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Maclean’s Music Colt Turns in ‘Special’ Performance at the Spa

J. Kirk Robison’s Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music), the “other” Steve Asmussen runner signed on for Friday’s GII Saratoga Special S., out-footed them all and never looked back en route to a powerful score at the Spa. The imposing bay took his Churchill debut by 2 1/2 lengths June 19, and was flattered when the runner-up that day, re-opposing Therideofalifetime (Candy Ride {Arg}) returned to romp at Keeneland and earn ‘TDN Rising Star‘ status. He was less proven on paper than stablemate, GIII Bashford Manor S. winner and ‘Rising Star‘ Cazadero (Street Sense), but if their work together on July 26 (5f, 1:01.72, 16/31, XBTV Video) was any indication, 3-1 Jackie’s Warrior may have been coming into this class test better than 8-5 Cazadero. After a gate incident that prompted the scratch of a longshot and reload, the outside-drawn Jackie’s Warrior broke on top and quickly cleared with ‘Rising Star‘ Momos (Distorted Humor) and Therideofalifetime in hot pursuit through splits of :22.06 and :44.85. The leading trio were far in front of the rest of the field–including a hard-ridden Cazadero–at the top of the stretch, but Jackie’s Warrior was in a race of his own as he bounded away with impressive strides to prevail by a geared-down three lengths in 1:09.62. Momos held third, while Cazadero could only manage fifth.

Friday, Saratoga
SARATOGA SPECIAL S. PRESENTED BY MILLER LITE-GII, $150,000, Saratoga, 8-7, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.62, ft.
1–JACKIE’S WARRIOR, 120, c, 2, by Maclean’s Music
1st Dam: Unicorn Girl, by A. P. Five Hundred
2nd Dam: Horah for Bailey, by Doneraile Court
3rd Dam: Horah for the Lady, by Rahy
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($95,000 Ylg
’19 KEESEP). O-J. Kirk Robison; B-J & J Stables (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen; J-Joel Rosario. $82,500. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$127,564. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Therideofalifetime, 120, c, 2, Candy Ride (Arg)–Cosmic
Evolution, by Proud Citizen. ‘TDN Rising Star’ O/B-Stephen
Lawrence Fidel (KY); T-Ignacio Correas, IV. $30,000.
3–Momos, 120, c, 2, Distorted Humor–Inspeight of Us, by
Speightstown. ($75,000 Ylg ’19 OBSWIN; $180,000 2yo ’20
OBSMAR). ‘TDN Rising Star’ O-Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC &
Secure Investments; B-Tami D. Bobo & Distorted Humor
Syndicate (KY); T-Christophe Clement. $18,000.
Margins: 3, 4, 1 3/4. Odds: 3.10, 3.75, 7.50.
Also Ran: Garoppolo, Cazadero, Papetu, Market Alert, Pickin’ Time, Hold the Salsa. Scratched: Caramel Chip, Roderick.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

“[Trainer Steve Asmussen] wanted me to get him out of there where he put himself,” said winning rider Joel Rosario. “He broke well and we were just hanging on the lead, so I just rode it from there. He was looking really nice and he was enjoying that. He had his going ears back and forth and he looked like he was going easy even though the fractions were fast. He was having no problem with that. When they came close to him he wanted to go, and I felt even more confident at that point. I knew he had something left.”

This was Asmussen’s fifth Saratoga Special win (Cuvee 2003, Kodiak Kowboy 2007, Kantharos 2010, Copper Bullet 2017).

“With babies, I just wanted a clean break as he did in his first race and let his talent take over,” he said. “Being Saratoga, there were a lot of nice forms coming into it but when you get to Saratoga, not everybody likes the circumstances. I’m glad to see that he does.”

The Hall of Famer added, “I think this was a new test for him. He won first time out at five-eighths of a mile and obviously was sharp. [Sire] Maclean’s Music is a horse that we had that was brilliantly quick but we always thought from training him that he would stretch out.”

Asmussen said the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. here over seven panels Sept. 7 would likely be next on the agenda for Jackie’s Warrior. As for the beaten favorite: “[Jockey] Ricardo [Santana, Jr.] didn’t think [Cazadero] handled the racetrack at all. Most likely, with him being two-for-two at Churchill Downs, we’ll get him back there.”

Pedigree Notes:

Jackie’s Warrior is the 18th black-type winner and fourth graded stakes winner for Hill ‘n’ Dale resident Maclean’s Music, whose half-brother Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo) will look to play the role of spoiler in Saturday’s GI Runhappy Travers S. Trained by Asmussen for Cazadero’s owner/breeder Stonestreet, Maclean’s Music made just one start–a 7 1/4-length romp at Santa Anita as a March 3-year-old, good for a 114 Beyer Speed Figure, the fastest ever earned by a debuter. The horse Maclean’s Music beat that day was named Flightofalifetime–no relation to Therideofalifetime.

Maclean’s Music’s most accomplished performer, GI Preakness S. hero Cloud Computing, is out of a mare by Jackie’s Warrior’s maternal grandsire, A.P. Indy. Jackie’s Warrior is the first graded winner out of a mare by A.P. Five Hundred, who began his stud career in Florida before quickly being exported to Chile.

Jackie’s Warrior’s hard-knocking dam Unicorn Girl was far and away A. P. Five Hundred’s most productive U.S.-sired runner–she was a 19-time winner who racked up $483,508 before being claimed out of her last lifetime start for $16,000 at the age of eight. Jackie’s Warrior is her third foal.

Unicorn Girl was bought back for $110,000 at KEENOV ’18 carrying a Candy Ride (Arg) filly and produced an American Pharoah colt this Mar. 8 before being bred to Into Mischief for 2021. Unicorn Girl is out of SW Horah for Bailey, making her a half to MSW Bernie the Maestro (Bernstein), GSP Richard the Great (Distorted Humor) and MSP juvenile Awesome Mass (Brethren).

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Pletcher Sends Out Lucifer’s Lair In Quest Of Sixth Victory In Adirondack

Impressive debut winners Ava's Grace and Lucifer's Lair along with Make Mischief, runner-up in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on Opening Day, headline a compact but competitive field of six for Wednesday's 104th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Adirondack for 2-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack is the second in Saratoga's series of three races for juvenile fillies, following the six-furlong Schuylerville on July 16 and preceding the Grade 1, $250,000 Spinaway at seven furlongs on September 6.

Trainer Todd Pletcher is a five-time winner of the Adirondack, one fewer than his Hall of Fame mentor D. Wayne Lukas, most recently taking back-to-back editions in 2016-17 with Nonna Mela and Pure Silver, respectively.

Pletcher will be represented this year by The Elkstone Group's Maryland homebred Lucifer's Lair. The bay's sire, Quality Road, won the Grade 2 Amsterdam in 2009 and Grade 1 Woodward in 2010 at Saratoga, while the dam, Devil's Cave, also was a graded-stakes winner going long on the dirt.

Lucifer's Lair was unveiled on July 19 at the Spa, pressing a brisk pace going 5 ½ furlongs before forging a short lead entering the stretch and going on to win by three lengths in 1:05.33.

“She had trained like a filly that was capable of winning her debut. She's a pretty professional, straightforward sort so we were hoping for a good race,” Pletcher said. “She was early to come in and we had a good foundation into her, so we felt like we had her pretty fit going into that. By Quality Road, you would think that she would improve stretching out, as well.”

Lucifer's Lair tuned up for the Adirondack with a half-mile work in 49.49 seconds over Saratoga's main track on August 6. Meet-leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr., aboard for her debut triumph, gets the return call from post 5.

“We were very pleased with her debut. She's been training good since then and had a nice breeze yesterday, so it seems like she's ready to go again,” Pletcher said. “Certainly it's going to be a tough race, but it's the logical next move.”

Southern Equine Stables' homebred Ava's Grace will be making her Saratoga debut in the Adirondack, exiting a come-from-behind half-length victory in 59.38 seconds for five furlongs on July 3 at Ellis Park.

The bay Laoban filly was then shipped to Saratoga where she shows three breezes over the main track, the most recent a five-furlong drill in 1:01.19 on August 4 for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

“We worked her the other day and she handled it impressively. To work five-eighths by herself as a 2-year-old, she's really developing into a nice filly,” Diodoro said. “It's going to be a big test for her, but she's doing everything right. What I like is she's doing everything right and her works have been a little better and a little better each time.

“I always say a big part of all these horses, but especially young horses, is the mental part,” he added. “Especially with fillies. She's about as smart as they come and as classy as they come. She's a very classy filly.”

Ava's Grace broke from the rail in her debut and rated in fifth before steadily making up ground to get within a neck of the lead at the top of the stretch under jockey David Cohen, who gets the assignment again from post 1.

“She wasn't as prepared a first-time starter as we usually have them. It was kind of a rush situation for a couple different reasons but she handled everything amazingly well, from the paddock to the gate,” Diodoro said. “A lot of times when you do stuff like that with a filly you'll blow their mind, but it didn't even faze her. She's come back really well and shipped up here well. We've had her up to the gate, we've had her in the paddock. She acts like a nice, late 3-year-old filly. She's just very professional.”

Diodoro said her poise may come from the sire. Also campaigned by Southern Equine with McCormick Racing, Laoban ran third in the Grade 3 Sham and second in the Grade 3 Gotham in 2016, not breaking his maiden until later that summer in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga, following off-the-board efforts in the Grade 1 Blue Grass and Grade 1 Preakness.

“We've got a couple more Laobans down at Ellis and they're all the same way. They're just very professional, they're good-looking horses and very smart horses. I know it's a new sire, but it could be a little trademark coming here,” Diodoro said. “A friend of mine has got one at Prairie Meadows and without me even saying anything, he started telling me about this Laoban he's got. He said the same thing, he acts like a nice 3-year-old.”

Diodoro said he will leave the decision up to Cohen but expects Ava's Grace to be among the top flight in the Adirondack.

“I think she could be closer. She broke out of the one hole last time. She's had a little more gate experience now. I think she'll be forwardly placed, very forwardly placed. It's going to be interesting. It's always neat with these young horses, to watch them develop,” Diodoro said. “She's a good-sized filly. She'll grow a little more in height but, to be honest, I think she's the perfect size. She's just put together nice.”

Trainer Mark Casse won last year's Adirondack with Perfect Alibi, and he'll attempt to defend his title with Gary Barber's Make Mischief. The daughter of Into Mischief, debuted with a five-furlong maiden special weight victory on June 18 at Belmont Park, then set the pace in the Schuylerville for a half-mile before giving way to finish second behind Dayoutoftheoffice.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez and Make Mischief will break from post 2.

Heider Family Stables' Thoughtfully first made headlines last summer at Saratoga by fetching $950,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Selected Yearling Sale, then ran to her price tag in debut, an 8 ¾-length maiden special weight romp on June 11 at Churchill Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, a two-time Adirondack winner. She has breezed five times at Saratoga including a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.91 on August 3.

Up on the Tapit filly in debut, Ricardo Santana, Jr. rides back from post 4.

AVQ Racing's Lilac Lace will try the dirt after graduating at first asking in a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint on July 12 at Keeneland. Trainer Anthony Quartorolo enlisted Hall of Famer Javier Castellano to ride from post 3.

Completing the field is Michael J. Ryan's Beautiful Farewell, winless in two starts including a fifth, beaten 2 ½ lengths, in a six-furlong maiden special weight on August 2 at Saratoga. Joel Rosario climbs aboard for the first time from outside post 6.

The Adirondack is slated as Race 9 on Wednesday's 10-race card, which offers a first post of 12:50 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Country Grammer ‘Keeps Improving,’ Inspires Chad Brown To Try Travers Off Short Rest

An opportunity to run at a desired distance, in the race he's wanted to win more than any other but has yet to add to his already lengthy list of accomplishments, was too tempting to pass up for trainer Chad Brown.

The Mechanicville, N.Y. native will send out Paul Pompa, Jr.'s Country Grammer in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers for 3-year-olds, the highlight of both the Saratoga season and a loaded 12-race program featuring five graded-stakes worth $1.95 million in purses.

Country Grammer will be the 11th Travers starter for Brown, his best finish coming with Gift Box, who ran fourth in 2016. Growing up a half-hour south of Saratoga, where his family has gathered at the same backyard picnic table on Travers Day for decades, Brown is hoping to break through in a year when coronavirus protocols will prevent fans from attending.

“I was thinking about that; if I finally win and nobody's here, does it count?” Brown said. “It's so depressing to not have the fans here, but at least they have the meet going. NYRA's done a super job, at least from the horsemen's side, to make it feel comfortable as they can. The racing product's been super, as you can see from the wagering, and the surface is extremely safe. The Travers will be a little different, but we'll take it if we can get it.”

Country Grammer enters the 1 ¼-mile Travers off a neck victory over fellow Mid-Summer Derby aspirant Caracaro in the Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan on July 16, opening day at Saratoga. He has never gone less than a mile in any of his five races, and Brown said he has been relishing the chance to go further.

“Two turns is his thing, and we've been wanting to get a mile and a quarter all along,” Brown said. “Hopefully this horse will get the distance. I'm confident he can. He's going to have to take a step forward in this race and hope a couple of the top contenders can't go that far.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride Country Grammer from post 2 in a field of eight led by even-money program favorite Tiz the Law, the Grade 1 Florida Derby and Belmont Stakes winner this year, and Grade 3-winning California shipper Uncle Chuck.

“I prefer more time in between races with my horses, but I thought it was a great opportunity to take another shot at the Travers. It's a little bit of a shorter field than normal and the Kentucky Derby, some people waiting for that,” Brown said. “It's a unique year to maybe give it a shot with a horse that keeps improving. Even though we're running on short rest, I think the reward is probably a little bigger than the risk.”

Prior to the Peter Pan, Country Grammer ran third in a 1 1/16-mile allowance on June 4 at Belmont Park, his first start since finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in February at Gulfstream Park in his sophomore debut. He debuted on the Belmont turf last fall before breaking his maiden second time out going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct.

“We just drew a line through the race at Belmont. He's really never even trained well there. That's why I debuted him on the turf, actually, the first start of his life. It's something I wasn't really looking to do when I got him in,” Brown said. “He looked like a dirt horse but he just didn't train well enough so I took a shot and he didn't run good on the turf. When I got him over to Aqueduct, anywhere away from Belmont, his races have been good on the dirt.”

Brown has been pleased with how Country Grammer has taken to Saratoga's main track, newly refurbished for 2020, in both his training and racing.

“It's definitely more similar to Aqueduct than it is Belmont. It reminds me of Keeneland, too, a little bit. This new surface has been great,” Brown said. “It's my 13th year of training racehorses on my own, and this is one the best racetracks I've ever trained on or raced on.”

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Rice Hoping Rosario Keeps Max Player Closer To The Pace In Travers

George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player, whose two-race win streak concluded when third in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes in June, has the chance to return to his winning ways in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers at Saratoga.

The 151st running of the 1 ¼-mile Mid-Summer Derby will mark just the fifth career start for Max Player, a 3 ¼-length winner of the Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Withers in his 3-year-old debut on February 1 at Aqueduct.

Trained by Linda Rice, Max Player didn't run back until the Belmont, shortened to 1 1/8 miles in leading off the revamped Triple Crown lineup. The Travers offers 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top four finishers for the next leg, the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on September 5.

“I knew from February to June, based on the way he was training, that he was going to take a big step forward. Obviously he needed to,” Rice said at Wednesday's post-position draw. “This time around, I don't know that we're going to see the same progression we did from February to June, but if he takes baby steps that would be good [to] get us to September.”

Max Player will be the second career Travers starter for Rice, the only woman to win a training title at Saratoga. The 2009 meet champion was fourth in the 2014 Travers with Kid Cruz.

Rice opted to keep most of her string downstate this summer at Belmont, where Max Player has done the bulk of his training. He arrived in Saratoga Wednesday afternoon and went to the track Thursday and Friday.

“He's trained fine. I've been training at Belmont, not at Saratoga, which is a little unusual,” Rice said. “Coming into the Belmont he was off a 5 ½-month break, so I trained him pretty aggressively. Coming into this race, I backed off him a little bit, [with] a little bit more maintenance breezes. We weren't quite as aggressive with him, but I think he's ready.”

Joel Rosario, aboard for the first time in the Belmont, rides back from post 4 in a field of eight led by even-money program favorite Tiz the Law, the 3 ¾-length winner of the Belmont considered the top 3-year-old in training.

“I'm OK with post 4. I'd rather try to save a little ground in the first turn, on both turns, and not get caught too far outside,” Rice said. “Joel, this will be the second time that he's ridden the horse. It was a learning curve last time. He watched his previous races, he saw that the horse doesn't run into kickback very well, so I think based on the learning curve he was a little too far back [in the Belmont], had a little too much to do. I'd like to think that Joel will work a little more aggressively to keep him closer.”

The late-running Max Player will be stretching out to 10 furlongs for the first time. He has never been worse than third in any of his four starts, winning a one-mile maiden special weight last December at Parx in his juvenile finale, and Rice is hoping to see an honest pace for her closer.

“Racing's funny,” Rice said. “Sometimes when they run shorter distances they go faster early and you have a better chance to close with a horse like him that has a strong closing kick, so on occasion it works against you.”

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