Francesca Le Donne Photo

Belmont Park Notes 10.22.17

by NYRA Press Office

• G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Diversify to pre-enter in Breeders' Cup Classic, connections still 'on the fence'
• War Flag wraps up local preparations for BC Filly & Mare Turf
• Big Handsome to skip BC Turf Sprint, will target Aqueduct Turf Sprint
• Lady Ivanka breezes at Aqueduct ahead of BC Juvenile Fillies
• Sadler's Joy 'stretches legs,' on schedule for BC Turf

Ralph M. and Lauren Evans' Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Diversify exited his Saturday breeze in good order and is expected to be among the pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup Classic when they close on Monday, said Ralph Evans Sunday morning.

Diversify, a 4-year-old New York-bred gelding by Bellamy Road, earned an all-fees-paid berth into the $6 million Classic on November 4 at Del Mar with his gate-to-wire Jockey Club Gold Cup win, but Evans said he and trainer Rick Violette, Jr. are continuing to weigh the merits of running in a seemingly speed-loaded reiteration of the Classic.

“We were pleased with the work so we’ll pre-enter, but the final decision has not been made,” said Evans, who co-owns Diversify with his daughter Lauren. “We’re very much on the fence. There are a couple in there that have the same running style as we do, so we might run the risk of being compromised [with a fast pace] and there’s lots of races in New York. Frankly, I would love to run, but the final decision is up to Rick.”

Evans said there are “some pluses as well as some minuses” the connections are considering. One particular plus, he noted, is that Diversify’s regular jockey, Irad Ortiz, Jr., who has ridden the gelding in his last three stakes victories, would be available to ride in the Classic.

“I don’t know whether I would have pre-entered if I had to spend the money, but it’s sort of a free look, if you will. You might as well,” he said. “We have our rider if we go and I think all we need is one major defection. I’d rather go out there trying to beat one or two horses than trying to beat three or four.”

On Saturday, Diversify breezed five furlongs in 1:01.58 over the Belmont main track with exercise rider Rodney Paine aboard in what would be his penultimate breeze for the Classic should he run. The conclusive decision will come after Diversify’s next and final work before Breeders’ Cup, slated for Saturday, Evans said.

“Rick would’ve been happy with anything 1:03 or less, because the final work will put a little more speed in him,” he said. “This was a semi-maintenance work. Rodney seemed to be very pleased. The way he did it was what was expected from him, and he cooled out fine and scoped fine.”

“After the pre-entries, we’ll have one sharp work hopefully and if all goes well, then we’ll probably get our space on a plane with some other horses that are going to Del Mar late,” he added. “Unless something comes up, it’ll be a late decision.”

Evans has said previously that if Diversify does not run in the Breeders’ Cup, he could be under consideration for the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap on December 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

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On Sunday morning at Belmont, Allen Stable’s War Flag turned in her first breeze since picking up an all-fees-paid spot in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf with a head victory in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl on October 8.

The 4-year-old War Front filly covered four furlongs on the inner turf course in 48.89 seconds under exercise rider Lena Lorieul in company with Snap Decision, a 3-year-old graded stakes-placed colt.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, War Flag has two wins from four starts since arriving from Europe for her 2017 campaign. Her other efforts heading into the Filly & Mare Turf on November 4 at Del Mar include a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth Park in July and a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Glens Falls on September 2 at Saratoga Race Course.

“She’s come out of the Flower Bowl in very good condition,” said Robbie Medina, assistant to McGaughey. “She went a half in 48 4/5 and did it easily with no complaints. She’ll leave for Del Mar on Thursday, so it’s possible she’ll get another breeze at Del Mar before the race.”

Joining War Flag for her flight west on Thursday, October 26 will be graded stakes winner On Leave and graded stakes-placed runner Profiteer.

Also a 4-year-old filly by War Front, Stuart S. Janney, III’s homebred On Leave breezed four furlongs in 48.33 seconds on the inner turf this morning in company with My Impression, a 1 ½-length winner of the One Dreamer at Kentucky Downs last time out. On Leave, who captured the All Along on September 16 at Laurel Park, will be pointed for the Grade 2 Goldikova on the Breeders’ Cup undercard November 4 at Del Mar.

Janney’s Profiteer, a sophomore colt by War Front, will point for the Grade 2 Twilight Derby on October 28 at Santa Anita Park. He worked four furlongs in 50.32 over the inner turf on Sunday.

My Impression earned a time of 47.56 for her breeze with On Leave and the 4-year-old Sky Mesa filly will run in the Grade 3, $200,000 Athenia on October 28 at Belmont.

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Big Handsome will skip the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and instead will point to the inaugural $125,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship on November 25 at the Big A, trainer Tony Dutrow said Sunday morning.

Since moving to the turf in March, Big Handsome posted three straight wins and finished second in the Manila on July 4 at Belmont Park. The 3-year-old Street Boss colt was originally targeting the five-furlong Turf Sprint on November 4 at Del Mar, but Dutrow said he preferred a softer landing spot for a horse who has yet to make his graded stakes debut.

“The horse has been at it pretty good all year and he’s only three, so we’ll hope that he gets there next year,” Dutrow said. “We feel better about trying him as a 4-year-old.”

Big Handsome continues to train on the dirt, going five furlongs in 1:01.88 on Belmont’s Big Sandy Friday. Dutrow said Big Handsome’s experience on the dirt, which encompassed a runner-up debut effort and a third-place finish as a 2-year-old, prompted him to keep him on the main track for workouts.

“He handles the dirt very well, so most of the time I train him on the dirt since it’s worked well so far,” he said.

Get Jets breezed five furlongs in 1:01.12 on Belmont’s inner turf Sunday as he works towards the Grade 3, $200,000 Red Smith on November 5 at Aqueduct.

The New York-bred will be making the step up to graded stakes competition for the first-time following back-to-back wins in the West Point and Ashley T. Cole. The 4-year-old Scat Daddy colt has three wins and two runner-up finishes in five career stakes and used a five-wide trip to edge Call Provision by a nose last out in the Ashley T. Cole on September 24 at Belmont.

“We’re super happy with Get Jets,” Dutrow said. “Get Jets’ determination to win is impressive. He really finishes very fast on the turf.”

Mo Town’s next start is expected to be in the Grade 3, $200,000 Discovery on November 25 at Aqueduct, Dutrow said.

Following a seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 8, the sophomore colt by Uncle Mo ran in three straight allowance races, including a winning effort on October 12 at 1 1/16 miles on Belmont’s inner turf.

The winner of the 2016 Grade 2 Remsen will now return to dirt in the Discovery, a 1 1/8-mile route for 3-year-olds.

“Mo Town has always done good, he just got a little off track in the spring trying to get to the Kentucky Derby,” Dutrow said. “We have to be happy with the change of surface and how well he adjusted to it and now we’ll look at the [Discovery] and get him going again.”

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Lady Ivanka breezed Sunday at Aqueduct in preparation for the $2 million 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 4 at Del Mar. According to DRF clockers, Lady Ivanka went five furlongs in 1:01.06 with the final quarter-mile in 23.93 seconds.

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez, who was aboard the Tiz Wonderful filly for the work, said he was impressed and everything seems on track for a departure to California on Thursday.

“So far, everything looks good. I’ll talk to the bosses today and we’ll find out for sure what we’re doing. We’re planning to ship out on October 26,” Rodriguez said. “She’s doing everything we ask her. We just have to keep her happy and healthy and go from there.”

Lady Ivanka has started her career 2-for-2, winning her debut on August 9 at Saratoga before capturing the Grade 1 Spinaway at seven furlongs on September 2. Rodriguez said he is curious to see how she responds to stretching out to the Juvenile Fillies distance of 1 1/16 miles.

“We have to see how she handles it over there, it’s a different surface and different weather,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not an easy decision to make to go. It’ll be a tough race. They’re babies and some of them have [run] long already, but that’s the question we have to answer. It’s tough because she hasn’t gone the distance yet. She looks like she can handle it and go the distance, but she has to go and do it.”

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Galloping Sunday morning on the Belmont main track, Woodlane Farm’s multiple graded stakes winner Sadler’s Joy has remained in good form following his fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on September 30.

“We just stretched his legs this morning,” said trainer Tom Albertrani. “He had a good work the other day, we’re just trying to keep the edge on him now. He’ll come back with another breeze next week and we’ll leave on Sunday.”

On Monday, October 16, the 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy colt breezed four furlongs over the main track in 49.66 seconds, his first timed move since the Joe Hirsch.

Prior to the Joe Hirsch, Sadler’s Joy capped off his summer with a half-length win in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer on August 26 at Saratoga Race Course, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the $4 million Longines Turf on November 4 at Del Mar, after finishing a game third in the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 29 at the Spa.

With both of those races run on a firm turf course, Albertrani believes Sadler’s Joy should appreciate the expected warm weather out west.

“He certainly gives a top effort every time, but perhaps he didn’t really appreciate the ground last time in the Joe Hirsch,” he said. “It wasn’t his favorite [surface], but he certainly appreciates firm ground.”

Depending on the weather, Sadler’s Joy is tentatively scheduled to breeze Friday before shipping to Southern California on Sunday, October 29.