Chelsea Durand Photo

Webslinger spins back into action in G3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational

by Keith McCalmont

D.J. Stable’s millionaire graded stakes-winner Webslinger brings class and consistency to Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational, an 11-furlong inner turf test for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Hall Famer Mark Casse, Webslinger [post 3, Javier Castellano] contested the first two legs of NYRA’s unique trio of turf races for sophomores, finishing fourth in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational in July and a close second, defeated a head to Program Trading, in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational last out on August 5.

He rallied from last-of-11 under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano to miss by just 1 1/2-lengths to the victorious Far Bridge in the Belmont Derby, but was more involved in the early going last out and took the lead at the stretch call only to be denied in the final jumps.

Casse said Webslinger is a better horse when he can be closer to the pace.

“The problem is he doesn't break overly fast and it takes him a little bit of time to get in gear,” Casse said. “So, a couple times he's been compromised. He definitely runs a little better when he's in the middle of the pack or a little closer. Javier knows that but sometimes the horse doesn't listen.”

The Constitution gelding is a veteran of 11 starts for a record of 4-3-1 and purse earnings of $1,025,320, led by a score in the Grade 2 American Turf in May at Churchill Downs. The well-traveled bay also boasts stakes wins in the Nownownow last September at Monmouth Park and the Audubon in June at Churchill Downs.

Casse said he freshened up Webslinger with this race in mind and the horse has responded in kind with a pair of good recent works over the main track at Belmont Park, including a five-eighths effort in 1:01.84 on September 22.

“I felt like he had run strong and hard on numerous occasions,” Casse said. “I flirted with the idea of taking him to Kentucky Downs, but I felt like his last race was a little harder on him so we let him rebound and I think it's paid dividends. He's training extremely well right now.”

Bred in Kentucky by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, Webslinger, out of the Hard Spun mare Arana, was purchased for $50,000 at the OBS June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Godolphin’s undefeated British homebred Measured Time [post 1, William Buick] will look to make his stateside debut a winning one for trainer Charlie Appleby.

The Frankel bay, out of the Street Cry mare Minidress, could give his connections a unique graded double as they send out his half-brother – the multiple Group/Graded winner Rebel’s Romance - in Saturday’s co-featured Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

Measured Time made his first two starts over the Kempton all-weather surface, graduating in February and returning in August to take a novice weight for age. He made his turf debut last out in a 10-furlong handicap on August 25 at Newmarket, drawing off to a five-length score over good-to-firm going.

Wertheimer and Frere’s stakes-winner Dataman [post 5, Trevor McCarthy] will look to make the grade for trainer Graham Motion.

A Kentucky homebred, the Tapit grey captured the 1 3/16-mile Bald Eagle Derby in August at Laurel Park at odds of 12-1, but failed to fire his best shot last out when fifth in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs.

“He’s doing great. I thought he could be been a little closer at Colonial, he got in a little trouble,” Motion said. “But he’s proved to be the type of horse that I thought he would be last year. I think he just needed to grow up and I don’t think distance is an issue for him.”

Dataman, a half-brother to the Motion-trained duo of graded stakes-placed Alda and stakes-winner Serifos, is out of the Maria’s Mon mare Soldata, who is a full-sister to dual graded stakes-winner Exhi.

LFG Racing’s Anglophile [post 7, Declan Cannon] made the grade last out with a half-length score over the aforementioned Grade 1-winner Far Bridge in the 1 5/16-mile Grade 3 Dueling Grounds Derby on September at Kentucky Downs.

Trained by Brian Lynch, the English Channel chestnut was a troubled third in the prep for the Dueling Grounds Derby on August 5 at Ellis Park when in need of racing room at the top of the lane and bumping with rivals before settling for third in a race won by the multiple stakes-winner Wadsworth.

Anglophile had no such difficulties last out, saving ground under a patient Declan Cannon and surging inside of rivals in the stretch run to stave off the outside bid of Far Bridge by a half-length.

The talented chestnut sports a record of 9-3-1-2 for purse earnings of $735,599. He is out of the Kitten’s Joy mare Trustmore Lovemore, who is a half-sister to dual graded stakes-winner Daring Dancer – winner of the 2014 Grade 2 Lake George at the Spa.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented by a trio of runners in Harrell Ventures’ graded stakes-placed Lost Ark [post 8, Kendrick Carmouche], who adds blinkers, Whisper Hill Farm’s three-time winner Classic Catch [post 6, Florent Geroux], and Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway Stable’s two-time winner Fearless Soldier [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.].

Lost Ark, by Violence, made his first six starts on dirt, taking the Sapling at second asking last August at Monmouth Park. He won his seasonal debut when facing elders over the same course in June but was a distant fourth in the restricted Curlin in July at Saratoga. Lost Ark made his turf debut last out in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Saranac when third defeated 4 1/4-lengths by the victorious Carl Spackler.

Classic Catch, by Classic Empire, will make his turf debut in his ninth lifetime start. A maiden winner in November here, he took an optional-claimer in March at Gulfstream Park but failed to threaten when fifth in the Big A’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino in April and fourth in the Grade 3 Peter Pan in May at Belmont.

Last out, Classic Catch, out of the graded stakes-winning Malibu Moon mare Moon Catcher, was a prominent winner of a 10-furlong off-the-turf optional claiming route on August 9 at Saratoga. The neck score garnered a 100 Beyer.

Fearless Soldier, by City of Light, was purchased for $700,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He graduated at second asking in his turf debut in a 7 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park and followed with a narrow neck defeat to next out graded stakes-winner More Than Looks in a 1 1/16-mile allowance versus older company on June 17 at Ellis Park.

Although an uncharacteristic sixth in an optional-claimer at the Spa in July, he returned to winning form last out with a gate-to-wire romp against elders traveling 1 5/16-miles on September 3 at Kentucky Downs.

Fearless Soldier is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Hessie’s Girl, who is a half-sister to dual graded stakes-winner Bullsbay – victor of the 2009 Grade 1 Whitney Handicap.

Rounding out an ultra-competitive field are Grade 1-placed Mondego [post 9, Dylan Davis] for conditioner Christophe Clement, and allowance winner Faraday [post 2, Manny Franco] for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

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Rescheduled G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic redraws similar field for Saturday

The Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, which was rescheduled from last Saturday due to inclement weather, has been redrawn for this Saturday and attracted all but one of the original entrants for the 1 1/2-mile outer turf marathon for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont at the Big A.

The field is headlined by George Krikorian’s defending race winner War Like Goddess [post 2, Junior Alvarado], who takes on Godolphin’s reigning Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf-winner Rebel’s Romance [post 4, William Buick] amidst a talented group of contenders.

War Like Goddess, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, looks to make amends from a troubled runner-up effort in Saratoga Race Course’s Grade 2 Glens Falls on August 3, a race she won the prior two years. The daughter of English Channel won last year’s Hirsch by 2 3/4 lengths before making the trip to Keeneland to finish third to Rebel’s Romance in the Grade 1 Turf. War Like Goddess also won the Grade 1 Flower Bowl in 2021 at the Spa, as well as six other graded events.

Rebel’s Romance enters for trainer Charlie Appleby off a troubled trip to Saratoga where he contested the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 30, but did not finish the race after clipping heels and losing jockey Richie Mullen when advancing with purpose in the final turn of the 1 3/8-mile test. The gelded son of Dubawi was briefly considered for the Grade 1 Arlington Million the following week at Colonial Downs, but was rerouted to the Hirsch in pursuit of his fourth Grade or Group 1 score.

The Hirsch field redrew nearly the same group as originally drawn last week, with the lone defection being the Brown-trained Adhamo, who is nominated to the Grade 1 Canadian International on Sunday at Woodbine. Completing the field are So High [post 1, Romero Ramsay Maragh], who races with cheek pieces on, Grand Sonata [post 3, Manny Franco], Pioneering Spirit [post 5, Jose Lezcano], Soldier Rising [post 6, Dylan Davis], Stone Age [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Astronaut [post 8, Kendrick Carmouche].

The Jockey Club Derby is slated as Race 9 on Saturday’s lucrative 11-race card that includes the re-scheduled Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in Race 4 and two Grade 1 “Win and You’re In” qualifiers at one-mile for juveniles in the $500,000 Champagne [Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile] and $400,000 Frizette [Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies]. Saturday’s stacked program is supported by the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya and the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern. 

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