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Many Chances in Ballerina

A well-matched field of seven fillies and mares coming from different directions in Saturday’s GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga, the first of three top-level events on the GI Runhappy Travers day card at the spectator-less Spa and a “Win and You’re In” event for the GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint.

Made the lukewarm favorite on the morning line is Kaleem Shah’s Bellafina (Quality Road). A three-time Grade I winner in her first eight career starts, the $800,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream buy was a dull fifth as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Oaks and third when again favored in the GI Longines Test S. here last summer. Burned up on a fast pace and fading to fourth in the GI Cotillion S., she bounced back with a career high when dueling dual champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) to the wire in the F/M Sprint before settling for second and was runner-up again after setting a blistering tempo in the GI La Brea S. A troubled fourth in the Carousel S. Apr. 25 at Oaklawn, she got her first win in over a year when scoring in the GIII Desert Stormer S., but was beaten at 1-2 when second in the GII Great Lady M S. last out July 4 at Los Alamitos.

Last year’s Kentucky Oaks heroine Serengeti Empress (Alternation) and last year’s Ballerina victress Come Dancing (Malibu Moon) both also need a return to top form as the second and third choices, respectively. Serengeti Empress, runner-up in the GI Acorn S. and the Test after her Oaks triumph, retreated to sixth in the Cotillion before finishing a solid third as the pacesetter in the GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Second at odds-on in the GIII Houston Ladies Classic S., she rebounded with a dominant 6 1/4-length score in the GII Azeri S., but was 11th after chasing the speed in the GI Apple Blossom H. and offered little resistance to champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Bisou) when fourth in the GII Fleur de Lis S. June 27 at Churchill.

Come Dancing, widely considered the best older filly and mare sprinter last year after going four-for-five to start her campaign, a stretch that included a 3 1/2-length score in the Ballerina, made no impact when sixth at 2-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Backing up to 12th in the Apple Blossom, she couldn’t get to re-opposing longshot Victim of Love (Speightstown) as an odds-on runner-up in the GIII Vagrancy H. June 27 at Belmont. The Blue Devil Racing Stable homebred will attempt to become just the second back-to-back winner of the Ballerina, following Shine Again (Wild Again), who scored in the 2001 and 2002 renewals.

Rounding out the field are speedsters Cookie Dough (Brethren) and Letruska (Super Saver) and late-running Pink Sands (Tapit), who figures to benefit most if the pace gets hot.

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Jolie Olimpica to Beat in Yellow Ribbon

Fox Hill Farms’ speedy Jolie Olimpica (Brz) (Drosselmeyer), a close runner-up to division leader Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) last out, will go postward as the horse to beat in Saturday’s eight-horse GII Yellow Ribbon S. at Del Mar.

Undefeated in three starts in her native land, capping her Brazilian career with a dominant win over males in the G1 Jockey Club Brasileiro at Gavea last June, the chestnut got off to an auspicious start Stateside when annexing the GIII Las Cienegas S. going 5 1/2 furlongs Jan. 11 at Santa Anita. Getting a clear lead in the GII Buena Vista S. when stretching out to a mile Feb. 22, however, she couldn’t quite stay and settled for second. Rebounding with a score in the GII Monrovia S. back sprinting May 25, she again attempted to stretch her speed in the GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. July 11 at Keeneland and again just gave it up late, finishing a narrow second in Rushing Fall’s course-record-setting performance. Drawing outside in a field without other clear speed, she figures to get a dream trip here.

The veteran Beau Recall (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) also comes in off a runner-up finish to a division leader as she tries for a Yellow Ribbon repeat. Upset winner of last spring’s GII Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S., she captured this event two starts later before closing her 5-year-old account with a second in the GI Rodeo Drive S. Ninth, while only beaten 2 1/4 lengths, in the GIII Old Forester Mint Julep S. in her seasonal debut May 30 in Louisville, she most recently closed from last to complete the exacta behind wire-to-wire victress Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the GI Just A Game S. June 27 at Belmont.

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds’ Keeper Ofthe Stars (Midnight Lute) will attempt to rebound after quickly developing into a division player earlier this year. Last year’s GIII Autumn Miss S. heroine was the one who chased down Jolie Olimpica in the Buena Vista to score a 36-1 upset, then showed that effort was no fluke when taking the GI Gamely S. May 25 in Arcadia. Last time out, however, she finished a dull fifth in the June 20 GIII Wilshire S.

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CTHS To Provide Online Bidding For 2020 Sales

Officials at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS) have announced that the organization has contracted with Direct Livestock Marketing Systems (DLMS) to provide online, real-time bidding for all bloodstock its sales in 2020.

Within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the health and safety of its clientele the primary concerns, CTHS has restricted the number of attendees at its sales and online bidding will enable more people to participate remotely.

On-site inspections will still be held with strict protocols in place, but consignments will also have the ability to post online videos and photos to be posted to both the CTHS and DLMS websites.

CTHS is set to conduct sales Sunday, Aug. 23 in Manitoba, while its flagship Ontario sale is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 2. The CTHS British Columbia Division hosts its sale Tuesday, Sept. 8 and the Alberta sale takes place Friday, Sept. 18.

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Second Chances: Vittorio

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

Vittorio (c, 2, Ghostzapper-Roberta Turner, by Smart Strike), a $750,000 OBS Spring purchase by Kaleem Shah, has every right to build off a better-than-it-looked debut fifth going five furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 1 (video).

Off to a tardy beginning after breaking inward at the start, the 4-1 chance, equipped with blinkers, was slow into stride and trailed the field in ninth through an opening quarter in :23.28. He began to make a flashy, sweeping move while four/five wide on the far turn beneath Mike Smith as Freedom Fighter (Violence) led with Dixie’s Two Stents (Quality Road) in hot pursuit in second.

Into fifth and looking a potential danger as they turned for home despite the slow start and wide trip, Vittorio raced a bit greenly from there hanging on his left lead and lugging in some as the top two ran away from the field with Freedom Fighter digging down gamely for a head victory. It was another 5 1/4 lengths back to Petruchio (Into Mischief) in third, who chased the top two throughout in a race that the speed held very well together.

Vittorio, 8 1/4 lengths adrift the winner, earned a 53 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. He is trained by Simon Callaghan.

“He got left behind at the start and lost all chance,” Shah said. “Mike Smith liked the horse, and with more gate works in him, he should be a different horse in his next start. Vittorio came out of his race in good shape. He should improve with more distance down the road.”

Vittorio, a $250,000 Keeneland September yearling graduate, was the fifth most expensive purchase at this year’s postponed Spring Sale in Ocala after breezing an eighth in a bullet :9 4/5 from the Sequel Bloodstock consignment. Bloodstock agent Ben McElroy signed the ticket on behalf of Shah.

“The good horses cost a lot of money for sure,” Shah said. “I do like the 2-year-old in training sales where most of my horse racing success has come from and I had to stretch a lot to get him–Bob Baffert was the underbidder. Simon Callaghan and Ben McElroy liked this horse a lot at the sale.”

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Vittorio is out of a half-sister to MSW & MGSP Foxy Danseur (Mr. Greeley), the dam of graded stakes-winning ‘TDN Rising Star’ Ever So Clever (Medaglia d’Oro).

“Vittorio means victorious in Italian,” Shah concluded. “I sure hope he is a winner of many prestigious races down the road.”

Previous standouts featured in ‘Second Chances’ include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. runner-up Candy Tycoon (Twirling Candy).

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