August 1 Saratoga Special by ST Publishing

The Year 10 • Issue 8

✫ aratoga Saratoga’s Daily Newspaper on Thoroughbred Racing

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Dave Harmon

Proviso prevails in Diana free for all.

A Little Warm heats up in Jim Dandy.

Saturday

Magic

Sunday Stakes Previews • Entries • Handicapping

Tod Marks

here&there... at Saratoga License plates Turf – New York Slew – Vermont

By The Numbers A backside still life of bottles near the 5-furlong pole of the main track:

3 Bud Light Lime. 1 Labatt’s. 6 Saranac Pomegranate Wheat. 1 Diet Sierra Mist. 1 Amp Energy. 1 coffee cup. Wednesday Morning Delivery Schedule (without 14-year-old Jack Clancy)

Tod Marks

2-for-1 Fasig-Tipton’s got nothing on this guy. He found a buy one, get one sale at Saratoga.

worth repeating

The Special quotes from Saratoga

“You think Shanahan’s a tough guy, you should hear this one.” Michael Motion, on his wife (and noted Washington Redskins fan) Jo’s reaction to the whole Albert Haynesworth-Mike Shanahan imbroglio.

“I was sleeping in the car and when I woke up my mom said it was the last set.” Holly Donk, on life as a trainer’s kid Trainer:

“No, no pictures. Oh wait, who do you work for?”

Photographer: Trainer:

“The Saratoga Special.”

“We’ll bring him right out for you.”

5:53: “Where’s your little buddy?” 6:04: “Where’s the other little guy?” 6:46: “No paper at the sales grounds? Where’s Jack?”

Name of the Day Radical Sabbatical, seventh race. Harlan’s Holiday gelding out of Radical Chick is on an adventurous vacation.

517 Broadway, Suite 207 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (Second Floor, around the back) Phone: (518) 490-1175 Sean Mobile: (302) 545-7713 Joe Mobile: (302) 545-4424 E-mail: sean@st-publishing.com or jclancy@st-publishing.com Internet: www.saratogaspecial.com Published Wednesday through Sunday during the racing season. Every day of Sales Week Aug. 2-8.

The Staff

Editors/Publishers: Sean Clancy, Joe Clancy. Staff Writers: Phil Janack, Karen Johnson, Mike Kane, Terese Karmel, Ben Meyers, Katie Bo Williams. Layout/Design: Dan Vunk. Photographers: Tod Marks, Dave Harmon, Connie Bush. Handicappers: Gaile Fitzgerald, Dean Keppler, Brian Nadeau, John Panagot, John Shapazian Assistants: Chelsea Brown, Maggie Kimmitt. Distribution: Ryan Clancy, Jack Clancy, Nolan Clancy, Jane Motion. Advertising Sales: Contact a Clancy or call Kathy Rubin at (203) 650-6815.

ST Publishing Inc. Home Office 364 Fair Hill Drive, Suite F, Elkton, MD 21921 (410) 392-5867 • Fax (410) 392-0170 www.st-publishing.com info@st-publishing.com The Saratoga Special Steeplechase Times Thoroughbred Racing Calendar The Best of The Saratoga Special Saratoga Days and other acclaimed products and services within the equine industry. Call us about your editorial needs.

Weather Today: High of 78 with afternoon thunderstorms. Tonight: Low of 62. Scattered thunderstorms. Tomorrow: High in the upper 70s with possible scattered thunderstorms. Tuesday: High in the low 80s and isolated thunderstorms.

“Editorial excellence is not a goal to be sought and one day acquired and then retired to the trophy case. It is instead an ambition which must be pursued each day, never ending, never totally achieved. That striving, that ambition is an essential part of our newspapers, a cornerstone of what we have been, what we are, and what we will be.” – Lee Hills, Pulitzer Prize winner, Knight Ridder chief executive, in 1974

“Final Mesa is something very, very special. I think she’s the best I’ve ever trained and I’ve trained some nice horses.”

— Wesley Ward

Selling Hip# 354 • Fasig Tipton NY bred preferred, August 7, 2010 • Half-brother to undefeated 2YO multiple stakes winner FINAL MESA, out of multiple stakes-producing mare FINAL STYLE. By Andromeda’s Hero: • Son of Fusaichi Pegasus, sire of #1 second crop sire Roman Ruler and leading freshman sire Bandini • Won, or placed in 10 stakes races, including 4 Grade 1 • First foals are 2YO of 2010. 2YO sales average $75,000

catalogue update: final meSa - goes 3 for 3, winning her second stakes race, the $145,500 my dear Stakes at Woodbine by 73/4 lengths. — Rhapsody Farm/Hidden Lake Farm consignors

Both Final Mesa and Hip#354 were foaled, raised and sales prepped at Dutchess Views Farm E-mail: mail@dutchessviewsfarm.com • Website: www.dutchessviewsfarm.com

Sunday, August 1, 2010

here&there...

Continued from previous page

“This is what’s right with the game.” Fasig-Tipton’s Boyd Browning on a beautiful Saturday morning at Saratoga

“It’s a tonic. Knowing her, she’s quite opinionated, she would probably refuse to eat if we didn’t put it in there.” Trainer Jonathan Sheppard, about feeding champion Forever Together a bottle of Guinness each night

worth repeating

The Special quotes from Saratoga

“I showed up at Belmont one day to meet him wearing khakis and a polo. He said, ‘Larry this is your office please dress appropriately.’ I would be hard-pressed to remember my father ever wearing jeans.” Larry Ensor, son of Fasig-Tipton’s Larry Ensor, about a recent column in The Special

“I actually heard myself cheering . . .” Sam Clancy, on watching the demolition derby at the Cecil County (Md.) Fair Friday night

“The bagger at the grocery store (in Baltimore) even knew about him.”

“I had to come all the way to Saratoga to get beat by Roger Attfield. I can do that at Woodbine any day of the week.” Trainer Mark Casse, on finishing second to fellow Canadian trainer Attfield in last week’s Lake George

Former jockey Charlie Fenwick III, about debut winner Admiral Alex for owner/trainer Leo Blusiewicz

“Tell your brother I had to get a second job.” Saratoga Sleigh guest – and New York Post reader – Saturday morning

“The kids are great. The wife’s mad. Everythings just right.” Dapple Bloodstock’s Stuart Morris, Saturday morning at the sales

“Man, you’re like being behind a school bus.” Jim Howard, following the Special’s golfcart

“She cooks the food. We eat the food.” Nolan Clancy, 9, on dinner plans with his mother

“And The Saratoga Special is off...” Hall of Fame trainer Carl Nafzger, as the Special began a paper route in the morning

Just Sayin’ “Of all the things in training horses, the toughest is to keep them in form. And sometimes it’s just the horse. The difference between an average horse and a good horse is the good horse can win when he has a bad day. They don’t always have to give their best performance to win and that helps them keep their form – do you understand?” Trainer Mark Casse (and yes we do)

“You should call it ‘Cup of Tea,’ I’ve never seen you drink coffee.” Jane Motion to Sean Clancy

“They must be from Virginia.” Trainer watching two men walk past in khakis, with bandannas in their back pockets (editor’s note: they were from Kentucky)

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Tod Marks

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Juddmonte mare prevails in battle to capture Grade I turf stakes BY SEAN CLANCY

Turf racing. Saratoga. The Diana Handicap. Six across. Eibar Coa imploring Dynaslew on the rail. Jose Lezcano and Maram trying but slowly losing ground in the 2 path. Mike Smith draping over Proviso like a rug on a fenceline, getting first run on the closers. Julien Leparoux tapping the brakes for a moment on Forever Together, then the former champion switching to her left lead when it mattered most. Edgar Prado, steady as a drum, rallying Shared Account who would get there, it was just a matter of when. Ramon Dominguez floating to the outside on Phola but running out of time. Proviso won the six-way scrum, securing a head decision over fast-closing Shared Account, who had a nose on the ultra-game Forever Together, who had a head on Dynaslew, who had a neck on Maram who held three quarters of a length on Phola. Yeah, that’s turf racing at Saratoga. Five trainers, bemused and muttering, walked to collect their horses. Bill Mott smiled like a cat. And that makes three. The Diana Handicap was hyped as a possible three-peat for Forever Together who was looking for her third consecutive victory in the Grade I stakes. The 2008 Turf champion had lost six in a row since winning last year’s Diana but still garnered favoritism, 35 cents lower for a $1 bet than Proviso. Juddmonte Farm’s homebred daughter of Dansili had a three-peat of her own on the line.

Proviso won the Grade I Kilroe Mile against the boys at Santa Anita March 6. She returned to the East Coast and won the Grade I Just A Game, a halflength better than Diana starters Phola and My Princess Jess. Mike Smith, who picked up the ride in the Kilroe, flew in for the ride – a technical task on a delicate mare. Dynaslew pounced straight to the lead with Maram finding a nice spot in second, to her outside. Mike Smith cajoled and coddled Proviso, tucking her in third, about 2 lengths from the leader. Down the backside, Smith bobbed along on Proviso’s mouth, riding higher than any jockey in the race. Smith made a critical decision leaving the backside when he checked Proviso – backing her out of a bad spot – to make sure she had clear sailing around Maram. Midway on the turn, Proviso hooked Maram and Dynaslew while Forever Together and Shared Account rallied into the vanguard. Then it was the quintessential Saratoga turf stakes with six of the seven starters finishing within 2 lengths of each other. Phola barely got a call in the classic, she was beaten about a length. Mott inherited Proviso when Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, Juddmonte’s only U.S. trainer, passed away in the fall. Mott has run Proviso four times, spacing her races like a general plots an invasion. She finished second in the Santa Monica Jan. 31, then won See diana page 6

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Shared Acount (second)

Forever Together (third)

Proviso (winner)

Dynaslew (fourth) Maram (fifth)

Tod Marks

Diana –

Continued from page 4

the Kilroe March 6 and the Just A Game June 5. The Diana made it 3-for-4 over six months. “You can do it if you have the right horse. She’s just a little different than the rest of them, she has to be, she’s won three grade ones in a row. Ordinary horses don’t get lucky three times in a row,” Mott said. “She’s special. She’s the kind you look forward to when you

get up in the morning, you always hope you get one like her, it gives you something to be excited about, you look forward to all the 2-year-olds, but it’s nice to look forward to one like her because she’s going to reward you if you do everything right, she’s going to come through for you.” Proviso is no paint-by-numbers project. Mott, with the help of assistant Leana Williford, has worked hard to be delicate with the British-bred mare who made her first 15 starts in Europe. “Leana had her for most of the winter and had her down at Belmont to prepare for this, she’s done a great

— Rita Mae Brown

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See Diana page 7

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job with her. She was with her all winter, just figuring her out, getting to where she knew us and we knew her,” Mott said. “You don’t just go in and start poking around on her, once she knows you and trusts you, it’s OK. She’s very sensitive, sensitive skin, thin-skinned, gets rubbed easily, real fine.” For Mott and Juddmonte’s Garrett O’Rourke, it was a sweet win in a big race. Tinged by sadness and reflection. “I’m really, really proud of her. The toughest part

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Diana –

Continued from page 6

has been following the trainer who used to train for the stable,” Mott said. “The pressure has been following somebody else’s footsteps. I’m proud to do it. I think you realized after Bobby passed away how popular a trainer he was and what a following he had. He did an amazing job for them and they did an amazing job for him.” Asked what Frankel would have thought about him training Proviso, Mott paused. “I think we had a mutual respect for each other, I think we did for sure,” Mott said. “I think he’d be OK with it. I think he’d be OK with it.”

Javier Castellano

Leading Jockeys Javier Castellano . . . . . . . 10 John Velazquez. . . . . . . . . 10 The Diana trophy presentation included actress Bo Derek (center).

Tod Marks

Ramon Dominguez . . . . . . . 7 Julien Leparoux . . . . . . . . . 6 Alan Garcia . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Rajiv Maragh . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Garrett Gomez . . . . . . . . . . 4 Edgar Prado. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Eibar Coa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 David Cohen. . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Kent Desormeaux . . . . . . . . 3 Shaun Bridgmohan . . . . . . . 2 Jose Espinoza. . . . . . . . . . . 2 Cornelio Velasquez. . . . . . . 2 11 tied. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Tom Proctor & Garrett Gomez

Leading Trainers Chad Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Todd Pletcher. . . . . . . . . . . 5 Bruce Levine . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Bill Mott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Tom Proctor. . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Linda Rice. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Steve Asmussen. . . . . . . . . 2 Richard Dutrow Jr. . . . . . . . 2 Michael Maker. . . . . . . . . . 2 Barclay Tagg. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 George Weaver. . . . . . . . . . 2 43 tied . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Photos by Tod Marks

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Hot Stuff A Little Warm rewards trainer’s faith with win by sean clancy A day before the Jim Dandy, trainer Tony Dutrow needed to get a point across. He was very confident in A Little Warm. Confident he was training well and would run well; not confident he would win the Grade II stakes. After the race Saturday, Dutrow still tried to get that point across. “I didn’t know if he would JIM DANDY win, but boy, I was really feeling STAKES RECAP good about him running great,” Dutrow said, on his way to the Trustees’ Room. “I think I told you that yesterday.” A Little Warm dominated the Grade II Jim Dandy, tracking Miner’s Reserve in second before rolling to an impressive win under John Velazquez. The victory put A Little Warm, a late developing son of Stormin Fever, squarely in the 3-year-old picture. With four weeks until the Travers, A Little Warm earned a seat in the front of that bus. Velazquez knew he had one task to accomplish into the first turn; allow Miner’s Reserve, to his right, to clear him. Velazquez managed that easily, slipping A Little Warm off of Miner’s Reserve’s heels and into a stalking position in second. Then it was about getting A Little Warm to accept the spot, relax and finish. Check. Check. Check. Replaying an allowance race at Delaware Park where

A Little Warm breaks on top in the Jim Dandy.

Miner’s Reserve led and A Little Warm ran him down, the duo controlled the race from the outset. Calvin Borel pressed Miner’s Reserve, the longest price in the eight-horse field, to the lead through a quarter in 23.32 seconds. A little Warm tracked to his outside, less than a length from the leader, through a half in 46.80. The undefeated New York-breds, Stormy’s Majesty and Friend Or Foe, drafted behind the leaders. Pegasus winner Afleet Express broke inward and then tried to get comfortable in fifth while Aikenite galloped

Tod Marks

to his outside. Irish-import Steinbeck came next while favorite Fly Down lagged in last. On the turn, Velazquez turned up the pressure on the leader, engaging him from the outside through three quarters of a mile in 1:10.82. Turning for home, A Little Warm pounced on Miner’s Reserve and in a flash, it was a two-horse race as the others floundered at the top of the stretch. At the eighth pole, A Little Warm finally beSee JIM DANDY page 11

Sunday, August 1, 2010

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Jim Dandy –

Continued from page 8

gan to edge away from Miner’s Reserve, lengthing to the wire to score by 1 3/4 lengths over a game Miner’s Reserve. Afleet Express, who came under heavy pressure on the turn, re-rallied to be third, galloping out past the winner. Friend Or Foe hit the same flat spot as Afleet Express and Tod Marks came running as well to be John Velazquez (left) and Tony Dutrow. fourth. Fly Down rallied into the breach but couldn’t threatHe broke his maiden by 10 3/4 lengths en to be fifth. and then went straight into stakes; winBred and owned by Edward Evans, ning the Spectacular Bid at Gulfstream, A Little Warm finished the 9 furlongs in then finishing second to crack sprinter D’ 1:47.98. Funnybone in the Holy Bull. The Virginia-bred son of Stormin FeDutrow stretched him out for the ver improved his career record to 4-for-9 first time in the Lousiana Derby, where with just one off-the-board finish. battled to be second behind Mission ImDutrow entered two horses for the pazible. The winner’s share propelled the Jim Dandy, but opted to scratch Winslow winner to the Derby (he finished ninth Homer and run him in Sunday’s Curlin, and exited with a chip in his knee) and an overnight stakes for 3-year-olds. With dispatched A Little Warm to the outside the confidence he showed in A Little looking in. Of course, Dutrow wasn’t Warm, one entry looked like enough. looking. Dutrow likes A Little Warm – for his “I can tell you this, I was saying talent and his personality. prayers hoping this horse didn’t get in “He’s such a wonderful horse to be the Derby. I think it would have been too around; he’s always got so much energy, much too soon, it was just asking too character, enthusiasm,” Dutrow said. much of him,” Dutrow said. “One two“Every day you’re looking at him and turn race in his life. Not the competition, he’s like ‘What’s up Tone? Let’s go.’ Ev- just like Winslow Homer today, lack of ery day, he’s ready.” seasoning. I think Winslow Homer can He had never been as ready as he was run with these, I think he can, but a lack for the Jim Dandy. of seasoning, I don’t think it was fair to A Little Warm took four tries to break See jim dandy page 12 his maiden from June 8 to November 23.

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Jim Dandy –

Continued from page 11

him. If you run Winslow here or this horse in the Derby, you ask too much for him, you’re dead.” Dutrow was relieved to miss the Derby, then took aim at the Preakness but that plan was derailed when A Little Warm shipped north from Palm Meadows and arrived at Delaware Park with a fever. That derailment finished the Triple Crown foray and officially started the Road to the Jim Dandy. Dutrow regrouped, gave A Little Warm some easy time at the track before stoking him up for an allowance race at Delaware Park June 29. They write them tough down there. The two-otherthan allowance condition also attracted Miner’s Reserve, a two-time winner for trainer Nick Zito. Both pointing for the Jim Dandy. A Little Warm walked over from his Delaware barn and Miner’s Reserve shipped down from Belmont Park. Taking advantage of a dark day in New York, Dutrow recruited Velazquez for his first ride aboard the bay colt. Miner’s Reserve led, A Little Warm tracked and then swept past the leader. “I was very impressed with him,” Velazquez said. “It was a quick pace and a slow track that day and he just kept coming, he just kept coming, he took the lead and he started waiting, I said, ‘I guess this sucker is OK.’ Anthony called me and asked me what I thought about the horse and I said he’s a very talented horse, very talented. Coming off a layoff to run that race at Delaware, that was a tough race, Nick Zito’s horse can run, the way he won at Belmont, he can run.” With that information, Velazquez put a plan in place for the Jim Dandy. He respected Miner’s Reserve more than the bettors who allowed him to go off at 15-1. “I thought that horse was going to the go to the lead and I’d sit second or third, I expected Rajiv Maragh (on Friend Or Foe) to show more speed when he wasn’t there, I said, ‘it’s going to be me and him, like at Delaware,’ ” Velazquez said. “I wanted to bide my time a little bit because there were better horses behind me

Dave Harmon

A Little Warm (left) outpunches Miner’s Reserve to win the Jim Dandy.

today. I wanted to wait until the quarter pole before I asked him to do anything. When I asked him he was there, it was pretty easy.” After the race, Dutrow watched the replay from the Trustees’ Room. “He broke with run on his mind,” Dutrow said.

“They ran this way at Delaware. Nick’s horse is a wonderful horse that just looks like he can’t get the distance, wonderful horse, we raced exactly like this at Delaware and we shoved by him the last 70 yards. Watching today, I wasn’t confident, I was just hoping.”

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Maple Leaf Magic

Tasty Temptation streaks in for Gr. I try

BY JOE CLANCY

Everybody needs a vacation. Last year, as a 3-year-old filly, Tasty Temptation went through a tough, eight-race campaign that included two wins and a fourth in Canada’s classic Queen’s Plate against colts. She won the Wonder Where RUFFIAN Stakes in late July and didn’t start STAKES again until April – PREVIEW an absence of nine months from the track but barely a moment away from trainer Mark Casse. “This winter in Florida, her paddock was the closest one to the house,” Casse said. “I’d get up every morning, go outside and say good morning to Tasty from the front door. We fed her mints every day, she loved it.” Surely. Tasty Temptation, all grown up at 4, returned to the races with an easy optional claiming score at Woodbine, backed that up with an allowance romp and then a victory in the Hill N Dale Stakes at Woodbine June 20. Owned by Woodford Thoroughbreds, the gray daughter of Medaglia d’ Oro goes after bigger rewards in today’s $250,000 Ruffian (Gr. I). The ninth race on the See Ruffian page 18

Tasty Temptation and trainer Mark Casse share a moment while getting ready for today’s Ruffian Stakes.

Maggie Kimmit

Sunday, August 1, 2010

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sunday’s Saratoga entries Sunday, August 1. Post Time 1 p.m. Entries with program number, post position, jockey, trainer, and morning-line odds. 1st (1:00) 5 1/2 Furlongs (Turf) F&M 3&Up Allow/opt Clm ($50,000) Purse: $44,000 1 1 Two Moons................Castellano J J........ Hennig Mark.............8-1 2 2 Elegant Bess...............Lenclud F.............. Serpe Philip M..........5-1 3 3 Zip by You..................Prado E S.............. Rodriguez Rudy R....7-2 4 4 Catty Madeline............Cohen D................ Contessa Gary C.....15-1 5 5 Raffie’s Rose..............Desormeaux K J.... Ryerson James T.....8-1 6 6 Bhangaloo Ruby.........Leparoux J R......... Kenneally Eddie......10-1 7 7 Bob’s Dylan................Velazquez J R........ Ferraro Michael S...12-1 8 8 Lost Without You.......Hill C..................... Pugh Peter D............8-1 9 9 Acquired Cat...............Coa E M................ Galluscio Dominic....3-1 10 10 Citifiesta.....................Samyn J L............. Hertler John O........15-1 11 AE Princess Maura..........Velasquez C........... Schosberg Richard.15-1 Exacta, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (1-3), Daily Double 2nd (1:33) 6 Furlongs Fillies 2Yo Maiden Purse: $50,000 1 1 Witchy One.................Leparoux J R......... Arnold George R II...5-2 2 2 Vixen’s Roar...............Gomez G K............ Contessa Gary C.......6-1 3 3 Come a Callin.............Velazquez J R........ Mott William I.........10-1 4 4 Promise Me a Cat.......Castellano J J........ Martin Carlos F.......12-1 5 5 Fancy Point................Cohen D................ Phipps William.......15-1 6 6 Bizzy Caroline.............Albarado R J......... McPeek Kenneth G.15-1 7 7 Mountain Rose...........Desormeaux K J.... Mott William I...........8-1 8 8 Abide..........................Bridgmohan S X.... Asmussen Steven.....4-1 9 9 Miss Dora...................Velasquez C........... Hough Stanley M......7-2 Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (2-4) Pick 4 Races (2-5), Daily Double 3rd (2:06) 1 1/16 Miles (Inner turf) F&M 3&Up Maiden Purse: $41,000 1 1 I Dreamt I Was...........Velazquez J R........ Serpe Philip M..........6-1 2 2 Moneigh.....................Desormeaux K J.... Ice Tim A................15-1 3 3 Patronus Charm.........Chavez J F............. Payne Curtis...........30-1 4 4 New York Kitten..........Leparoux J R......... Maker Michael J.......8-1 5 5 Catalina Lady..............Luzzi M J............... O’Brien Keith..........50-1 6 6 Royal Rhetoric............Espinoza J L.......... Aquilino Joseph........8-1 7 7 Notell..........................Santiago V............. Tagg Barclay.............5-1 8 8 Bretton Woods...........Castellano J J........ Weaver George.........6-1 9 9 Considerate................Samyn J L............. Hertler John O..........3-1 10 10 Strikealinethruit..........Hill C..................... Duggan David P.....12-1 11 11 My Honey Laurie........Prado E S.............. Brown Bruce R ......12-1 12 12 D’ Oratory...................Velasquez C........... Bond H James........12-1 13 AE Es Mia........................Prado E S.............. Ubillo Rodrigo A.....15-1 14 AE Makeminechocolate...Castellano J J........ Tagg Barclay.............4-1 15 AE Ready for Autumn......Coa E M................ Brown Bruce R.......10-1 16 MTO Antinori......................Lenclud F.............. Bond H James..........4-1 Exacta, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (3-5), Daily Double 4th (2:39) 7 Furlongs 3&Up Allow/Opt Clm ($35,000) Purse: $44,000 1 1 Fenway Faithful..........Bridgmohan S X.... Violette, Jr. R A........4-1 2 2 Executive Search........Castellano J J........ Contessa Gary C.......8-1 3 3 Mine Over Matter.......Desormeaux K J.... Hernandez Ramon.. 15-1 4 4 Dixie Nite Out.............Luzzi M J............... Contessa Gary C.......6-1 5 5 Stormin Bolt...............Coa E M................ McLaughlin Kiaran...5-2 6 6 Success Fee...............Leparoux J R......... Hennig Mark...........12-1 7 7 Six Flings....................Santiago V............. Callejas Bernardo...10-1 8 8 Eire’s Run...................Cohen D................ Rice Linda................3-1 Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (4-6), Daily Double 5th (3:13) 5 1/2 Furlongs (Turf) F&M 3&Up Mdn Clm ($25,000) Purse: $22,000 1 1 Eliza Grace..................Chavez J F............. Barker Edward R....30-1 2 2 Aprilmayjune..............Velazquez J R........ Benzel Seth..............4-1 3 3 Alwaysinmydreams....Luzzi M J............... Schettino Dominick..6-1 4 4 Besa Me Por Favor.....Bridgmohan J V.... Parker Joseph........50-1 5 5 Atlantic Beauty...........Velasquez C........... Dutrow, Jr. R E.........5-2 6 6 Queen Ann..................Mena M................. Stewart Dallas........12-1 7 7 Lady of the Forest......Espinoza J L.......... Imperio Joseph......12-1 8 8 Lady Symphony.........Lenclud F.............. Dollase Wallace......15-1 9 9 Keith’s Kitten..............Leparoux J R......... Maker Michael J.......6-1 10 10 Magical Feeling..........Gomez G K............ Mott William I...........7-2 11 AE Arielle’s Song.............Cohen D................ Rice Linda................5-1 12 AE Seattle Dynasty..........Rodriguez J........... Toscano John T .....30-1 13 AE Boatman’s Dream.......Castellano J J........ Galluscio Dominic....6-1 14 MTO Florida Girl..................Rodriguez J........... Gullo Gary P.............6-1 15 MTO Medieval Lee..............Bridgmohan J V.... Kelly Patrick J.........15-1 Exacta, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (5-7), Pick 6 Races (5-10) Daily Double

Sunday, August 1, 2010

6th (3:47) 1 1/16 Miles (Inner turf) F&M 3&Up Allowance Purse: $53,000 1 1 Empire Spring............Gomez G K............ Clement Christophe.. 8-1 2 2 Sapphire Mink............Prado E S.............. Duggan David P.....30-1 3 3 It’s Tea Time...............Leparoux J R......... Arnold George R .....7-2 4 4 Loxy Lady...................Castellano J J........ Hennig Mark...........12-1 5 5 Doe Run.....................Cohen D................ Phipps William.......12-1 6 6 Beautician...................Albarado R J......... McPeek Kenneth G...6-1 7 7 Muhaawara.................Bridgmohan S X.... McLaughlin Kiaran .12-1 8 8 Queen Hazel...............Velasquez C........... Ribaudo Robert J.....6-1 9 9 Beauty Is a Beast........Velazquez J R........ Terranova, II John..20-1 10 10 Silk Route...................Desormeaux K J.... Mott William I...........4-1 11 11 Kittylicious.................Coa E M................ Sciacca Gary..........20-1 12 12 River Forest................Lenclud F.............. Proctor Thomas.....12-1 13 AE Zodiac Girl..................Velazquez J R........ Brown Chad C........12-1 14 MTO Tribeca.......................Lenclud F.............. Donk David.............10-1 15 MTO Kayce Ace...................Gomez G K............ Harty Eoin................6-1 16 MTO Suzanne.....................Solis A................... Lewis Lisa L 10-1 Exacta, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (6-8), Grand Slam Races (6-9) Daily Double

Don’t Just Be a Spectator, Be an Owner

7th (4:21) Fourstardave H. (G2) 1 1/16 Miles (Turf) 3&Up Purse: $150,000 1 5 Nownownow..............Leparoux J R......... Biancone Patrick L...8-1 1A 7 Violon Sacre...............Leparoux J R......... Biancone Patrick L...8-1 2 1 Get Stormy.................Castellano J J........ Bush Thomas M.......7-2 3 2 Whatsthescript (IRE)..Gomez G K............ Contessa Gary C.......6-1 4 3 Zifzaf..........................Hill C..................... Toner James J........20-1 5 4 Cherokee Artist...........Rose J................... Motion H Graham.....6-1 6 6 Wesley.......................Coa E M................ Hennig Mark.............8-1 7 8 Radical Sabbatical......Velazquez J R........ Tagg Barclay...........15-1 8 9 Public Speaker...........Albarado R J......... McPeek Kenneth .....9-2 9 10 Pinckney Hill..............Velasquez C........... Penna Angel Jr.........3-1 10 MTO Brother Nick...............Rose J................... Jerkens James A......4-1 11 MTO Convocation...............Rose J................... Jerkens James A .....4-5 A-Coupled: Nownownow and Violon Sacre Exacta, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (7-9), Pick 4 Races (7-10) Daily Double 8th (4:55) Curlin Stakes. 1 1/8 Miles 3YO Purse: $75,000 1 1 Winslow Homer..........Albarado R J......... Dutrow Anthony W...3-1 2 2 Quiet All American......Mena M................. Romans Dale..........15-1 3 3 Miner’s Reserve.........Solis A................... Zito Nicholas P.........2-1 4 4 Regal Warrior.............Castellano J J........ Trombetta Michael....8-1 5 5 Westshore..................Leparoux J R......... Baker James E........10-1 6 6 Winaholic...................Velazquez J R........ Pletcher Todd A........4-1 7 7 So Elite.......................Desormeaux K J.... Casse Mark..............6-1 8 8 Citrus Kid...................Hill C..................... Terranova, II John .15-1 Exacta, Trifecta, Super (.10), Pick 3 Races (8-10), Daily Double 9th (5:30) Ruffian Invitational H. (G1) 1 1/8 Miles F&M 3&Up Purse: $250,000 1 1 Malibu Prayer.............Velazquez J R........ Pletcher Todd A........2-1 2 2 Unrivaled Belle...........Desormeaux K J.... Mott William I...........1-1 3 3 Starship Angel............Gomez G K............ McLaughlin Kiaran.12-1 4 4 Classofsixtythree........Castellano J J........ Contessa Gary C.....20-1 5 5 Tasty Temptation........Leparoux J R......... Casse Mark..............5-1 6 6 Zaphyra......................Prado E S.............. Terranova, II John..12-1 Exacta, Trifecta, Daily Double 10th (6:04) 6 Furlongs F&M 3&Up Maiden Claiming ($20,000) Purse: $20,000 1 1 Karakorum Jete..........Luzzi M J............... Odintz Jeff..............15-1 2 2 Bird in Hand...............Mena M................. LeBlanc Kirsten......30-1 3 3 Soo’s Purse................Chavez J F............. Alvarez Luis C.........15-1 4 4 Glance My Way..........Prado E S.............. Martin Frank...........15-1 5 5 Persky’s Love.............Rodriguez J........... Ortiz Juan...............15-1 6 6 My Two Cents.............Coa E M................ Weaver George.........2-1 7 7 Sammy’s Goodasgold....Hill C..................... Schwartz Scott ......12-1 8 8 Enniskillen..................Lenclud F.............. O’Brien Colum........10-1 9 9 Ruby’s Magic Spell.....Bridgmohan J V.... Kelly Patrick J.........15-1 10 10 Above the Call............Velasquez C........... Hernandez Ramon.. 15-1 11 11 Jacky Juice.................Castellano J J........ Brown Chad C..........9-5 Exacta, Trifecta, Super (.10)

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Acquired Cat Elegant Bess Princess Maura Miss Dora Abide Witchy One New York Kitten Considerate Notell Stormin Bolt Eire’s Run Fenway Faithful Atlantic Beauty Magical Feeling Keith’s Kitten Silk Route It’s Tea Time Beautician Brother Nick Get Stormy Whatsthescript Miner’s Reserve Winaholic So Elite Unrivaled Belle Malibu Prayer Starship Angel Jacky Juice My Two Cents Glance My Way

Zip by You Acquired Cat Elegant Bess Miss Dora Witchy One Abide I Dreamt I Was New York Kitten Strikealinethruit Stormin Bolt Dixie Nite Out Fenway Faithful Atlantic Beauty Aprilmayjune Queen Ann Silk Route It’s Tea Time Muhaawara Cherokee Artist Get Stormy Public Speaker Winaholic Miner’s Reserve Westshore Unrivaled Belle Zaphyra Starship Angel My Two Cents Jacky Juice Enniskillen

Zip By You Acquired Cat Elegant Bess Witchy One Miss Dora Abide Makeminechocolate Notell Considerate Eire’s Run Stormin Bolt Six Flings Magical Feeling Aprilmayjune Alwaysinmydreams It’s Tea Time Silk Route River Forest Violon Sacre Pinckney Hill Cherokee Artist Winslow Homer Miner’s Reserve So Elite Tasty Temptation Unrivaled Belle Malibu Prayer Jacky Juice My Two Cents Soo’s Purse

Lost Without You Bhangaloo Ruby Zip By You Miss Dora Witchy One Abide I Dreamt I Was Notell Considerate Dixie Nite Out Stormin Bolt Fenway Faithful Atlantic Beauty Aprilmayjune Magical Feeling It’s Tea Time Silk Route Queen Hazel Get Stormy Whatsthescript Public Speaker Miner’s Resverve Winslow Homer Winaholic Unrivaled Belle Tasty Temptation Malibu Prayer Jacky Juice My Two Cents Enniskillen

Records

26/69

21/69

15/69

Race #

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Antiques

Dean Keppler Elegant Bess Acquired Cat Zip by You Vixen’s Roar Witchy One Bizzy Caroline I Dreamt I Was Notell New York Kitten Eire’s Run Stormin Bolt Success Fee Atlantic Beauty Aprilmayjune Keith’s Kitten It’s Tea Time Silk Route Empire Spring Wesley Get Stormy Whatsthescript So Elite Winslow Homer Citrus Kid Malibu Prayer Tasty Temptation Unrivaled Belle Jacky Juice My Two Cents Enniskillen

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

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Ruffian –

“She’d stand there and watch the tractors go by during the harrowing break if we let her. She has a wonderful mind, which should work to her advantage.”

Continued from page 14

day drew six entrants, none more accomplished than even-money favorite Unrivaled Belle and 2-1 second choice Malibu Prayer, but they may both have to contend with the latest arrival from north of the border. Canadians finished 1-2-3 in last week’s Lake George and 1-2 in last year’s Grade I Alabama, performances that ought to make anyone notice. “The Woodbine form has been doing really well; it holds at any track we go,” said Casse of the rich purse structure and quality racing at the Toronto track. “Our purses are pretty good, so if you see us coming it’s to run in a stakes which we figure we have a pretty

— Mark Casse, trainer of Tasty Temptation good shot in or we’re running in a race we can’t get at home.” There aren’t many Grade I opportunities for fillies and mares at Woodbine this time of year, which makes the 608kilometer journey to Saratoga a good idea. Tasty Temptation makes her first start on dirt – she’s won on turf and synthetics at Woodbine and Santa Ani-

ta – but should have no problems with the 1 1/8-mile distance. She’s won going 6 1/2 furlongs and 1 1/4 miles and prefers to sit just off the pace, though she broke last in the Woodbine Oaks last year and charged home to finish second to Milwaukee Appeal. Casse won’t worry about the surface change, and even pointed out that it’s not really a change.



FOUR STAR SALES

Quality In Hand at Fasig-Tipton

Saratoga Select | August 2-3 | Barn 4 24 Bluegrass Cat–Cash No Credit colt 108 Speightstown–Miss Marni colt 111 Afleet Alex–Miz United States filly

160 Arch–Run Withthe Spirit colt

Lee Thomas

116 Indian Charlie–Mrs. Coolidge colt

“What people don’t know is that at Woodbine we actually have a dirt track,” he said. “Our training track is dirt so we took her over and worked her on the dirt and she worked probably the best I’ve seen her breeze. That made us confident. I’m very confident that she’ll handle the dirt.” The July 5 workout – a bullet 5 furlongs in 58 2/5 seconds – is right there for everyone to see, as is the filly’s pedigree and Casse’s opinion that switching surfaces really isn’t the obstacle it’s sometimes made out to be. “I don’t really see a whole lot of difference really, especially if they have the pedigree for dirt,” the trainer said. “I’m pretty confident moving mine to dirt. Personally, there are more horses that don’t like dirt than don’t like synthentic. Most horses can run a little bit on it. I don’t make a big deal of it.” Tasty Temptation’s behavior Saturday morning showed he affinity for Saratoga’s main track. She spent 15 minutes staring at and listening to the mob and clatter of breakfast patrons while out for some light exercise and might still be there if Casse didn’t have four other horses in the stakes barn. “She just stood there, didn’t do anything,” Casse said. “She’d stand there and watch the tractors go by during the harrowing break if we let her. She has a wonderful mind, which should work to her advantage. Hopefully there will be a big crowd and it’s an advantage if your horse can handle the atmosphere. The fillies got really upset before the Lake George.” Competition concerns Casse more than racetracks or pre-race nerves. Divisional superstars go elsewhere, but the Ruffian matches a solid group of understudies. Unrivaled Belle defeated Rachel Alexandra the Grade II La Troienne at Churchill Downs this spring and has finished second in two Grade I starts (to Life At Ten and Flashing). Malibu Player also carries a Grade II win on her scorecard and comes off a lopsided tally in Monmouth Park’s Lighthouse. “There are some good horses in the race and maybe they’ll be better than she is – it is a Grade I at Saratoga,” said Casse. “We gave her a big break in the winter, which helped her a lot and she’s come back. The Queen’s Plate is kind of like the (Kentucky) Derby, it’s a very draining race and can take a lot out of horses.”

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

DAR1732 Saratoga half V Discreet Cat 1 AUG10.qxd

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RUFFIAN STAKES PREVIEW

Catch the first DISCREET CAT yearlings at the sales. You’ll be hooked...

The World Champion three-year-old of 2006, rated the equal of Bernardini. Matched Easy Goer’s legendary Aqueduct mile record and beat Invasor. At Fasig-Tipton July’s Freshman Sire Showcase, he had the second-top colt and the bestpriced filly.

More information at www.darleyamerica.com

Darley

Classofsixtythree wins at the Spa last year.

Tod Marks

Six Shooters Half-dozen try hands at Gr. I form in stakes BY PHIL JANACK

It has been 35 years since the racing world lost one of its greatest superstars, the amazing filly Ruffian, who broke down in her match race with Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park. In 1976, the New York Racing Association named a race for the daughter of Reviewer, 10-for-10 in her career and never headed at any call until her fatal breakdown. That same year, Ruffian was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Run at 1 1⁄4 miles in its inaugural year, the Ruffian was contested at 1 1/8 miles from 1977-89 and at a mile from 1990 to 2009. When the race was moved from Belmont to Saratoga to replace the Go for Wand this year, it was returned to nine furlongs. Over the years, the Ruffian has been won by such horses as Kentucky Derby winner Genuine Risk (1980) and Lady’s Secret, the 1986 Horse of the Year who captured back-to-back runnings in 1985 and 1986. While the top older females in training, Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, are sitting this one out, six others are entered for their chance to join them as Grade I winners. The Ruffian is also designated as a “Win and You’re In” race, earning automatic entry to the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. “If ever you’re going to get Grade I status, whether stakes placed or stakes winner, the big guns are not in this race,” said trainer Gary Contessa, who will saddle 4-year-old Include filly Classofsixtythree. “This is not the toughest Grade I in the world. If ever you’re go-

ing to take a shot to enhance the pedigree on a horse, this is the time.” Owned by Lee Pokoik, who graduated from Tabor Academy, a college preparatory school in Marion, Mass. in 1963, Classofsixtythree enters the Ruffian off a 1-mile allowance win at Monmouth Park July 9, her second win in six starts this year. She will carry 113 pounds, six less than even-money favorite Unrivaled Belle. “You’ll notice that (50) percent of the horses in there are weighted the same as I am, so they haven’t accomplished a whole lot more than me,” Contessa said. “And, let’s face it, Zenyatta and Rachel are not running. There are too many filly and mare distance races right now, and everybody’s going in a different direction. This is a good spot to take a chance. “Lee and I both discussed it as soon as she won at Monmouth. She’s a natural at the distance. She wants a mile and an eighth, mile and a quarter, mile and a half. That’s her thing. There’s really not a lot of mile and a quarter, mile and a half dirt races for her, so this is a good spot. She’ll be coming. Whether or not she’ll be coming good enough, we’ll find out. It’s an interesting spot to try.” On hand for the race will be several Tabor school officials as well as former classmates of Pokoik, a school trustee who has named several horses for people involved with his alma mater. “He has them all here, so it’s kind of neat,” Contessa said. “And after the race, he’s taking them to Siro’s.” Trainer John Terranova is also taking a shot in the Ruffian with Zaphyra, who won a 1-mile allowance/optional claimer at Belmont Park June 18 in her last start. Terranova had intended to run the 4-year-old Victory Gallop filly in a three-other-than allowance on Friday, but the race didn’t fill. “It was in the book, but I don’t think See Ruffian page 22

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Ruffian –

Continued from page 20

another horse entered. Maybe one,” he said. “You want to put them in spots that they can win. We’re reaching a little bit here obviously, but she’s doing real well and you never know. There’s no true standout in there like a Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta type of filly. There’s some good fillies in there, of course … but you never know what can happen, especially up here. And she’s training really well.” It will be the stakes debut for Zaphyra, who ran fourth in her debut race at Saratoga last Aug. 31 for Nick Zito, one of her two previous trainers. Owned by Four Roses Thoroughbreds, she broke her maiden at Laurel Park in January for trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. “She’s a nice filly,” Terranova said. “She’s training amazing right now, and she’s really ready to run well. There weren’t many options to go with her. She should love the added distance, we feel. She’s ready to run a top race, I think. We talked about it with the owners and said, ‘Let’s take a look at it and maybe take a shot.’ Even if we could get a piece, that would be great. “She looks really great, that’s why I think she’s sitting on a big race. Whether her big race is enough to win, we don’t know. Maybe it’s enough to get a piece of it, but we’re going to take our shot.” Unrivaled Belle won the Grade III Rampart and Grade II La Troienne this year, the latter by a head over Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year who has won two straight after opening

“And, let’s face it, Zenyatta and Rachel are not running. There are too many filly and mare distance races right now, and everybody’s going in a different direction. This is a good spot to take a chance.” — Gary Contessa, trainer Classofsixtythree the year with a pair of losses. She has run second in a pair of Grade I races, the Gazelle at 3 and the Ogden Phipps in her last start. Malibu Prayer was second in the Mother Goose last June in her only try both at the distance and in Grade 1 company. She closed her 3-year-old season by winning the Grade II Chilukki in November, and is 1-for-2 this year, taking the $96,000 Lighthouse at Monmouth on June 26. Rounding out the Ruffian field are Tasty Temptation, who brings in a fourrace win streak for Canadian-based trainer Mark Casse, and Starship Angel, who was fourth in the Grade 3 Sixty Sails Handicap at Hawthorne Park this spring in her only previous graded stakes try.

Trainer Bill Mott leads Ruffian favorite Unrivaled Belle at Saratoga this week.

Maggie Kimmit

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

DAR1733 Saratoga half V AGS 1 AUG10.qxd

27/7/10

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FOURSTARDAVE STAKES PREVIEW

Catch the first ANY GIVEN SATURDAY yearlings at the sales. You’ll be hooked...

The finest son of Distorted Humor who trounced Hard Spun and Curlin by four lengths and more in the Haskell. A G2 juvenile who also won the Dwyer and Brooklyn. At Fasig-Tipton July’s Freshman Sire Showcase, his one yearling made the thirdbest price, reeling in $225,000.

Whatsthescript continues his return to racing in the Fourstardave.

Eclipse Sportswire

Plot Changes Whatsthescript changes careers, gets back on track BY KAREN JOHNSON Whatsthescript eyed his roan-colored stable pony, Crunchy, who in return gave the 6-year-old a baleful glance. Trainer Gary Contessa, who was grazing Whatsthescript, remarked: “He looks more at the pony than the fillies, if you ask me.” You would expect that Whatsthescript would have a keen eye for the ladies because he recently completed his first year at stud at owner Tom Stull’s farm in California and was bred to 26 mares. There has, however, been a rewrite in the script for the son of Royal Applause. He is back at the track and among the entries for today’s $150,000 Fourstardave (Gr. II) at 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon Turf. Whatsthescript seeks his first win since taking the Grade II Del Mar Mile Handicap in 2008. That same year, he was

third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita. While in California, Whatsthescript was most recently under the care of trainer John Sadler. The multiple stakes winner has earnings of $917,964, and has won six of 20 starts. Stull retired Whatsthescript because of a minor soft-tissue injury. When the breeding season concluded this year, Whatsthescript showed signs of wanting to train. Stull has a training track at his Santa Inez ranch, and prepared the horse there before sending him to Contessa. Of his decision to send the horse East, Stull said he wanted to stay away from the synthetic tracks in California because he didn’t wish for Whatsthescript’s old soft tissue injury to flare up again. “He was a professional stallion,” said Stull, who will be represented by his first Saratoga starter. “But he showed us he wanted to come back to the track and I figured we would see how he behaved before making that decision. When we put him back to See Fourstardave page 26 See Fourstardave page 26

More information at www.darleyamerica.com

Darley

Tod Marks

Get Stormy will also be part of the mix in the Fourstardave.

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7/29/10 10:49:09 AM

Fourstardave –

Continued from page 24

work, he indicated that he wanted to go on.” Contessa, who has trained some horses for Stull in the past, said he was delighted to get the call from the owner that Whatsthescript would be heading his way. In his first start for his new trainer, the Irish-bred finished third in the Battlefield Stakes at Monmouth Park July 10. Contessa said Whatsthescript has quickly become one of his favorite horses in the barn. “You would expect a horse that was a stallion to be biting fingers off, but this horse is so cool. He is just a pleasure to be around. I really expected him

to be a problem, but he has just been a gentleman.” That said, Contessa believes Whatsthescript will show his aggression as a racehorse in the Fourstardave. The trainer toyed with the idea of running him in the Oceanport, where he is also entered, at Monmouth Park tomorrow, but ultimately decided to stay in Saratoga because the horse is thriving here. Whatsthescript is 6-1 in the morningline for the Fourstardave and 5-1 in the $200,000 Oceanport. “I love the way he is training here,” Contessa said. “The Monmouth race is easier on paper and more money, but I thought ‘why not give him a shot?’ ” But the wisecracking Contessa couldn’t help but taunt New York Racing Association racing secretary P. J. Campo about New Jersey when Campo See Fourstardave page 28

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Fourstardave –

Continued from page 26

stopped by the barn Saturday morning. “What’s the verdict?” Campo asked. Contessa, who held the shank as Whatsthescript grazed, dead-panned: “I want to give him a lot of grass before he gets on the van.” Whatsthescript is among 10 horses entered in the Fourstardave. Brother Nick and Convocation are entered for the main track only. The Patrick Biancone coupling of Nownownow and Violon Sacre are also entered in the Oceanport. With Julien Leparoux named on both at Saratoga, only one of them can start. Biancone is more inclined to run Saratoga stakes winner Nownownow here if the turf has some give to it, but a firm course is likely. Cherokee Artist has also been crossentered here and at Monmouth. Mary Sullivan’s Get Stormy is the second choice at 7-2 in the Fourstardave. The son of Stormy Atlantic is a multiple graded stakes winner who was undefeated in two starts at Saratoga last year. Trainer Tom Bush introduced Get Stormy to a visitor and addressed the bay colt, who has massive amounts of white on his face, and sports white on each of his legs as Clyde. “Clyde?” Bush was queried. “Everything about him is Clydesdale,” Bush said. “I swear, if he had hair on his fetlocks, he would look exactly like one.” He doesn’t weigh anywhere near a Clydesdale, but on the racetrack Get

Maggie Kimmitt (2)

Wesley (left) and Zifzaf (right) are also part of the Fourstardave field this afternoon.

Stormy does throw his weight around. His five-race win streak, which included victories in three stakes, was snapped in his last start when he finished fourth in the Grade II King Edward in Canada. Bush said the colt wasn’t in love with Woodbine’s soggy course that day. The 3-1 morning-line favorite, Pinckney Hill, is coming off an eighth against

some bears, including dual Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti, in the Grade I Manhattan on the Belmont Stakes undercard. The son of A.P. Indy finished second in a stakes at Calder in the spring for trainer Angel Penna Jr. and the partnership of William S. Farish and Lazy F Ranch. The field in post position order,

with riders: Get Stormy (Javier Castellano); Whatsthescript (Garrett Gomez); Zifzaf (Channing Hill); Cherokee Artist (Jeremy Rose); Nownownow (Julien Leparoux); Wesley (Eibar Coa); Violon Sacre (Julien Leparoux); Radical Sabbatical (John Velazquez); Public Speaker (Robby Albarado) and Pinckney Hill (Cornelio Velasquez).

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Monday, August 2 Strawberry Fields

BEATLES NIGHT

Wednesday, August 4

AUDIO STARS

Sales Consignments Bloodstock Services Seasons / Matings Breaking Lay-Ups

Thursday, August 5

Friday, August 6

WOODSTOCK REFRIGERATORS (famous hits of legendary artists)

Saturday, August 7 A Tribute to

Sunday, August 8

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Monday, August 9 Strawberry Fields

Wednesday, August 11

BEATLES NIGHT

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Saratoga Selected Yearlings

August 2-3 • Barns 8-9

Hip 1...filly by MAlIBU MOON Sire of 10 GSW fillies, including Devil May Care, Life At Ten, Malibu Mint, Funny Moon.

Curlin

Hip 4...filly by STREET CRy

Breeders’ Cup Classic Winner

The sire of Zenyatta and from one of the best female families in the world...Courtly Dee

Hip 23...colt by TIZNOW

The sire of 11 GSW colts, out of a SW daughter of Carson City

Hip 28...filly by EMPIRE MAKER Second foal of a stakes class daughter of Storm Cat… family of Maplejinsky

Hip 29...filly by PUlPIT By the sire of multiple G1 winning fillies and first foal of a New York stakes class winner

Eaton has consigned nearly TWICE as many CHAMPIONS as any other consignor

Hip 49...colt by CORINTHIAN Outstanding conformational colt from the first crop of another promising son of Pulpit

Hip 51...colt by El CORREDOR First foal of a well bred daughter of Elusive Quality and a conformational gem

Hip 61...filly by STREET SENSE

Hip 1OO...filly by CORINTHIAN

A physical specimen by STREET SENSE, the only horse in history to win the Kentucky Derby-G1 and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-G1

By the G1 Met Mile winner, out multiple stakes producing Marc’s Lark

Hip 74...colt by STREET SENSE

A half sister to SW Sumacha’Hot and ¾ sister to multiple GSW Sir Greeley

His dam is a Group class winning half sister to multiple SW Opinion Poll and GSW Horatia

Hip 78...filly by FOREST WIlDCAT Another great physical out of G3 SW and stakes producer Kiss the Devil

Hip 113...filly by MR. GREElEy Hip 118...colt by DyNAFORMER Sire of 115 SW’s and out of a Lord At War mare

Hip 121...colt by SMART STRIKE

Hip 81...filly by GIANT’S CAUSEWAy

The sire of Curlin and other G1 SW Colts. A half brother to 2 SWs

The Leading sire of SW’s and first foal of Grade 3 SW and multiple track record setter Lady Belsara

Hip 123...colt by DISCREET CAT

Hip 83...colt by STREET SENSE

The Eclipse Award finalist who won his first six starts by 38 lengths, including a 1:32 2/5 Track Record in NY

Out of four-time G1 SW and triple stakes producer Lakeway

Hip 84...colt by BERNARDINI

Hip 125...filly by HENNy HUGHES

Out of G2 SW and G3 Stakes producer La Rosa

A half sister to one of the top fillies in training, G1 SW Seattle Smooth, winner of the G1 Ogden Phipps

Hip 87...colt by DIXIE UNION

Hip 134...colt by HARD SPUN

A 3/4 brother to 3 SW’s including GSWs Grasshopper and Turf War

Hip 88...filly by SPEIGHTSTOWN Bred and built for speed out of a stakes producing daughter of Unbridled

Hip 89...filly by HENNy HUGHES

From the first crop of the all time leading money winning son of Danzig. Half to a SW.

Hip 143...filly by DyNAFORMER This beautiful filly’s half sister is multiple GSW Unrivaled Belle, who beat Rachel Alexandra and is scheduled to run in the G1 Ruffian at Saratoga on 8/1.

Out of a multiple stakes producing daughter of Kris S

Hip 95...colt by STREET SENSE Another outstanding specimen for this sire and a ¾ brother to multiple GSW Tomcito

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Reiley McDonald | Archie St. George | 859.233.4021 | www.eatonsales.com

FASIG TIPTON SALES PREVIEW

Thinking Big Small consignments hope for big returns at this year’s sales BY KATIE BO WILLIAMS If big operations like Lane’s End and Taylor Made come loaded for bear (markets), smaller consignors like Lantern Hill and Hurstland Farm choose their targets as carefully as snipers. Both organizations brought a limited number of horses to Saratoga – Lantern Hill has two, Hurstland one – but both have stringently selected their offerings to be competitive in the storied Saratoga market at the Fasig-Tipton Select Sales. The sales run Monday and Tuesday nights, starting at 7. Lantern Hill’s Suzi Shoemaker has been an on-again, off-again fixture at Saratoga since the early 1990s, offering a consignment when she feels she has competitive horses. It’s a move she says requires courage. “In this economy, no one can afford to take expensive trips with their horses, you have to have the right horse,” Shoemaker said. “There have been years when we’ve had a horse accepted and I’ve said, ‘No, I’m a little worried.’

The horse has to be good mentally here. They have to withstand the scrutiny. They have to lie down and go to sleep. [Both Lantern Hill offerings] were bred by longterm clients of ours and we’re very fortunate that both of those clients had the courage to come to Saratoga with these yearlings because it’s a very narrow target here.” A target Shoemaker looks to hit. The long-time supporter of European pedigrees fits perfectly into the Fasig-Tipton promotion of grass-inspired pages with her two offerings: a son of Cape Cross and a Distorted Humor filly out of a Sadler’s Wells mare. Shoemaker calls the Cape Cross a “goosebumps horse.” “When he’s out there walking I get goosebumps. One stride of his walk covers so much ground, and it’s so easy and it’s so fluid,” she said. A stroll past Barn 3 will invariably feature the dark bay by the same sire as Sea The Stars and Ouija Board out for a stroll of his own. Shoemaker will be standing nearby, goosebumps on her arms. See Sales page 32

Lantern Hill brings three yearlings – and some signs – to Saratoga.

Tod Marks

Barn 4 • Hip 108

BRED TO WIN EARLY AND OFTEN

By Speightstown, the sire of sensational Saratoga two-year-old winner Wine Police, this handsome colt’s half sister, Bibi’s Doll, just finished second in a maiden special weight race at Woodbine and another half-sister, Sky Marni, recently posted her eighth lifetime victory at Del Mar!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

TERRY LINDSEY EQUIDAE GALLERY The Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs July 23-Sept. 6 â&#x20AC;˘ 9-9 daily demos each Friday at 10 AM Champagne Opening July 30 6-8 PM Artists (l-r from top): Jaime Corum, Terry Lindsey, Anthony Alonso, Louise W. King, Susan Cronin, Kathleen Friedenberg, Werner Rentsch, Terry Lindsey, Anne Wolff, Sharon Crute, Ely Fuller, Katie Upton

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Sales –

Continued from page 30

Hurstland Farm’s Alfred Nuckols would probably call his sole offering, a tough-minded daughter of Street Sense, a “goosebumps horse” as well. The filly is the first horse he has brought to Saratoga. “The mare is a big, beautiful Dynaformer mare. This filly’s bred for grass top and bottom. She ought to be a good one. The mare gets runners,” Nuckols said. The filly’s half-brother Leroy’s Dynameaux has become a Grade III winner since the publication of the catalogue, annexing the Will Rogers at Hollywood Park. Like, Shoemaker, Nuckols was hesitant to bring anything but the best. The Saratoga veteran admitted to having his reservations prior to Leroy’s Dynameaux’s win. “Especially after that update, I was a lot more comfortable bringing her up here,” Nuckols said. “The owner wanted to try her up here. [Fasig-Tipton] said that we could get just as much at July, but he said, ‘well, I really like this spot,’ and I said, ‘well, I like it up here too.’ ” Despite their careful selection approach, Nuckols and Shoemaker cited the tradition and the magic of Saratoga. Nuckols is a veteran. He remembers Northern Dancer going through the ring – and not bringing a bid. He opened his Saratoga career as a teenager, working for horse transportation legend Tex Sutton.

Alfred Nuckols takes his whole Hurstland Farm consignment for a walk at Fasig-Tipton.

“My cousin Jimmy and I had come up here together,” Nuckols recalled. “Tex would have a big aluminum trash can full of corn and he’d put these water heaters in it. We’d sit there and cook the corn, that way everybody had something to eat and Tex would come up here with a big old country ham. My cousin and I were a perfect example, we had a little expense money

and the first thing we did was go over to the racetrack and blew every dime we had. There was a filly that was running for a client of ours and we bet on her and she got beat. Secretariat was running against Onion that day, bet on Secretariat and he got beat. That was the kind of day at the races it was. Tex didn’t know it, but we were very dependent on him for food the rest of the

Tod Marks

time we were here.” Venturing to Saratoga is a homecoming of sorts for Shoemaker, a native of the area, and she is similarly romantic on the topic. “I really enjoy coming up here,” she said. “[My clients] enjoy it tremendously, as almost everyone does, because of the racing, the atmosphere, the tradition.”

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Always looking for more money?

More earning power?

Look no further. Every Virginia-bred winner is eligible for a 60% purse bonus at Colonial Downs.

So be sure to check out these Virginia-breds at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Hip 74 – colt by Street Sense • Hip 122 – colt by Indian Charlie Hip 170 – colt by Not For Love • Hip 197 – filly by Silver Deputy For more information go to www.vabred.org Virginia Thoroughbred Association • Glenn Petty, executive director

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Photo

of the

Day

Admiral Alex in Saturday’s second race – 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.76 in his debut. Tod Marks Photo

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

FASIG-TIPTON SALES PREVIEW

2009 NY Bred Yearling Grad undefeated FiNal Mesa demolished the field in the $150,000 My Dear S. at Woodbine by 7¾ lengths

First-crop sire Invasor is represented by one yearling in this year’s catalogue.

Tod Marks

Rookie Rules Classy new sires aim to stand tall in Saratoga ring BY KATIE BO WILLIAMS Frank Taylor summed up the market’s approach to first crop sires: “It used to be buyers would pay more for hope than they would proof. But I still think they will buy the good horses.” Despite the accepted market trend toward a more proven product, in an offering with pedigrees and physicals as strong as Saratoga, the consensus is that first-crop sires will hold their own. “I would say that they would hold up pretty well,” Taylor said. “There’s not a huge number of horses here and they’re nice horses. Generally, we have 10 more horses, but we might have a few that you say, ‘boy I wish they weren’t here.’ They don’t make the cut. This year, all of them are real solid physicals and we should do well. There’s probably a slight shift to the proven horses, but I still think they will pay well for the young horses.” Fasig-Tipton agrees with Taylor’s analysis on selling first-crop yearlings. “It’s definitely more difficult than it has been in recent history, but the ones that are here are extremely special horses with stronger female families and are by the more expensive first-year sires,” Fasig-Tipton’s Max Hodge said.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Select Sale catalogue features yearlings by eight first-crop sires, with Street Sense, Hard Spun and Corinthian represented by about 10 horses each. Progeny by Any Given Saturday, Discreet Cat, Half Ours, Invasor and Scat Daddy are also included in the catalogue. Darley stallions Street Sense, Any Given Saturday, Hard Spun and Discreet Cat accounted for four of the five highest prices in the Freshman Sire Showcase during Fasig-Tipton July. Fasig-Tipton’s Boyd Browning noted that while the July sale is not an absolute indicator for the Saratoga sale, it can provide insight into the direction of the market. Despite getting off to a bumpy start, the Fasig-Tipton July market held steady. The first third of the sale solely offered yearlings by first-crop sires and officials expected the average for these horses would differ from those sold in the second two-thirds. Instead, averages were fairly similar. The average for the first session was $73,369; the second session $78,056. The first session did feature a much higher RNA rate than the second session. Bluewater’s Meg Levy did not bring any first-season sired horses to Saratoga, a tactic that she traditionally employs, believing the sale to lend itself to a more proven product. Despite this, she encouraged buyers not to be afraid to take a risk. “We topped the July sale with the See SALES page 38

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Sales –

Continued from page 37

Medaglia d’Oro,” Levy said. “Horses get to be proven so quickly, but just a couple of years ago, he was a first-year sire. I think people need to stay open minded.” “It’s in vogue right now to say there’s an emphasis towards the proven stallions; there might be, but this is an exciting group of first-crop sires this year,” Browning said. “The first graded stakes at Saratoga was won by a (first-crop sire) First Samurai. I think we all have to keep a realistic perspective on our business and sometimes we tend to move too radically in one direction or another.” Ultimately, in a sale that this year offers a wide variety of pedigrees, FasigTipton and consignors believe that the strength of the catalogue page and the physicals will speak for themselves.

Which first-crop sire do you like? Noel Murphy: Street Sense. John Stuart: “I’m a big Corinthian man.” John McCormack: Corinthian and Hard Spun. Gerry Dilger: Corinthian. Kenny McPeek : Hard Spun. Reiley McDonald: Street Sense. Neil Howard: Corinthian. Frank Brothers: “I don’t have one that’s really sunk in yet.” Mike Shannon: Corinthian and Street Sense.

The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sales will be held Aug. 2 and 3 at the newly renovated pavilion on East Ave.

Tod Marks

tradition

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

saturday’s Saratoga results Saturday, July 31, 2010 Track Firm 1ST William B. Fasig S. 1 1/16 Miles (Inner turf) 3 & Up Stakes Purse: $70,000 2 Exclusive Scheme Velazquez J R 52.50 14.80 6.80 1 Chestoria Cohen D 3.10 2.50 6 You Go West Girl Lezcano J 2.80 Time 1:42.07 Winning Trainer: Badgett William Jr Owner: Paris Hill Thoroughbreds. B.f.4 by Saarland - Pyramid Scheme by Distant View Breeder: Paris Hill Thoroughbred Corp. $2 Exacta (2-1) Paid $132.50 $2 Trifecta (2-1-6) Paid $566.00 $2 Superfecta (2-1-6-4) Paid $2,493.00

Paint the town blue and yellow

2ND 1 1/8 Miles 3 & Up Maiden Special Weight Purse: $51,000 8 Admiral Alex Desormeaux K J 7.40 5.50 4.50 1 Medal Round Bridgmohan S X 5.20 3.90 4 Loquacious Maragh R 7.60 Time 1:49.76 Winning Trainer: Blusiewicz Leon J - Owner: Blusiewicz Leon J. Ch.c.3 by Afleet Alex - Madam Lagonza by Kingmambo Breeder: Mike Connelly $2 Exacta (8-1) Paid $50.00 $2 Quinella (1-8) Paid $36.40 $2 Trifecta (8-1-4) Paid $497.50 $2 Daily Double (2-8) Paid $203.50 Daily Double Pool $368,078 $2 Superfecta (8-1-4-5) Paid $4,199.00 3RD 5 1/2 Furlongs (Turf) 3&Up mdn clm ($25,000) Purse: $22,000 3 Quiescent Hit Rodriguez J 17.40 10.60 6.00 4 Peytons Heart Chavez J F 11.40 6.50 11 King Prada Cohen D 4.00 Time 1:03.13 Winning Trainer: Levine Bruce N - Owner: Weatherwatch Farm Dk. b or br.c.3 by Smart Strike - Traci Girl by Quiet American Breeder: Weather Watch Farm $2 Exacta (3-4) Paid $163.50 $2 Trifecta (3-4-11) Paid $745.00 $2 Pick 3 (2-8-3) 3 Correct Paid $5,810.00 Pick 3 Pool $129,103 $2 Daily Double (8-3) Paid $95.00 Daily Double Pool $79,722 $2 Superfecta (3-4-11-10) Paid $978.00 $2 Superfecta (3-4-11-6) Paid $1,239.00 4TH 6 Furlongs 3 YO & Up mdn clm ($20,000) Purse: $20,000 13 Jim's Applemartini Dominguez R A 6.00 3.50 2.80 8 Ambassador Bridge Prado E S 5.10 3.80 10 Stylish Fella Luzzi M J 8.90 Time 1:11.64 Winning Trainer: Hushion Michael E - Owner: Repole Stable Dk. b or br.g.3 by Say Florida Sandy - Miss L by Skywalker Breeder: Tea Party Stable $2 Exacta (13-8) Paid $27.40 $2 Quinella (8-13) Paid $17.80 $2 Trifecta (13-8-10) Paid $475.00 $2 Pick 3 (8-3-13) 3 Correct Paid $414.00 Pick 3 Pool $80,436 $2 Daily Double (3-13) Paid $66.00 Daily Double Pool $83,303 $2 Superfecta (13-8-10-6) Paid $4,952.00

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5TH 1 3/16 Miles (Turf) 3&Up allow/oc ($50,000) Purse: $55,000 3 Caberneigh Gomez G K 7.80 4.30 3.30 1 En Fuego Velasquez C 4.20 3.00 7 Pocket Cowboys Prado E S 4.70 Time 1:54.47 Winning Trainer: Proctor Thomas F - Owner: Metcalf John Dk. b or br.h.5 E Dubai - Smashing Halo by Halo Breeder: Hokuyou Farm $2 Exacta (3-1) Paid $30.40 $2 Trifecta (3-1-7) Paid $185.00 $2 Pick 3 (3-13-3) 3 Correct Paid $298.50 Pick 3 Pool $124,155 $2 Pick 4 (8-3-11/13/16-3) 4 Correct Paid $2,204.00 Pick 4 Pool $283,841 $2 Daily Double (13-3) Paid $26.60 Daily Double Pool $101,754 $2 Superfecta (3-1-7-4) Paid $1,562.00 6TH 6 Furlongs 2 YO Maiden Purse: $50,000 4 Settle for Medal Velasquez C 45.20 13.00 5.00 10 Volcker Velazquez J R 3.90 2.70 3 Astrology Albarado R J 2.90 Time 1:10.71 Winning Trainer: Hennig Mark - Owner: Grier Mark B. Dk. b or b.c.2 by Medallist - Rehear by Cornado’s Quest Breeder: Miklin Stable & Daryl G Easly DVM $2 Exacta (4-10) Paid $126.00 $2 Trifecta (4-10-3) Paid $480.50 $2 Pick 3 (13-3-4) 3 Correct Paid $493.00 Pick 3 Pool $133,933 $2 Daily Double (3-4) Paid $154.50 Daily Double Pool $106,333 $2 Superfecta (4-10-3-9) Paid $2,641.00

7TH 1 1/8 Miles 3 & Up Allowance Purse: $53,000 5 Arcodoro Cohen D 90.00 28.00 10.00 1 Morning Line Velazquez J R 4.60 3.30 3 Heart Butte Gomez G K 3.40 Time 1:49.43 Winning Trainer: Guillot Eric - Owner: Southern Equine Stable LLC Dk. br or b.c.4 by Medaglia d’Oro - Northern Gulch by Gulch Breeder: RMF Thoroughbreds $2 Exacta (5-1) Paid $482.00 $2 Trifecta (5-1-3) Paid $1,690.00 $2 Daily Double (4-5) Paid $1,468.00 Daily Double Pool $112,446 $2 Pick 3 (3-4-5) 3 Correct Paid $8,603.00 Pick 3 Pool $127,730 $2 Superfecta (5-1-3-9) Paid $28,590.00 8TH 1 1/16 Miles (Inner turf) 3&Up Maiden Purse: $41,000 7 The Noz Castellano J J 6.10 3.30 2.70 1 Chingachgook Leparoux J R 3.00 2.50 9 Brunelli Bridgmohan S X 6.00 Time 1:41.88 Winning Trainer: Benzel Seth - Owner: Nolan James D. Dk. br or b.g.3 by Mongoose - Top That by Top Account Breeder: James Nolan and JoAnn Nolan $2 Exacta (7-1) Paid $14.40 $2 Trifecta (7-1-9) Paid $130.00 $2 Pick 3 (4-5-7) 3 Correct Paid $9,512.00 Pick 3 Pool $148,105 $2 Daily Double (5-7) Paid $580.00 Daily Double Pool $108,448 $2 Consolation Pick 3 (4-5-2) Paid $1,941.00 $2 Consolation Pick 3 (4-5-3) Paid $1,941.00 $2 Superfecta (7-1-9-10) Paid $850.00 $2 Consolation Double (5-2) Paid $133.50 $2 Consolation Double (5-3) Paid $133.50 9TH Diana (G1) 1 1/8 Miles (Turf) 3&Up Stakes Purse: $500,000 1 Proviso (GB) Smith M E 6.40 3.90 2.90 6 Shared Account Prado E S 9.40 4.20 4 Forever Together Leparoux J R 2.20 Time 1:47.04 Winning Trainer: Mott William I - Owner: Juddmonte Farms, Inc. B.m.5 by Dansili (GB) - Binche by Woodman Breeder: Juddmonte Farm Ltd $2 Exacta (1-6) Paid $71.50 $2 Trifecta (1-6-4) Paid $145.50 $2 Pick 3 (5-7-1) 3 Correct Paid $2,496.00 Pick 3 Pool $156,313 $2 Daily Double (7-1) Paid $23.60 Daily Double Pool $111,113 $2 Consolation Pick 3 (5-2-1) Paid $610.00 $2 Consolation Pick 3 (5-3-1) Paid $610.00 $2 Superfecta (1-6-4-5) Paid $1,124.00 10TH Jim Dandy (G2) 1 1/8 Miles 3 YO Stakes Purse: $500,000 5 A Little Warm Velazquez J R 10.20 5.50 3.80 6 Miner's Reserve Borel C H 13.60 7.90 2 Afleet Express Castellano J J 3.50 Time 1:47.98 Winning Trainer: Dutrow Anthony W - Owner: Evans Edward P. B.c.3 by Stormin Fever - Minidar by Alydar - Breeder: Edward P. Evans $2 Exacta (5-6) Paid $96.00 $2 Trifecta (5-6-2) Paid $344.50 $2 Superfecta (5-6-2-8) Paid $2,006.00 $2 Pick 3 (7-1-5) 3 Correct Paid $110.00 Pick 3 Pool $119,309 $2 Daily Double (1-5) Paid $46.40 Daily Double Pool $180,922 $2 Grand Slam (1,3,5-1,7,9-1,4,6-5) Paid $17.80 11TH 1 1/16 Miles (Inner turf) 3&Up clm ($25,000) Purse: $29,000 4 Wow Wow Wow Maragh R 19.80 10.40 7.20 3 Ticondero Leparoux J R 11.60 8.50 10 Bold Vindication Velazquez J R 14.20 Time 1:41.86 Winning Trainer: Lukas D Wayne - Owner: Marylou Whitney Stables B.c.3 by Broken Vow - Caged Glory by Honour and Glory - Breeder: Marylou Whitney Stables $2 Exacta (4-3) Paid $191.00 $2 Trifecta (4-3-10) Paid $5,292.00 $2 Superfecta (4-3-10-1) Paid $33,310.00 $2 Daily Double (5-4) Paid $153.50 Daily Double Pool $276,042 $2 Pick 3 (1-5-4) 3 Correct Paid $685.00 Pick 3 Pool $192,192 $2 Pick 4 (7-1-5-4) 4 Correct Paid $2,140.00 Pick 4 Pool $839,127 $2 Pick 6 (4-5-7-1-5-4) 5 Correct Paid $31,869.00 Pick 6 Pool $130,283 Carryover Pool $81,699 Saratoga Attendance: 28682 Mutuel Pool: $4,682,285 ITW Mutuel Pool: $4,342,445 ISW Mutuel Pool: $12,707,502

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Saturday’s Saratoga winners • Photos by dave harmon

1 Exclusive Scheme

2 Admiral Alex

3 Quiescent Hit

4 Jim’s Applemartini

5 Caberneigh

6 Settle for Medal

8 The Noz

11 Wow Wow Wow

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Blue Bomber

First-timer Admiral Alex wins, eyes a run in the Travers

BY PHIL JANACK

Admiral Alex, a 3-year-old son of Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Afleet Alex making his career debut, had just won Saturday’s second race when prominent owner Satish Sanan took Leon Blusiewicz aside in the winner’s circle, and got his cell phone number. “I’ll win the Travers for you,” SATURDAY Blusiewicz said. RACING RECAP The 79-yearold owner/trainer plans to bring Admiral Alex back in the $1 million MidSummer Derby Aug. 28 off his maiden victory, a 1-length win in 1:49.76 for 1 1/8 miles on the main track. “I’m pointing him to the Travers,” Blusiewicz said. “He’s a very, very good horse. Very good. The best horse I’ve ever had. By far.” Admiral Alex was three wide on both turns before dropping in closer near the five-sixteenths pole, stealing the lead from longshot Loquacious approaching the eighth pole and drawing away under Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux. Listed at 10-1 on the morning line, Admiral Alex was 6-5 when wagering opened and went off as the 5-2 second choice behind Bakhoor, one of two $1.2 million yearling purchases in the nine-horse field that included three 4-year-olds. See Saturday page 44

Admiral Alex broke his maiden on Saturday at the Spa and may be headed back for the signature event, the Travers.

Tod Marks

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Saturday –

Continued from page 42

“That’s why we’re here, to bet,” Blusiewicz said. “I’ve got a pocketful of tickets. I trained him around two turns. He’s a good horse. He showed me that last year, but he came up with a little bone cyst and I had to just give him time. I sent him to New Bolton, and they said to give him four months. I gave him five, and brought him back in March.” The prospect of sending a maiden winner straight to a Grade I race didn’t faze Blusiewicz, who said he did it with the filly Snow Plow in 1981. Snow Plow won Laurel Park’s Selima Stakes, then a Grade I, and went on to win the Demoiselle at Belmont Park. A Baltimore native, Blusiewicz has started two horses in the Travers. He ran fourth with Lejoli in Runaway Groom’s 1982 upset of Kentucky Derby winner Gato del Sol, Preakness winner Aloma’s Ruler, and Belmont winner Conquistador Cielo; Tong Po was eased in 1991. Among his other stakes winners are Willa on the Move, Isella and Skipat, who won 27 of 45 career starts including back-to-back runnings of the Barbara Fritchie before being struck by lightning in her stall and killed in 1989. “I’ve won a lot of Grade I’s with horses,” Blusiewicz said, “and of all the good horses I’ve had, ain’t nobody comes close to him. Nobody.” • The betting public made it clear which Billy Badgett-trained horse they liked in Saturday’s opener, the $70,000 Willam B. Fasig turf stakes.

Tod Marks

Exclusive Scheme was one of Saturday’s longshot winners.

Chestoria, the hard-hitting 6-year-old Chester House mare, was the 3-2 favorite in the field of seven older females bred in New York. At 25-1, stablemate Exclusive Scheme was the longest shot on the board. “You know what? This filly’s been training really good since she got up here,” Badgett said of Exclusive Scheme. “I told the owners, ‘We might as well take a shot.’ ” The shot worked. Given a masterful ride by John Velazquez, Exclusive Scheme repelled My Magic Moment and Chestoria down the stretch and hit the

wire a nose in front for Badgett’s first win of the meet. Chestoria, whom Badgett plans to wheel back in the $100,000 Yaddo Aug. 20, battled on the rail for second, a head in front of You Go West Girl. “The race was kind of void of speed, so I told Johnny, ‘If you take the lead, they’ll probably take back off you a bit because there’s no speed in the race,’ ” Badgett said. “I thought it would kind of set up for the other filly with a little pace in the race, but she ran great.” It was the second consecutive win and seventh in 23 lifetime starts for Exclusive

Scheme, a 4-year-old daughter of Saarland. Chestoria ran second for the second straight time and pushed her earnings to $505,556. “Chestoria, she doesn’t like it down on the inside,” Badgett said. “She was kicking, but not like she does when she gets that outside trip. I’m never really worried about her. She’s pretty consistent. If she comes out of this all right, she’ll come back in the Yaddo and she’ll run her race in there, too. I’m real proud of the other filly. We’ll just have to play it by ear with her right now, and see what happens. It was great, because I got off the duck.” While much was made of the new uncoupling rules in advance of Saratoga this year, the two Badgett horses (who compete for different owners) would have been uncoupled under the old rules as well – since the Fasig was a stakes. The stablemates produced a $132.50 exacta, which the trainer failed to bet. “But the boys (sons Brandon and Brian) did,” he said. “They made all the money.” • Trainer Tom Proctor’s win percentage went up after Saturday’s fifth race, even if his stable got a little smaller. Proctor earned his third victory of the meet when Caberneigh, a 5-year-old son of E Dubai, came up between rivals to take the lead from Pocket Cowboys in the final sixteenth and hold off closer En Fuego by a half-length. Entered in the allownace/optional claimer for a $50,000 tag, Caberneigh was taken by owner/trainer Merrill Scherer. See Saturday page 45

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Saturday –

tunities,” Hennig said. “We’ll certainly nominate to those kinds of races and see how they come up.”

Continued from page 44

“Bringing him up here, he did as good as any horse I had coming in,” Proctor said. “I kind of felt that he was going to run good.” Proctor has made five starts at the meet, also winning with Queen Of The Creek July 26 and Broken DreamsJuly 28. He was third with You Go West Girl in Saturday’s opener. “I’m a streaky trainer. You get lucky sometimes,” Proctor said. “It’s good to win. Anywhere you win, it’s great. It doesn’t matter where. I’ve won races in the bushes in Texas, and enjoyed winning those, too.” • Considering the way Settle For Medal’s siblings ran as juveniles at Saratoga, trainer Mark Hennig couldn’t wait to get the Medallist colt in the starting gate for the sixth, a 6-furlong maiden for 2-year-olds. Out of the Coronado’s Quest mare Rehear, Settle for Medal is a half-brother to 2008 Adirondack and Spinaway winner Mani Bhavan, as well as stakes-placed colt Dattt Echo, who broke his maiden at the Spa last summer. “He’s got a great pedigree,” Hennig said. “It’s a precocious family.” Sent off at 21-1, Settle for Medal ($45.20) was third in his debut at Belmont Park July 2, 14 lengths behind gate-to-wire winner Boys At Tosconova. It was Hennig’s first win of the meet. “He ran well last time,” the trainer said. “The winner was outstanding. He made his way through the pack last time

Tod Marks

Arcodoro was another longshot winner at the Spa returning the biggest mutuel payout of the year so far, $90.

s t e B st e B and ran very well. He looked like a horse that would want more ground, and that the experience would do him a world of good. He certainly ran like an experienced horse today, coming through on the rail around the turn, angled out and

made a nice run.” Could the Grade I Hopeful at 7 furlongs on closing day be in the future for owner Mark Grier’s charge? “We’ll see how he comes out of it and go from there. There are lots of oppor-

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• Chalk one up for preparation. Six days before he was to ride Arcodoro in Saturday’s seventh, jockey David Cohen climbed aboard the 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro colt for a bullet 5-furlong work on the main track. “I got to know him,” Cohen said. “He’s a very big horse with a long stride, and it’s better not to choke him down and take his advantage away from him. Really, that was the plan.” When the gates opened for the $53,000 allowance, Arcodoro went right to the lead and stayed there through quick early fractions of 23.64 and 47.80 seconds, pulling away for a 2-length win in 1:49.43 for nine furlongs. “We wanted to just get him out there, whether we were going in 49 or 45,” Cohen said. “Just let him do it at his pace without choking him down, and get him started early. He’s not a horse that’s going to have a big turn of foot and run away at the quarter pole. Things worked out well.” At 44-1, Arcodoro ($90) produced the biggest win mutuel of the meet. It was Cohen’s third victory and the second in two tries on dirt for the horse, who had made nine of his 10 career starts on grass or synthetic surfaces in Louisiana and California. Eric Guillot trains the Kentuckybred for Southern Equine Stable. “It feels good. You get them home, whether you’re 8-5 or 40-1,” Cohen said. “The trainer has just been waiting to get him on the dirt. Obviously, you can see why.”

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Saratoga, My Kingdom Saratoga is six weeks of the best horse racing you could imagine. Saratoga is the kind of racing experience all horse people want to witness. Winning a race no matter how small means a big celebration. At the Parting Glass, a regular barbeque, or your jockey bringing a box of donuts the next morning to celebrate your win. To some people I’m not a horse person, because I don’t ride. But I think I’m a horse person, I know the game for sure. Saratoga helps with that. I don’t know why I have an actual “interest” at Saratoga because I don’t at our local track in Delaware. I think it’s mainly the people. Everyone’s in high spirits at Saratoga where the only thing you have in common is horses. So you talk about horses more.

For instance Andrew Byrnes the stakes coordinator, I feel like he’s become a friend and it’s not just because he keeps a stash of cookies for me so I can sneak in a snack between races. It’s also because, I have really fascinating conversations with him about racing. Saratoga just makes racing way more interesting then it actually is, to people like me who usually thinks it’s quite boring. My dad says every time we go to the races, “just remember everyone here knows who you are, even though you might not know them.” And I always reply in a smart alec voice, “I know Dad, you say that all the time.” But I do admit I’m glad my dad says that because it reminds me I’m only 13 and I can forget important things, like my manners. That’s why I try to be polite to everyone. My parents call me Princess Saratoga, Saratoga’s my kingdom and I love it. – Jane Motion

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Day Break

cupofcoffee by Sean Clancy

all the Chamber of Commerce. Blue skies, jacket until noon, sun hat for the afternoon. It’s Saturday morning in Saratoga, beginning of sales week, everybody’s in town. The coffee’s strong, the air is crisp, the conversation vibrant. Champion Forever Together takes on dual Grade I winner Proviso and other rock stars in the Diana, the co-feature on a stellar Saratoga card. The Jim Dandy will decide the next wave of 3-yearolds. The questions loom. How good is Afleet Express? How good is Friend Or Foe? How good is Fly Down? How good is A Little Warm? The morning buzzes. It’s energetic. Light. Positive. Electric. Innocent. Christophe Clement discusses Funny Moon’s training plans and banters about tourists outside his barn. Forever Together strolls around her paddock, across the street in the Annex. Brian Walls and the clockers search for the next great thing. Fasig-Tipton’s Boyd Browning walks up to the Morning Line Kitchen and holds out his hands. Hail Mary, full of grace . . . “This is what’s good with horse racing,” Browning says. “They want to talk about what’s wrong with horse racing, this is what’s good about horse racing.”

Bottle it. From 5:30 to 9:00, the morning promises and delivers. With time to spare, I bound up the steps to the clubhouse box seats to see good horses breeze over a fresh track, first set after the break. Mary Ryan does her thing. Horses come and go, left and right, galloping, jogging, ambling. Forks and knives clink off plates, breakfast never tastes so good – families enjoying the fresh air and the horses. Ramon Dominguez breezes one in company for Rick Dutrow. Carl Domino works a pair, the outside horse takes a mighty grip. A big, broad chestnut gallops past for Todd Pletcher. A bay colt for Seth Benzel glides down the stretch, open galloping like a good horse, rider hovers tall in his irons, the horse makes you pause and watch, that’s how good he looks. Then the gasp. The shocking stoppage of motion. Like someone knocked over the film projector. Strides past the wire, the colt breaks down, no warning, no noise. In a stride, he goes from hover to havoc, he slides to a stop, holding himself up with his front legs, the rider pops off but manages to hold onto him, the horse holds a useless hind leg in the air. He doesn’t panic. For a moment, you stare like it’s not happening. Like it can’t be. Benzel kicks his pony into gear. Miguel, the outrider, appears from nowhere. Wesley Ward bounds down the stairs. Suddenly it’s all hands on deck. You get there and know it’s over. Over. Benzel utters a two-word expletive. It goes for all of us.

We make the grade.

Dave Harmon

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Now, it’s damage control. The horse, flying one moment, prone the next. He never went down, managed to stay on his feet. Somehow, stay on his feet. The rider, sand up and over his shoulder, looks at him in disbelief, then moves to his flank and strokes his back. Tack is thrown under the rail. Lead ponies are positioned to block the view, for the horse and for the fan. It doesn’t do much good. The horse ambulance is called. The siren’s going, for how long, who knows. The owners walk out to take a last look, they pat Benzel on the shoulder, then the rider. “You OK?” they ask. Yes and no. The ambulance backs into place, the men know just what to do. The screens go up, the lead ponies are led away. He’ll be gone in minutes. The track will reopen. The crowd, the ones who remain, stare motionless and despondent. Standing. Fearing the worst. Knowing the worst. I walk away. Turning my back. An hour later, Benzel leads his pony across Union Avenue. He looks like he’s been hit by a truck. “You couldn’t have scripted it worse, the owners are here, right in front of everybody. He was as sound as a dollar bill,” Benzel says. “Getting ready to run, he’s one of my best 2-year-olds. Of all the horses on the backside with problems, then you get one that’s sound, loves to do it and he goes over there and breaks a leg. Makes you never want to breeze another horse again. I guess it’s our job to pick our head up and go on, but man . . .”

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