Schuylerville | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bird Song Filly Flies Away with Schuylerville in Whitney Colors

Pretty Birdie, the first and only winner thus far from just 22 first-crop foals for his already expatriated sire (by Unbridled's Song), zipped to the front and ran them off their feet to take Thursday's GIII Schuylerville S. at the Spa in the silks of the late Saratoga legend Marylou Whitney.

The grey had earned a field's-best 78 Beyer Speed Figure for a clear debut score at Churchill June 18, and was backed as the second choice behind 'TDN Rising Star' Mainstay, the half-sister to last year's champion 2-year-old filly Vequist (Nyquist) who aired on debut at Monmouth.

Clearing off by a few lengths after breaking from the rail, Pretty Birdie was pursued by Mainstay through splits of :22.29 and :45.82. The leader never switched her leads, and Mainstay got a bit green late herself, as Pretty Birdie found the wire two lengths to the good.

“It means so much. The smiling faces and having Saratoga back the way it should be and having a win. It's very special,” said Whitney's widower John Hendrickson. “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.'”

Trainer Norm Casse's first graded stakes win also came for Whitney, just a month before she died, with Hard Legacy (Hard Spun) in the 2019 GIII Regret S.

“I feel like she was a little more green today,” the son of Hall of Famer Mark Casse said. “She didn't want to switch leads down the lane. I was a little bit concerned about that as she was finishing, but I think that was just her seeing a new place. This was the first time she had even come over here. I kept her on the Oklahoma [training track] side the entire week she's been here… I think she was just gawking around and maybe even waiting on the other horse. Those are things we'll fix before we run her in the [Sept. 5 GI] Spinaway next.”

As for the importance of winning this race for this owner, Casse said, “I put a lot of pressure on myself today. I thought this was the story of the day. If we could win the race for Marylou Whitney and John today with Saratoga opening back up, that it would mean the world for a lot of people and thankfully, Pretty Birdie delivered for us… Most of the time in horse racing it doesn't work out the way you hope, but today it did.”

Thursday, Saratoga
SCHUYLERVILLE S.-GIII, $150,000, Saratoga, 7-15, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:12.32, ft.
1–PRETTY BIRDIE, 120, f, 2, by Bird Song
                1st Dam: Bird Sense, by Street Sense
                2nd Dam: Bird Harbor, by Boston Harbor
                3rd Dam: Dearest Gulch, by Gulch
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Marylou
Whitney Stables (Hendrickson); B-Marylou Whitney Stables
LLC (KY); T-Norm W. Casse; J-Luis Saez. $82,500. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $139,988. *First SW for freshman sire. Werk Nick Rating: C+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mainstay, 120, f, 2, Astern (Aus)–Vero Amore, by Mineshaft.
'TDN Rising Star' O-Swilcan Stable LLC & LC Racing; B-Swilcan
Stables (KY); T-Robert E. Reid, Jr. $30,000.
3–Saucy Lady T, 120, f, 2, Tonalist–Fila Primera, by War Front.
($5,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-James K. Chapman & Stuart
Tsujimoto; B-R. S. Evans (KY); T-James K. Chapman. $18,000.
Margins: 2, 5 1/4, 8HF. Odds: 2.80, 1.30, 18.10.
Also Ran: Velvet Sister, Cartel Queen, Eagle Express, Queen Camilla. Scratched: Happy Soul, Pipeline Girl. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Pretty Birdie is a product of the Whitney program top and bottom. Bird Song took the 2017 GIII Fred Hooper S. and GII Alysheba S. in the eton blue and brown, and is out of 2003 GI Kentucky Oaks heroine and champion 3-year-old filly Bird Town (Cape Town). Bird Song, who began his stud career at Gainesway, was exported to Saudi Arabia before this past breeding season.

Two-time winner Bird Sense, meanwhile, counts Broodmare of the Year Dear Birdie (Storm Bird)–the dam of both Bird Town and GI Belmont S./GI Travers S. hero Birdstone (Grindstone)–as her third dam.

“She's inbred to Dear Birdie 3×4,” Noted Hendrickson. “That broodmare has proved successful for us again. She produced Bird Town and Birdstone.”

Bird Sense produced a full brother to Pretty Birdie in January before being bred back to Far From Over.

The post Bird Song Filly Flies Away with Schuylerville in Whitney Colors appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

‘Happy’ Days are Here Again: Schuylerville Kicks off Saratoga Meet

With a pair of blowout wins already on her resume headed by Belmont's Astoria S. June 3, Happy Soul (Runhappy) sets her sights on Saratoga's opening day co-featured GIII Schuylerville S. She has been working in company with her Wesley Ward-trained 4-year-old stablemate and GISW Kimari (Munnings).

“Visually, Kimari is a better horse, but she's doing it with speed to spare as well,” Ward said. “She has had some nice works underneath her and she's come to handle it quicker than I thought.”

Mainstay (Astern {Aus}), a half-sister to last year's champion 2-year-old filly Vequist (Nyquist), earned her 'TDN Rising Star' badge with a visually impressive romp in the slop on debut at Monmouth June 4.

Velvet Sister (Bernardini), a $500,000 FTFMAR breezer, graduated by 9 3/4 lengths in front-running fashion in a three-horse field for Steve Asmussen in her unveiling at Belmont June 10.

The rail-drawn Pretty Birdie (Bird Song) became the first winner for her expatriated sire with a sharp, wire-to-wire tally first out at Churchill Downs June 18.

The post ‘Happy’ Days are Here Again: Schuylerville Kicks off Saratoga Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Into Mischief Filly All Business in Schuylerville, Leads Home One-Two for Leading Sire

Tim Hamm and Siena Farms’ Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) was completely dismissed at 19-1 in the GIII Schuylerville S., the first graded stakes of the Saratoga meet Thursday, but she will not be overlooked again after a dominant victory.

Ignored by the bettors despite a 4 3/4-length debut graduation at Gulfstream May 14, the dark bay stalked from a two-wide third as Make Mischief (Into Mischief) led Hara (Hard Spun) through an opening quarter in :22.29. Inching closer as the half went up in :45.57, Dayoutoftheoffice collared the pacesetter in early stretch and charged clear with fury for an emphatic six-length score. Make Mischief, a 16-1 shot, held second and Hopeful Princess (Not This Time) completed the trifecta. Heavily favored Beautiful Memories (Hard Spun) stumbled at the start and was pulled up approaching the far turn.

“We knew there would be a lot of speed, but I thought if we could be third or fourth early, we’d have a big chance,” said Hamm, who is the winner’s conditioner as well as co-owner. “When I saw her coming into the turn laying third, I thought we had a shot. We got the trip we were hoping to get. In the paddock, he [jockey Junior Alvarado] said to me, ‘into the turn if you could pick a spot for me to be, where would that be?’ I said third right outside the speed. When I saw him laying there, I said, ‘wow we’re still alive.'”

As for the beaten favorite, jockey Jose Ortiz said, “She stumbled out of the gate and was traveling OK, but she was getting a lot of dirt in her face. Going into the turn, she switched leads and I noticed she wasn’t traveling well, so I decided to take care of her. It was a tough decision to make. She had a small cut on her right front. I don’t think it’s serious.”

Her trainer Mark Casse, who also the conditioner of runner-up Make Mischief, tweeted, “Want to let everyone know that Beautiful Memories is fine. She stumbled hard at the start and has some minor scrapes. We are thankful for Jose Ortiz putting her safety first, easing her up when concerned.”

Pedigree Notes:

Dayoutoftheoffice is the 31st graded winner and 73rd black-type winner by her red hot sire Into Mischief, who also sired the Schuylerville runner-up. She is also the 16th graded winner and 58th black-type victor out of a daughter of Indian Charlie. Her dam Gottahaveadream, a half-sister to GISW Here Comes Ben (Street Cry {Ire}), produced a Carpe Diem filly in 2019 and a Bolt d’Oro colt Mar. 15 of this year. The winner also hails from the family of Grade I winners Daredevil (More Than Ready), Albertus Maximus (Albert the Great) and King Charlemagne (Nureyev).

Thursday, Saratoga
SCHUYLERVILLE S.-GIII, $100,000, Saratoga, 7-16, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.43, ft.
1–DAYOUTOFTHEOFFICE, 120, f, 2, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Gottahaveadream, by Indian Charlie
2nd Dam: Chasetheragingwind, by Dayjur
3rd Dam: Race the Wild Wind, by Sunny’s Halo
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Tim E. Hamm and Siena Farm LLC; B-Siena Farms LLC (KY); T-Timothy E. Hamm; J-Junior Alvarado. $55,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $79,000. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Make Mischief, 120, f, 2, Into Mischief–Speightful Lady, by Speightstown. ($285,000 Ylg ’19 SARAUG). O-Gary Barber; B-Avanti Stable (NY); T-Mark E. Casse. $20,000.
3–Hopeful Princess, 120, f, 2, Not This Time–More Than Magic, by More Than Ready. ($27,000 RNA Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Elm Tree Farm, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $12,000.
Margins: 6, 1, 10. Odds: 19.80, 16.60, 2.95.
Also Ran: Hara, Queen Arella, Quinoa Tifah, Beautiful Memories. Scratched: Sunny Isle Beach.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Into Mischief Filly All Business in Schuylerville, Leads Home One-Two for Leading Sire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

U.S.’s First 2-Year-Old Winner Quinoa Tifah Returns In Thursday’s Schuylerville

Arindel Farm's Quinoa Tifah, the winner of the first race for 2-year-olds in the U.S. this year at Gulfstream Park, is set to make her much-anticipated return in Thursday's Schuylerville (G3) on Saratoga's opening-day program.

The Arindel homebred will be joined in the six-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies by two other recent Gulfstream winners, J Stables LLC and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Queen Arella and Briannjenn Racing LLC's Hara.

Juan Alvarado-trained Quinoa Tifah chased the heavily favored Lime before scoring over the Wesley Ward trainee by three-quarters of a length in a $65,000 maiden special weight race April 16 at Gulfstream. The Florida-bred daughter of Gemologist, who is not eligible for the upcoming Florida Sire Stakes series, ran 4 ½-furlongs in 52 seconds. Manny Franco has the call.

Queen Arella overcame a very troubled start in a May 29 maiden special weight race at Gulfstream to win her debut going away by four lengths. The Roderick Rodriguez-trained filly provided freshman sire Speightster with his first winner, running five furlongs in 59.54 seconds. Joel Rosario has the mount aboard the New York-bred filly.

Hara, who set a pressured pace before settling for second behind by Queen Arella in her debut, came back to score an impressive front-running eight-length victory at Gulfstream June 19. Tyler Gaffalione, a multi-meet champion at Gulfstream fresh off winning titles at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, has the call.

John Oxley's Beautiful Memories, a handy 10-length winner at Churchill in her recent debut for trainer Mark Casse, has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite.

One race later on the Saratoga card, Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing LLC's Caracaro, an impressive maiden winner during Gulfstream's Championship Meet, is scheduled to make his long-awaited return to action in the Peter Pan (G3).

Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the son of Uncle Mo has been idle since scoring an eye-catching six-length victory at a mile Jan. 11. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the call on Caracaro, who set a pressured pace in his Dec. 8 debut at Gulfstream before finishing second to a next-out winner. Mathis Stable LLC's Candy Tycoon, who broke his maiden at Gulfstream before finishing second in the Fountain of Youth (G2), is along among the eight 3-year-olds entered in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Saffie Joseph Jr., the Gulfstream Spring/Summer Meet's leading trainer, has sent multiple graded-stakes winner Tonalist's Shape to Saratoga for Saturday's Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Ranch Inc., the daughter of Tonalist, is currently ninth in qualifying points for the Sept. 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Tonalist's Shape, an impressive allowance winner at Gulfstream in her most recent start, won the Forward Gal (G3) and the Davona Dale (G2) during the Championship Meet.

Joseph is also scheduled to send out Ny Traffic for Saturday's $1 million Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park. The 3-year-old son of Cross Traffic, who is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing and Paul Braverman, won an allowance at Gulfstream in his first start for Joseph before finishing third in the Risen Star (G2) and second in both the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds and the Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs. Ny Traffic is currently eighth in qualifying points for the Sept. 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill.

Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team, a runner-up to Sole Volante in a stakes-quality allowance at Gulfstream last time out, was also entered in the Haskell by trainer Jose D'Angelo.

The post U.S.’s First 2-Year-Old Winner Quinoa Tifah Returns In Thursday’s Schuylerville appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post