Tag: Violence

Forte Survives Inquiry in Jim Dandy Thriller

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's champion Forte (Violence) just got up to nail the pacesetting Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) by a nose and had to survive a stewards' inquiry in a roughly run renewal of Saturday's GII Jim Dandy S. in the Saratoga slop.

Racing with blinkers for the first time, the 3-4 favorite traveled kindly on the inside in third beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. as Saudi Crown led the field of five through fractions of :23.93 and :48.10.

All dressed up with nowhere to go approaching the quarter pole, Ortiz Jr. forced his way out at the top of the stretch and Forte bumped repeatedly with Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) as they straightened. Racing in between rivals down the lane, Forte kept on fighting from very tight quarters and showed the heart of a champion to nail the narrow GIII Dwyer S. runner-up, who was drifting out several paths late himself, on the money.

“You're the one with a target on your back and you've got another stable (Brad Cox) with three horses in there,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We were expecting some race tactics. I think once he was able to get himself in the clear and the horse on the lead (Saudi Crown) kept drifting out, out, out and maybe into the eight path at one point. Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] said that compromised him a little bit from moving forward sooner.”

Pletcher added, “He loves the game. He's always been that way, he's always trained super. He's very competitive in the afternoons, he's an intelligent horse.”

Ortiz Jr. said, “I was close to the rail (looking for room in stretch run). The horse in front stayed there. I had a chance to hit the clear, I did. As soon as I hit the clear, my horse go forward.

He continued, “The horse in front, I don't know if he see something, but he was getting out bad. He kept coming out, coming out, but I'm on his heels. It was hard to stop at the moment of the race. I was right there. I was close to making the lead. At the same time, I have the other horse (Angel of Empire), finally we get straight and he corrects his horse and we get to the wire and thank God, we get a head in front at the end.”

The Jim Dandy is the traditional local prep for the GI Travers S. Aug. 26, a race that Pletcher had indicated is the main summer goal for Forte.

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Forte, scratched on the morning of the GI Kentucky Derby with a well-documented foot bruise, ran a strong second in the 1 1/2-mile GI Belmont S. while making his first start since capturing the GI Curlin Florida Derby Apr. 1.

Forte's connections are currently appealing his disqualification from a win in last summer's GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga due to the presence of meloxicam in his system.

Pedigree Notes:

Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola bought 43 yearlings for more than $16 million to top the sheets for the first of two straight years at the 2021 Keeneland September sale. Forte was a $110,000 purchase out of that auction.

Forte is one of six top-level winners for Violence. Forte's broodmare sire Blame has 14 stakes/six graded winners out of his daughters.

Forte is the first foal out of Queen Caroline, with her now-juvenile colt Dr. Park (Uncle Mo) hammering for $850,000 to Mayberry Farm at Keeneland September. Her third dam is the MGSW Jeano (Fappiano), whose descendants also include champions Folklore (Tiznow) and Essential Quality (Tapit); Japanese champion Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); and additional GISW Come Dancing (Malibu Moon). The family traces tail-female to the great La Troienne through her Broodmare of the Year granddaughter by War Admiral, Striking.

Saturday, Saratoga Race Course
JIM DANDY S. PRESENTED BY DK HORSE-GII, $485,000,
Saratoga, 7-29, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.61, sy.
1–FORTE, 124, c, 3, by Violence
                1st Dam: Queen Caroline (MSW, $401,608), by Blame
                2nd Dam: Queens Plaza, by Forestry
                3rd Dam: Kew Garden, by Seattle Slew
($80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $275,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 9-7-1-0, $2,954,830. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Saudi Crown, 118, c, 3, Always Dreaming–New Narration, by Tapit. ($45,000 Ylg '21 KEEJAN; $240,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-FMQ Stables; B-Chc Inc. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $100,000.
3–Angel of Empire, 124, c, 3, Classic Empire–Armony's Angel, by To Honor and Serve. ($32,000 RNA Wlg '20 KEENOV; $70,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-Forgotten Land Investment Inc & Black Diamond Equine Corp (PA); T-Brad H. Cox. $60,000.
Margins: NO, HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.75, 3.50, 5.70.
Also Ran: Disarm, Hit Show.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

 

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New York Thunder Roars to Victory in the Amsterdam

Undefeated in three career starts, but facing a steep trifecta of challenges to scale–trying dirt, graded company, and the tough New York circuit for the first time–New York Thunder (c, 3, Nyquist–Start Over, by Midshipman) set sizzling fractions on the front end of Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S. Friday and held sway to win by 7 1/2 lengths while eased up late despite spending most of the stretch on his wrong lead. His 1:07.77 six-furlong split was faster than the 1:07.92 track record set in 2019 by Imperial Hint (Imperialism) in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H., the same Grade I event which will be among the features on Saturday's 2023 GII Jim Dandy S. card.

When the Amsterdam gates flew, attention centered on joint second-choice and GSW Ryvit (Competitive Edge), who was riding a five-race win streak, as he stumbled and recovered but lost position after being on the lead in his last three. One gate to his outside, New York Thunder was unaffected and immediately found the front. After a blazing first quarter in :21.48, June 10 GI Woody Stephens S. runner-up Drew's Gold (Violence), in the clear in second, took a run at New York Thunder and got within a half-length at the :43.56 half. That was the closest he or anyone else got. New York Thunder quickly found another gear and immediately opened up while on the incorrect lead. By the time he swapped leads and bested the six-panel track record, the race was already long over. The bay strutted home a much-the-best, facile winner in 1:14.65. GSP Deer District (Oscar Performance) nosed out Drew's Gold for the place.

“I wasn't really worried [about the fractions],” said winning trainer Jorge Delgado, the nephew of this year's GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Gustavo Delgado. “I worry in the mornings because he breezes so fast that it scares you. He goes :46 and :47 in hand and you can relate it to the afternoons. Every surface he's been on–Keeneland, here, at different racetracks–he's breezed the same fractions, so that tells you that he can handle any surface in my opinion and he proved that today.

“I have really good chemistry with [rider Tyler Gaffalione] and I can feel when he has a lot of horse. I saw him looking back and I know he had a ton of horse; he wouldn't play like that unless he had tons of horse. Once he asked the horse, I knew my horse was prepared and it was just so fun.”

New York Thunder has done nothing wrong in his brief career. He debuted last November in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream on the all-weather surface, set all the fractions, and sizzled to a 6 1/2-length score with a 93 debut Beyer Speed Figure. He followed that up with a five-furlong turf win at Gulfstream while dropping his Beyer by 10 points, and finally reappeared in late April at Woodbine going six furlongs in the Woodstock S. on the synthetic to mark another daylight score and a 97 Beyer. His five works since have included three bullets. He was entered in the Woody Stephens won by Arabian Lion (Justify), but scratched with a bruised foot and a rail draw to await this spot. Delgado said the Aug. 26 GI Allen H. Jerkens Memorial S. might be the colt's next target.

 

 

Pedigree Notes:

Darley's Nyquist, whose champion Vequist won the 2020 GI Spinaway S. and whose Randomized won the July 14 Wilton S. at Saratoga, added another top performance by his progeny at the Spa with New York Thunder's Amsterdam. A former champion 2-year-old and GI Kentucky Derby winner, Nyquist made it eight graded winners and 21 black-type winners with New York Thunder's latest score. Nyquist's fourth crop is two this year and already includes Royal Ascot's G2 Queen Mary S. winner Crimson Advocate. Midshipman, who stands alongside Nyquist at Darley, is damsire of New York Thunder. He has five stakes winners out of his daughters, including dual Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal, who is bred similarly to the Amsterdam winner as he is by Nyquist's sire, Uncle Mo.

New York Thunder is the lone foal out of the unraced Start Over, who died the year he was born. Start Over's unraced dam is a half to 2012 GI Forego S. winner Emcee (Unbridled's Song) and to $1.8-million Fasig-Tipton November broodmare Baffled (Distorted Humor), the dam of MGISW and WinStar sire Constitution (Tapit). Other members of the family include GI Spinaway S. winner Awesome Humor (Distorted Humor).

Friday, Saratoga
AMSTERDAM S.-GII, $194,000, Saratoga, 7-28, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 1:14.65, ft.
1–NEW YORK THUNDER, 122, c, 3, by Nyquist
                1st Dam: Start Over, by Midshipman
                2nd Dam: Wipe Out, by Hard Spun
                3rd Dam: Surf Club, by Ocean Crest
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($130,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-AMO
Racing USA; B-Gatewood Bell & Forgotten Land (KY); T-Jorge
Delgado; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $110,000. Lifetime Record:
4-4-0-0, $232,323. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Deer District, 118, c, 3, Oscar Performance–Eagle Sound, by
Fusaichi Pegasus. ($140,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-James J. Bakke
and Gerald Isbister; B-Springhouse Farm, Vision TBs, Bruce &
Patricia Pieratt (KY); T-Dale L. Romans. $40,000.
3–Drew's Gold, 122, r, 3, Violence–Frolic's Revenge, by
Vindication. ($25,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-James K. Chapman
and Stuart Tsujimoto; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY);
T-James K. Chapman. $24,000.
Margins: 7HF, NO, 6HF. Odds: 5.50, 8.40, 1.00.
Also Ran: Gilmore, Ryvit. Scratched: Joey Freshwater.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Forte Works Towards Jim Dandy; Becky’s Joker To Spinaway

Reigning Champion 2-Year-Old colt Forte (Violence) logged his first breeze of the summer at Saratoga Race Course when covering a half-mile in :48.90 seconds over the Oklahoma dirt training track Friday with regular jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. up for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The colt worked in company with graded stakes-winner Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) in preparation for the GII Jim Dandy July 29 at the Spa.

“He jumped on the bridle a little early, so I kind of took a little hold away from the horse,” said Ortiz, Jr. “I allowed him to see the company and go after him. He did.”

Pletcher said he was pleased with the work, which he moved to the training track after heavy rains overnight led to the main track being sealed this morning.

“We fortunately had the option of coming over here on a harrowed track,” said Pletcher. “I thought he worked well. He's a pretty straightforward horse and he does what you ask him to do. I thought he was moving really well and he seemed happy. He usually sits a little off [his workmate] to keep him focused.”

Ortiz, Jr., who regularly works the colt, said Forte was as professional as usual.

“We went 48 and change. On this kind of track, it is really good,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “He is doing good. He looked good, he looked happy, so let's see what happens. The way he does things [excites me]. He knows where the wire is. He loves to win. You can see in the Belmont Stakes, I kept trying with him and he kept coming. He's a fighter.”

“He's obviously a very fit horse and he just ran a mile and a half, so we don't feel like we have to do a lot with him leading up to this race,” continued Pletcher. “We'll probably come back with another maintenance work next week.”

“I think you can see he's a little more laid back. He's an intelligent colt and takes everything in stride, and you can see he's matured that way,” said Pletcher. “Obviously it was a frustrating spring and he ran terrific in the Belmont considering what he was up against. To me, he's a deserving divisional leader, but like everyone else, he's got to continue to win to hold that spot.”

Pletcher also provided an update on 2-year-old filly Wine On Tap (Tapit), who finished an even fourth in Thursday's GIII Schuylerville S. as the post-time favorite.

“She looks good. She was just kind of one-paced down the lane and I thought she recovered and galloped out really well,” said Pletcher. “She is a filly that we've always thought would be better going longer. It was just a little disappointing that she didn't finish up a little better than she did yesterday, but she came back well and looked good this morning.”

Speaking of the Schuylerville, trainer Gary Contessa was still watching replays on Friday morning of Lee Pokoik's Becky's Joker (Practical Joke), who launched what appears to be a promising career with a debut victory in the opening-day feature.

The sizable bay stands 16.3 hands high and, “towers over everybody” in the barn according to Contessa, who confirmed the filly for the seven-furlong GI Spinaway S. September 3 at the Spa.

“She came back sound and they tell me she looked great this morning,” said Contessa, who was catching a flight to Nashville to watch his son's baseball tournament. “She honestly can only get better. She's got a lot more left in the tank, so we're looking forward to seeing what she can come up with next. As big as she is, and as big as her stride is, she's going to get better as the distances stretch out. I think seven-eighths is going to hit her right between the eyeballs in the Spinaway.”

Contessa commented on the soundness and the good mind of his newly minted graded stakes winner.

“Knock on wood, she's been very, very sound and very healthy. Everything has gone our way so far, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that it continues,” Contessa said. “She's trained as well as any horse I've ever had as a 2-year-old. No matter what you ask her to do, she's push button and picks it up to another gear. Her mind is so good. She had it figured out and she's really a smart filly.”

One can expect Contessa, who has 10 stalls on Saratoga's Oklahoma backstretch, to unleash more promising young talent throughout the meet.

“All these babies are ready to run, so we're going to have a real presence,” Contessa said. “This was a great win to start with and we have even more pretty nice horses awaiting their turn.”

 

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Forte Returns To Work Tab; Nest, Tapit Trice Also Breeze

Reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) resumed his work schedule on Friday morning over the Belmont Park training track by traversing a half-mile in 50.40 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

With exercise rider Hector Ramos aboard, Forte worked following the 9:30 a.m. renovation break and breezed in company with MGSW Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), who is slated to run in next Friday's GIII Manila S. at Belmont. The move was Forte's first since finishing second in the GI Belmont S.

“We were just looking for an easy work back and I thought that was accomplished today,” said Pletcher's Belmont-based assistant Byron Hughes. “I thought he was moving well within himself. He looked comfortable and happy. You couldn't ask for anything more than that at this point.”

Another 'TDN Rising Star', GISW Tapit Trice (Tapit), breezed a solo half-mile in 48.03 seconds Friday with exercise rider Fernando Rivera in the irons. It was the colt's second work since finishing just behind his stablemate in the Belmont S.

“I thought he breezed really well,” Hughes said. “It was a good gallop out for him. He looked pretty sharp today and came out of the Belmont in good shape. He's maybe a little sharper now this time of year than he was last year. But that's what you see in these Tapits. It seems like the older they get, the sharper they get.”

Following Forte's breeze, last year's Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Nest (Curlin) took another step towards her 2023 debut in what DRF first reported as the GII Shuvee S. July 23 at Saratoga. Going five furlongs in 1:01.22 in company with Too Boss (El Padrino), the filly began her preparations starting in mid-May.

“I think she's progressed well with each breeze,” Hughes said. “She seems to be getting fitter and fitter and responds well to the breeze. With each breeze you can tell that she gets a little sharper every week.”

 

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