“He's got a brilliant mind this horse and takes everything in, but he knew it was race day,” said winning trainer Wesley Ward. “The plan was, unless he broke super sharp, that I'd like him to come from behind. Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] worked him from behind the last few times, so he knew he could do it. Julio Garcia, our main rider at home, works him from behind every week. I'm glad he showed a little versatility today. I'm glad Irad gave him a couple of reminders on the shoulder and got him going the last little part. Right after the race he gave him a little pet and a tap and he said there was a lot more left in him.”

He added, “You're always concerned [about the close finish], but I have a of confidence in this horse. He's certainly the best horse I've ever had. Every time you lead him over he proves more and more what a joy [it is] to be around a special horse like this. It would make every single trainer get up in the morning. He's a once in a lifetime horse and I've been blessed to have a few of them, but this guy is certainly the best.”

On a potential dirt start in the six-furlong GII Phoenix S. Oct. 7 at Keeneland, Ward said, “We'll talk it over with everyone involved in the ownership of the horse and see which direction they want to go, but it's important to them to show what the horse can do on the dirt as well. Through all these issues he's had throughout his career–minor issues–I've kept him on the grass to keep him sound, but he's never been as sound as he is now. It would be a good time to try him and it would be a good time to try him on his home track.”

“When they opened the gate he was moving at the same time and they outbroke me,” Ortiz said. “They were in front of me and that's not his style. He's always in front of everyone the first couple of jumps. We've been working covered up in behind horses, that was how Wesley wanted me to work the horse, and today when that happened I wasn't afraid to take a hold or drop in and sit and wait because I was working with the horse. It worked out good. He's pretty fast out of there; probably the fastest horse I ride on the turf in my whole career.”

As for the poor effort at Royal Ascot, Ortiz said, “Last time didn't work out, honestly, he missed the break. I was a little aggressive and he stopped bad, so we didn't want the same thing to happen. Wesley let me do whatever, he didn't say instructions or anything. I love riding for him. I felt somebody was coming [Thin White Duke], but my horse was fighting with the other horse [True Valour], but my horse was responding well, so I know he's going to be there if I ask him too.”

A neck short in the G2 Norfolk S. at the 2020 Royal meeting, Golden Pal captured the Skidmore S. at the Spa and the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint S. at Keeneland. Kicking off 2021 with a win in Saratoga's GIII Quick Call S., he was seventh when shipped across the pond for York's G1 Nunthorpe S., but returned to winning ways back at Keeneland in the GII Woodford S. last October. Securing his second win at the World Championships in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint S. at Del Mar, the son of Lady Shipman romped in Keeneland's GII Shakertown S. Apr. 9, but was eased to 16th as the heavy favorite after a slow start in the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot June 14.

Pedigree Notes:
Golden Pal is the first foal out of ultra-talented turf sprinter Lady Shipman, who came up just short in her Breeders' Cup bid, but won a total of eight stakes, including a track record-setting score in Saratoga's 5 1/2-panel Smart N Fancy S. That record of 1:00.46 was broken by Carotari in 2019, when he covered the distance in 1:00.21. Lady Shipman failed to get in foal to Gun Runner for 2019 and her 2020 Justify foal died. The 10-year-old mare produced an Omaha Beach colt now named Lieutenant General in 2021 and an Uncle Mo filly named Luvwhatyoudo in 2020. She was bred back to Essential Quality. Lady Shipman's MSP full-sister Just Talkin summoned $675,000 in foal to American Pharoah at the 2019 FTKNOV sale.

Friday, Saratoga
TROY S.-GIII, $300,000, Saratoga, 8-5, 4yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:00.92, fm.
1–GOLDEN PAL, 124, c, 4, by Uncle Mo
                1st Dam: Lady Shipman (GSW-Can, MSW & GISP-USA,
                                   $902,387), by Midshipman
                2nd Dam: Sumthingtotalkabt, by Mutakddim
                3rd Dam: Nannetta, by Falstaff
($325,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Westerberg Limited, Mrs.
John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith; B-Randall E
Lowe (FL); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $165,000.
Lifetime Record: GISW-US & GSP-GB, 11-7-2-0, $1,638,431.
 Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+.
2–True Valour (Ire), 122, h, 8, Kodiac (GB)–Sutton Veny (Ire), by
Acclamation (GB). (19,000gns Wlg '14 TATFOA; €100,000 2yo
'16 GBMBR; $225,000 6yo '20 FTKHRA). O-R. Larry Johnson;
B-Mr P. O'Rourke (Ire); T-H. Graham Motion. $60,000.
3–Thin White Duke, 118, g, 4, Dominus–Aberdeen Alley, by
Distorted Humor. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Philip A.
Gleaves, Steven Crist, Ken deRegt and Bryan Hilliard; B-Phil
Gleaves (NY); T-David G. Donk. $36,000.
Margins: HD, NK, HF. Odds: 0.30, 11.00, 30.25.
Also Ran: Arzak, Yes and Yes, Spycraft, Carotari.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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The 5-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy, out of Grade 1-winner Karlovy Vary, wintered in Florida at Palm Meadows before shipping to Motion's primary base at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. She recently breezed five furlongs in 1:02.60 on April 12.

Motion said Mean Mary missed her initial target, the 11-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay on May 1 at Belmont Park.

“It took us a while to get going with her,” Motion said. “I would have like to have made the Sheepshead Bay, but we got a little behind so we're looking at the race in June.”

Last season, Mean Mary put together three straight victories against graded stakes company. Prior to capturing the New York, she won the Grade 3 La Prevoyante and the Grade 3 Orchid last winter at Gulfstream Park. She has not raced since finishing seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Keeneland.

Motion said True Valour returned from his international endeavor in Dubai in good order and could possibly make the Grade 1, $400,000 Jackpocket Jaipur, a six-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up on June 5 at Belmont Park offering Breeders' Cup Win and You're In status.

Owned by R. Larry Johnson, Ture Valour finished sixth in the Group 1 Al Quoz Turf Sprint, arriving off stakes placings in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez at Santa Anita [second] and the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship [third].

“He had a really weird trip in Dubai,” Motion recalled. “He seems fine back at Fair Hill. We're just taking things easy with him at the moment. He could be possible for the Jaipur.”

Motion also has New York graded stakes in mind for Invincible Gal, who has not raced since running second in the Tepin on November 29 at the Big A. The 3-year-old daughter of Invincible Spirit garnered black type twice last season, finishing second in the Sorority at Monmouth Park and the Selima at Pimlico on October 3.

Owned by Mike Ryan, Jeff Drown and Team Hanley, Invincible Gal could make her seasonal bow in the seven-furlong Grade 3, $100,000 Soaring Softly on May 15 at Belmont Park.

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Last, about 6 ½ lengths off the lead heading to the three-furlong pole, Rosario hugged the rail and slipped through a narrow opening three sixteenths of a mile out and unleashed a powerful stretch run while repelling a stout late challenge from runner-up True Valour.

“Brilliant, it really was just a fantastic ride by Joel, that's why he's one of the world's best,” said Miller.  “He's a very fast horse, he runs fast figures and fast Beyers.  The question to me was, whether the six and a half was too short for him, but he answered that question today.”

Off at 5-1 in a field of seven older horses, Hembree paid $12.40, $6.20 and $3.60.

A Grade 2 stakes winner going six furlongs on turf at Woodbine at age 4, Hembree picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $927,371 while improving his overall mark to 40-8-10-8.

“Pete told me to let him be early and try and make one run with him,” said Rosario, who had ridden Hembree on four other occasions in New York, Florida and Kentucky, with his most recent partnership coming seven starts back on March 28 at Gulfstream Park.  “He broke well and I thought we were in a good spot, not too far off the lead.  He made a nice move around the turn and when that other horse came to him, he tried very hard.”

Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Irish-bred True Valour ran too good to lose as he rallied four-wide through the stretch to finish 3 ¼ lengths in front of Blitzkrieg.  Off at 7-1, True Valour paid $7.40 and $5.00.

Blitzkrieg, who had been routing on turf in five out of his last six starts, made the lead briefly a furlong out and checked in third, a half length clear of Texas Wedge.  Off at 4-1 with Victor Espinoza, he paid $4.00 to show.

Fractions on the race were 21.56, 44.13 and 1:07.95.

The Joe Hernandez is named in honor of the original Voice of Santa Anita, who called 15,587 consecutive races from the track's opening on Dec. 25, 1934, until he collapsed while calling what would be his final race on Jan. 27, 1972.

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m.  ​All of Santa Anita's races can be watched free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1^st.com/Bet.

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Most recently seventh, beaten three lengths after taking the lead turning for home in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7, Wildman Jack, who is trained by Doug O'Neill, was a big second, beaten one length two starts back in the 5 ½ furlong turf Eddie D Stakes here on Sept. 25.

A nose winner of the G3 Daytona Stakes five starts back on May 23, 2020, Wildman Jack has a win and two seconds from three tries over the Santa Anita turf and like the rest of the field, he'll be running out of Santa Anita's newly christened turf chute for the first time on Friday.

Out of the Orientate mare Orientatious, Wildman Jack is 12-4-3-1 overall with earnings of $439,005.

Other prominent contenders include trainer Graham Motion's venerable Irish-bred True Valour, who is based at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and will be will be making his 30th career start at age seven.  No stranger to Santa Anita, True Valour, who was based in Southern California with Simon Callaghan for parts of three racing seasons beginning in 2018, he's a two time graded stakes winner going one mile over the local lawn from nine tries.

Although primarily a router throughout his career, True Valour transitioned to sprinting two starts back, taking a 6 ½-furlong classified allowance over Woodbine's synthetic Tapeta on Nov. 14 and he comes off a solid third in an ungraded six furlong turf stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 28.

Owned by R.L. Johnson, True Valour is 29-6-2-8 overall with earnings of $462,237.

In addition to Wildman Jack, Doug O'Neill will also be represented by Blitzkrieg, a winner of the G3 American Stakes here five starts back who will be shortening up out of three consecutive turf routes.  Owned by R3 Racing, LLC and Calara Farms, Blitzkrieg has four wins from 11 tries over the Santa Anita turf and he has earnings of $411,457 from an overall mark of 25-6-1-1.

Hronis Racing's classy Encoder, idle since February 1 for John Sadler, rates a huge chance with Tyler Baze engaged to ride.  A first-out five-furlong turf maiden winner at Del Mar in August 2019, he followed that up with a game head victory in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 1, 2019.

A well beaten fifth on dirt in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes Feb. 1, he pressed the early pace en route to a half-length score in the one-mile turf Eddie Logan Stakes two starts back on Dec. 29, 2019.  Back on his preferred surface on Friday, Encoder should plenty tough while attentive to the pace.

The Joe Hernandez is named in honor of the original voice of Santa Anita, who called more than 15,000 consecutive races from Dec. 25, 1934 until he collapsed while calling his final race on January 27, 1972.

JOE HERNANDEZ STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS

IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9    Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

1. Texas Wedge—Flavien Prat—120
2. P R Radio Star—Juan Hernandez—120
3. Encoder—Tyler Baze—120
4. Hembree—Joel Rosario—120
5. True Valour—Drayden Van Dyke—120
6. Blitzkrieg—Victor Espinoza—122
7. Wildman Jack—Abel Cedillo—122
8. Chaos Theory—Umberto Rispoli—122
9. Oiseau de Guerre—Ruben Fuentes—120
10. Mesut—Mike Smith—120
11. Ohio—Ricky Gonzalez—120

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The 119th running of the Dinner Party for 3-year-olds and up on the grass is part of a Preakness Day program of 12 stakes races, seven graded, worth $2.7 million in purses featuring the $1 million Preakness (G1) for 3-year-olds and $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies.

Previously run as the Dixie, Pimlico's oldest stakes race and the eighth-oldest in the country was named the Dinner Party for its 1870 debut and contested at two miles. The distance has changed eight times over its history, settling at the current 1 1/16 miles in 2014.

Larry Pratt and Dave Alden's Doctor Mounty snapped a five-race losing streak when he returned from a brief freshening with a front-running 1 ¾-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Henry S. Clark Sept. 7 at Laurel Park. It was his first victory since his previous trip to Maryland, when the now 7-year-old gelding rallied to win the Prince George's County by a length last June.

The Clark was Doctor Mounty's sixth win from nine lifetime tries at Laurel, including the 2018 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3). Based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., where he breezed a half-mile in a bullet 47.40 seconds Sept. 26, Doctor Mounty has yet to race at Pimlico.

“He's doing fine. He's been there at Fair Hill and he's trained well there, so we'll take a shot,” McGaughey said. “He likes Laurel, so [the Clark was] a good spot to try and start him back again.”

In the Clark, Doctor Mounty was reunited with jockey Forest Boyce, who has ridden him to five of his Laurel wins including all three stakes. She and the 2019 Tropical Turf (G3) winner will team up again from Post 6 in a field of seven for the Dinner Party.

McGaughey's previous wins came with Hall of Famer Lure (1993), Parading (2009), Ironicus (2015) and Fire Away (2018), when it was rained onto the main track.

“Forest rides him really well, so I think that's one of the things that's helped, too,” McGaughey said. “He's made more than a half-million dollars, he's won some stakes and won some graded-stakes. He's been off and on a little bit but we gave him a little time this summer. We thought about taking him to Colonial [Downs] but when that fell through [the Clark] was the next logical spot, [and] here we are.”

Trainer Graham Motion, who won with Dr. Brendler in 2003 and Better Talk Now in 2006 and was third the past two years with Just Howard, counters with the pair of True Valour and Irish Strait. R. Larry Johnson purchased Irish-bred True Valour over the summer and the 6-year-old debuted for his new connections Sept. 5 in the 1 1/8-mile Turf Classic (G1), pressing the pace before fading to seventh.

True Valour has gone winless in seven tries since taking the City of Hope Mile (G2) last October, his first start in eight months after winning the Thunder Road (G3), both at Santa Anita. Winner of the 2018 Ballycorus (G3) at Leopardstown in Ireland, he will be ridden by Julian Pimentel from Post 1.

“I think the mile and an eighth in Kentucky was a little far for him. I think shortening up to a mile and a sixteenth is going to help him,” Motion said. “He's pretty straightforward; I just think distance is going to be a bit limited for him. Last time was just a bit too far.”

Isabelle Haskell de Tomaso's homebred Irish Strait is a half-brother to Irish War Cry, millionaire winner of the 2018 Pimlico Special (G3). Irish Strait earned his own graded triumph in the 2017 Red Bank (G3) and has run second or third four times since in graded company.

After more than a year between races, Irish Strait has started twice this year with a third in the 1 1/16-mile Oceanport Aug. 9 and a fourth to Analyze It in the one-mile Red Bank Sept. 5, both at Monmouth under jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. Trevor McCarthy will be aboard for the Dinner Party from Post 5.

“He's run twice this year and run pretty well. Just looking over his form, he almost never gets beaten more than four lengths. Since last January he's just been very consistent,” Motion said. “He's 8 now so at some point in time it's going to catch up to him, but I thought in the Red Bank [trainer] Chad [Brown] won it with a filly coming off a long layoff with a pretty nice horse, a Grade 1 type horse. Jorge felt like he made a mistake by taking back little bit, and he was only beaten 4 ¼ lengths.”

Also in with a pair of horses is trainer Mike Maker, Somelikeithotbrown and Hembree, who will break side-by-side from Post 2 and 3, respectively, under Paco Lopez and Daniel Centeno. Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's Somelikeithotbrown, 4, captured the Bernard Baruch (G2) July 26 at Saratoga for his second career graded triumph, while Three Diamonds Farm's Hembree won the 2018 Nearctic (G2). The 6-year-old hasn't visited the winner's circle since the 2019 El Prado but placed six times in 13 tries, all stakes.

Gaining Ground Racing's Factor This, beaten less than a length after setting the pace in the Turf Classic, cuts back to a distance where the 5-year-old owns four wins from seven starts, the most recent coming in the June 20 Wise Dan (G2) for trainer Brad Cox. It was part of a three-race streak interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic following victories in the Muniz Memorial Classic (G3) and Fair Grounds (G3). An 11-time winner of nearly $1.1 million in purse earnings, Factor This drew outside Post 7 with Florent Groux.

Rounding out the field is O Dionysus, a stakes winner on turf and dirt for previous trainer Gary Capuano making his third start since being purchased by Irvin S. Naylor for $135,000 last December. The 6-year-old gelding has won stakes in each of his first four racing seasons but is 0-for-2 in 2020, finishing off the board in the United Nations (G1) and Henry Clark. This will be his third straight year in the race, running fourth in 2018 and fifth in 2019.

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These new entries are cataloged as Hips 150-165, and may now be viewed online. This latest group of entries includes:

• Queen of God (Hip 152): Three-year-old filly captured the Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway back in March, where she earned 20 Kentucky Oaks points.  She hails from the immediate family of leading sire Uncle Mo. She is consigned by WinStar Racing, agent.
• True Valour (Hip 154): Consistent grass runner captured the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile Stakes and G3 Thunder Road Stakes last year going a mile on turf at Santa Anita. Prior to that, he was a group stakes winner and multiple stakes winner in his native Ireland. An earner of nearly $400,000, he is consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent.
• Gold Button (Hip 160): Three-year-old filly captured her career debut on June 25 at Churchill Downs in impressive fashion, winning by 3 3/4 lengths going seven furlongs. She is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.
• Sombeyay (Hip 162): Versatile 4-year-old son of Into Mischief captured the G3 Canadian Turf Stakes on grass at Gulfstream in February. At two, he captured the G3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga on dirt. He has six stakes wins or stakes placings on his way to current earnings of $361,890. He is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

These entries may also be viewed in the sale's enhanced online catalog, which features pedigrees, race videos, statistical links, Ragozin “sheet” numbers, and real-time Daily Racing Formand Thoromanager past performances.

Print catalogs will be available on-site at Fasig-Tipton by Friday, July 10.

Fasig-Tipton will also continue to catalog approved entries up until sale time.

Health and Safety Protocols

Health and safety protocols will be in place on-site at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky. A complete list may be found here.

Online Bidding

Online bidding, which Fasig-Tipton successfully debuted at its recent Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, will also be available for the July Horses of Racing Age Sale. For more information, please visit: http://www.fasigtipton.com/online-bidding.

The company will provide phone bidding services, as well.

Del Mar Bonus

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will offer an additional $2,000 to their Ship & Win program for any horse purchased at the July Horses of Racing Age Sale that makes a start at the 2020 Del Mar Summer meet. Horses purchased at the sale will receive a day three date from the racing office.

The July Horses of Racing Age Sale will take place Monday, July 13 in Lexington, Ky. The sale will begin at 4 p.m.

The post Fasig-Tipton July Horses Of Racing Age Catalog Grows To 165 Entries appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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These new entries are catalogued as hips 150-165, and may now be viewed online. This latest group of entries includes:

QUEEN OF GOD (Hip 152): Three-year-old filly captured the Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway back in March, where she earned 20 Kentucky Oaks points. She hails from the immediate family of leading sire Uncle Mo. She is consigned by WinStar Racing, agent.

TRUE VALOUR (IRE) (Hip 154): Consistent grass runner captured the GII City of Hope Mile S. and GIII Thunder Road S. last year going a mile on turf at Santa Anita. Prior to that, he was a group stakes winner and multiple stakes winner in his native Ireland. An earner of nearly $400,000, he is consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent.

GOLD BUTTON (Hip 160): Three-year-old filly captured her career debut June 25 at Churchill Downs in impressive fashion, winning by 3 3/4 lengths going seven furlongs. She is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

SOMBEYAY (Hip 162): Versatile 4-year-old son of Into Mischief captured the GIII Canadian Turf S. on grass at Gulfstream in February. At two, he captured the GIII Sanford S. at Saratoga on dirt. He has six stakes wins or stakes placings on his way to current earnings of $361,890. He is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

These entries may also be viewed in the sale’s enhanced online catalogue, which features pedigrees, race videos, statistical links, Ragozin “sheet” numbers, and real-time Daily Racing Form and Thoromanager past performances.
Print catalogues will be available on-site at Fasig-Tipton by Friday, July 10.

Fasig-Tipton will also continue to catalogue approved entries up until sale time.

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