Tag: Suburban

Charge It Bounces Back in Suburban

Whisper Hill Farm homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (c, 4, Tapit–I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie) got his season back on track with a dominating performance in Saturday's GII Suburban S. at Belmont Park.

The 3-5 favorite, a 23-length winner in last term's GIII Dwyer S. over the same surface, was kept out in the clear by Johnny Velazquez and took over following an opening quarter in :24.49. Still racing several paths off the rail down the backstretch, the gray took the field of five into the far turn in complete control and never had an anxious moment in the stretch, reporting home a 4 3/4-length winner over Clapton (Brethren). Unbridled Bomber (Upstart) was third.

A green but very good second in last year's GI Curlin Florida Derby while making just his third career start, Charge It finished a forgettable 17th in the GI Kentucky Derby prior to his aforementioned tour-de-force victory in Elmont last July. Charge It was forced to miss intended 2022 second-half targets in the GI Runhappy Travers S. and GI Pennsylvania Derby with a foot issue (TDN APBs).

He finally resurfaced with an optional claiming win at Gulfstream Feb. 5, but failed to find the winner's circle in his next three attempts. Second as the chalk in the GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S. Mar. 4, Charge It was fifth as the favorite with blinkers added in the GII Oaklawn H. Apr. 22 and fourth on the turnback to a one-turn mile in the prestigious GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. last time June 10.

“He broke a little bit awkwardly but recovered and put himself in a good spot,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He was in cruise control throughout. [John Velazquez] left him off the rail a little bit to keep him relaxed, but he was traveling so well and it was coming pretty easily to him, you don't want to take that away.”

Regarding a potential next start in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga Aug. 5, Pletcher added, “The spacing is pretty good if we want to consider the Whitney, which is obviously going to be a more difficult assignment, but he's always been a horse that's impressed us as a top-class horse. Maybe he's starting to put it all together.”

Pedigree Notes:

Charge It is one of 102 graded winners for leading sire Tapit. The Tapit over Indian Charlie cross is also responsible for last year's brilliant Horse of the Year Flightline.

Charge It was produced by the winning mare I'll Take Charge, a $2.2-million KEESEP yearling purchase by Mandy Pope's operation. The 11-year-old is a daughter of blue-hen mare Take Charge Lady (Dehere), who is responsible for champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song), GISW Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy), MGSW & GISP As Time Goes By (American Pharoah); and Charming (Seeking the Gold), the dam of champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) and MGISW Omaha Beach (War Front). I'll Take Charge produced a colt by Into Mischief in 2022 and a filly by Tapit this year.

Saturday, Belmont
SUBURBAN S.-GII, $339,500, Belmont, 7-8, 4yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:01.31, ft.
1–CHARGE IT, 120, c, 4, by Tapit
               1st Dam: I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie
               2nd Dam: Take Charge Lady, by Dehere
               3rd Dam: Felicita, by Rubiano
O/B-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John
Velazquez. $192,500. 'TDN Rising Star' Lifetime Record:
GISP, 10-4-3-0, $717,600. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Clapton, 120, c, 4, Brethren–Alexandra Rylee, by Afleet
Alex. O-/B-Arindel (FL); T-Juan Alvarado. $70,000.
3–Unbridled Bomber, 118, c, 4, Upstart–Unbridledexplosion,
by Eddington. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($35,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Edward C. Potash, Brad
Yankanich, and James T. Ryerson; B-Unbridled
Explosion, LLC (KY); T-James T. Ryerson. $42,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, 4, NK. Odds: 0.65, 11.80, 6.70.
Also Ran: Red Run, Tonal Impact.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Letruska Ascends To The Top Of NTRA Thoroughbred Poll

St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska has ascended to the No. 1 position in the latest NTRA National Thoroughbred Poll, ending the 14-week reign of Godolphin's 4-year-old Mystic Guide, who was defeated Saturday in Belmont's Grade 2 Suburban.

Letruska, trained by Fausto Gutierrez, has won four of five starts this year. She made a big name for herself when defeating last year's older dirt female champion Monomoy Girl in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in April, and then swept the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park on June 5 and the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs by 5 ¾ lengths on June 26. A bay daughter of 2010 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Letruska has 11 first-place votes and 302 points, moving up from second place last week.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfied is now in second place with six first-place votes and 266 points. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Maxfield dominated the June 26 Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs with a powerful 3 ¼-length win to improve his overall record to seven wins in eight starts.

Fellow Godolphin runner Mystic Guide lost a hard-fought battle to Max Player by a neck in the Suburban over a sloppy track in his first start since winning the Dubai World Cup on March 27. Trained by Mike Stidham, Mystic Guide received nine first-place votes and 260 points while falling to third place in this week's poll.

Klaravich Stables' 4-year-old gelding Domestic Spending, the only turf horse in the top 10, rose from fifth to fourth place this week with seven first-place votes and 224 points. Trained by Chad Brown, Domestic Spending won the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes at Belmont on June 5.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State, unbeaten in four starts this year, dropped from fourth to fifth place. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Silver State, winner of the Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont on June 5, has one first-place vote and 222 points.

Godolphin's third star in the top 10 is the 3-year-old Essential Quality, winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality is in sixth place with two first-place votes and 197 points.

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, also trained by Cox, turned in one of the top performances of the year last Friday evening when he won the Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap by 10 ¼ lengths. Winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January, Knicks Go (129 points) rose from ninth to seventh place.

The 4-year-old Gamine (83 points), last year's champion female sprinter, was another sparkling winner over the holiday weekend. Owned by Michael Lund Petersen and trained by Bob Baffert, Gamine captured Monday's Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos by 10 lengths, improving her record to three for three this year, and remaining in eighth place in the poll.

George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp's Max Player rose from 23rd to No. 9 following his determined win in the Suburban at 11-1. Trained by Asmussen, the 4-year-old Max Player (69 points) won his first race of the year in three starts.

Spendthrift Farm LLC and Madaket Stables' 6-year-old Monomoy Girl rounds out the top 10 with 58 points. A two-time winner of the Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, Monomoy Girl, also trained by Cox, won this year's Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes at Oaklawn.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through Nov. 6.

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Polls can be found on the NTRA website at: https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-july-6-2021/

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Equibase Analysis: Mystic Guide Likely To Best Happy Saver In Suburban

Although this Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban Stakes drew just six entrants, it is still likely to prove to be a very exciting race because of two horses – Happy Saver and Mystic Guide. Both 4-year-olds and lightly raced, Happy Saver won the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last October and returned to the races at the end of May for a big win, while Mystic Guide returns from three months off after having won the Grade 1, $12 million Dubai World Cup in March, having finished second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup the only time he faced Happy Saver previously.

The contention does not end there, with Informative entering the race off a 79 to 1 upset in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile Stakes last month. Moretti finished third in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Stakes last month following 10 months away from the races and finished second in last year's Suburban so appears to fit here. Max Player and Prioritize round out the field and appear off form, with Max Player coming into the race off a poor sixth place effort in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special and with Prioritize having finished fifth in the same race.

Assuming Mystic Guide is ready to run following a bit over three months off, I think he is more probable to win than Happy Saver based on his win in the Dubai World Cup near the end of March. Now with a record of 4-2-2 in eight career starts, Mystic Guide won the Jim Dandy Stakes last summer as a 3-year-old in only the fifth start of his career, before stretching out to 10 furlongs in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont last October. In that race, Mystic Guide rallied to make the lead by a head with an eight of a mile to go over Happy Saver but was beaten three-quarters of a length at the end, earning a then career-best 104 ™ Equibase® Speed Figure in the process.

Taking four and one-half months off to mature, Mystic Guide made short work of six other horses in the Razorback Stakes in his 2021 debut in February with a 108 figure, before easily defeating 11 other horses in the Dubai World Cup at the distance of the Suburban. The World Cup effort earned a 115 figure, and considering the Suburban will be his third start of the year we can expect even better. Having put in a nice series of workouts since returning to North America, including a best of 33 drill one week ago at the distance of a half-mile, Mystic Guide gets a slight edge over a very worthy opponent in Happy Saver.

Happy Saver actually earned the best ™ figure of his career in his second career start, last July at Saratoga at nine furlongs. The 116 figure was tremendous being as he had only run once before, winning his debut by five lengths in June at the distance of seven furlongs. Easily winning the Federico Tesio Stakes in September, Happy Saver set his sights on the Jockey Club Gold Cup at this 10 furlong trip and put away Mystic Guide in the final yards to earn a 109 figure. Rested nearly eight months, Happy Saver returned to beat a non-descript field of allowance foes as expected at the end of May with a 99 figure. Considering how well he ran in his second career start last July, we can expect Happy Saver to improve markedly off his 2021 debut and that is why the second match between him and Mystic Guide can be expected to be one to behold.

Informative was disregarded at 30 to 1 two races back when finishing second in an allowance race and earning a career-best 103 figure, then one month later ran even better. In the Salvator Mile Stakes at Monmouth on June 12, Informative rallied from last of 10 to win by a length when completely dismissed by bettors at 79 to 1 odds. The 110 figure appears legitimate and as it is as good as the 108 figure Mystic Guide earned winning the Razorback Stakes and the 109 figure Happy Saver earned winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and considering it could be improved upon as Informative is a 4-year-old like the other two contenders, this upstart can't be dismissed as a contender in this race.

The rest of the field, with their best ™ Equibase Speed Figures, is Max Player (99), Moretti (106) and Prioritize (107).

Win Contenders:
Mystic Guide
Happy Saver
Informative

Suburban Stakes – Grade 2
Race 10 at Belmont Park
Saturday, July 3 – Post Time 5:44 PM E.T.
One Mile and One Quarter
Four Year Olds and Upward
Purse: $400,000

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Undefeated Happy Saver, Dubai World Cup Winner Mystic Guide Top Saturday’s Suburban

Wertheimer and Frere homebred Happy Saver puts his undefeated record on the line in Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban, a 10-furlong test for 4-year-olds and up at Belmont Park.

The 135th renewal of the Suburban, which is a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Del Mar, will be televised live on NBC as part of a show airing from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.

The Suburban will feature the one-two finishers of October's Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup won by Happy Saver by three-quarters of a length over Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide, who enters from a win in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan.

A rail-riding Happy Saver, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, tracked Tacitus from third position with Mystic Guide to his outside in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, contested over a fast Belmont main track.

Mystic Guide moved outside of the pacesetter late in the turn as Happy Saver waited for racing room behind rivals that finally emerged when Tacitus came off the rail on the turn for home. Mystic Guide put a nose in front inside the final eighth, but Happy Saver squeezed up the rail to secure the win.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Happy Saver won four starts in his sophomore season, including the Federico Tesio in September at Laurel Park. The Super Saver chestnut launched his 4-year-old campaign on May 28 with a one-length score in an optional-claiming mile on Big Sandy.

Pletcher said Happy Saver, who worked a half-mile in 49.26 seconds Sunday on the Belmont dirt training track, has returned bigger and better as a 4-year-old.

“I think as an older horse he's a little more laid back in some of his works. He always performs well and he's really filled out and matured,” said Pletcher, who won the 2017 Suburban with Keen Ice.

Pletcher said the stretch out in distance will suit Happy Saver.

“For the way he ran in the Jockey Club Gold Cup last year, he's proven he likes that distance and that race looks even stronger now with what Mystic Guide has done,” said Pletcher.

Pletcher will also saddle Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Moretti.

A 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro, out of the Grade 1-winning Concerto mare Rigoletta, Moretti is a half-brother to 2017 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile-winner Battle of Midway.

The consistent bay, who sports a record of 12-4-4-2 with purse earnings of $304,150, launched his current campaign with an even third in the Grade 2 Brooklyn presented by Northwell Health on Belmont Stakes Day.

Last June, Moretti captured the 11-furlong Flat Out over a sloppy Belmont main track by 5 1/4-lengths ahead of a distant second to Tacitus in last year's Suburban. He completed 2020 with a 1 1/2-length win in the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone in August at Saratoga, a title Pletcher said Moretti will have a chance to retain on August 5.

“The further the better for him,” said Pletcher. “He ran OK in here last year and this would be a nice bridge to the Birdstone to try and defend his title there.”

Ortiz, Jr. retains the mount on Happy Saver from post 6, while Flavien Prat picks up the mount on Moretti from the inside post.

Mystic Guide, trained by Mike Stidham, will be making his first appearance since capturing the Dubai World Cup on March 27 at Meydan.

The Ghostzapper chestnut, out of the multiple Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Music Note, made the grade in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in September at Saratoga ahead of his runner-up effort to Suburban rival Happy Saver in the Jockey Club Gold Cup to close out his sophomore season.

Mystic Guide, who has paired with Belmont Stakes-winning rider Luis Saez for his two starts this season, opened his current campaign in impressive fashion with a six-length win in the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap on a sloppy track on February 27 at Oaklawn Park, garnering a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Obviously, we don't really know how much the sloppy track played into that number,” said Stidham. “He came back in the Dubai World Cup and made the number look like it was real, which was good. We've given him plenty of time and he's had three months since that race to bounce back. Looking at him train and his weight and his coat, he's an absolute picture right now.”

Stidham said Mystic Guide will need to improve to turn the tables on Happy Saver.

“He needs to be faster. The bottom line is that they're both very good horses,” said Stidham. “I'm not taking anything for granted. I know Happy Saver has never been beaten and it won't be an easy race for us. I just hope we have the best horse.”

Stidham said Saez, who will pilot Mystic Guide from post 4, could be a difference maker on Saturday.

“Luis has ridden him in both races this year and he has a tremendous amount of confidence in the horse and that will play a big part,” said Stidham. “I couldn't ask to have a more talented rider on him. We have things set up for as good an effort as he's ready for.”

Informative, trained by Uriah St. Lewis for his family's Trin-Brook Stables, enters from a last-to-first score in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at odds of 79-1 on June 12 at Monmouth Park.

The 4-year-old Bodemeister chestnut has racked up 25 career starts with three wins and three seconds, and picked up his first graded black type last out when besting Ny Traffic by one-length, garnering a career-best 99 Beyer.
Manny Franco has the call from post 2.

William L. Clifton, Jr.'s multiple graded stakes placed Prioritize, a 6-year-old Tizway gelding, finished a closing fifth last out in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special on May 14 at Pimlico Race Course.

Prioritize made his first nine starts on turf, including a third in the 2018 Grade 2 Hill Prince at Belmont, before trainer Jimmy Bond switched the bay to dirt for his last seven efforts.

The versatile Prioritize ran third in the Grade 1 Woodward Handicap in September at Saratoga ahead of a fourth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup to close out his campaign.

Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 3.

George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, is in search of his first win since capturing the Grade 3 Withers on February 1, 2020 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 4-year-old Honor Code colt ran third in both the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers following his Withers win for former conditioner Linda Rice.

Transferred to Asmussen for a fall campaign, Max Player finished fifth in both the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Preakness in a Triple Crown campaign schedule which was readjusted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Max Player opened his season with an off-the-board effort in the Group 1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in February and ran sixth last out in the Pimlico Special.

Ricardo Santana, Jr. has the call from post 5.

The Suburban is carded as the closing race on Saturday's 10-race program. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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