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Practical Joke Rising Star to Beat in Sanford

Reflective of a murky early-season 2-year-old male pecking order, a full dozen will line up in Saturday's GIII Sanford S. at Saratoga, with 'TDN Rising Star' Wit (Practical Joke) expected to go favored from the rail.

Easily the most expensive of 88 yearlings to sell from his freshman sire in 2020 when hammering for $575,000 at Keeneland September, the dark bay was hammered down to 45 cents on the dollar debuting June 5 at Belmont only to break last. That was no matter though, as the Todd Pletcher trainee advanced strongly while wide on the turn, swept to the front in mid-stretch and burst clear to a six-length romp.

Mueller Thoroughbred Stable's Candy Landing (Twirling Candy), the second choice on the morning line, won like he was odds-on debuting as a 17-1 shot June 11 at Churchill. The homebred prevailed in a pace duel with the race's co-favorite and drew clear in the final furlong to a 4 1/2-length success.

Breeze Easy went to $550,000 at OBS March to secure Headline Report (Gormley) and the ridgling rewarded that confidence in his debut, cruising to a promising score Apr. 23 at Keeneland. Laid up since then, the bay has worked sharply for this, including a five-furlong bullet in :59 3/5 (1/12) June 28 at Keeneland.

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Arklow Tries to Fend Off Brown Trio in U.N.

Easily the most accomplished runner in the field with earnings of over $2.75 million–more than his nine opponents combined–7-year-old stalwart Arklow (Arch) will try to make amends for running fourth as a heavy favorite in last year's GI United Nations S. in Saturday's renewal of the 1 3/8-mile test on the Monmouth turf.

Picking up his first stakes win as a 3-year-old in the GII American Turf S. back in 2017, the bay has since added five more black-type scores, including his lone Grade I success thus far in the 2019 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. at Belmont. Adding blinkers after disappointing in last year's U.N., he has gone three-for-four since, capturing the GIII Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup S., GII Hollywood Turf Cup S. and GIII Louisville S. last out May 15 at Churchill.

A trio of Chad Brown trainees figure to offer the heftiest challenges to the favorite, with the most dangerous of the three appearing to be the speedy Tribhuvan (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}). Spurting out to a clear lead in the GII Fort Marcy S. May 1 at Belmont, he dug in gamely in the stretch to score a 1 1/2-length victory at 10-1. Again blitzing clear in the 1 1/4-mile GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. there June 5, he held well to be second behind stablemate and turf division leader Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

Master Piece (Chi) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), a Group 2 winner in his native Chile, was fourth last fall when making his U.S. debut in the Joe Hirsch and got the winter off before returning with a well-graded allowance score Apr. 16 at Keeneland. He failed to make an impact, however, when sixth in the Manhattan last out.

Rounding out the Brown contingent is Peter Brant's Serve the King (GB) (Kingman {GB}), runner-up in last fall's GIII Monmouth S. and fourth in the same event off the bench June 5.

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Triple Crown Heavy Hitters Reconvene in Haskell

The runners-up in all three Triple Crown races—though one of them may be promoted to winner at a later date—will clash along with a very intriguing stretch-out sprinter Saturday at Monmouth in a quality renewal of the GI TVG.com Haskell S., a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Pegged as the 6-5 morning-line favorite is Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), who ran the best race of the three Triple Crown returnees when finishing a hard-luck second to division leader Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Belmont S. June 5. Pushed through a scorching early pace of :22.78 and :46.49, the $110,000 Fasig-Tipton October bargain buy improbably fought on with tenacity until deep stretch, just being overtaken late for a 1 1/4-length defeat while finishing 11 1/4 lengths clear of GI Preakness S. hero Rombauer (Twirling Candy) in third. The two horses who fought him for the early lead finished sixth and eighth, beaten 22 and 81 lengths, respectively. Prior to that, Hot Rod Charlie had annexed the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, run third in the GI Kentucky Derby and GIII Robert B. Lewis and second at 94-1 in the GI TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Mandaloun (Into Mischief) is likely to be declared the Derby winner after running a half-length second to Medina Spirit (Protonico), who later famously tested over the limit for betamethasone. That was a bounce-back effort for the 'TDN Rising Star' after he was a badly-beaten sixth as a 13-10 favorite in the Louisiana Derby. Earlier the winner of the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds, the Juddmonte homebred was last seen holding on by a neck in the local Pegasus S. June 13.

“What this would do for this colt moving forward would be huge,” said trainer Brad Cox of winning the Haskell. “It would give him an opportunity to stand at Juddmonte, which is the goal, and when you win that first Grade I, it takes the pressure off of what you do moving forward. This would be huge for the whole Juddmonte team. It would mean the world to me. I love this colt, he's been one we've thought a lot of since late summer/early fall, and when you watch him train and you think they're good and then they show up, it's very rewarding. For him to accomplish what he has to date is amazing, but there are definitely some more hurdles to jump and we think he's capable of doing it.”

Winless since capturing the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 16 at Fair Grounds, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) was third to Mandaloun in the Risen Star and second to Hot Rod Charlie in the Louisiana Derby. Sixth with a wide trip in the Run for the Roses, the $525,000 Keeneland September buy held the place after pressing Medina Spirit through quick splits when last seen in the May 15 Preakness S.

The clear wild card in the race is immensely talented 'Rising Star' Following Sea (Runhappy), who will make his two-turn debut while breaking from the tricky rail draw. A runner-up, later demoted to third via disqualification debuting at 9-10 over six furlongs Mar. 6 at Santa Anita, the Spendthrift Farm earned his 'Rising Star' nod with a dominant graduation over the same trip Apr. 10 at Oaklawn. Transferred from Bob Baffert to Todd Pletcher at the outset of the Medina Spirit controversy, Following Sea overwhelmed an allowance field June 3 at Belmont with an easy 6 1/2-length romp.

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Royal Ship Looms Large in San Diego

Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farm's ascendant handicap division contender Royal Ship (Brz) (Midshipman) figures to be tough to beat in Saturday's GII San Diego H. at Del Mar, the seaside oval's traditional prep for its marquee GI TVG Pacific Classic Aug. 21.

Earning a trip to America by reeling off five consecutive open-lengths turf victories in his native Brazil, capped by a score in the G1 Estado do Rio de Janeiro, the gelding was third making his Stateside bow in the GII Del Mar Mile H. over the turf last summer. Sixth in the GII City of Hope Mile S., he ran last of four after stumbling at the start when switching to dirt in the GIII Native Diver S. here in November.

Running fifth, beaten just a length, in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. Mar. 6 at Santa Anita, the bay has become a new horse since moving back to the main track, annexing the GII Californian S. with a 108 Beyer Apr. 17 before just being denied by a head when second in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup S. last out May 31.

Third that day was re-opposing Express Train (Union Rags). Completing the exacta behind Charlatan (Speightstown) at 16-1 in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. closing out his sophomore campaign, the $500,000 Keeneland September buy built on that effort with a dominant victory in the GII San Pasqual S. and a half-length second in the GI Santa Anita H. Third to next-out GI Metropolitan H. victor Silver State (Hard Spun) in the GII Oaklawn H., he broke outwardly at the start of the Gold Cup and suffered a wide trip before settling for third.

Finishing a half-length behind him was Rushie (Liam's Map), who looks to be the main other contender should Royal Ship take a step back. Annexing the GII Pat Day Mile S. last summer, the gray was seventh in the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and a nose runner-up in the Oaklawn Mile S. Apr. 10 before stumbling at the start and flattening out from a middle move in the Gold Cup.

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