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Run Curtis Run Leads All The Way To Win Rick Violette Stakes

Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso's Run Curtis Run edged the competition by a neck in his debut win earlier this month at Belmont Park. Stepping up to stakes company for his second start, the Summer Front colt had an easier go of it, breaking sharp from the inside post and leading gate-to-wire in a 3 3/4-length score in Wednesday's $100,000 Rick Violette for New York-bred 2-year-olds sprinting six furlongs on the Saratoga Race Course main track.

After defeating Rick Violette contender Surprise Boss in a five-furlong off-the-turf contest over a sloppy and sealed Belmont track on July 2, Run Curtis Run paced the four-horse field under jockey Jose Ortiz, leading Ready A.P. through an opening quarter-mile in 22.77 seconds and the half in 46.12 on a track labeled fast.

Ready A.P., a Christophe Clement-trained filly competing against males, challenged Run Curtis Run from the outside out of the turn, but Ortiz kept the pacesetter to task and opened up the lead when straightened for home, powering to the wire ahead of Ready A.P. in a final time of 1:12.48 to improve to 2-for-2.

Trained by Mike Maker and bred by Larry Goichman, Run Curtis Run, off at 3-1, paid $8 on a $2 win wager.

“He has some natural speed and with him drawing the inside post, it wasn't that hard to figure out in a small field,” said Maker, who said Run Curtis Run will likely target the $200,000 Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital on August 27.

Ortiz, who was riding Run Curtis Run for the first time, said he was pleased with the trip.

“I broke quite well and he was fast out of there, so I didn't have to ask him for a lot,” Ortiz said. “He put me on the lead and I was very happy with that. I had the rail and I wanted the lead.

“He was going nice and relaxed in the first part of the race and when I asked him to go, he was there for me,” he added. “All credit goes to Mike, who had him ready and the guys at the barn.”

Ready A.P., owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig, was also a first-out winner, posting an 8 1/4-length victory on July 1 at Belmont. Making her stakes bow, the More Than Ready filly bested Coinage by a neck for second. Surprise Boss ran fourth and Barese scratched.

“My filly was pretty tired in the end,” said Ready A.P. jockey Luis Saez. “The horse on the lead was pretty comfortable up there. I thought we were going to get him, but when I asked, she was tired.”

The seventh edition of the Rick Violette, previously run as the Rockville Centre, was renamed for the longtime NYRA-based trainer and former president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association who passed away in October 2018. Violette served more than 25 years on the NYTHA board, including nine as president from 2008-17, and trained 2018 Grade 1 Whitney-winner and New York-bred Diversify.

“He was tough on me, but he just wanted me to get better,” Ortiz said on riding for Violette. “He wanted to ride me so he wanted to teach me the right way and how he liked it. I learned a lot of good things with him and I'm very happy to win this race. I'm sad he's not here.

“He was cranky sometimes, but it was always about looking out for the best for his guys and I respect that,” he added. “He was a great guy. He helped me a lot and he believed in me at a very young age.”

Violette gave Ortiz his first two Kentucky Derby mounts, with Samraat [fifth in 2014] and Upstart [18th in 2015].

“I walked in today with him on my mind and I wanted to win it,” Ortiz said. “I knew I had a shot. My horse ran very good first time out. It was great for me to win the race named after him, especially with his family here. I have a lot of good memories with him. I rode my first Kentucky Derby for him with Samraat and I rode my second Kentucky Derby for him on Upstart. He gave me great opportunities at a very young age. He believed in me. He knew I was up and coming and that meant a lot to me that he believed in me at that point in my career.”

Live racing at Saratoga resumes Thursday with a 10-race card and a 1:05 p.m. Eastern first post. The day's feature will be the Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick in the opener, with the 2 1/16-mile steeplechase contest featuring a six-horse field.

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Ete Indien Returns From Year-Long Layoff In Sunday’s Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint

A prominent prospect on the Road to the Triple Crown last year before going to the sidelines, Ete Indien is scheduled to make his first start in more than a year in Sunday's $100,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint at Gulfstream Park.

The Umphrey, a five-furlong turf sprint that offers a $25,000 'Win Only' bonus to Florida-bred entrants, is featured on Sunday's Fourth of July program, wrapping up Summit of Speed Weekend, which will be highlighted by the $350,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G2) and the $200,000 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) on Saturday's card.

Ete Indien was a leading 3-year-old last year after setting the pace to finish second behind Tiz the Law in the Holy Bull (G2) and capturing the Fountain of Youth (G2) by 8 ½ lengths. The son of Summer Front went on to finish third behind Tiz the Law after setting a pressured early pace in the Florida Derby (G1). Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) were postponed from their traditional May dates.

“For us, it was very disappointing because my two horses – he and Sole Volante – were at the top of their game,” trainer Patrick Biancone said. “Everything changed. One got hurt and the other one lost his form. But the racetracks were great, protecting everybody and keeping them safe and keeping everybody working.”

Ete Indien would race only once more last year in a June optional claiming allowance, weakening to finish fourth behind stablemate Sole Volante after setting a pressured pace.

“He's trained extremely well, but when you have not run for a year, you cannot expect to have the horse super-tight. He had a little hiccup, and he's recovered from everything now. He's happy, sound and very strong,” Biancone said. “He strained one of his ankles. He should have been ready to run in March, but unfortunately, one morning, he put his legs over the [stall] door and I lost another three months.”

Biancone is happy with what he sees in Ete Indien one full year after he established himself as one of the best 3-year-olds in the country.

“He's gorgeous; he's really matured. He's 16 hands. He's a monster,” said Biancone, who owns Ete Indien with Linda Shanahan, Sanford Bacon, Dream With Me Stable Inc., Horse France America and D P Racing.

Ete Indien has already had success on turf at the five-furlong distance, having closed from off the pace to capture his career debut in September 2019. The Kentucky-bred colt finished off the board following an extremely wide trip in the Bourbon (G3) over Keeneland's turf course in his second start. He rebounded in his dirt debut next time out, scoring a front-running 2 ½-length optional claiming allowance that preceded his most encouraging performances in the Holy Bull, Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby.

“I like the five furlongs on turf for a comeback because it's not too hard on them,” Biancone. “We go back to scratch. He's had a year off. We got back to where he started.”

Florent Geroux, who was aboard for Ete Indien's Fountain of Youth romp, has the call.

Glen Hill Farm's Caribou Club, a multiple graded stakes-winning 7-year-old gelding with more than $700,000 in earnings, looms as a strong contender in the Umphrey after notching a victory in his first career start at the five-furlong distance on turf in a May 22 overnight handicap at Gulfstream.

Edwin Gonzalez has the return call on Caribou Club.

Caribou Club, a Florida-bred son of City Zip, is eligible for the “Win Only' bonus offer, as are Imaginary Stables' Harry's Ontheloose, Move Horse Inc.'s Romario, Hibiscus Stables LLC's Tiger Blood, Just for Fun Stable Inc.'s Warrior's Pride and Golden Kernel Racing Stable's Yes I Am Free.

Lea Farms LLC's Citrus Burst, Chester Bishop's Brother Satchmo and Imaginary Stables' Nitro Time round out the main body of the field. Vicente Stella Stables LLC's Sovereign Warrior is on the also-eligible list. Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Ournationonparade and Averill Racing and partners' R Mercedes Boy are main-track-only entrants.

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Feb. 11 Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

PRICEY INTO MISCHIEF DEBUTS IN NOLA

8th-FG, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 5 1/2fT, 5:23p.m.

Tom Amoss unveils an expensive daughter of red hot sire Into Mischief in NATALIE WOULD, a $500,000 EASMAY purchase following a :21 3/5 breeze. The bay is a daughter of GSP Global Hottie (Dixie Chatter). Bret Jones homebred Quality of Mercy (Summer Front) also debuts in this spot. The bay is a half-sister to GISW Summer Soiree (War Front) and her dam is a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Mil Kilates (Gold Alert). TJCIS PPs

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From the Experts: Hubert Honore

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, Emma Berry spoke with a number of leading industry figures about value. Today we hear from Hubert Honoré.

EB: Who have you identified as a first-year stallion at an appealing opening fee?

HH: Sottsass (Fr), at €30,000, is very good value for what he’s done; he was a very consistent horse. Also Wooded (Ire) was a good sprinter who was very well trained and he will get a good chance. He’s not too dear at €15,000.

EB: Best value proven stallion, and why?

HH: I am a fan of Make Believe (GB). I also think Mehmas (Ire) is good value, even though he’s now standing for three times more than he was. I think he will be a hell of a horse. In the U.S., I would also mention Summer Front, a son of War Front, who gets a lot of winners for the mares he has covered.

EB: Who would you consider to be an under-the-radar stallion?

HH: Here I would name two horses who have come to France who have been elsewhere before. Dream Ahead is not a commercial stallion but he is a very consistent stallion and I like him a lot. Lawman (Fr) is also still a very interesting horse who has been quite overlooked lately. On a much smaller scale, I would also say that Stormy River (Fr) has always been a good stallion who is underrated. It is hard for a horse if he isn’t getting the best mares. In this business a horse has to be good in the first two years otherwise he gets rejected.

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