Kentucky Derby hero Sovereignty works for G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets
- Kentucky Derby hero Sovereignty works for G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets
- Hill Road breezes for G1 Belmont Stakes
- Quint’s Brew possible for G3 True North; Alogon points to G1 Jaipur
- Macho Music prepares for G1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun
Godolphin’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-winning homebred Sovereignty posted his second work over Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma training track since capturing the “Run for the Roses” on May 3, covering five furlongs in 1:02.54 in company with last year’s Grade 1 Whitney-winner Arthur’s Ride [1:02.94] on Saturday.
Sovereignty, with Eclipse Award-winning rider Neil Poznansky up, first galloped almost a complete lap of the oval in usual fashion for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. He and Arthur’s Ride stood near the gap on the first turn for a short while before they broke off for their work, Sovereignty beginning about two lengths behind and to the outside of Arthur’s Ride. NYRA clockers caught him through splits of 12 and 2/5 seconds, 25 and 1/5, and 37 and 4/5 before Sovereignty gained on his company into the turn and inched ahead of him through five furlongs in 1:02.54, galloping out in 1:17 flat and 1:33.10.
“I thought it was good,” Mott said back at his barn. “He was a little strong in the warm-up. When he [Poznansky] tipped him out, he kind of went right to the other horse. He had him in behind to begin, and he went well.”
Sovereignty returned to the work tab last week over the Oklahoma with a solo half-mile in 49.76 seconds under Poznansky. The Into Mischief bay is pointing to the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 7 at the Spa as he looks to add to a 1 1/2-length triumph in the Kentucky Derby.
Sovereignty has won three of his last four starts, scoring in the Grade 3 Street Sense as a juvenile and the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth as a sophomore, in addition to his Derby coup.
Mott said he has noticed a change in the talented colt’s overall demeanor on the track since the First Saturday in May.
“He’s almost a little more aggressive,” Mott said. “It [the Derby] hasn’t set him back. He’s just getting a little stronger than he was. He wasn’t quite that strong [before the Derby].”
Mott said he expects Sovereignty to have another breeze before the Belmont.
“You just hope he trains well up until the next race, for a fair track, and you go from there,” Mott said.
Arthur’s Ride, the 5-year-old son of Tapit, had just his fourth work this year, and has not started since an off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Del Mar.
“I thought he went well the first five-eighths – he probably got a little tired,” Mott said. “He hasn’t had that many works.”
Also on the tab for Mott were graded stakes-winners Scylla and Resilience, who worked a half-mile in 48.25 in company over the Oklahoma.
Juddmonte’s Scylla, a last-out fourth in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff on May 3, is a potential candidate for the Grade 2, $300,000 Bed o’ Roses on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The dual graded stakes-winning full-sister to the millionaire Tacitus has run once at Saratoga, finishing second to Society in last year’s Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap.
Tranquility Lake Farm and Ric Waldman’s Resilience, winner of last year’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack, was a last-out seventh in a May 2 optional claimer at Churchill Downs when making his first start off a respite that dated to a last-of-10 finish in last year’s Belmont Stakes.
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An additional trio of Grade 1-winners worked a half-mile over the Oklahoma Saturday, led by the pair of Chancer McPatrick and Spirit of St Louis for five-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown. The former worked 48.65 in company with Grade 3-placed Praetor while the latter worked solo in 49.95.
The George Weaver-trained Sacred Wish completed the triad, covering the distance in 51.25 in her first work since a seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on May 3.
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Hill Road breezes for G1 Belmont Stakes
Amo Racing USA’s Hill Road completed his first work on Saturday towards the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, a 10-furlong test for sophomores, on June 7 at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the Quality Road bay covered a half-mile in 48.75 seconds to the inside of Lordship over the Belmont Park dirt training track. It was Hill Road’s first breeze back since a closing three-quarter-length score in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Peter Pan on May 10 at Belmont at the Big A.
“He worked super, I’m really pleased with him,” said Brown. “He had a nice gallop-out. He is coming along really well. He came out of his last race really well. I put this horse Lordship on the outside of him, they were a good match, they galloped out strong. They are two endurance type horses that are kind of stayers.
“I just wanted a steady work but with a strong gallop-out. These are staying horses that the best part of their works and races will be the late stages, I liked what I saw around the turn galloping out. He is very fit now, Hill Road,” Brown continued. “He is in a good part of his form cycle. I’m just looking to maintain where I’m at with that horse.”
Hill Road improved from a pair of thirds in his two previous stateside outings, finishing 4 3/4 lengths back of Citizen Bull in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar for trainer Adrian Murray before being transferred to Brown and finishing 6 1/4 lengths behind Owen Almighty in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 8.
Hill Road looks to join Counterpoint [1951], High Gun [1954], Gallant Man [1957], Cavan [1958], Coastal [1979], Danzig Connection [1986], A.P. Indy [1992], Tonalist [2014], and Arcangelo [2023] as Peter Pan winners to subsequently score in the Belmont Stakes.
Bred in Kentucky by Lynch Bages LTD and Camas Park Stud, Hill Road was a $350,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Exotic Notion, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning multimillionaire and top sire City of Light.
Earle I. Mack’s Kentucky homebred Lordship, a sophomore Gun Runner chestnut, stepped into stakes company off a debut win, finishing fourth in the one-mile and 70-yard Long Branch on May 10 at Monmouth Park. Brown equipped him with blinkers for Saturday’s work.
“I put blinkers on that horse, his last race was a little disappointing. I tried him in a stakes at Monmouth, and he didn’t progress through the kickback, according to the jockey,” said Brown. “I put a little blinker on to see if I could get him to focus up a little bit.”
Lordship, a $725,000 RNA at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, is a full-brother to Grade 3-winner Hall of Fame out of the unraced Giant’s Causeway mare Flag Day, a half-sister to graded stakes-placed Street Ready and stakes-placed Robin Hood.
Juddmonte’s Kentucky homebred Garamond earned a last-out 98 Beyer Speed Figure for a pacesetting optional-claiming win going a one-turn mile on April 27 here. He defeated the well-regarded Cornucopian by 3 1/4 lengths.
Brown said Garamond is pointed to the 1 1/16-mile Listed $150,000 NYRA Bets Pegasus on June 14 at Monmouth, with a goal of the nine-furlong Grade 1, $1 million NYRA Bets Haskell on July 19 there.
"He’s heading over to the Pegasus at Monmouth," Brown said of the Uncle Mo bay. "For the time being, I’m hoping he turns into a Haskell horse, I don’t want to upend that plan.”
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Quint’s Brew possible for G3 True North; Alogon points to G1 Jaipur
Trainer Ned Allard will look to make a splash at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival with the talented duo of dual graded stakes-placed Quint’s Brew and Grade 3-placed Alogon.
Paul Berube, Karen Linnell, and Heather B. Hunter’s Maryland homebred Quint’s Brew has seen his star rise in an ambitious 4-year-old campaign with the Mosler gelding earning a pair of 101 Beyer Speed Figures. He started his season with back-to-back wins at Laurel Park, taking the restricted Jennings [98 Beyer] at one-mile by six lengths in January and followed one month later with a 5 1/2-length score in the seven-furlong Listed General George [101] on a muddy and sealed track.
Quint’s Brew has made his last two outings in New York, missing by a neck to a deep-closing Crazy Mason in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets [98] at Aqueduct Racetrack ahead of a half-length second to Bishops Bay in the Grade 3 Westchester [101] contested over muddy and sealed footing on May 4 at Belmont at the Big A.
"His last two races were heartbreakers. He ran his eyeballs out,” Allard said. “I haven't seen a horse [Crazy Mason] fire like that in a long time. I don't even know if my horse saw him coming.
"I thought we were the horse to beat in there last time,” Allard added of the Westchester effort. “When I looked at that other horse [Bishops Bay] in the paddock, I thought he was a magnificent looking individual. Our horse ran super but that horse ran a little bit better. His last two defeated races, you can’t knock him.”
Quint’s Brew is nominated to both the Grade 3, $400,000 True North, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older horses and the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap, a one-mile test out of Saratoga’s Wilson Chute for 3-year-olds and up. Both races are on Belmont Stakes Day June 7 with the Met Mile offering a ‘Win and You’re In’ berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November at Del Mar.
Allard said the True North is the more likely landing spot although he is also considering the Grade 3, $150,000 Salvator Mile for 3-year-olds and up on June 14 at Monmouth Park.
“The Met Mile is going to come up a very tough race and out of the two, I think the other race would be a better spot - it's 6 1/2-furlongs and that might just hit him right in the head,” Allard said.
Allard noted that Quint’s Brew should return to the work tab next weekend.
“I wanted to give him a little break. He had two really tough races and I wasn't in a rush to come back and do anything serious with him yet,” Allard said.
Quint’s Brew, out of the winning New York-bred Jump Start mare Gansett, has banked $341,240 through a 7-4-3-0 ledger.
Charles T. Matses’ Kentucky homebred Alogon worked a half-mile in 51.80 this morning over the Delaware Park dirt.
“I put a very easy breeze into him this morning just to do a little something with him. He went a half in 52 which doesn't sound exciting, but I wanted him to have a real easy breeze,” Allard said.
The 6-year-old California Chrome gelding returned from a nearly six-month layoff last out on May 3 to finish a closing third in the Listed Elusive Quality traveling six furlongs over firm Big A turf.
There, Alogon was a close-up fourth through a swift opening quarter-mile in 21.79 seconds but was on heels approaching the turn and dropped back to seventh under Jaime Rodriguez. Alogon advanced willingly late in the turn and while the prominent My Boy Prince would score by one length in a final time of 1:07.53, only three noses separated Bold Journey, Alogon, Twenty Six Black and Senbei in a blanket finish for the minor placings.
“I thought he was lucky to stay on his feet,” Allard said. “He got totally wiped out and had every excuse to not fire, but he still did once he got clear. He came on and narrowly got beat. I have to give him an ‘A’ for effort in that race.”
Alogon is nominated to both the 5 1/2-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur for 3-year-olds and up on Belmont Stakes Day and the one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Poker for older horses on June 6. The Jaipur awards a ‘Win and You’re In’ berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November at Del Mar.
"He's made over $400,000 sprinting and I think that's just what I want to keep on doing with him," Allard said. "I've nominated for the Poker, but I think that's very doubtful."
Alogon attended the pace to finish a distant ninth in last year’s Grade 1 Jaipur won in track record fashion by the pacesetting Cogburn, who stopped the clock in a final time of 59.80 seconds, a North American record on turf.
"He didn't run well that day, but that was an amazingly fast race,” Allard said. “It looked like he was making a move and then that horse just kicked away. It was his only poor effort he's had really any time on the turf.”
Alogon has yet to travel beyond six furlongs on turf and his lone attempt beyond one mile – a distant off-the-board effort in a maiden claimer - came over dirt as a 3-year-old in just his second career start for his former trainer Daniel Peitz at Oaklawn Park.
His six wins, all in turf sprints, include the 2023 Wolf Hill at 5 1/2-furlongs at Monmouth Park; the Listed Parx Dash at five furlongs in August; and the Listed Turf Sprint Championship in November in a thrilling dead heat with Works for Me at Aqueduct.
"Towards the latter part of last year he started to get better and so far this year, in his first start, he’s doing really well,” Allard said. “He's really good right now and now's the time to take another shot. Will it [the Jaipur] be as tough as it was last year? Last year, he went off at 30-1 [33-1]. With his form lately, I think he'll have a much better shot than he did last year.”
Alogon is out of the Scat Daddy mare Scamper, a half-sister to Favorable Outcome, who won the 2017 Grade 2 Swale over seven furlongs on the Gulfstream Park main track and Beguine, a close second in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Fantasy in 2022 at Oaklawn Park.
Allard also sends out Stonehedge’s graded stakes-winning Florida homebred Dean Delivers in Holiday Monday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up at Monmouth Park.
The 6-year-old Cajun Breeze gelding made the grade for his former trainer Michael Yates in the 2023 Grade 3 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream. He joined the Allard barn last spring and has since won 4-of-6 starts, including an eight-length romp in last year’s Mr. Prospector in his first outing for the veteran conditioner.
“That's where we started him off last year. He's doing really well. Hopefully, he can repeat last year's form,” Allard said.
Last July, Dean Delivers captured the Alapocas Run at Delaware and the Listed Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash at Laurel ahead of a win in the Rumson in September at Monmouth Park. He has banked $819,910 via a 27-9-8-3 record.
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Macho Music prepares for G1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun
Mark Fletcher Taylor, Daniel Walters and trainer Rohan Crichton’s Macho Music worked Friday for a probable next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun, on June 7 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
The Maclean’s Music bay breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 over the Churchill Downs training track as his first breeze back since a 3 1/4-length score in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill.
“It was good. He worked really well,” said Crichton. “Julien Leparoux worked him and said he galloped out really well. We are happy, and he cooled out well, so we are moving forward.”
Macho Music’s last-out score over the Hall of Famer Bob Baffert-trained pair of Madaket Road and Gaming registered a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure. The performance validated a previous 11 1/4-length score in the seven-furlong Sophomore versus fellow Florida-breds on March 30 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Crichton said returning Macho Music to seven-furlongs in the Woody Stephens should be appreciated.
“We like the cutback, we’d like it as well if it was one mile, but I think the cutback may end up suiting him,” Crichton said. “We think seven furlongs is well within his scope.”
Crichton, a partner at an accounting firm, earned his first graded stakes win in the Pat Day Mile and now pursues his first Grade 1.
“It was really gratifying to see him run that way. That was our biggest win for sure, no doubt. I think he is getting ready to put in another good run. He’s come out of that race full of energy and focus, and he’s doing really well,” said Crichton. “We are probably going to sit chilly in Louisville due to weather and ship to Saratoga after his next work.”
It doesn’t take an accountant to realize the high return on investment of Macho Music, a $60,000 purchase at the 2024 OBS March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, who has banked $501,857 through an 8-4-2-0 record. He is out of the stakes-winning Tapit mare Southern Girl, a half-sister to 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic-winner Mucho Macho Man and full-sister to Grade 2-winner Marconi.
“He didn’t work particularly fast at that sale [10 2/5 seconds] but his gallop-out was really good and we felt that the conditions, he ran against a head wind, there were some non-quantitative factors that went into it,” Crichton said. “We liked his second dam [Ponche de Leona] and her influence as a broodmare, she threw Mucho Macho Man, but this was all the recommendation of Stephen Skaggs, I just put my hand up.”