In the fourth race, the fifth edition of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes for registered state-bred fillies and mares, unbeaten 3-year-old R Adios Jersey engineered a tour de force, dominating four rivals for an 11-length victory.

Two races later, in the FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes for registered state-bred males, owners, trainers, and spectators were left gasping as 4-year-old colt Shivaree defended his 2020 Marion County title with a desperate rally in the final strides that deprived 5-year-old gelding R Mercedes Boy of victory by a head.

Both winners earned $60,000 from the $100,000 purses, but it was the thrills they provided along the way that proved priceless. Shivaree's winning time of 1:22.58 for the seven-furlong distance was .02 seconds faster than R Adios Jersey, but it should also be mentioned she was geared down late while Shivaree was all-out at the finish.

Jockey Paco Lopez knew R Adios Jersey was virtually flying during the early stages of the City of Ocala. But the 3-year-old filly felt so comfortable beneath him, he decided it would be counter-productive to try to slow her down.

By the time she got to the 1/8-mile pole of the seven-furlong race, her four Florida-bred rivals were vying for second place. R Adios Jersey continued to roll, improving her record to 6 for 6.

An overwhelming favorite in the wagering, R Adios Jersey paid $2.40 to win. She probably would have set a stakes record had not Lopez throttled her back in the final yards, still posting a time of 1:22.60, .20 seconds off Surprise Wedding's 2017 stakes mark. Starship Nala finished second and Bramble Berry was third.

R Adios Jersey, who won the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks on Aug. 27 in her previous start, is owned by Rich Averill's Averill Racing, Anthony Mattera's ATM Racing, and retired major league baseball outfielder Jayson Werth. Georgina Baxter trains the daughter of Adios Charlie-Marion Theatre, by Montbrook, who was bred in the Sunshine State by Ocala Stud and J. Michael O'Farrell, Jr.

First-place money raised R Adios Jersey's career earnings to $427,400.

“That was kind of easy, but when you have a very nice, fast filly like that, it can look easy. I wanted her to go in :22 (seconds) and :46 (for the quarter-mile and the half), but (:21.79) and (:44.35). … she's just very fast,” Lopez said. “She wanted to go so hard but I didn't fight her too much, because she was doing it very comfortable. She was really sharp today and Georgina did a great job getting her ready.”

Lopez has ridden R Adios Jersey in all but one of her starts, including the Charles Town Oaks and the Florida Cup Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies Stakes here in March.

Bradenton, Fla., resident Averill, who owns Rich Averill Masonry, has built an impressive racing resume since emerging on the scene in 2005 with Florida Oaks and G2 Delaware Oaks winner R Lady Joy. With such prominent stakes winners as Lady's Island, Pay Any Price, R Angel Katelyn, Paradise Dancer, and G2 Saratoga winner R Free Roll to his credit, Averill keeps proving he's a major player.

As is customary when he competes in a stakes race at Tampa Bay Downs, he brought close to 100 family members, co-workers, friends, and friends of friends to enjoy R Adios Jersey's sheer brilliance.

“We wanted this race for the hometown team, and it's great when the plan comes together,” Averill said. “Every race, she has done better and better and better. She's 6 for 6 and you can't ask for more than that. We're taking things one race at a time with her, and we'll figure out what's next.

“I always try to plan a party here with my friends and family and co-workers, and right now it's a feeling of stress relief because I don't have to answer all the questions of 'why didn't you win.' It's fun to get new people into the game, like Anthony, who moved down from New Jersey, and Jayson, and today is a day they will always remember in a good way.”

In the Marion County, Shivaree bettered his record to 5 for 23 the hard way, digging into a deep reserve of desire in the final strides to edge a tiring but game R Mercedes Boy. Samy Camacho rode the winner for breeder-owner Jacks or Better Farm and trainer Ralph Nicks.

Shivaree, the 2020 G1 Curlin Florida Derby runner-up, raised his lifetime bankroll to $546,294.

Camacho said the race unfolded as he expected, with Shivaree making a bold move on the turn for home, until Averill Racing and partners' R Mercedes Boy kept going inside the 1/8-mile pole under Lopez.

“I was a little worried when that horse gave another kick,” said Camacho, who surprised more than a few people by knowing he'd gotten there just in time. “But my horse kept trying. I rode this horse in two stakes at Gulfstream this year and finished second by a neck and second by a head, so I know him and he did a great job. He tries all the time.”

Nicks, who watched the race from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., was worried when Shivaree went wide on the turn for home. But the son of Awesome of Course-Garter Belt, by Anasheed, seemed to thirst for a victory that was his first in 364 days – since last year's Marion County.

“He's gritty and he's very competitive. He makes up for his size in try,” Nicks said. “I knew he would keep grinding and luckily he had room to get there. Very rarely is he not competitive.”

Shivaree paid $4.40 as the wagering favorite. His time was .90 seconds off his 2020 stakes record. Well Defined, the 2019 G3 Sam F. Davis Stakes winner, finished third, a length and a quarter behind R Mercedes Boy.

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Bred by Gil Campbell's Stonehedge LLC, The 5-year-old son of With Distinction, who captured the 2019 Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs in Tampa, Fla., won his sixth race from nine starts since coming off a layoff following a private purchase by his trainer Kathleen O'Connell.

“He needed some time off and Mr. Campbell has a lot of horses. I was willing to give him some time off,” O'Connell said of the sale. “It's a gamble. Sometimes, they come back and sometimes they don't. I have ones come back that have never been half of what they were. I'm just glad he made a whole recovery, and Mr. Campbell still reaps the benefits because he's the breeder. It's a win, win, win.”

Well Defined, who was sent to post as the 6-5 favorite in a field of seven in the seven-furlong stakes for Florida-breds, was beaten to the lead by Travy Boy, who set fractions of :22.75 and :45.03 seconds for the first half mile while pressed by the favorite. Well Defined took the lead entering the stretch under Emisael Jaramillo but started to falter in the final yards and was just able to hold off the late outside surge by Shivaree, a multiple-stakes winner who finished second behind Tiz The Law in the 2020 Grade 1 Florida Derby.

“I think he's better loose on the lead, but I think Jaramillo made a great decision sitting off a horse that was sharp coming off a layoff,” O'Connell said.

Well Defined, who earned a $25,000 Florida Sire Stakes Win Only bonus in addition to the winner's share of the purse, ran seven furlongs in 1:23.47. Shivaree finished three-quarters of a length ahead of third-place finisher Pro Quality.

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Keeping that kind of company, as well as winning a pair of Gulfstream Park stakes and finishing second in the Grade 3 Swale Stakes last winter, made Shivaree a formidable contender in Saturday's fourth edition of the $100,000, 7-furlong Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association Marion County Florida Sire Stakes for FTBOA-registered Florida-breds today at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

But trainer Ralph Nicks never expected the 3-year-old colt to have an easy time of it.

“I liked his chances, but he was going in against some established older horses,” Nicks said from his Fort Lauderdale home after Shivaree's 2 ¼-length victory from three-time Tampa Bay Downs stakes winner Jackson, a 4-year-old Grade 3 winner, in stakes-record time of 1:21.68. “(Jackson), Noble Drama, Gerald Bennett's horse (My Boy Lenny), Mr. (Fred) Brei's other horse (Old Time Revival) – it was a tough, solid group of older horses that will make a young horse run.”

Bettors agreed it was a tough task and regarded Shivaree as the third wagering choice in the seven-horse field behind Noble Drama and Jackson. Shivaree rewarded his backers by moving to the lead powerfully in the stretch under jockey Roberto Alvarado, Jr., and finishing strong to hand Jackson his first Tampa Bay Downs setback. Noble Drama, the 6-5 favorite, finished third.

The FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes for colts and geldings was one of two FTBOA-sponsored stakes races on Saturday designed to showcase the Sunshine State's rich breeding and racing industry. In the other, the $100,000 FTBOA City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes for registered Florida-bred fillies and mares, 5-year-old mare Heiressall moved smartly to the lead on the turn for home under jockey Antonio Gallardo and withstood a late rally by Independent Miss for a 3 ¼-length victory. Pace-setter The Goddess Lyssa finished third.

Heiressall posted a time of 1:23.35 for the seven furlongs. She is a homebred racing for Wanda Polisseni's My Purple Haze Stables and trained by Terri Pompay. She paid $5.80 as the betting favorite in the seven-horse field.

Back, for now, to Shivaree and the boys. Shivaree paid $13.60 to win the Marion County. Bred and owned by Fred Brei's Jacks or Better Farm in Reddick, Fla., near Ocala, he boosted his career bankroll to $433,475 by earning $60,000 with his fourth victory in 15 starts. Shivaree is by the sire Awesome of Course, out of the Anasheed broodmare Garter Belt.

He was saddled here by Nicks assistant Sonny Righter.

“It's a nice feeling,” Nicks said. “With him turning 4 (on January 1), hopefully he can be one of the better Florida-bred 4-year-olds. We gave him a break after the Travers, which he needed, and he wasn't quite all the way back for his last race (a fourth-place finish Nov. 14 in the Millions Sprint Preview at Gulfstream Park West).

“He stalked the pace today the way we wanted, he didn't have to be sent and we knew he'd stay steady and try hard down the lane. I knew he had a big chance at the sixteenth pole,” Nicks said. “Roberto gave him a patient ride, got through traffic well and was aggressive when he needed to be.”

Alvarado was riding a horse for Nicks for the first time, and he made a good impression, just as Shivaree did on him.

“When I asked him around the three-eighths-mile pole, he took a little while to get going, but as soon as I got him into the clear and we got going he just took off,” Alvarado said. “I knew I had a chance to get (Jackson), and my horse finished great.”

Heiressall and Antonio Gallardo winning the FTBOA City of Ocala Sire Stakes

Four races later, FTBOA City of Ocala FSS winner Heiressall improved to 7-for-20, and the winner's check of $60,000 boosted her lifetime earnings to $358,038. She is a daughter of Wildcat Heir out of Polisseni's Unbridled Song's mare, All Bridled.

Heiressall, who won the Sheer Drama Stakes at Gulfstream Park two races back, benefited from an early speed duel between The Goddess Lyssa and Tiz Possible Dear, allowing Gallardo to track them smoothly from third place. Heiressall took over from a game The Goddess Lyssa at the 1/8-mile pole and was home free from there.

“Everything came out how I wanted, really,” Gallardo said. “(Pompay) and the assistant trainer (Gerardo Perez) told me to let the speed go but keep her fairly close, and it worked out perfect. She looked beautiful in the paddock and she was ready. She was very relaxed in the race and when I asked her, she did everything right.”

Pompay enjoyed the show from her south Florida home, taking pride in Heiressall's continuing development as a 5-year-old. “She is a professional girl. She is all business on the racetrack,” Pompay said. “She loves what she does; you just have to put her in the right spots and she does her job.

“(Gallardo) rode a great race. He got her in good position and got her to run relaxed and forwardly, and when he asked for her best, she responded.”

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Trained by Ralph Nicks, Shivaree is the most seasoned horse in the “Mid-Summer Derby” field with a dozen starts under his belt, including a runner-up finish behind Runhappy Travers favorite Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in March. The son of Awesome of Course has maintained consistent form throughout his 12 starts with a 3-3-2 record, but arrives at the Runhappy Travers a distant 11th in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland.

Fred Brei, proprietor of Jacks or Better Farm, said the Blue Grass effort was puzzling and he is hoping for a return to form with Shivaree charting a course toward the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

“We have no idea what happened in his last race. That was the first time he hadn't shown up for us in a long time,” said Brei. “At this point, he'll let us know whether he likes a mile and a quarter. That's one of the reasons we're here.”

“As a yearling he was rather normal for a colt. No more energetic and no less energetic than the others,” Brei said. “But as a 2-year-old he was ornery. He did whatever he pleased, whether you liked it or not. It wasn't until our fifth start before he broke his maiden. Not because he didn't have the ability, he just wouldn't center his brain on running was all. That's just the way he was for basically most of his 2-year-old year.”

Shivaree graduated by besting fellow Florida-breds by 9 ½ lengths at Gulfstream Park West. His full brother Garter and Tie, who ran ninth in last year's Grade 2 Amsterdam at the Spa, didn't break his maiden until his fourth start but subsequently became a three-time stakes winner. Both are out of two-time stakes winner Garter Belt.

“I would say they're all hardheaded,” Brei said of the family which includes three other six-digit earners. “Garter Belt was the same way. The mare gives you those horses that have to get racing in their brain, and you get it there from running not from training. Shivaree just took a fairly long time. We race 2-year-olds and we have for 20 years. For us to have a 2-year-old take four times to show you they can win a race is uncommon.”

With 40 qualifying points from a runner-up effort in the Florida Derby, Shivaree is 14th on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard. His upcoming effort in the Runhappy Travers, which offers 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top four finishers, will be telling for his connections.

A win in the Travers would be a first Grade 1 victory for the farm since Awesome Feather won the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs.

“The Travers would be a fantastic race for us to win,” Brei said. “It would show us that we belong in the Derby. Also, it would be the first big race winner since Feather.”

Shivaree has had some time to get acclimated to the Saratoga main track, having breezed five furlongs in 1:03.20 on August 1.

“He's been up there for a week and he seems to be taking to it well. Ralph sent me pictures Wednesday morning and Shivaree seems to be enjoying himself,” Brei said.

Shivaree is from the same family as many of Jacks or Better's most notable runners including millionaire Jackson Bend, who was third in the 2010 Preakness, and multiple graded stakes winner Fort Loudon.

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Unraced as a juvenile, the quarter-million dollar purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale won his debut by seven lengths on June 12 at Santa Anita and handled a step up in class with aplomb in a four-length victory at 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 3 Los Alamitios Derby on July 4.

“He's quick,” Baffert said. “He's a big, tall horse but he's really quick on his feet. He's got a tremendous stride. That's why I thought the mile and a quarter would suit him well. If you can win the Travers, it's a big thing. But Tiz the Law looks unbelievable. I watched his last work and he looked tremendous, so Uncle Chuck will have to step it up. It should be a great race.”

“He's been training well, and I thought he deserves a chance to run in it,” Baffert said. “He's only had two races, but they were pretty impressive. The talent is there, he's just still figuring it out and putting it together.”

Another upstart in the Travers is Max Player, the Belmont Stakes third-place finisher, for trainer Linda Rice.

A winner of the Grade 3 Withers in February at Aqueduct Racetrack, Max Player has never finished off the board in four starts, posting a 2-1-1 ledger. Owned by George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds, Max Player is 15th on the Derby leaderboard with 40 points.

Max Player will stretch out to a mile and a quarter for the first time after competing at 1 1/8 miles in his previous two starts.

“He was closing ground at the end of the mile and an eighth in the Belmont, so I'm hoping the extra distance only works in his favor,” Rice said. “It would be great if we had an honest pace in this race, so it would set up better for a horse coming from off the pace.”

The Honor Code colt is listed as 6-1 on the morning line and will break from post 4 under Joel Rosario, who will have a Travers mount for the fifth consecutive year.

Rice was the first female to win a Saratoga training title when she paced all conditioners with 20 wins in 2009. She will be saddling her second Travers starter and first since Kid Cruz [fourth] in 2014.

“For someone who has raced in New York year round for quite some time now, the Travers is one of those races on your bucket list that you'd really like to win,” Rice said. “It's exciting to be in the race. It's disappointing that we won't have the crowds or the fanfare that goes with it, but I'd still be thrilled to win a race like the Travers.”

The top-two finishers of the Grade 3 Peter Pan on July 16 at Saratoga will make short turnarounds to rematch in the Travers, including the winner Country Grammer, who will bid to give four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown his first “Mid-Summer Derby” victory.

Country Grammer, owned by Paul Pompa, Jr., worked a sharp half-mile Saturday in 47.66 seconds in company with last year's Grade 1 Secretariat winner Valid Point.

A maiden winner at second asking when travelling nine furlongs in November at the Big A, Country Grammer was fifth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in his seasonal debut in February at Gulfstream. Following a closing third in a one-turn, 1 1/16-mile allowance event on June 4 at Belmont, Country Grammer made his return to two turns a winning one in the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan on Opening Day July 16 at Saratoga.

Brown said the breeze, which was the colt's first since his Peter Pan win, went according to plan.

“The work went super. He's not a great work horse but for him it was one of the better works I've seen. He's gotten a lot stronger,” said Brown. “He's a May foal and he was always destined to fill out and get stronger as he goes along.”
Bred in Kentucky by Scott Pierce and Debbie Pierce, Brown said the bay son of 2014 Belmont Stakes-winner Tonalist should appreciate the additional furlong on Saturday.

“He's looking for more ground,” said Brown. “He's going to have to step it up obviously on short rest and the fact that it's a much tougher race. But the horse, physically, is doing everything you want him to do. We're excited to participate and give him a shot.”

Listed at 6-1, Irad Ortiz, Jr. will have the call from post 2.

Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing's Caracaro was the Peter Pan runner-up, a neck behind Country Grammer. Conditioned by Gustavo Delgado, the son of Uncle Mo ran second in his debut in December at Gulfstream at seven furlongs and broke his maiden with a six-length win at one mile on January 11 at the Florida track before taking the step up in class last month.

Delgado has won his native Venezuela's equivalent of the Triple Crown with Taconeo in 2007 and Water Jet in 2010. He will bid for Saratoga glory with Caracaro, who is listed at 10-1.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano holds a record six Travers wins, two more than the next-closest competitors all-time, and will aim for No. 7, piloting Caracaro from post 7.

Jacks or Better Farm's Shivaree ran second to Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Florida Derby and will make his first start at Saratoga after compiling two stakes wins, capping his 2-year-old year with a victory in the Buffalo Man at Gulfstream Park and starting 2020 with a Limehouse win on January 4 at Gulfstream.

Trained by Ralph Nicks, Shivaree, a son of Awesome of Course, is listed at 30-1 with Junior Alvarado set to ride from post 5.

South Bend, the runner-up to Dean Martini in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby last out on June 27 at Thistledown, will make his first start for his new connections. Owners Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch and Pantofel Stable acquired South Bend and transferred him to the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

South Bend, an Algorithms colt, will go for his first graded stakes win, drawing post 8 with Jose Ortiz. He is listed at 15-1.

First Line will make his first stakes appearance in his fifth career start for trainer Orlando Noda, who also co-owns the First Samurai gelding with his brother Jonathan as part of Noda Brothers, LLC.

First Line broke his maiden at fourth asking on July 29 at the Spa and will return off a quick turnaround looking to give the 31-year-old Noda his first career stakes winner. David Cohen will ride from post 1 at 30-1.

“I think we got a perfect post,” Noda said. “He's going to come out running when the gates open and he might just fight the whole mile and a quarter. It is a quick turnaround, but I've hyped this horse up from before he even debuted. These are my points for the Derby. He's a longshot for a reason but he's going to outrun his odds and, God willing, we will win this race.”

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“I wanted to go in a minute and he went in a minute. It was perfect,” said trainer Barclay Tagg. “We couldn't have worked better. He came back good and he was breathing good. Everything was good. He's a gem to work with. He is doing perfectly as far as I'm concerned. I don't know what else we can do for him. I like this colt. Why wouldn't you? We've got a nice horse.”

The “Mid-Summer Derby,” to be contested at 1 1/4 miles for the country's most talented 3-year-olds, is one of three Grade 1s on the day, joining the $300,000 Ballerina presented by NYRA Bets for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going seven furlongs in a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

The day will also see sophomore fillies compete in the prestigious Grade 1, $300,000 Longines Test at seven furlongs, with the card bolstered by the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint for older males, and the Grade 3, $150,000 Waya, a 1 ½-mile turf route for older fillies and mares.

Sent out at 5:30 a.m., Tiz the Law recorded splits of 23.4, 36 and out in 1:13.2 over a fast main track with exercise rider Heather Smullen aboard.

“He's a little more relaxed in the morning,” said Smullen. “He's nice and professional and does his job. There is always adversity. If he sees someone, he will get strong. He will get aggressive. He's a racehorse. Luckily, there was no one out there today. He went out there today and did what I told him to do. He was strong and consistent. It sure seems like it [that he's ready for the Travers]. He's done everything they have asked him to do.”

A three-time Grade 1 winner, the son of second-crop sire Constitution followed up his August 2019 debut win at the Spa with a four-length score in the Grade 1 Champagne in October at Belmont. He completed his juvenile campaign with a close third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club, contested on a sloppy strip at Churchill Downs.

Tiz the Law launched his sophomore season at Gulfstream Park with a three-length romp in the Grade 3 Holy Bull in February. He then dominated the nine-furlong Grade 1 Florida Derby by 4 ¼ lengths on March 28.

Last out, Tiz the Law captured the first leg of the revised Triple Crown when 3 ¾-lengths the best in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Stakes.

Tagg and Sackatoga Stable traveled the Triple Crown road in 2003 with another New York-bred in Funny Cide. The Distorted Humor chestnut prevailed by 1 ¾-lengths in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby under Hall of Famer Jose Santos. He followed up with a 9 ¾-length score in the Grade 1 Preakness, but finished third in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes after setting the early pace in his Triple Crown bid.

Sackatoga Stable's operations manager Jack Knowlton said he was pleased with his colt's final preparations.

“Fortunately, he's an easy horse to deal with. He gallops out the way you want him to gallop out. Everything looks as good as it can be,” said Knowlton. “I want to enjoy the next week because it is going to be a lot of fun. We will get to do a lot of things and we will enjoy the moment at Saratoga. Hopefully, everything will work out. We've got four weeks to hopefully win another [Kentucky] Derby.

“It's exciting [to be here for the Travers]. My second biggest disappointment with the whole Funny Cide run was not being able to even run in the Travers,” added Knowlton. “When he got sick, that was a bigger disappointment after not winning the Triple Crown. Now, we've got a second chance. It's not often you get second chances the way we have with this horse and to do things that we couldn't do. We checked one box by winning the Belmont. It would be wonderful to check this box to win the Travers. I have a lot of confidence that he's going to get the mile and a quarter.”

Bred in New York by Twin Creeks Farm, Tiz the Law is out of the graded stakes-winning Tiznow broodmare Tizfiz. He has accumulated earnings of $1,480,300.

Tiz the Law, who leads all contenders with 272 Derby qualifying points, will contest a unique Triple Crown scenario that will continue with the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, rescheduled from Saturday, May 2 to Saturday, September 5, as the second leg of the Classic series. The Grade 1 Preakness, originally slated for May 16, will close out the Triple Crown on October 3 at Pimlico Race Course.

Runhappy Travers contenders Country Grammer and Shivaree breezed at 8:45 a.m. after the break on the Saratoga main track, while possible entrant Mystic Guide breezed at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Maryland.

Paul Pompa, Jr.'s Country Grammer, last out winner of the Grade 3 Peter Pan for trainer Chad Brown, worked a half-mile in company Saturday morning on the main track in 47.66. The Tonalist bay was clocked the opening quarter-mile in 24 flat.

A maiden winner at second asking when travelling nine furlongs in November at the Big A, Country Grammer was fifth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in his seasonal debut in February at Gulfstream. Following a closing third in a one-turn, 1 1/16-mile allowance event on June 4 at Belmont, Country Grammer made his return to two turns a winning one in the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan on Opening Day July 16 at Saratoga.

The experienced Shivaree, trained by Ralph Nicks for Jacks or Better Farm, was clocked five furlongs in 1:03.27 after the break on the Saratoga main.

“It looked like he went well. He's a tough horse and he handles everything fine,” said Nicks. “He handled shipping up there fine. He seems to be in good form. It was a nice maintenance breeze on the bridle, just kind of cruising around there this morning so all is well. We decided last week to take a shot, and everything's good.”

The Awesome of Course colt, a Florida homebred, boasts a record of 12-3-3-2 with purse earnings of $345,505. He captured the Buffalo Man and Limehouse at Gulfstream to kick off his 3-year-old campaign and was the runner-up in both the Grade 3 Swale and Grade 1 Florida Derby at the Hallandale Beach oval. Last out, Shivaree failed to fire when 11th in the Grade 2 Blue Grass on July 11 at Keeneland.

Junior Alvarado will have the call in the Runhappy Travers.

Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide, a late-running third in the Grade 3 Peter Pan for trainer Mike Stidham, added blinkers for his five-eighths work in 1:01 flat Saturday at Fair Hill.

“We felt like he was a little more handy with the blinkers on,” said Stidham. “He broke off three lengths behind another horse. We told the rider to stay even with the other horse down to the wire and he galloped out well. He went out in 13 and change. I was very happy with the addition of blinkers.”

Stidham said he will consider both the Runhappy Travers and the Grade 2, $150,000 Jim Dandy at nine furlongs on September 5 for Mystic Guide.

“We're considering the Travers and we're also considering maybe waiting and running in the Jim Dandy,” said Stidham. “We haven't decided yet but this definitely was a work we were going to use to see if the blinkers helped, which they seemed to, and then decide how aggressive we want to be. Obviously, going into the Travers would be a bit of an aggressive move.”

By Ghostzapper, the Kentucky homebred colt is out of five-time Grade 1-winner Music Note. Mystic Guide made his first two starts at Fair Grounds including a debut third in a six-furlong sprint in February ahead of a five-length maiden score when travelling 1 1/16-miles on March 21 that earned an 84 Beyer.

Mystic Guide rallied to finish second behind Tap It to Win in a June 4 allowance around one-turn with eventual Peter Pan victor and likely Runhappy Travers rival Country Grammer 1 1/2-lengths back in third.

With Jose Ortiz aboard for the first time in the Peter Pan, Mystic Guide settled in eighth position in the nine-furlong event rallying wide to finish third, 3 1/2-lengths back of the victorious Country Grammer, who was a neck better than Caracaro.

The probable field for the Runhappy Travers, which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers, is also expected to include Caracaro [Gustavo Delgado], Max Player [Linda Rice], Uncle Chuck [Bob Baffert] and South Bend [Bill Mott].

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“It was a very good work – 1:01 and change and 1:14 and change in the gallop out,” trainer Ralph Nicks said.

Shivaree, who finished second behind early Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Tiz the Law in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park March 28, is scheduled to ship to Lexington, Ky., on Tuesday for a start in the 1 1/8-mile stakes for 3-year-olds.

“I hope he reproduces his Florida Derby race in the Blue Grass, then he'll get a big piece of it. If he doesn't get it all, he'll get a big piece of it,” trainer Ralph Nicks said.

The homebred son of Awesome of Course has demonstrated a tenacious racing style and an ability to 'fire' every time he has run since breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park West last November. He followed up his maiden score with back-to-back stakes victories in the six-furlong Limehouse and the Buffalo Man to open the 2019-2020 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park. Shivaree continued on to finish second in the seven-furlong Swale (G2) and the six-furlong Hutcheson before stretching out around two turns to finish a gritty second behind Tiz the Law in the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby.

“He reminds me of the old-fashioned horses we had in the '90s when I was with Bill Mott. We had the [Allen] Paulson horses, horses that showed up every time,” said Nicks, who served as assistant trainer to Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who conditioned such greats as two-time Horse of the Year Cigar, Fraise, Ajina, Escena and Geri. “They enjoyed what they did and didn't need much time between races.”

A half-brother to precocious multiple-stakes winner Garter and Tie, Shivaree could manage only one in-the-money finish in his first four career starts, which included a pair of even efforts in Florida Sire Stakes action, before breaking through with his eye-catching 9 ½-length maiden victory.

“After that he's like a different horse. I don't know what turned the key to him, but for some reason he has been a different animal than he was,” Nicks said.

Shivaree most recently finished third in a July 10 stakes-quality allowance while running for the first time since the Florida Derby, beaten 1 ½ lengths by Tampa Bay Derby (G2) runner-up Sole Volante after being involved in a contested early pace.

The post ‘A Very Good Work’: Florida Derby Runner-Up Shivaree Preps For Blue Grass appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A homebred for Fred Brei’s Jacks Or Better Farm, Shivaree required five starts to break his maiden, but has since proved he belongs in the 3-year-old discussion with a pair of stakes scores prior to his Florida Derby effort. The Ralph Nicks trainee was a latest third to Belmont also-ran Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) in a salty one-mile allowance in Hallandale June 10.

“It was a very good work–1:01 and change and 1:14 and change in the gallop out,” Nicks said. “I hope he reproduces his Florida Derby race in the Blue Grass, then he’ll get a big piece of it. If he doesn’t get it all, he’ll get a big piece of it.”

The post Shivaree Tunes Up for Blue Grass appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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