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Acorn Trifecta Wheels Back In Saturday’s Longines Test

The top-three finishers from June's Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park – featuring winner Search Results, runner-up Obligatory and Make Mischief – will again comprise a talented field in a prestigious stake for 3-year-old fillies in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test at seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course.

The 96th edition of the Longines Test, slated as Race 8 on the 12-race docket, is one of five stakes on a loaded card, headlined by the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney for 4-year-olds and up that is a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Breeders' Cup Classic. Also on tap will be the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby as the middle jewel of the Turf Triple series for 3-year-olds, as well as the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls for older fillies and mares on the turf and the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure for older horses on the Mellon turf course.

Klaravich Stables' Search Results, who posted a half-length win in the Acorn going a one-turn mile on Belmont Stakes Day June 5, has won four of her five career starts for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. The daughter of Flatter did not race as a juvenile but started her sophomore year with three straight wins, building on a debut victory in January at Gulfstream Park with a pair of stake wins at Aqueduct Racetrack in the one-mile Busher Invitational in March and the 1 1/8-mile Grade 3 Gazelle in April.

That victory at the Big A spring-boarded Search Results' appearance in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30, where she was forwardly placed and challenged Malathaat in the stretch before settling for second, just a neck off the winner. Five weeks later, Search Results fended off Obligatory and Make Mischief's late charge to win the Acorn, earning an identical 95 Beyer Speed Figure she achieved in the Kentucky Oaks.

Irad Ortiz, Jr., aboard for the Gazelle and Kentucky Oaks, will return to ride Search Results, drawing post 7.

Brown will also send out Three Chimneys Farm's Always Carina, who won her first two starts before running second to fellow Test participant Zaajel in the Grade 2 Mother Goose going 1 1/16 miles on June 26 at Belmont. The lightly raced daughter of Malibu Moon will make her Saratoga debut, drawing post 5. Flavien Prat has the call.

Gary Barber's Make Mischief won her debut in June 2020 at Belmont before posting a pair of runner-up efforts in graded stakes at the Spa, finishing behind Dayoutoftheoffice in the Grade 3 Schuylerville and the Grade 2 Adirondack.

Trainer Mark Casse, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame across the street from Saratoga Race Course on Friday, sent Make Mischief to Chris Englehart to start her 3-year-old year, which included a victory by a neck over Brattle House in the one-mile Maddie May in February at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Returning to Casse for the spring, Make Mischief has been a contender when facing top-flight divisional competition again, running third in the Grade 2 Eight Belles in April at Churchill Downs at the Test distance before running third in the Grade 1 Acorn. The Into Mischief filly ran a competitive fourth in the Grade 2 Mother Goose last out and will return to Saratoga with Tyler Gaffalione set to ride from post 6.

“When we broke her, I told Gary I thought she was a pretty good filly,” Casse said. “I think she just needed a little more ground and a little bit of time to grow up. Her races this year have been good. I kept her with Chris Englehart over the winter since we didn't have any horses in New York at that time. He ran her right away and she won and he did a great job with her.”

Make Mischief, bred in New York by Avanti Stable, is the field's most experienced entrant with 12 starts, compiling a 4-3-2 record with earnings of $365,750.

Her stablemate, Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational, notched her first graded stakes win last out, displaying a strong closing kick to draw away for a 3 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Victory Ride going 6 1/2 furlongs on July 10 at Belmont.

Casse campaigned the daughter of Curlin in a series of Kentucky Oaks preps at Fair Grounds to start 2021, and she responded with a runner-up performance in the Silverbulletday. After an off-the-board effort in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra in February, Souper Sensational returned to the same track to earn third in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks also going 1 1/16 mile in March.

Souper Sensational returned to sprinting in April, finishing fourth in the Eight Belles, and last out earned a career-best 95 Beyer for her Victory Ride win over a Big Sandy track rated good.

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Casse said Charlotte Weber, owner of Live Oak Plantation, helped select the $725,000 purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale.

“She is by Curlin out of an Indian Charlie mare, but if you look at her she's more a sprinter type,” Casse said. “She [Weber] helped pick this one out. We bought her here in Saratoga. She's a really good horsewoman herself, she knows what she's looking at. We go around at the sale and she usually picks out one or two and that's how we got her.”

Ricardo Santana, Jr. will ride Souper Sensational for the first time, drawing post 2.

Juddmonte's Obligatory also was a filly who benefitted from cutting back in distance, going from a fourth-place finish in the Fair Grounds Oaks to a one-length win in the Eight Belles in her first stakes sprint for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

After earning a 94 Beyer for her second to Search Results in the Acorn, the fellow Curlin filly will compete at Saratoga for the first time, drawing post 4 in tandem with Jose Ortiz, who won this race in back-to-back years aboard American Gal and Separationofpowers from 2017-18.

Shadwell Stable's Zaajel garnered a 96 number for her 1 1/4-length Mother Goose win for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Zaajel made her turf debut in the Grade 2 Edgewood the race prior, finishing seventh in April over the Churchill grass, before Pletcher moved her back to dirt and running her around one turn.

“That made some of the difference,” Pletcher said. “The race before that was an experiment on the turf that didn't pan out. The time before that in Louisiana she misbehaved in the gate, got off to a poor start and got a little rank in the first turn. I think she'll handle two turns down the road but we wanted to keep her and Malathaat separated for the time being, so backing up to seven-eighths makes the most sense.”

Joel Rosario, aboard for the Mother Goose score, will ride again from post 3.

Rounding out the field is Illumination, an eight-length winner to break her maiden at fifth asking last out in June at Santa Anita Park for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert [post 1, fellow Hall of Famer John Velazquez]; and Bella Sofia, who ran second in the Jersey Girl on June 6 for trainer Rudy Rodriguez [post 8, Luis Saez].

Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Brown Plans Next Stops For Domestic Spending, Search Results

Trainer Chad Brown said he was pleased on Sunday morning with the efforts of his Belmont Stakes Day card horses, with highlights being a one-two finish in the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes; a victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn Stakes; and successfully debuting a promising 3-year-old earlier in the day in maiden company, all at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. All three winners were owned by longtime client Klaravich Stables.

Domestic Spending continued his lavish ascent in the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes, closing to win his sixth race from seven starts and stay perfect on the year, following a dead-heat win in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic on May 1. The gelding is the latest in a line of top-class sons of Kingman — also the sire of Europe's top miler Palace Pier — to scorch the turf recently and is destined for a similar path to 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, who won the G1 Turf Classic and G1 Manhattan before taking the 10-furlong Arlington Million and 12-furlong Breeders' Cup Turf — both Grade 1s.

“If you had asked me this time of year about Bricks and Mortar [pointing to the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf], I would have said 'no' and that's why I was considering the [G1 Breeders' Cup] Mile for that horse for a while, thinking he's not going to be a three-turn horse,” Brown explained. “These horses, as they get older and get some seasoning under them, you're starting to see them have more range. Anything is possible, let's see, but his next start—all going well—is at Arlington.”

Left in Domestic Spending's deficit was pace-setting Brown pupil Tribhuvan, who backed up his victory in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy on May 1 with an admirable runner-up effort.

“He surprised me in the Fort Marcy, but he didn't surprise me yesterday,” Brown explained. “That horse has been a different horse since we gelded him and the more I looked at his Fort Marcy, the more I started to believe it. That's why we chose as a team – me and [owners Wonder Stables, Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso] – to give it a shot in the Manhattan instead of running at Monmouth yesterday. Fortunately we did because I thought he ran great.

“They both ran their hearts out and gave two great performances.”

Search Results won her fourth race from five starts in Saturday's G1 Acorn, stalking and pouncing with aplomb under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who was substituting for injured Irad Ortiz, Jr. The daughter of Flatter landed her first Grade 1 after coming up a neck short in last month's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks to divisional leader Malathaat.

“I really wanted to try to do that and give myself a little breathing room with her between now and Saratoga,” said Brown. “We have a decision to make there on whether or not we're going to bring her back in the Coaching Club, which was my original plan, or if I think she needs more time for any reason, we can always train her up to a race like the [Grade 1, $500,000 Longines] Test (on August 7). I couldn't see myself running her past a mile and an eighth.”

Earlier in the day, Brown unveiled Klaravich Stables' Soft Power, a sophomore son of Kingman's sire Invincible Spirit, who overcame a bit of traffic to get up in the final jump over seven grassy furlongs. The bay colt was a $256,604 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale 2019 purchase and is out of a half-sister to Grade 1 Dubai Duty Free winner Cityscape and world-class sprinter Bated Breath.

“He ran super and we really liked that horse last year, but unfortunately he got hurt during the summer, so we had to rest him,” Brown said. “He trained well and ran a big race, so I'm really excited about his future. I'd love to get him into a mile '1-X' allowance and then go up to a stakes in a perfect world. I'm going to have to look around. If I don't get that, I might have to put him in a stakes.”

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Search Results Snares Acorn Over Fast-Closing Obligatory

Coming off her only career loss in a hard-fought race against Malathaat in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Search Results dropped back to a one-turn mile for trainer Chad Brown and responded with her first Grade 1 triumph in Saturday's Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The 3-year-old filly by Flatter was ridden to victory by Javier Castellano, named as a substitute for the injured Irad Ortiz Jr., who was involved in a spill on Thursday and will be out about two weeks. Search Results was the fourth winner in the first five races on the Belmont Stakes card that Ortiz had been named to ride, including Drain the Clock in the G1 Woody Stephen Stakes.

“I was at the right place at the right time,” said Castellano. “I was very fortunate to [get the mount from injured Irad Ortiz, Jr.]. I'm thankful to Chad Brown for the opportunity to ride this horse; we've had a lot of success in the past. I'm sorry for Irad Ortiz that he got hurt, but it gave me the opportunity to ride.”

Sent off the 4-5 favorite, Search Results paid $3.80 to win after running the one-mile in 1:35.50 on a track rated fast but which had taken on considerable rainfall Friday afternoon.

Juddmonte's Obligatory, coming off a last-to-first victory in the G2 Eight Belles at Churchill Downs on the same day that Search Results ran second in the Kentucky Oaks, finished a fast-closing second for trainer Brad Cox, falling a half-length short. Make Mischief, third in the Eight Belles, finished a length back in third, with Eight Belles runner-up Dayoutoftheoffice fourth – beaten a nose for third – after setting the pace. Travel Column rounded out the order of finish for the five 3-year-old fillies contesting a race first run in 1931.Miss Brazil was scratched.

Equibase chart of Acorn

This was Brown's second Acorn victory, having won the 2019 running with Guarana.

“I'm just so proud of her to come back in five weeks after a real dog fight with Malathaat,” said Brown. “To bounce right back and lay it on the line again, this filly has so much talent and so much heart. She's a very rare kind of horse to have, and we're so lucky to have her.”

Search Results was bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall, which consigned the filly to the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale as part of the Select Sales consignment. She was purchased for $310,000 by Mike Ryan, agent, on behalf of Klaravich Stables owner Seth Klarman.

Dayoutoftheoffice jumped out to the early advantage in the long run down the Belmont backstretch, leading through an opening quarter mile in :23.50 and a half mile in :47.23. Make Mischief sat to her outside, with Search Results racing three wide into the far turn and just behind the top two. Obligatory, ridden by Jose Ortiz, lagged at the back of the field, never more than five lengths behind the leader.

Into the stretch, after six furlongs in 1:11.00, Search Results drew up alongside Dayoutoftheoffice, and gradually eased past that filly while Make Mischief fought to keep pace with the eventual winner. In the final sixteenth of a mile, with Search Result's victory seemingly assured, Obligatory came roaring down the outside and tried to make a race of a it, falling a half-length short at the wire.

“The pace wasn't fast but she was right there,” said Castellano. “That's the good thing about her. You can put her where you want. You can be a little closer to the pace or you can be a little bit off the pace. I don't think she's a difficult horse to manage. She's very easy and straightforward. I'm just lucky I had the opportunity to ride her.”

Obligatory's rider, Jose Ortiz, said of the filly by Curlin: “She ran huge. The pace was a lot slower today and when they started running at the three-eighths pole, they got the jump on me. It was very hard to keep her engaged with them, but she made a good run down the lane.”

The win was the fourth in five career starts for Search Results, who debuted at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 3, winning a six-furlong maiden race by four lengths. She shipped to New York to win the Busher Invitational on March 6, then won Aqueduct's G3 Gazelle by 2 3/4 lengths. She got a good trip under Irad Ortiz Jr. in the Kentucky Oaks, but came up a neck short of the Todd Pletcher-trained Curlin filly Malathaat in a battle of the unbeatens.

Search Results is by Flatter, a stakes-placed A.P. Indy stallion who stands at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., where his 2021 fee was $35,000. The Acorn winner was produced from Co Cola, a Todd Pletcher-trained stakes-place filly by Candy Ride. Search Results come from the family of Canadian champion Kimchi and G1 winner Mind Your Biscuit, now standing at stud in Japan.

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Search Results Back to Winning Ways in the Acorn

Search Results (Flatter) bounced back from a narrow defeat in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks to handle a stellar field of fillies in the prestigious GI Acorn S. Saturday at Belmont Park.

Well supported by the bettors with what appeared to be a narrow figure edge on her other accomplished foes, the dark bay broke alertly but was reined in by Javier Castellano to stalk from fourth of the five out wide as last year's local GI Frizette S. winner and second choice Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) cruised to the fore. Dayoutoftheoffice clicked off splits of :23.50 and :47.23 while seemingly well within herself. Search Results revved up with a three-wide bid along the turn, and while the pacesetter fought on to midstretch, Search Results wore her down despite traveling on her wrong lead. A new challenge came from Obligatory (Curlin), who was rocketing home from the back of the pack and who had defeated Dayoutoftheoffice in the GII Eight Belles S. last time, but Search Results had built up enough of a cushion to hang on. Eight Belles third Make Mischief (Into Mischief) nosed out Dayoutoftheoffice for third, with GII Fair Grounds Oaks heroine Travel Column (Frosted) disappointing for the second straight time.

“I was at the right place at the right time,” said Castellano, who picked up the mount on Search Results from the sidelined Irad Ortiz, Jr. “I was very fortunate… I'm thankful to Chad Brown for the opportunity to ride this horse; we've had a lot of success in the past. I'm sorry for Irad Ortiz that he got hurt, but it gave me the opportunity to ride.”

Castellano had ridden Search Results in the Mar. 6 Busher.

“The pace wasn't fast [Saturday] but she was right there,” the Hall of Famer said. “That's the good thing about her. You can put her where you want. You can be a little closer to the pace or you can be a little bit off the pace. I don't think she's a difficult horse to manage. She's very easy and straightforward. I'm just lucky I had the opportunity to ride her.”

A four-length debut winner sprinting at Gulfstream in January, Search Results resurfaced at Aqueduct for the Busher Invitational S., seeing out the mile that day before handling nine panels with aplomb in the Apr. 3 GIII Gazelle S. She was the proverbial “too good to lose” in the Oaks Apr. 30, dropping a neck decision to until then fellow unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin).

“I'm just so proud of her to come back in five weeks after a real dog fight with Malathaat. To bounce right back and lay it on the line again, this filly has so much talent and so much heart. She's a very rare kind of horse to have, and we're so lucky to have her.”

Saturday, Belmont
ACORN S.-GI, $480,000, Belmont, 6-5, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:35.50, ft.
1–SEARCH RESULTS, 120, f, 3, by Flatter
                1st Dam: Co Cola (GSP), by Candy Ride (Arg)
                2nd Dam: Yong Musician, by Yonaguska
                3rd Dam: Alljazz, by Stop the Music
   1ST GRADE I WIN. ($310,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Klaravich
Stables, Inc.; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Javier
Castellano. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $804,000.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+.
2–Obligatory, 120, f, 3, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Uno Duo (SW, $171,300), by Macho Uno
                2nd Dam: Willstar, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-William I. Mott.
$100,000.
3–Make Mischief, 118, f, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Speightful Lady, by Speightstown
                2nd Dam: England's Rose, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Infringe, by Irish River (Fr)
($285,000 Ylg '19 SARAUG). O-Gary Barber; B-Avanti Stable
(NY); T-Mark E. Casse. $60,000.
Margins: HF, 1, NO. Odds: 0.90, 5.30, 21.20.
Also Ran: Dayoutoftheoffice, Travel Column. Scratched: Miss Brazil. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Search Results is the fifth Grade I winner Flatter, and one of 21 graded winners for the Claiborne stalwart, who was also represented on the Kentucky Oaks trail by GI Central Bank Ashland S. runner-up Pass the Champagne. Candy Ride (Arg) is just beginning to hit his stride as a broodmare sire, and is the now the dam sire of four top-level winners (including one in the Southern Hemisphere).

Dam Co Cola was second in a trio of six-furlong stakes, including the 2014 GIII Old Hat S. for trainer Todd Pletcher. Her 2-year-old full-brother to Search Results was a $100,000 KEESEP yearling turned $625,000 OBS April buy by Lauren Carlisle and MyRacehorse after breezing in :10 1/5. Co Cola subsequently aborted to Flatter's son West Coast, but produced a Nyquist colt this February and is back in foal to Flatter.

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