Second Chances | Horse Racing Free Tips

Second Chances: Don’t Wait Up

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Nominated to Monday's GI Hopeful S. after a too-good-to-lose second on debut at Saratoga Aug. 14, Don't Wait Up (c, 2, Upstart–Lovely Marissa, by Proud Citizen) will instead return in a maiden special weight on the closing day card.

Given a 7-1 chance to win at first asking going six furlongs, he was away last of 10 from post nine after veering in and bumping with a rival at the start.

The bay was on the move beneath Javier Castellano to race in an outside fifth through an opening quarter in :22.27 and made an eye-catching, four-wide bid to challenge for command approaching the quarter pole.

He set his sights on the pacesetting Power Agenda (Nyquist)–entered in a loaded renewal of the Hopeful–as they straightened from home, and, after racing shoulder to shoulder with that game rival down the stretch, just came up a nose short with heads bobbing up and down on the line. Don't Wait Up earned a 76 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

Don't Wait Up returned to the worktab with a four-furlong breeze in :48.12 (7/42) over the Oklahoma training track Aug. 28. Trainer Tony Dutrow has quietly enjoyed a nice meeting from limited action at the Spa, sporting a record of 12-3-4-2 at the stand.

“He's always trained very good and then he came up here to Saratoga for his first race and he ran very well,” Dutrow said. “We were very happy with him.”

He continued, “Personally, I like when some adversity happens– dirt hits them in the face, they're among horses, etc.–in a first-time starter's race. The more experience they can get out of their first race, the more they're gonna put that to use in the future.”

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, Don't Wait Up brought $200,000 from Bluewater Sales, agent, on behalf of Cypress Creek Equine after firing a :9 4/5 bullet from the Woodford Thoroughbreds, Agent CLV, consignment at OBS April. He previously was a $1,500 KEENOV weanling and a $23,000 OBSJAN short yearling. Don't Wait Up is the second foal out of the winning mare Lovely Marissa, a daughter of GI Spinaway S. third and blowout Saratoga debut winner Valiant Passion (Lion Heart).

Don't Wait Up takes on a full field of nine rivals going six furlongs for his second start.

“The first time horses run, it can be a very overwhelming experience for them, but Don't Wait Up took everything very well,” Dutrow said. “He certainly learned a great deal and went through a lot in the race. He came out of it very good, we gave him a workout back, and we're looking forward to getting him back out there on the track. We'll just have to see what exactly became of his experience in his next race Monday. It's his second start and we'll take it from there.”

Previous standouts featured in 'Second Chances' include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner and Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GIII Las Virgenes S. heroine Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner and MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), and MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

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Second Chances: Cricket West

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

Nothing seemed to go Cricket West (f, 2, Majestic City–Special Charm {Ire}, by Dansili {GB})'s way in her unveiling sprinting versus fellow New York-breds over the Saratoga lawn Aug. 12 (video). And she still came within a neck of getting her picture taken that day.

The Bloom Racing Stable homebred, off at odds of 10-1 for trainer Jorge Abreu, was bumped from both sides at the start and raced in sixth through an opening quarter in :22.45. She began to rev up beneath Manny Franco on the far turn while taking the overland route, and hit the top of the stretch parked out at least five wide. The dark bay kept on rolling down the lane, and, despite losing some momentum when getting bumped nearing the eighth poll as a result of a messy chain reaction in the 10-horse field, continued to fly down the center to just miss. She earned a 60 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“It was like nothing ever went right and she still almost got there,” owner/breeder Jeffrey Bloom said.

“The filly hadn't been the type of horse that sort of sizzles and wows you in her workouts. But at the same time, she continued to progress substantially over the course of her final two-three workouts. I was like, 'Wow, this filly's got some talent.' We had high expectations for her. We expected to see a big run in her debut, but you just never know.”

Bloom raced MGSW & MGISP and young Irish Hill and Dutchess Views stallion Majestic City and acquired the winning mare Special Charm, a daughter of MGSW & GISP Olympic Charmer (Olympio), for $50,000 at the 2017 KEENOV sale. This is also the family of GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) and graded winners Charm The Giant (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) and Liam The Charmer (Smart Strike).

“She's got that fight and determination of her sire Majestic City, who, of course, we campaigned,” Bloom said. “To make it even that much more special is the fact that we have the stallion. I'm a big fan of Majestic City. He's made the most of what he has [from the mares he's covered]. To know that we still have the mare and to see Majestic City horses here on the New York circuit performing, it's very gratifying.”

As for what's next for Cricket West, Bloom concluded, “She came out of the race in really good shape. She's probably going to breeze this coming weekend. We'll look for that first opportunity at Belmont. We think she wants longer, so we were pretty excited to see her perform so well going that short. Ideally, we get her in the first available spot with a little bit of added distance back on the turf at Belmont.”

Previous standouts featured in 'Second Chances' include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner and Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GIII Las Virgenes S. heroine Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner and MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), and MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

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Second Chances: James Aloysius

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

It was a tale of two trips with James Aloysius (c, 2, More Than Ready–Olorda {Ger}, by Lord of England {Ger}) having to settle for an educational second on debut behind the well-meant firster Portfolio Company (Kitten's Joy) going 1 1/16 miles over the Saratoga lawn on opening weekend (video).

Off at 4-1, the rail-drawn dark bay brushed with a rival just after the start, and, after slightly tapping on the brakes in some early traffic passing the stands for the first time, settled in sixth beneath Luis Saez as the aforementioned favorite stalked in second behind easy fractions of :25.15 and :50.86 over the “good” going.

James Aloysius began to launch a flashy, three-wide blitz on the far turn as the Chad Brown-trained Portfolio Company enjoyed first run and hit the front at the top of the stretch. James Aloysius continued to rally nicely in the lane despite repeatedly getting in and cut the final margin to 3/4 of a length. He earned a 71 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“He's a nice colt, just a little green,” trainer Danny Gargan said. “I'm not really a first-time starter kind of person. We told the jock to break and get a good position and just make sure that he's running turning for home. Luis said if he had hit him left-handed instead of right-handed, he would've won the race. He just shied from it, and got on top of those other horses for a minute. He's a pretty talented colt.”

He continued, “Chad told me probably six weeks before the race that the Kitten's Joy was a nice horse and that he thinks he's gonna be a really good horse. He's really high on him. So, hopefully we'll be around somewhere in the fall.”

Bred in Kentucky by Martin Schwartz, James Aloysius is the first foal out of Olorda, a two-time Grade III winner in the U.S. and a Group 3 winner in France. She was also third in the 2015 G1 Pour Moi Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary. James Aloysius brought $200,000 from Oracle Bloodstock, agent, on behalf of West Paces Racing LLC at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“He's named after the owner [Larry Connolly]'s brother who passed away and another friend of theirs,” Gargan said. “One of them was named James and the other's last name was Aloysius.”

As for what's next for the equine James Aloysius, Gargan said, “I don't run back fast–I run every seven-eight weeks. We're probably gonna aim to get a race into him towards the end of the meet. Hopefully, if everything goes as planned, that's what we're shooting for.”

Gargan concluded, “We like him a lot. I'm pretty lucky this year. We have a little better stock than we normally do baby wise, so that's exciting.”

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TRF, NYRA To Unveil Memorial Marker For Quick Call On July 14

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) will partner with the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) to unveil a memorial marker for popular racehorse Quick Call at Clare Court on Wednesday, July 14 at 11:30 a.m.

The unveiling will include a photo opportunity and brief remarks from NYRA leadership, TRF Executive Director and leadership from the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NY DOCCS). In addition to the current and former TRF Second Chances Farm Manager and Instructors, the current Superintendent of Wallkill and two retired Superintendents will be in attendance with other special invited guests.

Quick Call was humanely euthanized on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at the age of 35 due to the infirmities of old age. Foaled in 1984, Quick Call was the oldest horse in TRF's herd. In his lifetime he was a successful racehorse who earned more than $800,000 and won numerous graded stakes races. Following a remarkable career on the racetrack, he became a riding horse and finally arrived at the TRF in 2001 where he was an equine teacher in the TRF's well known Second Chances Program. He was truly an exceptional horse and served as a shining example of the versatility of the Thoroughbred breed. With 86 starts under his belt, he was a warhorse with a brave, strong heart and mind. He became a “posterhorse” for aftercare, serving as an ambassador for all retired Thoroughbred racehorses.

Immediately following the unveiling, fans and media are invited to join the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation at the Horseshoe Inn Bar and Grill, located at 9 Gridley Street, for a pop-up fan engagement station to share memories and to learn more about Quick Call and TRF's Second Chances program. From 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET, fans can celebrate Quick Call and for a suggested $10 donation will receive a limited-edition Quick Call wristband, a copy of his lifetime past performances and a photo at the “Horse for the Course” selfie station.

About TRF: Founded in 1983, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is a national organization devoted to saving Thoroughbred horses no longer able to compete at the racetrack from possible neglect, abuse, and slaughter. As the oldest Thoroughbred rescue in the country, the TRF provides lifelong sanctuary to retired Thoroughbreds throughout their lifetime.

Best known for its pioneering TRF Second Chances program, the organization provides incarcerated individuals with life-changing vocational training through its accredited equine care and stable management program. At eight correctional facilities across the US, including one juvenile justice facility, this program offers second careers to its horses and a second chance at life for program graduates upon release from prison. The TRF Second Chances Program at the Wallkill Correctional Facility provides a home for 40 retired Thoroughbred racehorses and has been changing the lives of returning citizens for nearly forty years.

For more information visit: http://www.trfinc.org/

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