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Gronkowski puts in “perfect’ work ahead of G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup

by NYRA Press Office

• ‘Seasoned veteran’ Hi Happy breezes for G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
• Alvarado escapes serious injury in Friday spill, out 1-2 weeks
• Pure Sensation, Disco Partner on target for Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational

Phoenix Thoroughbred III’s Gronkowski put in his final work for the Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 29, going five furlongs in 1:00.88 on Belmont Park’s main track Saturday morning.

“He breezed great and is on target for the Gold Cup,” trainer Chad Brown said. “I think the horse is fit and strong and went perfect for me.”

Gronkowski, the runner-up to Triple Crown-winning Justify in the Belmont Stakes on June 9, has registered three breezes at Belmont since his eighth-place finish in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers on August 25 at Saratoga.

Gronkowski worked in company with Wow Cat, putting in a five-furlong breeze for a second consecutive week. After having his first six races in Great Britain, the Lonhro colt will be making his third North American start, all against Grade 1 competition, in the 1 ¼-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup; a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 3 at Churchill Downs.

Brown said Belmont’s Big Sandy, where Gronkowski rallied from last of 10 to finish 1 ¾ lengths behind Justify in the Belmont Stakes, is more conducive to his style than the main track at the Spa.

“He was doing great heading into the Travers, the only time he didn’t do well was in the [race],” Brown said. “The track just got him that day.”

While Gronkowski will run as part of September Super Saturday, which will also feature the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and the Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh, Wow Cat is slated to run in the Grade 1, $400,000 Beldame on October 6, contested as part of the October Festival of Racing.

Brown also said Convento Viejo’s Robert Bruce continues to train up to the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at 1 ½ miles on the Widener course, which is also a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Turf on November 3 at Churchill. The Chilean-bred, who posted a personal-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure for winning the Grade 1 Arlington Million last out on August 11 at Arlington Park, will breeze Sunday morning at Belmont.

“He’s doing real well and I’m thrilled with the way that horse is moving,” Brown said. “He’s flourishing down here right now at Belmont and he’s going to breeze tomorrow.”

Robert Bruce has won two of his three starts since arriving from his native country, including a win in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy on May 5 at Belmont. The 4-year-old Fast Company colt ran sixth in a blanket finish in the Grade 1 Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day but was just one-length behind winner Spring Quality, earning a 100 Beyer in the process. In the Arlington Million, Robert Bruce recovered from a bump at the start, surging from eighth to record a half-length win over Almanaar at 1 ¼ miles.

Spirit Animal will arrive at Belmont tomorrow after breezing four furlongs in 53.46 seconds on Saratoga’s Oklahoma turf course on Friday, Brown said. The Lemon Drop Kid colt, who broke his maiden at second asking on September 1 at Saratoga, is expected to make his stakes debut in the Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim for juveniles at 1 1/16 miles on September Super Saturday.

“His breeze was particularly good,” Brown said.

Newspaperofrecord and Dogtag are both expected to enter the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo for juvenile fillies on September 30, according to Brown. Dogtag is already a stakes winner after capturing the P.G. Johnson on August 30 at the Spa in a maiden-breaking effort. Newspaperofrecord, an Irish-bred filly, won her debut on August 19 at Saratoga.

“They’re both going to run in the Miss Grillo. They’ll breeze together [Sunday],” Brown said.

A pair of juvenile colts, Complexity and Aurelius Maximus, will make their respective stakes debuts in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne for 2-year-olds during the October Festival of Racing, Brown said. The Champagne is a Breeders’ Cup qualifier for the Juvenile on November 2.

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‘Seasoned veteran’ Hi Happy breezes for G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

La Providencia’s multiple graded stakes winner Hi Happy breezed four furlongs over Belmont’s main track Saturday morning in his final major training session ahead of next weekend’s Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic for trainer Todd Pletcher.

The 6-year-old Argentinian homebred covered the distance in 49.55 seconds, his second work since finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer on August 25 at Saratoga.

“He worked well this morning and he looks good. He’s a seasoned veteran, he knows what to do,” Pletcher said. “Hopefully, we get some good weather between now and next weekend. I think he appreciates a little firmer ground, but all is well and on schedule for the Turf Classic.”

Prior to the Sword Dancer, Hi Happy faded to a dull sixth in the 1 3/8-mile Grade 2 Bowling Green over soft ground July 28 at Saratoga. It was his first off-the-board finish since joining Pletcher’s barn for a 2018 campaign, which has included victories in the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream Park this winter and Grade 1 Man o’ War in May at Belmont. He finished a close third in a blanket finish in the Grade 1 Manhattan on June 9 in his only other start at Belmont.

“He just kind of ran an even race [in the Sword Dancer], but he didn’t run horribly. The first time at Saratoga in the Bowling Green, he didn’t handle the course at all that day, so I just never got the sense that he handled Saratoga as well as he’s handled Belmont or Gulfstream,” said Pletcher. “Hopefully, getting him back here will help get him back into form.”

Grade 3 With Anticipation winner Opry exited his bullet breeze on Friday in good order, said Pletcher, and remains on target for the Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim on the September Super Saturday card.

Opry, a 2-year-old colt by Declaration of War, worked four furlongs over the Saratoga turf course in company with maiden runner Social Paranoia, finishing on even terms in 48.83 seconds, the fastest of 31 at the distance. Pletcher said he was particularly impressed with Social Paranoia, a juvenile son of Street Boss, and plans to enter him in the Pilgrim now as well.

“He’s been second a few times, both turf and dirt. He’s always trained well, and yesterday, he held his own working with Opry. We’re going to add some blinkers and see if we can’t get him zeroed in a little more, but we feel like he’s worth taking a shot with.”

Calumet Farm’s Patch, the popular one-eyed 4-year-old colt by Union Rags, also worked Friday at Saratoga, covering four furlongs on the dirt track in 49.46 for the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Pletcher added that You’re to Blame, winner of the 1 ½-mile Grade 3 Greenwood Cup September 3 at Parx Racing, may be cross-entered in the Gold Cup as well as the $200,000 Temperence Hill Invitational at 1 5/8 miles.

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Alvarado escapes serious injury in Friday spill, out 1-2 weeks

Jockey Junior Alvarado has been released from the hospital with no serious injuries following a scary spill Friday afternoon at Belmont Park, but will miss one to two weeks as he awaits clearance to return to riding, said Alvarado’s agent Mike Sellitto on Saturday.

Alvarado was unseated leaving the far turn aboard Sword Dancer in Race 6, a six-furlong sprint on the inner turf, when the 32-year-old Venezuela native was struck in the face by a clod of turf, causing him to lose his balance and land directly in front of a trailing horse.

Alvarado was dazed immediately following the fall, Sellitto said, but was moving all extremities and engaging with medical personnel. He was taken to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, where he was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in a lumbar vertebra. Alvarado was released late Friday evening and will see a neurologist Monday or Tuesday.

“He’s got a minute hairline fracture in a lumbar, but he can ride with that. That’ll heal on its own in about two weeks, the surgeon said, so that’s a nonissue,” said Sellitto. “He just has to get cleared by the neurologist. They’ve got a new kind of testing for concussions, kind of like what they do with football players. It’s a good thing for them in the long run, but I’m anticipating him being off at least a week. That’s my educated guess.

“He walked out of the hospital feeling fine last night and then he wanted to work a horse this morning. I told him, ‘you’re crazy, you can’t do that.’”

Alvarado has three wins in the current meet, including a pair of victories on Friday’s card before the spill. He was named on seven Saturday at Belmont, including Realm in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap.

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Pure Sensation, Disco Partner on target for Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational

Multiple graded stakes winners Pure Sensation and Disco Partner continued preparations for the $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Championship on October 6 with a pair of respective maintenance works on Belmont’s main track Saturday morning.

Both owned and bred by Patricia Generazio, Pure Sensation, a 6-year-old son of Disco Rico who most recently won the Grade 3 Turf Monster on September 3 at Parx, breezed four furlongs in 50.09 seconds, while 6-year-old Disco Partner covered the same distance in 49.98 seconds.

“Both of them are doing well and are possible candidates for the Belmont Turf Sprint,” Clement said. “Pure Sensation has come out of his victory in good shape and seems to have kept his fitness level, and Disco Partner as well looks to be on target for the race. This morning was just a maintenance work, so we’ll continue with our preparations from here with that race as our target for each.”

Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider’s multiple graded stakes winner Lull was also on the work tab Saturday morning. The 4-year-old War Front filly breezed four furlongs in 49.02 seconds. Clement said he has not finalized plans for her next spot following a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies on September 8.

“She’s doing well,” Clement said. “She had an easy work today, now the question is where to go next. We have plenty of options between New York, Keeneland, and California, so we’ll decide forthcoming.”