Todd Pletcher | Horse Racing Free Tips

Late-Developing Happy Saver Hopes To Use Tesio As Springboard To Preakness Stakes

Wertheimer and Frere's undefeated Happy Saver, a late-developing son of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver, will take the next step in his progression when he faces stakes company for the first time in the $100,000 Federico Tesio Monday, Sept. 7 at Laurel Park.

The 39th running of the 1 1/8-mile Tesio for 3-year-olds serves as the highlight of five $100,000 stakes on a special 10-race Labor Day holiday program that caps Laurel's Preakness Prep Weekend. For the fifth straight year, the Tesio serves as a 'Win and In' event for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the 145th Preakness (G1) Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course.

Also on the Labor Day card are the Weber City Miss for 3-year-old fillies, a 'Win and In' race for the 96th Black-Eyed Susan (G2) on the Preakness undercard; and a trio of scheduled turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up – the 1 1/16-mile All Along for fillies and mares and the 5 ½-furlong Laurel Dash and 1 1/16-mile Henry S. Clark.

First race post time is 12:40 p.m.

Trainer Todd Pletcher cross-entered Happy Saver in Saturday's Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga but said he favors sending the chestnut son of his first of two career Derby winners to the Tesio, a race the seven-time Eclipse Award champion won with Smoked Em in 2002.

“Our first preference is the Tesio, assuming that everything goes according to plan,” Pletcher said. “We were very pleased with his debut and impressed that he was able to stretch out in his second start to a mile and an eighth and win against older horses. We're very pleased with the progress he's made. We felt like the Tesio could potentially be a good segway toward the Preakness if he continues to develop.”

Unraced at 2, Happy Saver debuted in a seven-furlong maiden special weight June 20 at Belmont Park, pressing a quick pace before taking over entering the stretch and sprinting clear to win by 5 ½ lengths. He came back July 26 at Saratoga, settling in mid-pack until making a six-wide move in upper stretch and going on to a four-length triumph at the Tesio distance.

“He seems to be very talented,” Pletcher said. “He had enough natural speed to win going seven-eighths and then was able to kind of sit off the pace in his second start and finish up strongly at a mile and an eighth. He's already shown some versatility and professionalism in only a couple of starts.

“He's one that we've been impressed with his training,” he added. “We've been breezing him with some good horses and he's always held his own very well, so hopefully he continues to move in the right direction.”

Maryland's four-time leading rider Trevor McCarthy has the assignment on Happy Saver from Post 4 of seven.

Cash is King and LC Racing's Monday Morning Qb is entered to launch his comeback in the Tesio. Winner of the seven-furlong Heft Stakes last December in his only previous trip to Laurel, the Imagining colt has not raced since finishing fourth in the 1 1/8-mile Withers (G3) Feb. 1 at Aqueduct.

Trainer Robert E. 'Butch' Reid Jr. said the connections decided to give Monday Morning Qb some time after the Withers, a break that was extended due to the months-long pause in live racing around the country amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“He really filled out nicely. He's always been a big horse. I'll be interested to see how much he weighs when we get down to Laurel, actually,” Reid said. “He really has filled out nicely and his joints have set up really well, just what we were hoping because he's such a big guy. He couldn't be training any better. We brought him back to the track off his breeze the other day and he's just full of himself and happy. We're excited with how he's doing right now.”

Reid entered Monday Morning Qb in a one-mile turf allowance for Maryland-bred/sired horses Aug. 28 at Laurel but he was unable to draw into the main body of the race and was scratched. He also missed the Maryland Juvenile Futurity at Laurel three weeks before the Heft after developing a fever.

“We're asking a lot of him coming back going a mile and an eighth off a layoff, but we breezed him the other morning and he breezed sensational and galloped out good and strong and came back bouncing, so it looks like there's an opportunity to take a shot,” Reid said. “If he comes up a little short, he comes up a little short but it'll get him stretched out around two turns and that's what we're looking for with him.”

Monday Morning Qb is one of four Triple Crown-nominated horses in the Tesio, making the 'Win and In' incentive an added bonus. Victor Carrasco is named to ride from Post 6.

“There's still spots out there and that's why we're kind of pushing him to get this one under his belt and then look for something down the road. And I still think that he'll turf, too, at some point so I'd definitely like to jump over and try that eventually,” Reid said. “He's definitely handled the surface down there so that's at least part of the reason why we're coming.”

Also nominated to the Triple Crown is Don Fausto Racing's Mexican Wonder Boy. The Kentucky-bred Can the Man colt won the seven-furlong Clasico Anahuac (G1) and 1 1/16-mile Clasico Campeonato Juvenile (G2) during a 2019 campaign that saw him named Mexico's 2-year-old champion male.

Mexican Wonder Boy made his U.S. debut July 25 at Gulfstream Park, dismissing a challenge at the quarter pole and going on to a 1 ¼-length triumph in a one-mile optional claiming allowance. Most recently, he was fifth in a similar spot going 6 ½ furlongs Aug. 16 at Gulfstream.

“The horse has good potential,” Gutierrez said. “He won the race at Gulfstream and then we were looking for a mile and a sixteenth, mile and an eighth, and we decide to run him at 6 ½ furlongs. The horse had just a regular performance. It was a very, very hot day and it was not his best day. We think he has more potential and we were looking for options. I think the Federico Tesio is a good option for him.”

Gutierrez compared Mexican Wonder Boy to Letruska, a 4-year-old homebred filly he trained to a pair of Group 1 wins in Mexico in 2019, a victory over males in the Copa Invitacional del Caribe last December at Gulfstream and a win in the Shuvee (G3) last out Aug. 30 at Saratoga.

“He ran in Mexico three times going two turns and the horse ran very, very comfortable and won good. Of course, it's a different level,” Gutierrez said. “The same was true with Letruska. This is a horse that has very similar conditions because he won in good times, even some days to run a little bit faster than other horses the same day. Letruska is a big horse and a good one and he is a little bit smaller but he has quality. We have to take risk and we have to try, no? This is the point. We have to give it a try.”

Horacio Karamanos gets the call from Post 5 at co-topweight of 124 pounds.

Colts Neck Stables' Big City Bob won the one-mile Sapling last September at Monmouth Park in his third career start and first in a stakes but has gone winless since, including a fifth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Private Terms March 14 at Laurel in his 3-year-old debut. He ran sixth in the Pegasus, also at 1 1/16 miles, Aug. 15 at Monmouth in his last start.

Howling Pigeon Farms' Amen Corner returned to the winner's circle with a determined nose victory facing older horses in an open 1 1/8-mile allowance July 23 at Laurel. Trained by Laurel-based Jerry O'Dwyer, he joins Happy Saver as the only Tesio horses with a previous win at the distance. Earlier stakes attempts over the winter saw the Malibu Moon colt run fourth in Laurel's Miracle Wood and seventh in the Rushaway at Turfway Park.

The Elkstone Group's homebred Plot the Dots owns two wins and a second from four previous starts at Laurel for trainer Mike Trombetta. The bay son of champion Uncle Mo captured a one-mile waiver maiden claiming event Feb. 17 as well as a restricted 1 1/16-mile allowance over older horses June 26, the latter earning him a shot in stakes company, where he ran fourth in the July 26 Jersey Derby over the Monmouth turf. Plot the Dots was second as the favorite in a seven-furlong off-the-turf allowance Aug. 22 at Saratoga last out.

Completing the field is Randall Block and Six Column Stables' Letmeno, runner-up in the Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes last summer. In his most recent start, the Ian Wilkes trainee finished first by a neck in the 1 1/16-mile Iowa Derby July 5 at Prairie Meadows but was disqualified to second for interference in the stretch.

The Tesio is named for the noted Italian breeder, owner and trainer whose hombreds Nearco and Ribot dominate Thoroughbred bloodlines around the world. Tesio died in Italy in 1954 at age 85.

The post Late-Developing Happy Saver Hopes To Use Tesio As Springboard To Preakness Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Tacitus Chasing Long-Sought Grade 1 Victory In Saturday’s Woodward

Juddmonte Farms' three-time graded stakes winner Tacitus has been Grade 1-placed on four occasions, and will seek his first triumph at such level when he faces a field of five competitors in Saturday's 67th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward going 1 ¼ miles at Saratoga Race Course.

The prestigious event for older horses honors William Woodward, the late owner of Bel Air Stud who campaigned father-son Triple Crown-winning pair of Gallant Fox and Omaha and was chairman of the Jockey Club from 1930-50. Since its inception in 1954, the Woodward has attracted high caliber horses such as all-time greats Kelso (1961-63), Buckpasser (1966), Damascus (1967), and Forego who won four consecutive runnings from 1974-77. For four straight years, the Woodward was championed by a winner of the Kentucky Derby with Seattle Slew (1978), Affirmed (1979), Spectacular Bid (1980) and Pleasant Colony (1981) all winning the prestigious event. More recent prominent winners of the Woodward include Mineshaft (2003), Ghostzapper (2004), Saint Liam (2005), Curlin (2008), Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Gun Runner (2017) whose Woodward victories would help cement Horse of the Year honors in their respective years.

Trainer Bill Mott's record of four Woodward victories is tied with fellow Hall of Famers Elliot Burch and Bobby Frankel. Mott will look to become the race's all-time leading conditioner in the prestigious race when saddling Tacitus, who boasts lifetime earnings of $2,817,500.

Mott has sent out Hall of Famer Cigar (1995-96), To Honor and Serve (2012) and Yoshida (2018) to victory in the Woodward.

The 4-year-old gray or roan son of prolific sire Tapit out of 2014 Champion Older Filly Close Hatches was a runaway winner of the Grade 2 Suburban going the 1 ¼-mile distance on July 4 at Belmont Park. With Hall of Famer John Velazquez up, he tracked a leisurely pace, took command at the quarter pole and drew off by 8 ¾ lengths in a final time of 1:59.40. This was his first start since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on May 2 and marked his first victory since taking the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by NYRA Bets in April 2019 at Aqueduct.

“He'll be a fresh horse going in,” Mott said. “He had done a lot of travelling earlier in the year. The Oaklawn race could have been a mistake, but at least we came back and capitalized on the next race being the Suburban. Right after Oaklawn, we decided we would wait for it.”

During his sophomore campaign last year, Tacitus won the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby en route to his Wood Memorial score. He finished in the money in his remaining five starts during his 3-year-old season when elevated to third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby followed by runner-up finishes in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers at Saratoga. He capped off his 2019 campaign with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 28.

Mott said Tacitus has matured from age 3 to 4.

“His energy level has been good,” Mott said. “Naturally, he's a more mature horse from last year, which is normal. He feels good early in the morning before he goes out and he gets geared up and anxious to go once he gets going. He's good to ride and he's easy enough on himself to where he can take care of himself.”

Jockey Jose Ortiz, who piloted Tacitus to his two graded stakes wins last year, will return to the saddle from post 2.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will attempt to level up to even terms with Mott, Burch and Frankel in terms of Woodward victories when he saddles the formidable duo of Moretti and Spinoff.

Owned by Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Moretti arrives at the Woodward off a victory in the 1 ¾-mile Birdstone on August 2, which he won by 1 ½ lengths. Second in the Grade 2 Suburban to Tacitus, Moretti defeated allowance company at Oaklawn Park on May 2 at Oaklawn Park as the lukewarm favorite before winning his first stakes race in the Flat Out on June 11 over a sloppy main track at Belmont Park.

“There's limited opportunities of Grade 1s going a mile and a quarter, so we'll give him a chance to do that,” said Pletcher, who sent out Woodward winners Lawyer Ron (2007), Quality Road (2010) and Liam's Map (2015).

Bred in Kentucky by Thor-Bred Farm, Moretti is by multiple champion producing stallion Medaglia d'Oro out of the Grade 1 winning Concerto mare Rigoletta, who also produced Grade 1 winner Battle of Midway. He was acquired for a lucrative $900,000 from the Gainesway consignment barn at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale.

Jockey Jose Lezcano will have the mount from post 3.

Pletcher also will send out Wertheimer and Frere's Spinoff, a newly minted stakes winner who took the Alydar on August 9 at the Spa where he registered a career-best 99 Beyer.

The homebred son of Hard Spun out of Grade 1-winner Zaftig was previously stakes-place three times, including a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special in 2018. During his sophomore season, Spinoff was a close second to By My Standards in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds en route to off-the-board placings in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. He capped off his 3-year-old season with a decisive 5 ¾-length victory against winners last August at Saratoga defeating graded stakes winners Lone Sailor, Cairo Cat and Control Group exactly one year prior to his last out win.

“Spinoff seems to like Saratoga a lot,” Pletcher said. “He's shown us hints along the way that he has potential for that breakthrough performance I thought the Alydar was arguably his strongest race. He's 2-for-2 around two turns here at Saratoga so that's encouraging as well. He's finally matured and putting it all together.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will pilot Spinoff from post 5.

Sagamore Farm and WinStar Farm's Global Campaign will attempt to replicate his winning ways from the last out Grade 3 Monmouth Cup when making his Grade 1 debut in the Woodward for trainer Stanley Hough.

The well-bred Curlin colt was a determined winner of his last effort, where he controlled a moderate pace throughout, lost the lead at the furlong marker to last year's Woodward runner-up Bal Harbour, but re rallied along the rail to get the victory by 1 ½-lengths over fast-closing Woodward-rival Math Wizard. A consistent five-time winner of eight starts, Global Campaign won his first two races which took place at Gulfstream Park before making the grade in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont Park last May over eventual Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston. In his only start at Saratoga, Global Campaign was third in last year's Grade 2 Jim Dandy.

Bred in Kentucky by co-owner WinStar Farm, Global Campaign is out of the A.P. Indy mare Globe Trot, making him a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Bolt d'Oro.
Leaving from post 4, Global Campaign will be piloted by Luis Saez.

Following a well-beaten fifth in last Friday's Grade 2 Charles Town Classic, Math Wizard will seek to make amends while attempting his second Grade 1 victory for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.

Owned by John Fanelli, Khalid Mishref, Cash Is King Racing, LC Racing, Collarmele Vitelli Stable, Ioannis Zoumas and Bassett Stables, Math Wizard was a deep-closing winner of last year's Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx in his only graded staeks victory to date. The chestnut son of Algorithms owns three others placings against graded stakes company, where he was third in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby last July and second in both the Grade 3 Ohio Derby last June and Grade 3 Monmouth Cup in July.

Jockey Joel Rosario, who guided Yoshida to a 2018 Woodward score, has the mount from post 1.

Rounding out the field is William L. Clifton, Jr.'s Prioritize, a winner on both dirt and turf.

Trained by Jimmy Bond, Prioritize began his career on grass, where he was a first out winner over the Gulfstream Park green in April 2018 before third-place finishes against stakes company on the NYRA circuit in the Better Talk Now at Saratoga and the Grade 3 Hill Prince at Belmont Park, where he was beaten by a length both times.

In his dirt debut, the son of two-time Grade 1 winner Tizway won for a $35,000 tag on December 20 at Aqueduct and defeated allowance company three starts later at Saratoga, where he defeated Grade 1 Kentucky Derby contender Money Moves.

Jockey Eric Cancel piloted Prioritize to his last two efforts and retains the mount from post 6.

The Woodward is slated as Race 11 on Saturday's action-packed 12-race card, which also features the Grade 2, $150,000 Jim Dandy for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles over the main track, the Grade 2, $200,000 Glens Falls for older fillies and mares over the inner turf at 1 3/8 miles, and the Grade 2, $200,000 Prioress for sophomore fillies at six furlongs. Saturday's program offers a first post of 11:45 a.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Tacitus Chasing Long-Sought Grade 1 Victory In Saturday’s Woodward appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘He’s A Remarkable Man’: Pletcher Grateful For Hall Of Fame Assistance With Derby Contender Money Moves

Robert LaPenta and Bortolazzo Stable's Money Moves had one of the most heralded set of eyes in the sport keeping watch on him as he got his first feel of the Churchill Downs track during his gallop on Wednesday.

With his trainer Todd Pletcher remaining in New York at his Saratoga base this week, the lightly raced son of Candy Ride (ARG) is having his Kentucky Derby preparations handled by the legend that is Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. That Lukas is now acting as an “assistant” of sorts for Pletcher is the equivalent of Obi Wan Kenobi readying Luke Skywalker's light saber given that the latter famously cut his teeth working for the four-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer.

“I just did what I was told,” said Lukas, who celebrated his 85th birthday Wednesday. “I sent him out there and he had a good maintenance gallop. We'll school him in the gate tomorrow. Todd just said 'Run him like you would any of your others'.”

“First of all he's a great friend for doing it,” Pletcher added by phone. “They've gone out of their way to accommodate us. Part of the decision making process of going with this horse was that one of the challenges was with the staff. It's been a difficult time for our staff in general all year losing the visa workers and (Lukas) was able to accommodate us and, that way, we don't have to go through the quarantine process coming back.”

Lukas recently returned to his barn after battling the COVID-19 virus, and he makes no bones about how hard the illness hit him. The resilience Lukas has shown in his recovery, however, is par for the course for the man who had made a career out of pulling off extraordinary feats.

“He's a remarkable man. My biggest concern was I knew he had a bout with COVID-19 and I didn't want to be a burden in any way on him,” Pletcher said. “But I could tell from talking to him that his voice was strong and he was feeling good compared to the week before. That was my main concern was I didn't want to be a burden for him.”

Money Moves comes into Saturday with just three career starts to his credit and none against stakes company. The bay colt has held his own against older horses, though, finishing second last time out in an allowance optional claiming race at Saratoga on July 25.

“He came into us with high expectations and I thought he ran very impressively to win his first two races,” Pletcher said. “Unfortunately after that he got sick and we missed several weeks of training so it kind of knocked out the original schedule that we hoped for.

“By the time we got him back, we were in kind of a difficult position because we didn't feel like he was quite ready to run in the Peter Pan off the long layoff. We were in a tough spot. We ran him 1 1/8 miles first time around two turns against older horses and he fared pretty well. It was a very tough race, he was almost able to win and his figures came back strong. After that, it started to look like it might not take any points to get into the Derby, so the ownership group expressed interest in monitoring how he's training and he trained well. We got together after his last breeze and weighed the pros and cons and they felt like we don't get these opportunities but once in a horse's life, so let's take a shot.”

The post ‘He’s A Remarkable Man’: Pletcher Grateful For Hall Of Fame Assistance With Derby Contender Money Moves appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Yaupon Stays Unbeaten With Snappy Amsterdam Victory

Yaupon answered another challenge thrown his way, improving to 3-for-3 in his career by wiring a six-horse field by two lengths in his stakes debut in the 28th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam for sophomores on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Yaupon was unraced as a juvenile but won his debut by a nose going six furlongs on June 20 at Churchill Downs. The Uncle Mo colt proved he could ship well in his last start, a 3 3/4-length allowance win at Saratoga on July 18, before handling the step up in class on Saturday.

Breaking well from post 2 under jockey Joel Rosario, Yaupon was sent to the front, where he registered the opening quarter-mile in 21.93 seconds and the half in 44.68 over a muddy and sealed main track after earlier rainfall.

Out of the turn, Rosario kept Yaupon focused for the stretch run, repelling any potential challenge from runner-up Basin, completing six furlongs in 1:08.50.

“He's extremely fast. He's got an elite amount of speed,” Asmussen said. “It's very important that a horse with his physical [gifts], and as fast as he is, is a graded stakes winner here at Saratoga. I think we can sit down and map out a serious future for him from here.”

Owned by L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Yaupon rewarded his 7-5 favoritism, returning $4.80 on a $2 win wager.

“He broke out of there well. I was trying to get a forward position and he put himself on the lead,” said Rosario, who notched his third win on the card. “He went on well. He's a very talented horse. He had no problem [with the surface].”

Yaupon, purchased for $255,000 at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sale, won on an off track for the first time. He nearly doubled his career earnings to $168,264.

“He had very minor issues, but it was just the physics of it when you're capable of going that fast,” Asmussen said. “We wanted to give him all the maturity we could. We were trying to follow a similar plan with him as we were with Mitole for the Heiligbrodts. They had expected to run him over the winter at the Fair Grounds, but he had another minor issue, so we erred on the side of caution as far as waiting and letting him get to 100 percent.”

Basin, making his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher, finished two lengths in front of Premier Star for second in his first start at Saratoga since winning last year's Grade 1 Hopeful.

“The winner was very good,” Pletcher said. “We were hoping for a bit of a speed duel, but it never really developed. We were pleased with the effort though.”

Wondrwherecraigis, Long Weekend and Liam's Pride completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that features the Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

The post Yaupon Stays Unbeaten With Snappy Amsterdam Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post