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NYRA To Host Fundraiser On PDJF Awareness Day

On Saturday, July 29, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will pay tribute to the jockey colony at Saratoga Race Course while also raising funds for their cause with the launch and sale of jockey trading cards on Permanently Disabled Jockeys' Fund (PDJF) Awareness Day, the organization said in a release Saturday.

In recognition of the non-profit organization's fundraising awareness day, which is observed annually at race tracks across the U.S., fans will be given the opportunity to purchase a pack of five jockey trading cards for $5, with a limit of three packs per person. Similar in design to baseball trading cards, the limited-edition cards will feature 20 of Saratoga's active and most popular jockeys.

Many of the jockeys represented on the trading cards will be available from 11:30 a.m. ET to 12:30 p.m. ET for an autograph signing on the Jockey Silks Porch. Suggested donations are encouraged to support the PDJF.

“Saturday, July 29 is Permanently Disabled Jockeys' Fund Day across America and a day we also recognize The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a critical piece of legislation for all Americans with disabilities,” said PDJF Board President Nancy LaSala. “On this day, the PDJF invites all race tracks conducting horse racing contests to coordinate with their local jockey colony to hold fundraisers and create awareness about how important this day is. We are grateful to NYRA for creating this collector series of trading cards and making them available to fans for a modest donation to the PDJF.”

There are 4,500 total packs available for purchase with all proceeds to be donated to the PDJF. Representatives from PDJF will be on site collecting donations and selling the jockey trading card sets inside Gate A near the Taste NY Pavilion beginning at 11 a.m. until supplies last.

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Saratoga Notebook: Hit Show, Angel of Empire Work Ahead of Jim Dandy

GSWs Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) breezed five furlongs in company over Saratoga's Oklahoma dirt training track Saturday as both horses prepare for the July 29 GII Jim Dandy S. at the Spa.

Under clear skies and temperatures in the mid-60s, the Brad Cox-trained pair stepped onto the fast track right at 5:30 a.m. with Flavien Prat aboard Angel of Empire and Luis Saez on Hit Show. The two walked in tandem midway up the stretch before turning back around to assume their starting position. Angel of Empire was positioned to the inside of Hit Show with the two completing their exercise on nearly even terms.

Cox said this week's work was almost identical to their July 14 work when the two covered five-eighths in 1:00.90.

“I had them in a minute and four [fifths] this weekend and last,” he said. “It was really good and very similar to what we saw last week. I loved that work and I loved this work. They work well together and it went so well last week, I didn't want to change much. I was very happy with what we saw.”

Gary and Mary West's Hit Show and Albaugh Family Stables' Angel of Empire were last seen dead-heating for fourth in the GI Belmont S. Hit Show won the GIII Withers S. in February before a runner-up effort in the Apr. 8 GII Wood Memorial, while Angel of Empire took the Feb. 18 GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds followed by the Apr. 1 GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. He subsequently finished third in the GI Kentucky Derby.

Also Working at Saratoga Saturday..
Saturday morning's work tab also featured MGISW Caravel (Mizzen Mast), who went a half-mile solo over the Oklahoma turf training track ahead of an anticipated start against males in the GIII Troy S. Aug. 5. The 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint champion worked just after 10 a.m. under regular exercise rider Kelvin Perez.

The 6-year-old previously posted a half-mile breeze in :48.88 on July 15.

“It was really good and again, it was similar to last week,” affirmed trainer Brad Cox. “I was super happy this morning. Kelvin [Perez] was on her and does a great job with her. He was on her last year. She's very professional.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher also sent out Stonestreet Stables' homebred Julia Shining (Curlin) to a half-mile move in :50.22 over the main track Saturday morning. The full-sister to dual Champion Malathaat was last seen finishing third in the GI Ashland S. in April at Keeneland.

According to Pletcher, the GII Demoiselle S. winner may make her next start in 10-furlong GI Alabama S. Aug. 19 at Saratoga.

“She's really starting to come around. She's just getting going but looking good so far,” Pletcher said. “You never know, the Alabama might be in play if things were to go perfectly. The one thing is I know she wants the mile and a quarter. If she wants it under that scenario having not run since the Ashland is the question.”

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Blinkers On For Forte

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte (Violence) worked in blinkers Saturday morning at Saratoga Race Course and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said the colt will have them on in the GII Jim Dandy on July 29.

“We just want to get him a little bit more locked in,” he said.

Pletcher described the small blinker is a French cup with some holes in it.

Under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Forte, who worked in company with MGSW Emmanuel, breezed a half-mile on the main track in :50. Emmanuel remains on target for the Aug. 12 GI Fourstardave H.

Pletcher said he was happy with Forte's work.

“I thought he went really well,” he said. “He was enjoying himself out there.”

It was Forte's second breeze this summer at Saratoga after covering a half-mile in :48.90 July 14.

“I feel like he lost focus a little bit in the [GI] Florida Derby in the middle of the turn and in the [GI] Belmont. It might have cost him the Belmont,” Pletcher said.

He continued, “Irad and I had a conversation after that work about possibly trying some blinkers on him. We galloped him in them one day this week and it seemed like that went fine. Irad felt like he was a little more focused on what he was asking him to do rather than what the horse next to him was doing. If we were going to try an equipment change, we felt like the Jim Dandy would be the race to do it in and not wait until the Travers if we felt we needed to make a change.”

Forte has won six of eight career starts and was the 2-year-old male champion last year after compiling consecutive Grade I victories in the Hopeful, the Breeders' Futurity and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

He opened his 2023 campaign with a 4 1/2-length victory in the GI Fountain of Youth. In the Florida Derby he made a huge rally in the stretch to overtake Mage (Good Magic) and win by one length. Forte, the morning-line favorite, was scratched from the Kentucky Derby the morning of the race because of a bruised foot. He was second in the Belmont, 1 1/2 lengths behind Arcangelo (Arrogate).

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Kingman’s Startup Mentality Gets Brown, Klaravich Off the Blocks on Haskell Day

1st-Monmouth, $54,650, Msw, 7-22, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.94, fm, 1 1/2 lengths.
STARTUP MENTALITY (IRE) (f, 3, Kingman {GB}–Fine Time {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), sourced by Chad Brown and owner Klaravich Stables for 300,000gns ($428,654) out of Book 1 at the 2021 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, was the only first-time starter taking on a field of more experienced maidens to open the Haskell S. day card at Monmouth Saturday. Named the 2-1 third choice, the filly broke from the far outside gate and was content to let the rest of the field go in front of her up the backstretch through an opening half in :46.97 before making a sweeping four-wide move around the far turn. Caught the widest of the bunch, Startup Mentality had plenty of momentum with a furlong to run, eagerly ran down late leader Mirabella (Into Mischief), and gained separation to the line to graduate by 1 1/2 lengths. The second straight winner from her dam, Startup Mentality is out of a full-sister to G1SW Passage of Time (GB) and a half to GSW/MGISP Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and G1SW Timepiece (GB) (Zamindar). This is also the family of European champion older horse Twice Over (GB) (Observatory) and GI Matriarch S. winner Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}). Fine Time has a 2-year-old Lope de Vega (Ire) filly and a yearling filly by Night of Thunder (Ire). Sales History: 300,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $33,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Mount Armstrong Stud. (Ire); T-Chad C. Brown.

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