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Charlie Appleby targeting more graded conquests in New York

by NYRA Press Office

• Charlie Appleby targeting more graded conquests in New York
• Sharp hopes inside post will benefit Anaconda in $150K Elusive Quality
• Fort Washington stretches out for G2 Fort Marcy
• Morley saddles three for Saturday stakes at Belmont
• Belmont Park Week 2 stakes probables

The Newmarket-based Champion trainer Charlie Appleby will look to build on his stateside success at Belmont Park when he sends out Ottoman Fleet in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy and Warren Pointin next Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Man o’ War.

Appleby’s graded tour de force in New York with regally-bred Godolphin-owned stock dates to June 2021 when he sent over Althiqa to capture the Grade 1 Just a Game over stablemate Summer Romance at Belmont as well as the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga Race Course.

In the fall of 2021, the Appleby-trained Yibir took the Jockey Club Derby en route to victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar and Eclipse Award honors as Champion Turf Male.

Last year, Nations Pride added to Appleby’s Empire State success with a win in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational and the Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby at Belmont at the Big A, while stablemate With The Moonlight took down the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational.

Appleby said the New York graded-stakes program is at top of mind as he plans out his campaigns.

“They’re very important. They’re in our program on an annual sheet now,” Appleby said. “First and foremost, we have our targets set on Dubai to start off with and then on our European season, but amongst that, over the past few years, we feel we’re starting to understand the programs on your side of the water and what horses to bring over to be competitive. There’s some great turf races there and we enjoy coming over there and trying to win, but the experience has always been good – win, lose or draw. It’s something that we hope to carry on and try to gain more success with.”

Appleby said he has utilized the Dubai World Cup Carnival as an opportunity to win big prizes at Meydan Racecourse, while also gauging which of his stock might be suitable to the sweeping grounds and – excepting this weekend – the potential for fast ground.

“There are similar characteristics in track conditions. They have big sweeping turns there and a long straight,” Appleby said. “Once they’ve been around Meydan, we can get a feel of whether or not they’d be suited to the track styles of North America. We gain experience in Dubai of whether they will adapt to coming to New York and being on that international stage.”

Ottoman Fleet’s last two wins have come at Newmarket with last-to-first runs in the listed James Seymour in October over soft going and the Group 3 Earl of Sefton last out on April 18 over good-to-soft ground. Between those starts, the 4-year-old Sea The Stars gelding completed the trifecta in a trio of tilts over good turf at Meydan won by stablemates Valiant Prince [Group 2 Al Rashidiya and Group 2 Singspiel] and the aforementioned Nations Pride [Group 3 Dubai Millennium].

Appleby said the recent rainfall in New York, which has the course listed as good for Thursday’s Opening Day card, should suit Ottoman Fleet.

“It was on the slow side of good when he won his last start,” Appleby said. “He ran solid in Dubai on what we would call good-to-firm, but I feel it’s a plus to us with the potential ease in conditions this weekend.”

Appleby said Ottoman Fleet benefitted from a slight step down in company last out after taking on tried-and-true talent in Dubai.

“He came across decent opposition in Dubai and at the end of the day, it was just too hard to get past,” Appleby said. “We were confident going to Newmarket and delighted for him to get his head back in front. We’ve won on that track before and the conditions were there to suit him. He came out of that race in great order and shipped over well.”

Ottoman Fleet arrived in New York on Sunday from Newmarket, by way of Liege, Belgium, in company with Warren Point. Both horses cleared quarantine on Tuesday and cantered separately over Belmont’s dirt training track with jockey Richie Mullen and in the care of traveling assistant Chris Connett.

Ottoman Fleet, listed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the nine-furlong inner turf test, will exit post 3 under Mullen.

Warren Point, a 4-year-old Dubawi gelding, is out of the Dubai Destination mare Gaterie, who is a half-sister to multiple Group 2-winner Dartmouth.

He captured the 10-furlong Royal Crown Prince Cup on February 3 at Bahrain off a three-month layoff and returned two weeks later to finish a close second in the 12-furlong Group 1 HH The Amir Trophy at Doha.

Appleby said the 11-furlong Man o’ War over a slightly firmer track will appeal to Warren Point.

“I think the trip is ideal for him around there at Belmont and the track will suit him. Even with that rain around, I know the track will dry out quick enough there,” Appleby said. “It doesn’t concern me if it’s on the slow side of good or on the quick side of good. He’s shown versatility.”

Frankie Dettori is booked to ride Warren Point in the Man o’ War.

“Frankie is on his world tour and his ridden very successfully on the turf tracks of America, so we asked for his services,” Appleby said.

Appleby is also planning to have significant representation at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival which will feature nine Grade 1 events spanning Thursday, June 8 through Saturday, June 10.

The aforementioned Nations Pride, a 4-year-old Teofilo colt last seen finishing a close third in the Group 1 Dubai Turf at Meydan, will target the 10-furlong Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Manhattan.

“We’re working back from that with him. He’s a horse that adapts well to that style of racing,” Appleby said.

With The Moonlight, a now 4-year-old Frankel filly, finished second last out to In Italian in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland. The talented bay, who is entered in Sunday’s Group 2 Dahlia at Newmarket, will point to the Grade 1, $600,000 New York at 10 furlongs.

“With The Moonlight is due to run this weekend in Newmarket and she will hopefully ship back to Belmont again for the New York,” Appleby said.

Appleby said he will consider both Group 2-winner Al Suhail and Mischief Magic, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in November at Keeneland, for the six-furlong Grade 1, $400,000 Jaipur.

Group 3-winner Siskany, a game second to Broome last out in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup in March at Meydan, will point to the two-mile Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup.

In addition, Appleby said he will also look to enter a pair of horses in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge, a nine-furlong turf test for sophomores on June 3 here.

Appleby is also expected to have a strong hand this summer at Saratoga with as many as six runners headed to the Spa.

“We’ll try and target some of the turf races there that we saw ourselves in last year in the Oaks and Derby and hopefully the Sword Dancer,” Appleby said. “We left there last year with a skip in our step with the success that we had there and an enjoyable time. It’s a wonderful place to be that time of year.”

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Sharp hopes inside post will benefit Anaconda in $150K Elusive Quality

Three Diamonds Farm’s multiple stakes-placed Anaconda will vie for the first stakes victory of his career in Saturday’s $150,000 Elusive Quality, a seven-furlong turf sprint for older horses, at Belmont Park. 

The son of Pioneerof the Nile drew post 1 with Kendrick Carmouche in the irons, a position trainer Joe Sharp said could benefit Anaconda. 

“I think he’s best if he can kind of sit that pocket trip and not leave too much to do,” said Sharp. “He’s been doing really good and I think the seven-eighths will be good for him. I always thought he was a middle-distance kind of horse. I wish we had a little more time in between races, but it is what it is.” 

Anaconda enters the Elusive Quality from a narrow defeat in the one-mile Danger’s Hour on April 15 at Aqueduct where he trailed in last-of-3 for the first half-mile before brushing with the retreating pace-presser Eleven Central amidst an inside bid. Anaconda went wide in pursuit of pacesetter Big Everest and showed a strong turn of foot down the lane, but missed by a nose at the wire. 

“He had a tough trip last time in a three-horse field, and turning for home he kind of got his momentum stopped a little bit,” said Sharp. “If that didn’t happen, he probably would have won the race. That being said, he’s been an ultra-consistent horse since we acquired him.” 

Anaconda arrived in Sharp’s barn last summer and won at second asking for new connections in a seven-furlong optional claiming tilt at Kentucky Downs. 

He has been on the board in five of his last seven outings, including an additional optional claiming score in November over the Laurel Park turf. He closed out his 2022 campaign with a close second-place finish in the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship where he was bested a half-length by Nothing Better, who went on to set a course record over the Big A outer turf in April. 

The dark bay horse has raced twice over a turf course that was softer than firm, including his debut maiden victory over good footing at Del Mar in 2020. His other start was a 10th-place finish in an August optional claimer over good Saratoga turf where he was bumped hard at the break and struggled to get involved. 

The Belmont turf could still hold substantial moisture heading into the weekend after rains doused the Long Island area for nearly a week, something Sharp said is his only question mark. 

“My only concern is with the rain we’ve had,” said Sharp. “I think he tends to like a firmer turf course and we’re hoping it will dry out between now and then. That’s my only reservation.” 

Sharp said he is pleased with the way Anaconda has progressed since he arrived in his barn.  

“He’s definitely filled into his frame over the past 10 months since we got him,” said Sharp. “We added draw reins to him and keep him gathered up in the mornings, and that seems to work for him. He’s a neat horse.” 

Out of the stakes-placed Medaglia d’Oro mare Lawn Party, Anaconda is a direct maternal descendant of influential broodmare La Troienne and is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes-placed Stellar Agent, who finished third in the 2018 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. He has banked $303,110 in total earnings through a lifetime record of 15-4-2-2. 

***

Fort Washington stretches out for G2 Fort Marcy

Peter Brant and Joseph Allen’s Kentucky homebred Fort Washington will look to make the grade in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy, a nine-furlong turf test for older horses, at Belmont Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the 4-year-old War Front colt boasts a ledger of 11-2-1-5 for purse earnings of $204,295. He enters from a pair of late running third-place efforts at Gulfstream Park, closing from last-of-10 to finish less than a length back of the victorious Emmanuel and next-out Appleton stakes-winner Steady On in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Canadian Turf. 

Last out, he rallied from 10th-of-11 in the Appleton to finish 2 1/2-lengths back of his familiar foe.

“He's a trooper. He comes into all races good, but for some reason he wants to be slow breaking,” McGaughey said. “I think it's cost him winning his races, so hopefully he'll break good. I've been wanting to get him stretched out and I think a mile and an eighth at Belmont will be good for him.”

Fort Washington is out of the Group 3 placed Turtle Bowl mare Azaelia, who made her last five career starts in North America for McGaughey, including an allowance score over the Big A turf.

Fort Washington will travel beyond 1 1/16-miles for the first time on Saturday.

“Hopefully, getting him stretched out will help him work his way into the longer races this summer,” McGaughey said.

Feargal Lynch will pilot Fort Washington from post 4.

***

Morley saddles three for Saturday stakes at Belmont

Trainer Tom Morley will hope to see big efforts from three trainees in Saturday turf stakes at Belmont Park with Dynadrive and Tide of the Sea in the nine-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy on Saturday, and Ocala Dream in the seven-furlong, $150,000 Elusive Quality. All three will make their seasonal bow on the heels of winter freshenings. 

“We’re lucky to be running in two stakes races this weekend and those guys are all doing very, very well,” Morley said. “I’m really looking forward to getting all of them started.” 

Thomas Albrecht, Vincent Fusaro and James Klein’s New York-bred Ocala Dream returns to the races for the first time since an even fourth-place finish on dirt in the NYSSS Thunder Rumble in November at Aqueduct Racetrack. The 5-year-old son of Effinex was gelded over the winter and returns to the surface and distance that saw him earn a victory in the 2021 NYSSS Spectacular Bid. 

Morley said the Elusive Quality is a stepping stone for the state-bred 1 1/16-mile Kingston on May 29, a race he won last year by 2 1/4 lengths. 

“He’s doing very well,” said Morley. “I wanted to get a run into him before the Kingston and this was the only suitable spot for him, but he is a stakes winner running seven furlongs here and it looks like a relatively open affair. He’s probably marginally better at a mile or a mile and a sixteenth, but we’re looking forward to getting his season started.”

Morley noted the chestnut’s professionalism and said the decision to geld him was made with longevity in mind. 

“He’s always been a very focused horse to train and I just felt that he wasn’t going to have a stallion career,” said Morley. “We did it with the hope that he’ll still be running in these big New York races for another three or four years. He’s a very sound horse.” 

Bred by Mahwhinney, Lieberman, Beglin and Coutsodontis, Ocala Dream is in search of his first open company stakes victory in his 18th lifetime start. He will emerge from post 7 in rein to Eric Cancel. 

Flying P Stable and James Schurman’s stakes-winner Dynadrive and Flying P’s graded stakes-winner Tide of the Sea both make their seasonal bow in the Fort Marcy, but bring opposite running styles to the nine-furlong test for older horses. 

Morley said it is likely the Katie Davis-piloted Tide of the Sea will make a bid for the lead from post 8 while Dynadrive stalks the pace under Nik Juarez from the inside post. 

“They have two very different running styles,” said Morley. “Tide of the Sea loves to be forward and in the front banging on the pace, so I expect I’ll be telling Katie to be very aggressive from the gate.” 

Tide of the Sea was claimed by Morley for $62,500 out of a distant off-the-board finish in a 1 3/8-mile optional claimer over yielding Belmont turf in July. He finished a pacesetting third in an off-the-turf event in his first start for his new connections before posting the same result in an off-the-turf edition of the John’s Call, which was contested at 1 1/4 miles over the Saratoga Race Course main track. He concluded his season with two more off-the-board efforts in optional claiming company. 

“Of the three, I think Tide of the Sea improved the most over the winter,” said Morley. “We claimed him with the view of running him in the marathon turf races last year and they wound up getting rained off at Saratoga. He still ran very well on a sloppy track in the allowance, but the John’s Call was run over a fast track and that really didn’t suit him. His works have been better this year than last year and he’s put on some weight. He’s really benefitted from having the winter off.” 

Dynadrive, an upset winner of last year’s Lure at Saratoga, was last seen finishing a distant 12th in the Grade 2 Red Smith in November at Aqueduct. He found his best stride in July and August last year when taking a second-level optional claimer going 1 1/4 miles at Belmont and the 1 1/16-mile Lure by a head over Sifting Sands. 

“He’s a horse whose form looks like it tailed off a little last year, but this is exactly what he wants to do is be at Belmont with these big sweeping turns,” said Morley. “We ended up in bad positions early in races to end the year on a tight track at Aqueduct, and I think the horse is doing as well, if not slightly better than last year. He’s got some extremely good races at Belmont, and I’m a big believer in horses for courses.” 

The Elusive Quality is slated as Race 8 [4:19 p.m. Eastern] on Saturday’s 11-race program with the Fort Marcy slated for Race 9 [4:56 p.m.]. First post is 12:20 p.m. 

***

Belmont Park Week 2 stakes probables

Friday, May 12

$150K Gold Fever

Probable: Andiamo a Firenze (Kelly Breen), Drew’s Gold (James Chapman), Joey Freshwater (Linda Rice), Tuskegee Airmen (John Servis)

Possible: Freedom Road (Gregg Sacco), Live Is Life (Jorge Delgado)

Saturday, May 13

G1 Man o’ War

Probable: Howe Street (Jorge Abreu), Red Knight (Mike Maker), Soldier Rising (Christophe Clement), Strong Quality (Mark Casse), Warren Point (Charlie Appleby)

Possible: Channel Maker (Bill Mott), Therapist (Maker), Verstappen (Brendan Walsh)

G3 Peter Pan

Probable: Arctic Arrogance (Linda Rice), Asmodeus (William Morey), Bishops Bay (Brad Cox), Classic Catch (Todd Pletcher), Didinger (Butch Reid, Jr.), Henry Q (Doug O’Neill)

Possible: King Russell (Ron Moquett), Slip Mahoney (Brad Cox)

* G3 Runhappy probables to be provided Sunday

Sunday, May 14

G3 Vagrancy

Probable: Dr B (Reid, Jr.), Funny How (Ray Handal), Hot Fudge (Rice)

Possible: Rossa Veloce (Rob Atras)