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Tough Task In Personal Ensign, But Miss Marissa ‘Going In The Right Direction’

Trainer Jim Ryerson said he knows that Miss Marissa is facing the biggest challenge of her career in Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign Presented by Lia Infiniti for older fillies and mares at Saratoga, yet he's optimistic that she will give a good accounting of herself.

“The race is very, very tough. There couldn't be a tougher filly and mare race anywhere,” Ryerson said of the nine-furlong test stacked with nine multiple stakes winners and three Grade 1 winners. “But we're here to participate. This race is so tough, but she deserves a chance to run with these and we'll see what happens.”

The Personal Ensign field includes three-time Grade 1 winner and reigning Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Swiss Skydiver, who beat the boys in last year's Grade 1 Preakness and took the Grade 1 Alabama on this track last year; Letruska, who won the Grade 1 Apple Blossom, the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, and the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis in her last three outings; and Harvey's Lil Goil, the 2020 winner of the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on the grass. Add dual Grade 2 winner As Time Goes By, whom Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is so confident in that he sent her here from Southern California, to the mix.

That lineup is mighty fearsome but Miss Marissa, whom Alphonso Cammarota bought for the bargain price of $11,000 as a yearling, might have a surprise in store. She's done it before.

Sent off at 10-1, she was a neck winner over Bonny South in the 2020 Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan in October. She outran her odds again last time out when she took the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 10 and Bonny South disappointed as the odds-on favorite with a fifth place finish. Incidentally, the Brad Cox-trained, Grade 3 winning Bonny South is also entered in Saturday's Personal Ensign.

“Marissa jumped up those times in those Grade 2s. Absolutely,” her trainer said. “She's been very consistent over the last year and done very well running two turns.”

What is also beneficial to this filly is her familiarity with her Saratoga surroundings and her affinity for the racing strip. In a pair of Saratoga starts she finished first in an optional claiming allowance race at nine furlongs in August 2020 and was the runner-up in a maiden special weight race in 2019.

“She ran good on this track and won that allowance race on this track last year. That race she ran here last year was her coming out party. She really improved in terms of her speed and her ability to run a mile-and-an-eighth, and that race propelled her into the Black-Eyed Susan,” Ryerson said. “I think that she has grown up both physically and mentally this year. She's more relaxed, she's put on weight, she's grown. She's matured like you would want a filly to move from three to four. I think that's why you see those two efforts since we stopped her in January and gave her a freshening. Those were real solid efforts and she's going in the right direction. Whether she's good enough, we'll find out on Saturday.”

The Personal Ensign is a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November. Ryerson last had a Breeders' Cup runner when multiple graded stakes winner Park Avenue Ball competed in the 2007 Dirt Mile. He is best known as the trainer of 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile with Unbridled's Song, who also captured the Grade 1 1996 Florida Derby.

“When you're lucky enough to have a nice horse, they make things different for you and for the whole crew. Everybody gets excited. This is some important stuff,” said Ryerson.

Daniel Centeno has been Miss Marissa's partner for the wins in the Black-Eyed Susan and the Delaware Handicap and Ryerson will leg him up again on Saturday.

“Daniel has done great with her and they team up well. We're sticking with him. He deserves this chance and Marissa deserves this chance,” he said.

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‘Horse For Course’ Cross Border Brings Top Form To Sword Dancer

A winner of 10 races and nearly $1 million in purse earnings, Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border has saved his best for Saratoga. Trainer Mike Maker, enjoying a spectacular summer of his own at the Spa, is hoping to continue the magic in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer.

The 1 ½-mile Sword Dancer, a 'Win and You're In' for the Grade 1, $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf November 6 at Del Mar, is one of seven graded-stakes – six of them Grade 1 – worth $4.6 million in purses on a blockbuster program highlighted by the 152nd running of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers.

Cross Border, a 7-year-old New York-bred son of turf champion English Channel, has made seven of his 35 career starts at Saratoga with six wins and a second, the latter coming in last year's Sword Dancer. Of his $948,821 lifetime bankroll, $544,400 has been earned at the Spa.

“He's a horse for course. I hope we have another rabbit to pull out of the hat,” Maker said. “I wish I knew [why]. I wouldn't have to train horses. The horse never has a bad hair day. He always looks well and trains well. Obviously, he has an affinity for up here, where he's had his best performances. So, we'll take it.”

Cross Border turned in one of his best efforts to date last out to win the Grade 2 Bowling Green by 1 ¼ lengths July 31. It was his second career graded triumph, the other coming in last year's Bowling Green following the disqualification of first-place finisher Sadler's Joy, who edged Cross Border by a neck at the wire.

“His last race was spectacular,” Maker said. “Obviously, we had a great setup and we'd have no problem getting that again.”

Cross Border has placed in four other graded-stakes, beaten a neck in the Grade 3 W.L. McKnight in 2020 and third by 2 ¼ lengths in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf January 23, both at Gulfstream Park. He was a distant but decisive seconds in last year's Sword Dancer, won by Channel Maker over a course listed as soft.

The 2-1 program favorite for the Sword Dancer is Grade 1 United Nations winner Tribhuvan. Cross Border is the third choice in a field of seven at odds of 4-1.

“Last year we had a lot of rain and it was probably a bit softer than he would prefer,” Maker said, “But he still put in a good effort.”

Also for Three Diamonds Farm on Saturday, Maker will send out Doubly Blessed in the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego for older horses sprinting seven furlongs, marking the graded debut for the 4-year-old Empire Maker gelding.

“We entered an allowance race and it failed to fill, so we figured we'd give this a shot,” Maker said. “He's been doing great. Hopefully, he gets a hot pace to run into. We're looking forward to it.”

Doubly Blessed has not raced since May 29 when he scored by 1 ½ lengths in a second-level optional claimer in the Belmont Park slop. In his only other stakes appearance, he ran fourth in the 1 3/8-mile Stud Muffin March 27 at Aqueduct.

After beginning his career with seven turf races, the first two for previous trainer Jonathan Thomas, Maker moved Doubly Blessed to the dirt this year and he has responded with four wins and a second from six starts including three in a row at Aqueduct to open 2021.

“He had worked well on the dirt and we weren't getting the results we were expecting on the turf, so we figured we'd give it a shot,” Maker said. “Since he came off the turf, he turned the corner and has become a nice horse for us.”

Prior to the Forego, the shortest Doubly Blessed has run is one mile – the distance of each of his three wins this winter. Meet-leading rider Luis Saez will be aboard from post position 5 in a field of seven that includes Grade 1 winners Firenze Fire, Lexitonian, Mind Control, Mischevious Alex and Whitmore and 5-2 morning-line favorite Yaupon. Doubly Blessed is listed at 15-1.

“The competition is the main thing. The seven-eighths, one-turn doesn't bother me,” Maker said. “It's a pretty salty field. We're going to find out how he fits.”

Maker said Three Diamonds Farm's Army Wife was doing well out of her third-place finish in the Grade 1 Alabama August 21, which followed back-to-back wins in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan May 14 at Pimlico Race Course and Grade 3 Iowa Oaks July 2 at Prairie Meadows.

“She's never missed a bite of grain coming out of the race and this morning she was a handful, so we're happy,” Maker said. “She ran a big race, and she came out of it super. We're pointing to the Cotillion.”

The Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles will be run September 25 at Parx Racing.

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C Z Rocket Faces Off With Flagstaff In ‘Win And You’re In’ O’Brien

A field of 10 stout sprinters will travel seven furlongs Saturday at Del Mar in the 36th edition of the Grade 2, $200,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes.

The extended dash offers extra incentive to its participants: it is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge race providing an all-fees-paid admission to the $1-million Breeders' Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Foremost among the runners is the defending O'Brien champ, Madaket Stables, Barber or Kagele, et al's C Z Rocket, a veteran gelding who found a new lease on life when he was haltered for $40,000 16 months ago and took up residence in the barn of trainer Peter Miller. All the 7-year-old has done since is win seven races, four of them stakes, and place in three other added-money tests to bank more than $1.1-million for his new connections.

His regular rider of late, Florent Geroux, will come into town to accept the mount Saturday and they'll break from Post 9 in the seven-furlong chute. C Z Rocket has been made the 5/2 morning line favorite by Del Mar's morning line maker Jon White.

Here's the full field for the O'Brien from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

Slam Dunk Racing, McClanahan or Nentwig, et al's Ginobili (Drayden Van Dyke, 6-1)
Little Red Feather Racing, It Pays to Dream Racing Stable or Kawahara, et al's Howbeit (Kyle Frey, 6-1)
Barnhart, Foxx or Naify, et al's Surfing Star (apprentice Jessica Pyfer, 30-1)
Martin or Martin's Mo Mosa (Ramon Vazquez, 10-1)
Coolmore Stud, Madaket Stables or Starlight Racing, et al's Eight Rings (Abel Cedillo, 6-1)
SF Racing, Starlight Racing or Madaket Stables, et al's Classier (Mario Gutierrez, 12-1)
Alfred Pais' Brickyard Ride (Juan Hernandez, 8-1)
Lanes' End Racing or Hronis Racing's Flagstaff (Joe Bravo, 3-1)
C Z Rocket
Gilbert and Sones' California Street (Wayne Barnett, 30-1)

Chief threat to C Z Rocket appears to be another classy veteran, the 7-year-old Flagstaff, a winner of seven races and $1,011,585. The gelding by sprint champion Speightstown has made five starts this year, but this will be his first in his California home base. He's run at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, Keeneland and Churchill Downs in Kentucky and Belmont Park in New York, winning a pair of Graded stakes and placing in another. Flagstaff ran second in the O'Brien last year, a half length behind C Z Rocket.

Trainer Bob Baffert has a pair in the dash in Eight Rings and Classier. The former, a 4-year-old colt by Empire Maker, was second beaten only a neck in the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs earlier in the meet. Classier, a 3-year-old colt also by Empire Maker, shortens up off a score in the Los Alamitos Derby at nine furlongs on July 4.

Ginobili comes into the heat of a romping nine and three-quarter lengths triumph in an allowance race at Del Mar on July 17. He was running a mile that day and will be looking for his first stakes victory Saturday.

Howbeit is another coming into the race off a smart allowance score – two of them, in fact. The Secret Circle 4-year-old has six wins and $230,956 in earnings.

Brickyard Ride, one of only two California-breds in the field, sports a record of eight wins with earnings of $470,477. Much of his money making has been accomplished against state-breds, but he has won against open company, including a tally in the Grade II San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita this past March.

Post time for the Saturday 11-race card is at 2 p.m.

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Brown Chasing Record Fourth Score In Sword Dancer With Tribhuvan, Rockemperor

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of strong contenders in Tribhuvan and Rockemperor, who will square off against a talented field of Grade/Group 1-winners in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer at Saratoga Race Course.

The Sword Dancer, contested at 1 1/2-miles on the inner turf for older horses, provides a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1, $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf on November 6 at Del Mar and is part of a loaded Runhappy Travers Day card featuring seven stakes and six Grade 1s, offering $4.6 million in total purse money.

Headlined by the 152nd running of the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers, the stakes-laden undercard also includes the Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti; Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina; Grade 1, $600,000 Forego; and Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, along with the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa.

Brown, who has won this event previously with Big Blue Kitten [2013], Flintshire [2016] and Annals of Time [2019], is tied with Hall of Famer Bill Mott, represented here by defending champion Channel Maker, with a record three Sword Dancer scores.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso's Tribhuvan, a 5-year-old French-bred son of Toronado, has utilized a front-running approach to record consecutive triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in three starts this year.

Tribhuvan posted a dynamic score in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Fort Marcy [103] in May ahead of a runner-up effort to stablemate Domestic Spending in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Manhattan [101] in June, both at Belmont.

Last out, Tribhuvan made every pole a winning one to capture the 11-furlong Grade 1 United Nations [102] over firm Monmouth Park turf on July 17.

Brown said Tribhuvan has reached a new level since being gelded in January.

“He surprised me that he's turned into the frontrunning horse that he is now,” Brown said. “We've gone on with it and he's changed since we gelded him as well. He's developing beyond my expectations and I'm really proud of the horse. He continues to get better.”

The Irish-bred Rockemperor, a 5-year-old multiple graded-stakes placed son of Holy Roman Emperor, will look to break through at the top flight.

Owned by Madaket Stables, Dubb, Wonder Stables, Caruso and Michael E. Kisber, Rockemperor has hit the board in 3-of-4 starts in Grade 1 company, including a third in the 2019 Belmont Derby; a neck loss when second to Instilled Regard in last year's Manhattan at Belmont; and third in the Turf Classic in September at Churchill Downs.

Rockemperor won a 10-furlong optional-claiming event in June at Belmont ahead of a closing second last out in the 11-furlong Grade 2 Bowling Green won by Sword Dancer-rival Cross Border.

“He ran well last time. He's a horse that's always knocking on the door in these bigger races, so hopefully he steps it up here,” Brown said.

Flavien Prat will pilot Tribhuvan, carrying a field-high 124 pounds, from the inside post, while Irad Ortiz, Jr. will guide Rockemperor, listed at 118 pounds, from post 3.

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Channel Maker has racked up a number of accomplishments through 40 starts, including a 2017 Sovereign Award as Canada's Champion 3-Year-Old Colt and an Eclipse Award last year as the nation's Champion Turf Male.

With seven wins and more than $3.2 million in purse earnings, the multiple Grade 1-winner will make his fourth straight Sword Dancer appearance following a second in 2018, a fourth in 2019 and a win last year to highlight his championship campaign that also included a score in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont.

“He's a very durable horse,” Mott said. “He stays in good flesh, eats good, shows up to work every day. He doesn't have a lot of issues. He's just been a real warrior.”

The 7-year-old English Channel gelding, bred in Ontario by the Tall Oaks Farm of Ivan Dalos, will look to get back on track after a pair of off-the-board efforts following his good second in the Neom Turf Cup in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

Mott, who sent out Fraise [1992] and Broadway Flyer [1998] to Sword Dancer scores, will task regular rider Manny Franco to engineer a winning effort from post 4 on a course Channel Maker [122 pounds] performs well on.

“He does like it here,” Mott said. “I suppose a lot depends upon how the race shapes up for him. That's always important.”

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Masaaki Matsushima, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith's Japan, trained by Aidan O'Brien, will make his first start in North America.

The 5-year-old multiple Group 1-winning son of Galileo arrived in New York on Monday in the care of traveling assistant T.J. Comerford and after clearing quarantine was able to train Wednesday morning.

“We got out on to the track this morning and trotted around the opposite direction and then cantered back past the winning post. It was something just very light,” Comerford said.

Japan, who boasts a record of seven wins and four thirds from 18 starts with purse earnings in excess of $2.1 million, posted consecutive Group 1-wins in 2019 in the 12-furlong Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp and the 1 5/16-mile Juddmonte International at York.

Japan has notched a pair of Group 3 wins in four starts this campaign, taking the 1 11/16-mile Ormond in May at Chester and the nine-furlong Meld last out on July 15 at Leopardstown.

“The last day in Leopardstown when he won, he was very good,” said Comerford. “Going a mile and an eighth he had to be at his quickest to win it and he did. He showed plenty of boot there and that was good for him. He's in very good form.”

Comerford said he's hopeful that Japan will return to Grade 1-winning form as he stretches back out to his preferred distance.

“After winning a Juddmonte International, he's on his way back I think. Hopefully, he turns up on the day,” Comerford said. “A mile and a half is better for him than a mile and an eighth, but it's good that he's won over a mile and a eighth, because it shows that he's got a bit of speed as well. You just want a true run race every time you come here.”

Ryan Moore will guide Japan, assigned 120 pounds, from post 6.

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo, a 4-year-old son of Declaration of War, captured last year's Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational for trainer Christophe Clement.

A tremendous sophomore season, in which the chestnut won 4-of-6 starts, also featured wins in the English Channel at Gulfstream and the Grade 3 Kent at Delaware Park.

Gufo [122 pounds] has made three of his last four starts in Grade 1 company, beginning with a neck loss when third in the Hollywood Derby in November at Del Mar and continuing through a nose loss to Channel Cat in the Man o' War in May at Belmont and a closing third in the Manhattan in June. Last out, Gufo found class relief by capturing the $150,000 Grand Couturier traveling 1 1/2 miles on July 5 at Belmont.

Joel Rosario will retain the mount from post 2.

Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border, a 7-year-old New York-bred son of English Channel, thrives on the Saratoga turf with a record of 7-6-1-0 led by back-to-back wins in the Grade 2 Bowling Green, albeit by disqualification last year when Sadler's Joy was taken down.

The ultra-consistent ridgling has amassed a record of 35-10-8-4 with purse earnings of $948,421. Bred in the Empire State by Berkshire Stud and B. D. Gibbs, Cross Border won three races at the 2019 Spa summer meet and last year won the restricted Lubash in addition to a runner-up effort in the Sword Dancer, his only loss at Saratoga.

Conditioned by Mike Maker, Cross Border [122 pounds] will exit post 7 under the Spa's leading rider Luis Saez.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will send out multiple graded-stakes placed Moretti for his turf debut. The regally-bred 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro, out of the Grade 1-winning Concerto mare Rigoletta, breezed a half-mile in 49.02 on the Oklahoma training turf on August 22.

Owned by Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Moretti captured the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone here over the main track last August.

Moretti [118 pounds] will exit post 5 under Jose Ortiz.

The Sword Dancer is slated as Race 11 on the 13-race card. First post is 11:35 a.m. Eastern. For the third consecutive year, FOX will air the Runhappy Travers as the centerpiece of a 90-minute telecast beginning at 5 p.m. The networks of FOX and FOX Sports will air 7.5 total hours of live racing and analysis on Runhappy Travers Day, with coverage scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. on FS1. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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