JC / Railbird

Saratoga Archive

Saturday Spa Stakes

Notes from a quick skim of past performances for the first four Breeders’ Cup Challenge races at Saratoga, which have all come up pleasingly competitive …
In the Diana, trainer Patrick Biancone starts three, with Countess Scala running as a rabbit for Mauralakana, although Danzon seems more likely to benefit. The four-year-old filly, a closer, finished third in open company in the G1 Turf Classic on Derby day at Churchill. That stakes was won by Sky Conqueror, who followed up with another score in the Northern Dancer at Woodbine this month. My Typhoon starts off back-to-back wins in the G2 Just a Game at Belmont and the G2 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, but the Diana’s 1 1/8 mile distance isn’t her favorite.
Sprints aren’t my forte, so I’m doing little more than throwing darts making a Vanderbilt pick, but Commentator looks like a vulnerable favorite after his poor showing in the Tom Fool. I’ll go with logical second favorite Diabolical, who starts off a nine-week layoff with two recent bullet works.
In the Go For Wand, Ginger Punch is another weak favorite. Sure, she’s conditioned by Bobby Frankel and has the field’s best Beyers, but she’s stretching out to 1 1/8 mile for the first time and is 1-for-3 in routes, with the sole win earned over a muddy track in allowance company. I’ll look elsewhere, perhaps to Ermine, making her second start off a layoff for trainer Ronny Werner, or Miss Shop, whose three best performances are at the distance and who comes into the race with a sharp workout line.
The Whitney is a tough race, with a case to be made for nearly every starter. Flashy Bull has become a consistent racehorse at four, but with a one-dimensional mid-pack run. Magna Graduate is in great form, making his second start off a short layoff in which he figures to improve, if past habits are anything to go by. Then there’s Lawyer Ron, at what may be his best distance. He starts off a third place finish in the Met Mile, from which second-place finisher Political Force went on to win the Suburban, and a second in the Salvator. I may go with one of two longshots here: Either Richard Dutrow’s lightly raced Diamond Stripes, third in the Stephen Foster, or likely pacesetter Fairbanks, second in last month’s Suburban and a horse jockey Richard Migliore will fly in from Southern California to ride.

Posted in Saratoga on July 28, 2007

Saratoga Babies

– Ready’s Image Beyer for Thursday’s Sanford Stakes came back a big 104, which easily makes the strapping colt trained by Todd Pletcher the two-year-old division leader. As Steven Crist points out on his new blog though, “how far will he go, being by More Than Ready out of a Clever Trick mare?” My question is, how much of a monster is Rated Feisty? The Steve Amussen-trained filly beat Ready’s Image by more than seven lengths in the G3 Kentucky Breeders’ Cup in May, earning a 102 Beyer for that race. He came back from that third place finish to take the Tremont at Belmont; she returned to break a stakes record winning the G3 Debutante at Churchill.
Fed Watcher, so visually impressive winning his maiden debut at Belmont earlier this summer, set the pace in the Sanford and ran greenly in the stretch as he tired, veering toward the outer rail. Tale of Ekati finished second with a sleeper run, looking like a horse who might appreciate more distance. “I think he is going to need more ground, but I knew that all along,” said trainer Barclay Tagg of his colt’s finish (Times Union). The flashiest mover in the Sanford was The Roundhouse, another from Pletcher’s barn, who rallied from last to get third.
Speaking of Pletcher, he seemed to be channeling Yogi Berra after the Sanford, saying of Ready’s Image, “You can’t win any until you win that first one, so it’s nice to get this one” (DRF). The Sanford was Pletcher’s first win at Saratoga; the trainer went 0-for-5 opening day.
– Subtle Aly, who nipped I Promise at the wire in the Schuylerville, earned a Beyer of 74 for the race with so-so fractions and a final time of 1:11.06. Favorite According to Plan broke in the air, then was checked, losing all chances for a win. Watch for her to come back. Interesting aside: Twisted Tale, who ran second to Subtle Aly in her smashing maiden debut at Churchill on June 23, returned to win as the 9-5 favorite in Thursday’s second, a 5 1/2 furlong maiden special.
– A quick mention of Sargeant Seattle, Wednesday’s second race winner. The Stanley Hough-trained colt was cranked up for his debut with a dozen workouts, including a half-mile that was the second-fastest of 41 on July 13, and ran beautifully, rating off favored Bold Trust before drawing away to a 6 1/2 length victory as the 5-2 third favorite. It was all very reminiscent of Discreet Cat’s 2005 Saratoga maiden debut for Hough, which was so dominating Godolphin swooped in to purchase the now four-year-old colt privately for an undisclosed, but undoubtably large, sum.

Posted in Saratoga on July 27, 2007

And They’re Off at the Spa

Just back from a whirlwind opening day trip to Saratoga. More on that, the Schuylerville and Sanford, the upcoming weekend Breeders’ Cup Challenge races, the ADW mess, and Del Mar on Friday …

Posted in Saratoga on July 25, 2007

Opening Day Entries

For Saratoga are up. And what a card it is, with 10 full fields and the first juvenile stakes of the season. The Schuylerville attracted nine two-year-old fillies, including trainer Barclay Tagg’s According to Plan, an impressive debut winner at Belmont last month, and Subtle Aly, one of trainer Steve Asmussen’s many winning first-time starters at Churchill this summer, making her first start for Richard Dutrow.

Posted in Saratoga on July 22, 2007