

Ny Traffic, along with Tiz the Law, is expected to fly from Albany to Louisville on Monday for the Kentucky Derby.

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