Universe and Stickupwithoutagun contest G1 Champagne

• Universe and Stickupwithoutagun contest G1 Champagne
• Heeere's Johnny hopes to shine in G2 Pilgrim
• Gargan represented in Saturday’s juvenile G1s at Belmont at the Big A
• Curtain Call gets another G1 chance in Champagne
• Beach Bomb and Sirona represent Motion in G3 Waya

Trainer Kenny McPeek has a busy Saturday coming up at Belmont at the Big A led by Universe and Stickupwithoutagun in the Grade 1 $500,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile for juveniles.

The Champagne, slated as Race 7 on the 12-race card, is a “Win and You’re In” qualifying event for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on October 31 at Del Mar and also offers 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top-five finishers towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs.

Four G Racing, Gregg Day and Steven Crain’s Universe enters from a debut graduation sprinting seven furlongs on August 30 at Saratoga Race Course. There, the Global Campaign bay hit the gate at the break, and recovered to travel two lengths back in midpack before cruising to a 4 1/2-length score over $1.7 million yearling purchase Dragones.

Universe breezed five furlongs in 1:01.02 on September 27 over the Belmont Park dirt training track in preparation of the Champagne.

“Universe had been training at Saratoga, and I sent him down to Belmont for his work to run this weekend,” McPeek said. “He is a horse that looks the part. I think he was quite a bit overlooked in that first race, but the way he finished up and galloped out was impressive. We’ve had a good start with young horses this year and he’s kind of leading the pack.”

Harold Lerner, AWC Stables and Nehoc Stables’ New York-bred Stickupwithoutagun graduated second out sprinting six furlongs versus fellow state-breds on August 29 at the Spa. The McKinzie bay debuted just two weeks earlier when running a distant sixth going 1 1/16 miles on turf on August 15 there.

“We always knew he was a dirt horse,” McPeek said. “We needed a longer race. When a longer race didn’t go, we went into a dirt sprint, and he showed up pretty sharp that day. I think he really wants a mile.”

Bred in the Empire State by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Lakland Farm, Stickupwithoutagun has options in the New York-bred stakes program going forward, including the $200,000 Sleepy Hollow on October 25.

“If he fits with open company remains to be seen, if he does, that’s great, but if not, he’ll come back in the Sleepy Hollow,” McPeek said.

The same connections have New York-bred Rina’s Revenge in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette, a one-turn mile for 2-year-old fillies, in Race 6. The Yaupon dark bay closed from 7th-of-9 to win her six-furlong state-bred debut by 4 3/4 lengths on August 28 at the Spa.

“She was impressive,” McPeek said. “If she handles open company, that is great. I think she will relish the mile. She is definitely going to come from off the pace.”

The Frizette is a part of the Breeders' Cup "Dirt Dozen" series for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. The nominated winner of the Frizette will receive a credit of $30,000 toward entry fees, with the second and third places receiving credits of $15,000 and $7,500, respectively.

The Frizette also offers qualifying points to the top-five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

McPeek indicated Miss Call will scratch from Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo in favor of other options.

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Heeere's Johnny hopes to shine in G2 Pilgrim

Magic Carpet Racing and Catherine Coyle’s Grade 3-placed Heeere's Johnny is a maiden with potential 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 Ray Handal, the Oscar Performance bay was second in his last two outings to the Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained Final Score going 1 1/16-miles at Saratoga Race Course, including a maiden special weight on August 10 ahead of the Grade 3 With Anticipation last out on August 28.

In both races, Heeere’s Johnny traveled midpack about two lengths off of the pacesetting Final Score and was unable to reel him in late. Heeere’s Johnny earned a career-best 73 Beyer Speed Figure for his With Anticipation defeat. Final Score is entered back in Sunday’s Grade 2 Bourbon at Keeneland.

“He’s doing good,” Handal said. “This spot looks good. Looks like we’ll get a bit of pace. I thought the short rest going into the last race and the lack of pace definitely compromised him. He still ran pretty well. All things considered, he took a step forward and we are looking forward to this race.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who was aboard for the With Anticipation, has the call from post 2, tabbed at morning line odds of 6-1.

“After the last race, Javier said that he wished somebody put pressure on Final Score, but we were kind of committed to tracking off the pace so he played the hand he was dealt,” said Handal. “If someone pressed Final Score, we probably would’ve had a bit more of a finish, but I thought he ran super.”

Heeere’s Johnny, a $100,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the winning Blame mare Dabinett. His stakes-winning second dam, Sharp Apple, produced Group 1-placed Pomology, stakes-winner Tommy Taylor and dual Grade 1-placed Sassy Little Lila.

“He’s getting bigger and stronger each run,” Handal said. “With the short rest last time – I thought he improved into the race – but I thought a little more time would have done him better. He’s really taken a big step forward with five weeks into him now.”

“Heeere's Johnny” is the famous line from Jack Nicholson’s character Jack Torrance in The Shining, and now the colt will look to shine in his fourth start as a maiden.

“Normally, I wouldn’t be trying to run maidens in graded stakes races, but when you have these restricted [for 2-year-olds] type races, the horse is doing well and the opportunity is there, then we’ll take a shot. If he doesn’t win, we can always fall back on the maiden,” Handal said.

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Gargan represented in Saturday’s juvenile G1s at Belmont at the Big A

Trainer Danny Gargan will send out live contenders in each of Saturday’s juvenile Grade 1s at Belmont at the Big A, represented by Talkin in the $500,000 Champagne and the New York-bred Iron Orchard in the $400,000 Frizette. The former is a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile while the latter is part of the “Dirt Dozen” series for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, with both Championship events slated for October 31 at Del Mar.

The Good Magic colt Talkin was a debut winner on August 30 at Saratoga Race Course, where he charted a meandering course through the seven furlongs under Kendrick Carmouche after breaking amongst the topflight while four-wide and shuffling back to tuck in a couple paths entering the turn. He angled out once again around the leading returning rival Stradale in the lane to find enough late and pounce to a neck victory in a final time of 1:23.63. The win registered an 82 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I really like him, I think he’s going to be a good one,” Gargan said. “The further he goes and the more he races, the better he’s going to get. I didn’t expect him to win first time out, but somehow he found a way to get himself to the winner’s circle, which is pretty cool. He’s not really supposed to go seven-eighths. At the half-mile pole, Kendrick asked him - usually when they have to grind that hard for that long, they end up throwing it in, but he kept fighting to get there.”

Talkin is campaigned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding and R.A. Hill Stable, and several of those partners were also in on Dornoch, another son of Good Magic who won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets and Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell last year for Gargan.

The multiple graded stakes-winning conditioner said Talkin, whose half-sister Royal Obsession produced this year’s Grade 1 Cotillion winner Clicquot, reminds him of a more compact version of Dornoch.

“He’s a good-looking horse. He’s real pretty, well put together and is very athletic with a great shoulder and hip,” Gargan said. “He’s got a good pedigree and comes from a good family. He looks a lot like Dornoch, but not as big, and has that white eye. He’s probably 16.1 hands and Dornoch was almost 17. His mind is better, and hopefully he continues to progress. We’re really high on him.”

The Champagne offers 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top-five finishers towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs. 

Carmouche will return to the irons from the outermost post 9 with the Champagne slated as Race 7 on Saturday.

One race earlier, Gargan sends out CSLR Racing Partners and R.A. Hill Stable’s Iron Orchard in the one-mile Frizette as she looks to keep her perfect record intact. The Authentic dark bay has won both of her starts by open lengths, beginning with a 5 1/2-length debut graduation sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on July 3 at the Spa. She increased her margin of victory to 6 3/4 lengths on August 22 when taking the six-furlong state-bred Seeking the Ante, both efforts coming in wire-to-wire fashion under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario. She earned respective Beyers of 75 and 81 for her two victories.

Gargan said the only question for Iron Orchard is Saturday’s distance.

“She’s a little headstrong, but she’s a talented filly and we’ll see if she can do it. If it was six furlongs, I would be real positive,” Gargan said, with a laugh. “She’s super quick, so hopefully we get lucky and we don’t go too fast. She’s pretty straightforward. She trains hard and trains fast. She’s always from Day One been a fast, fast horse. It’s just how she is. She’s doing good.”

Bred by Pine Ridge Stable, Iron Orchard was a $500,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the Brethren mare Onebrethatatime, a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Wonderlandbynight. Rosario has the call again from post 6.

The Frizette offers qualifying points to the top-five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

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Curtain Call gets another G1 chance in Champagne

West Point Thoroughbreds’ Curtain Call will get his second chance at a Grade 1 score when taking on a competitive field in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile for juveniles at Belmont at the Big A. The Champagne awards a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on October 31 at Del Mar. The Champagne also offers 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top-five finishers towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs. 

Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the son of Tiz the Law impressed at second asking on July 12 at Saratoga Race Course, pouncing from eight lengths off the pace to draw off to an 8 1/2-length score in a six-furlong maiden and earn an 82 Beyer Speed Figure. He utilized a similar trip next out in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Spendthrift Farm Hopeful on September 1, but was no match for the victorious Ted Noffey, who drew off to an emphatic score as Curtain Call was headed out of place honors by Buetane.

“He ran very well,” said Jason Blewitt, Executive Vice President of West Point Thoroughbreds. “He did a lot of things right in there and I thought he might finish a little stronger than he ultimately did, but he still showed up and ran a good race. I would like to think that he’s only going to get better as we move along.”

Blewitt said Curtain Call has trained forwardly into Saturday’s test, where he is slated to square off against a field that includes the formidable Tom Amoss trainee It’s Our Time, a 17 3/4-length winner on debut at the Spa.

“He’s training super and we’re really looking forward to it,” Blewitt said. “To me, Tom’s horse in there was the best and most impressive 2-year-old that I saw all summer at Saratoga, and if he is legit, I think everyone might be running for second. But in regards to Curtain Call, he’s talented, he runs hard, he’s got seasoning and he’s training as well as he’s ever trained since we bought him.”

A $325,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, the Florida-bred dark bay is out of the unraced Into Mischief mare Deep Trouble, and hails from the family of dual Grade 1-winner Artemis Agrotera.

Ricardo Santana, Jr. has the call from the inside post on Saturday.

West Point’s stakes action this week at the Big A also includes Intricate Spirit in the six-furlong outer turf Grade 3, $175,000 Futurity on Friday, a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Co-owned with Madaket Stables, Kenneth Beitz and Gail Beitz and trained by Miguel Clement, Intricate Spirit graduated in his August 1 debut with a prominent trip over 5 1/2-furlongs of firm Spa turf before heading to Kentucky Downs to finish a three-quarter-length second to Street Beast – who came back to win the Juvenile Mile there 10 days later – in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance on August 28.

“He’s training superb and I know Miguel is very happy with how the horse has done,” Blewitt said. “We were a really good second at Kentucky Downs to a horse who came back a few days later to run off the screen in a million-dollar race. I’m impressed by Intricate Spirit’s speed and how hard he tries. Last time, that horse got in front of him, and you could really see him lay his body down and fight all the way to the finish line. We’re excited about him.”

Out of the winning Curlin mare Dottie’s Spirit, Intricate Spirit was a $185,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is a half-brother to the dual graded stakes-placed Clement trainee Spirit Prince. He will emerge from post 3 in rein to Hall of Famer Joel Rosario.

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Beach Bomb and Sirona represent Motion in G3 Waya

Trainer Graham Motion entered Beach Bomb and Sirona for Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Waya, a 1 3/8-mile inner turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A.

Cayton Park Stud’s Beach Bomb was a last-out sixth in the 1 5/16-mile Grade 3 Ladies Marathon on September 6 at Kentucky Downs. The 5-year-old Lancaster Bomber bay is 6-2-2-0 this year including wins over last year’s Waya-winner and returning rival La Mehana [third] in the The Very One and Orchid, both Grade 3s in March at Gulfstream Park.

“Her last couple of races have been a little disappointing, but you can always question Kentucky Downs because it can be a funny spot,” Motion said. “She’s trained well in the meantime. I don’t know that we’ll run her next year, so this seems like a good opportunity for us. I do think the three turns helps her.”

After her aforementioned wins at Gulfstream, Beach Bomb was second in the local Grade 3 Sheepshead Bay over course and distance in May and the Grade 1 New York presented by Rivers Casino in June at Saratoga Race Course.

Beach Bomb made her first eight starts in her native South Africa for trainer Candice Leigh Bass-Robinson, including a win in last year’s Group 1 Paddock at Kenilworth, earning a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf where she landed a 3 1/2-length eighth for her current trainer.

Motion, who won the Waya in 2013 with Qushchi, will also send out Jayne McGivern’s dual Group 3-placed Sirona. The 5-year-old Soldier Hollow bay was defeated a nose last out by stablemate No Show Sammy Jo when making her barn debut in the nine-furlong All Along on September 13 at Laurel Park.

“To me, she acts like she wants to go a little farther,” Motion said. “She has not gone this far before. Let’s see how she does, but it looks like what she wants to do. She was certainly very game against ‘Sammy Jo.’ She was running on at the end, with another jump, she would’ve gotten ahead of her. This is coming back a little quick - maybe - but this time of year we are limited with how many chances we’ll get to run.”

The German-bred Sirona previously made nine stakes outings overseas for conditioner David Menuisier including Group 3 seconds versus males in the 7 1/4-furlong John Of Gaunt last June at Haydock and the one-mile Prix Perth last October at Saint-Cloud. She is 21-4-6-1 overall with $215,400 in earnings.