Bottas makes second start in G2 Pilgrim

Dahman’s Bottas steps up in class for his second career start in Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juveniles, at Belmont at the Big A. 

The Pilgrim – a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar – is slated as Race 8 on Friday’s nine-race card, which also features the Grade 3 Futurity, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, in Race 6. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

Trained by Miguel Clement, the Vekoma dark bay debuted August 23 Travers Day at Saratoga Race Course with a stylish win in the opener. Bottas, in the 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight, traveled in last-of-six during the early going before launching a wide bid at the quarter-pole under Flavien Prat en route to a 2 1/4-length victory over Franklin Delano. The final time of 1:41.70 earned a 78 Beyer Speed Figure.  

“That was a very impressive performance,” Clement said. “We do believe he has improved since his debut.” 

Bottas [post 4, Manny Franco] worked back three times over the Spa’s Oklahoma training turf since returning to the tab on September 5, and most recently covered a half-mile over the dirt training track in 49.03 seconds on September 26 there. 

“He is doing very well,” said Clement. “I’m very much excited to see him run. His works have been encouraging and we are expecting a big performance.” 

Formula 1 fans may have a hunch play as the well-respected driver Valtteri Bottas is signed to the new Cadillac team for 2026. The equine Bottas, a $300,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, is a half-brother to stakes-winner Parenting out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Iadorakid, a half-sister to Canadian Champion Turf Male El Tormenta and Grade 3-winner Zero Tolerance. 

“This horse was a great purchase by Case Clay at the 2-year-old sale,” Clement said. “His development has been more mental than physical. Mentally, he is more mature now. He is really starting to understand the routine that we are asking of him. We are seeing another dimension in his turf works at the moment, so this is exciting.” 

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher sends out Teleport [post 3, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] and Scope [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche], the one-two finishers from a 1 1/16-mile maiden on August 17 at Saratoga as both colts made their debuts. 

Repole Stable and breeder Newtown Anner Stud Farm’s Irish-bred Teleport was favored in the maiden race, setting the pace before being bumped solidly by his stablemate late and crossing the wire one length back. After review, the stewards deemed that Scope interfered with Teleport, elevating the latter to victory. 

Teleport, a Lope de Vega chestnut, is a half-brother to this year’s Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational runner-up Juweiler out of the Galileo mare Gravitee, a full-sister to Group 1-winner Intello. 

Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Robert LaPenta’s Scope is still a maiden following his disqualification to second, but did show a nice turn-of-foot in that event. The Maryland-bred Gun Runner bay was a $400,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and is out of the Grade 3-placed Street Sense mare Nasty. 

Pletcher has won the Pilgrim a record six times, including from 2021-23 with Annapolis, Major Dude and Agate Road, as well as with The Leopard [2007], Eskendereya [off-the-turf 2009] and Seabhac [2017].

Klaravich Stables’ British-bred Capital Partner [post 9, Dylan Davis] was a 5 3/4-length third to the Pletcher-trained Final Score last out in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 With Anticipation on August 28 at the Spa. Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the Kingman bay went off the favorite after a rallying debut victory over that same course and distance on August 2 at the Spa, but couldn’t reel in the pacesetting victor.  

Capital Partner, a $484,088 purchase at the 2024 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, is a half-brother to Group 3-placed Euphoric out of the winning Pivotal mare Blue Waltz. His second dam, Blue Symphony, produced multiple group-winner Fantasia and Group 3-winner Pink Symphony, dam of 2022 Grade 1 Man o’ War-winner Highland Chief. 

Brown has won the Pilgrim four times, including last year with Zulu Kingdom, as well as with Noble Tune [2012], Bobby’s Kitten [2013] and Structor [2019]. 

Besilu Stables’ Kentucky homebred Noble Dynasty [post 8, Junior Alvarado] graduated by a nose second-out going 1 1/16 miles on September 13 here. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the Kingman bay stalked the pace in a 12-horse field and gamely held off Quiet Power in the final sixteenth. 

Noble Dynasty was a half-length second to the Clement-trained Teddy’s Rocket in his one-mile debut on August 7 at the Spa. Noble Dynasty is out of the winning Galileo mare Delta’s Royalty and his second dam is the Mott-trained Hall of Famer Royal Delta. 

Rounding out the field is Grade 3-placed maiden Heeere’s Johnny [post 2, Javier Castellano] for trainer Ray Handal; stakes-placed Baytown Dreamer [post 7, Ben Curtis] for trainer Paul McEntee; along with maiden-winners Repentless [post 10, Adam Beschizza] for conditioner Kelsey Danner, New York-bred Truman’s Commander [post 5, Chris Elliott] for dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse and Ball of Fire [post 1, Samuel Marin] for trainer Joe Orseno; and maiden Let’s Be Frank [post 11, Joel Rosario, blinkers ON] for conditioner Mike Maker.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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