NY-bred Iron Orchard remains undefeated with G1 Frizette score

• NY-bred Iron Orchard remains undefeated with G1 Frizette score
• Napoleon Solo registers 94 BSF for G1 Champagne score
• Clement-trained Bottas, Intricate Spirit secure Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” berths
• Rated by Merit possible for G2 Cigar Mile; Asbury Park nets 86 BSF for G2 Jockey Club Derby Inv.
• Ground Support defies the odds yet again in G2 Miss Grillo
• Final Accord eyes Breeders’ Cup after winning G3 Matron

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – CSLR Racing Partners and R.A. Hill Stable’s New York-bred Iron Orchard brought her record to a perfect 3-for-3 with a determined nose victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette, a one-turn mile for
juvenile fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

As part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen series, the win provided Iron Orchard’s connections with a credit of $30,000 toward entry fees for the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies, with the second and third place finishers receiving credits of $15,000 and $7,500, respectively. The Frizette also offered 10-5-3-2-1 points to the top-five finishers for the Kentucky Oaks.

Bred by Pine Ridge Stable, Iron Orchard, who returned to Saratoga Race Course following the Frizette, adds to previous wins in a state-bred debut graduation on July 3 and the state-bred Seeking the Ante on August 22. She was a $500,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the multiple stakes-placed Brethren mare Onebrethatatime, a half-sister to Grade 3-winner Wonderlandbynight.

Kenny Toye, farm manager for Marty Zaretsky’s Pine Ridge Stable, said Iron Orchard overcame adversity as a foal to reach racing’s highest level.

“That was pretty cool,” Toye said of the victory. “I had the filly for about six months in total. Her mother actually had gotten sick and died, so she was raised by a nurse mare pretty much. The transition from growing up with your mom to going to a nurse mare is tough on a horse, but she took it in stride and she adapted to the nurse mare quickly. She kept growing, and progressed into a beautiful horse and sold as a weanling, which tells you how amazing she is because she was good enough to bring to auction.”

Iron Orchard was one of two New York-breds to win a Grade 1 yesterday, with Rhetorical capturing the Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland for trainer Will Walden. Toye said yesterday’s results highlight the strength of the New York-bred program.

“There were two New York-bred Grade 1 winners yesterday, so that just speaks to the level of competition and what we’re doing in New York,” Toye said. “We’re stepping our game up and putting ourselves out there at the highest level and getting it done.”

Trained by Danny Gargan, Iron Orchard showed a new dimension in the Frizette when coming from off the pace under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, differing from her first two starts that came in pacesetting fashion against fellow state-breds this summer at Saratoga Race Course.

Rosario settled the filly in fourth early, and she was sixth at the half-mile call, but the daughter of Authentic pounced with a three-wide bid into the lane to eat up ground and edge Rileytole at the wire, completing the course in 1:35.97 and earning a 79 Beyer Speed Figure in victory.

“She ran good,” Gargan said. “When she was sitting there, I didn’t expect her to be that far off of it, but I’m pretty happy with the way it worked out. We had changed some things trying to get her to relax, but I thought in the first quarter-mile of the race ‘oh man, I took all the speed out of her, I ruined her!’ I was in panic mode, but then I saw Joel had horse and hadn’t asked her, and she wanted to go. Once he got her clear and running, she took off.”

Gargan added that Iron Orchard’s Breeders’ Cup status is still in flux, and that he is unsure about two turns in the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies on October 31.

“She’s won a Grade 1 now and she’s had a tough campaign, so we’ll figure it out,” Gargan said. “I thought a mile would be a tough task for her and she got it done by a nose. California is two turns… she’s only an April foal.”

Gargan also saddled Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding and R.A. Hill Stable’s Talkin to finish a 6 1/2-length second to Napoleon Solo in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne here. He picked up 5 qualifying points towards next year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby as the Champagne offered 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

“He ran a sneaky good race. He got shuffled back and I thought the track favored horses up close all day,” Gargan said. “For him to be that far back and to keep running – Kendrick [Carmouche] said he kept getting pushed back and he went over to the rail and had to swing around a horse there and it cost him three or four lengths. I think he’s a horse that’s going to get better with distance, and he’ll want two turns. I’m really high on him.”

Gargan said Talkin is likely to target the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen on December 6 here, which also awards 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Derby. Gargan has won the Remsen twice from 2022-23 with Dubyuhnell and Dornoch.

“I didn’t even realize he got points yesterday, but every [point] counts when you’re trying to get to the Derby,” Gargan said. “I’m thinking the Remsen right now. I think that will be the right decision.”

***
Napoleon Solo registers 94 BSF for G1 Champagne score

Gold Square’s Napoleon Solo, an impressive debut maiden winner at Saratoga Race Course, improved to 2-for-2 with a powerful frontrunning score under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne.

By winning the one-turn mile for 2-year-olds, the Chad Summers trainee secured a “Win and You’re In” berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on October 31 at Del Mar and also picked up 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Summers did not plan for Napoleon Solo to be on the lead but when the horse broke well from post 8, Rosario decided to take what came easy, showing the way through splits of 22.53 seconds and 44.24 over the fast main track while being tracked by heavy favorite It’s Our Time – a 17 3/4-length debut winner at Saratoga.

Napoleon Solo, a $40,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, opened up a five-length advantage at the stretch call and drew clear by 6 1/2-lengths over the rallying Talkin in a final time of 1:34.57.

The winning effort registered a 94 Beyer Speed Figure – an 11 point improvement on his 5 1/4-length debut score on August 8 in a six-furlong maiden auction race for horses that sold or RNA’d for $60,000 or less in their most recent sale.

Summers noted his appreciation of the restricted maiden condition.

“As a small trainer and somebody who loves to buy horses – I bought a horse last week at the Maryland sale to get an auction horse for next year,” Summers said. “Those auction races don’t get enough respect for what they are. They’re not cheap races. They are nice, well-meant horses that astute horsemen were able to purchase at a reasonable price. It gives them a chance to get their feet wet without having to run against the million-dollar horses. OK, second start, you’ve got to run against them, but it gives the little guy and the smaller owners in the game an opportunity to be competitive.”

Summers said the decision to bypass the Grade 1 Spendthrift Farm Hopeful on September 1 at the Spa and allow the horse more time by waiting for the Champagne proved to be correct. The Hopeful winner, Ted Noffey, returned to action Saturday to win the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.

“We breezed him at Saratoga right before the Hopeful and he was amazing, and I thought, ‘ah, maybe I should have gone to the Hopeful,’” Summers said. “Then we came here and gave him time to get used to the track here – these tracks down here [Aqueduct and Belmont] are kind of deep and heavy, so I just wanted to get in that weekly routine.”

Napoleon Solo worked a pair of bullets over the Belmont Park dirt training track ahead of the Champagne, including a half-mile in 47.40 September 26.

“The team here does such a good job with him because he is not an easy horse by any stretch of the imagination,” Summers said. “We baby him and coddle him, and when you’re a small barn like we are, you have that luxury. He trains at 9:45 when it’s quiet. Emily Ellingwood gets on him every day and she does an amazing job with him because most people would fall off of him every single day. He rears up and she laughs. She handles him really, really well.”

Summers said he spoke with owner Al Gold this morning regarding a potential Breeders' Cup try and decided they’ll let the horse do the talking.

“We’re going to leave it up to the horse and see how he’s doing,” Summers said. “If he gives us any indication that he’s taking a little while longer to get over the race - which he has every right to do having run as fast and hard as he did – then we’ll skip it. If he comes out of it good and he’s kicking down the walls and feeling good, we’ll look to move forward.”

For the moment though, Napoleon Solo seems to be in fine fettle.

“He’s doing good. He finished his feed last night and was nickering at me and I gave him a few peppermints,” Summers said. “A little tired, but you like to be able to come back to the barn at night check and throw another scoop of food in there.”

Bred in Kentucky by John D. Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock, Napoleon Solo, is out of the stakes-winning Scat Daddy mare Atomic Blonde. 

Summers noted that Gold Square’s Dry Powder, most recently a neck second to Clicquot in the Grade 1 Cotillion September 20 at Parx, remains under consideration for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar.

The 3-year-old Gun Runner filly boasts a perfect 6-2-3-1 in-the-money record, including a distant third in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks in July at the Spa and a win in the Listed Cathryn Sophia in August at Parx.

“She’s going to breeze on Tuesday and we’ll see,” Summers said. “We’ll watch the Spinster today [at Keeneland] and see. Baffert’s horse [Cavalieri] was very good the other day [in the Grade 2 Zenyatta] and it’s in his backyard. I would like to take her over there.

“I would like to go, but it’s ultimately Mr. Gold’s decision, and it’s an expensive decision. If we go, we’ll go early and there’s a lot that goes into it," Summers said.

The $525,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is out of the winning Broken Vow mare Tell All, a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Overheard. Her fourth dam, Whisper Who Dares, is a half-sister to Hall of Famer Chris Evert. Dry Powder has banked $439,400 in purse earnings.

***
Clement-trained Bottas, Intricate Spirit secure Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” berths

Trainer Miguel Clement swept Friday’s stakes at Belmont at the Big A as Bottas outlasted Heeere’s Johnny in a thrilling stretch duel in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juveniles. Two races earlier, Clement sent out Intricate Spirit to win the Grade 3, $175,000 Futurity, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for juveniles.

The races were part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series, with Bottas earning a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Intricate Spirit punching a ticket for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint – both slated for October 31 at Del Mar.

Dahman’s Bottas improved to 2-for-2 when stalking midpack, launching a bid between rivals and fending off the Grade 3-placed maiden Heeere’s Johnny by a head. The Vekoma dark bay validated a last-to-first 2 1/4-length debut score going 1 1/16 miles on August 23 Travers Day at Saratoga Race Course.

“Bottas was very impressive in just his second start,” said Clement. “He showed yet again another strong turn of foot. The plan is to go for the Breeders’ Cup. We just have to get lucky with a good trip and a good draw. It is going to be a full field, sometimes it can be a bit of a messy race. Nevertheless, he is a talented horse. We will look after him and he will take care of the rest.”

West Point Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables, Kenneth Beitz and Gail Beitz’s Intricate Spirit was taken back by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario to let the Wesley Ward-trained Longshoreman show the way in the Futurity. Rosario, from a close second position, navigated the Complexity bay from his original inside position to outside Longshoreman for the stretch run, defeating that rival by 1 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:07.98.

“That was a very impressive performance,” Clement said. “He showed a lot of speed. I don’t think the cutback in distance [to five furlongs] at the Breeders’ Cup will be a hindrance whatsoever. That is the plan: on to Del Mar with Joel Rosario. The connections are very excited. As long as the horse is doing well, we will go for it.

“He showed a bit of versatility, which is good for going five furlongs in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. He has an enormous amount of speed, so Del Mar may be his game, which is very exciting,” Clement continued.

On Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack, Clement sent out Breath Away to a rallying half-length score in the 1 1/16-mile turf Grade 2 Dance Smartly, and one race later Tawny Port to a nose second behind Silawi in the 1 1/2-mile turf Grade 1 Canadian International.

“For Breath Away, we have a few options, but let’s enjoy this for right now,” Clement said. “Tawny Port was a tough beat. I lost my voice last night due to that. I thought he was going to get up, but that was a great race. Sahin Civaci rode both horses very well. Everyone heads back to Saratoga. It could be the Breeders’ Cup or Red Smith for Tawny Port. I think in the last five weeks, he’s been three times second in some big races.”

Tawny Port, who completed the exacta in both the Gold Cup Invitational and Grade 2 Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational at Kentucky Downs, will potentially look to go one better in either the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf on November 1 at Del Mar or the Grade 2 Red Smith on the following day at Belmont at the Big A.

***
Rated by Merit possible for G2 Cigar Mile; Asbury Park nets 86 BSF for G2 Jockey Club Derby Inv.

St. Elias Stable enjoyed a productive day at the races Saturday at Belmont at the Big A when homebreds Rated by Merit and Asbury Park were the respective winners of the restricted $125,000 Discovery and the Grade 2, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational for five-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown.

Rated by Merit brought his record to a perfect 5-for-5 in his first start for Brown after making his first four starts at Gulfstream Park for conditioner Michael Yates, including three Florida-sired stakes. Away from the races since November 30, the sophomore son of Battalion Runner returned with aplomb in the one-mile Discovery to post a 1 1/4-length score in pacesetting fashion under Manny Franco, completing the course in 1:33.45 and earning a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

"He's a super talented horse,” Brown said following the race. “Look how he started his career off undefeated, which is really hard to do. You can tell he takes good care of himself this horse. He's all racehorse. There's some things to work on for sure but I'm happy to see him keep his undefeated record intact.”

Rated by Merit did drift out in the lane, which Brown had noticed in the mornings, leading him to breeze the colt solo in his works leading up to his barn debut.

"As you can see, the horse when he grabs the bit hard, he tries to cock his head and go out a little bit, so I didn't feel it was going to benefit him to put him in company,” said Brown, who also sent out Discovery runner-up Wise Up. “In company, he's going to be too hard on the bit and try to lean out."

Brown added that Rated by Merit could put his perfect record on the line in the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile on December 6 here.

"He looks like a horse you'd have to think about pointing him to the Cigar Mile," Brown concluded.

Just two races after Rated by Merit took the Discovery, Brown sent out the Franco-piloted Asbury Park to notch his first stakes win in the 1 3/8-mile Grade 2 Jockey Club Derby Invitational for sophomores over the inner turf in which the Brown-trained favorite Hill Road finished third.

Co-owned by St. Elias and Peter Brant, Asbury Park, a son of Frankel, bounced back from a closing third in the restricted Listed Saranac on September 1 at Saratoga Race Course, and earned a career-best 86 Beyer in victory.

Following the race, Brown indicated that the nine-furlong Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on November 29 at Del Mar could be Asbury Park’s next target.

Looking ahead to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 1 at Del Mar, Brown sent out defending Classic-winner and reigning Champion 3-Year-Old Colt Sierra Leone to breeze a half-mile Saturday over Saratoga’s Oklahoma dirt training track. The Gun Runner colt covered the distance in 48.88 seconds to the inside of dual Grade 1-winner Chancer McPatrick.

Brown noted the work was “super,” and that he is unsure if he will send Sierra Leone to Belmont Park to make his final preparations for the Breeders’ Cup as he did last year ahead of his 1 1/2-length Classic victory.

"I don't know. I did last year but he's loving Saratoga right now,” Brown said.

***
Ground Support defies the odds yet again in G2 Miss Grillo

NBS Stable’s Ground Support, a 100-1 debut winner at Kentucky Downs, again turned her nose up at the tote board with a 12-1 frontrunning victory under Adam Beschizza in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, at Belmont at the Big A.

By winning the 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for 2-year-old fillies, the Kelsey Danner trainee earned a “Win and You’re In” berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on October 31 at Del Mar.

“I don’t know why they didn’t like her at Kentucky Downs,” said Danner with a laugh after Saturday’s score. “She does everything right, she breezes nice, and is a big, pretty filly with a nice pedigree.” 

The Army Mule dark bay is out of the Arch mare Arch Support, who ran second in the 2010 Miss Grillo, then a Grade 3, to the popular Winter Memories.
On Saturday, Ground Support showed the way through comfortable splits of 23.17 seconds, 48.65 and 1:13.56 over the firm inner turf, opening a three-length lead at the stretch call with plenty left to stave off the onrushing favorite Deep Learning for a two-length score.

“She was a little keen early. No one really went,” Danner said on Sunday morning. “I think she could have been covered up if someone decided to go but luckily, he kept it kind of slow on the front end, so it worked out.”

Beschizza was also aboard Ground Support for her August 30 debut at Kentucky Downs in a one-mile maiden over firm turf, overcoming a slow start to sit a prominent trip and notch a three-quarter length win at long odds.

“She's a very forward, athletic filly. In her first race, she broke slow but in three or four strides she managed to get herself in position,” Danner recalled. “Anytime you can get yourself in position going into the first turn that's a major plus - the trip matters and when you come from way off of it, you need to have that seam that opens up and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.

“It's nice that she can get herself into position,” Danner added. “She wasn't fantastic in the gate yesterday and she still broke well.”

Danner said Ground Support, bred in Florida by Champion Equine, will return to her Turfway Park base on Monday to train up to the Breeders’ Cup.

“She came out of the race in good order and looks good this morning,” Danner said. “She'll train at Turfway for a little bit, and we’ll try to plan some logistics tomorrow before we ship out there.”

The $80,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale buy has more than doubled her purchase price with purse earnings of $164,000.

***
Final Accord eyes Breeders’ Cup after winning G3 Matron

Gary Barber and Peter Deutsch’s Final Accord has her dual Hall of Fame-trainer Mark Casse eyeing the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf after she got up in the final jumps to capture Thursday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Matron, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for juvenile fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

The War of Will bay improved to 2-for-2 when coming from 3 3/4 lengths back in sixth position under Junior Alvarado to defeat Royal Testament by one length in a final time of 1:08.47, registering a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure in victory. Final Accord entered from a prominent 4 1/4-length debut maiden win versus males in a five-furlong turf sprint on September 11 at Woodbine.

“She came out of it great,” Casse said. “We are going to aim for the Breeders’ Cup. To me, in both of her races, it seemed like she wanted a little bit more ground, so I think the mile is perfect for her.”

Casse took the same path last year with Abientot, who won the Matron ahead of an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“Just hopefully with more success,” said Casse about the similar route. “I thought Final Accord was very impressive. I think, probably, looking at the performances of all the fillies around North America on the grass, hers was probably as impressive as anybody’s.”

On Saturday at Belmont at the Big A, Casse sent out West Point Thoroughbreds’ Curtain Call and Ironhorse Racing Stable’s Just Asap to a respective sixth and ninth in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile for 2-year-olds.

“They came out good,” Casse said. “The race was over for Just Asap right at the start, he got away bad. He didn’t handle the kickback at all. As far as Curtain Call, I thought it was just kind of a ‘blah’ effort. I need to talk to the West Point people, his future may be on the grass. I’ve kind of always thought that way, but he ran so well, of course it was muddy the first time he won. I think he likes the moisture in the ground, but that’s something I need to talk about with West Point.”