NYRA/Coglianese Photo

Sadler's Joy on target for fourth Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) appearance

by NYRA Press Office

• Thin White Duke to seek additional stakes fame in Bertram F. Bongard
• Bon Raison possible for Kelso (G2)
• Taishan invited to Belmont Derby Invitational (G1)
• Belmont Park Week 3 stakes probables

Woodslane Farm's Sadler's Joy worked a half-mile in 50.03 seconds Wednesday on the Belmont Park main track in preparation for his fourth appearance in the Grade 1, $250,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic; a 12-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up on October 3 on Belmont's Widener turf course.

Trained by Tom Albertrani, the 7-year-old Kitten's Joy chestnut finished fourth in 2017 and third in the past two editions of the Joe Hirsch. A veteran of 32 career starts, the late-running horse boasts a record of 7-4-10 with purse earnings in excess of $2.6 million.

"He's doing really well. He came out of his last race fine and continues to train well," said Albertrani. "We'll be looking at the Joe Hirsch next weekend for him."

Sadler's Joy closed for third in a pair of starts at the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, completing the trifecta in the 11-furlong Tiller on June 4 and the 10-furlong Grade 1 Manhattan on July 4.

After crossing the wire first in the 11-furlong Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga, Sadler's Joy was disqualified and placed fourth for lugging in and impeding Cross Border and Channel Maker.

Last out, Sadler's Joy failed to fire his usual strong stretch rally when fourth in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer traveling 12 furlongs over soft Saratoga turf.

"I think you just throw out his last race over soft going," said Albertrani. "His two races prior to that, he won the Bowling Green and unfortunately got disqualified. He ran well that day and he ran well in the Manhattan. For him, it's a matter of getting the right trip and saving some ground. With his big move, winning or losing with him is all about the ground he loses or saves.

"If you look at his Trakus numbers, in most of his races he usually covered the most ground and runs the fastest last quarter," added Albertrani. "It gets a little frustrating."

Albertrani said both Mark T. Anderson's Beau Belle and Elizabeth Mateo's Lovely Lucky will target the Grade 1 Flower Bowl, a 10-furlong test on October 10 offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on November 7 at Keeneland.

"They're both doing well and we'll probably aim for the Flower Bowl with both of them," said Albertrani.

Last out, Beau Belle, with Luis Saez up, set a moderate pace in the 11-furlong Glens Falls reaching the half-mile in 53.22 on a firm inner turf while leading to the stretch call with Lovely Lucky tracking in second under Jose Lezcano. Beau Belle stayed on to finish third, a length back of the victorious Civil Union while missing the exacta by a nose to My Sister Nat, with Lovely Lucky settling for fourth.

"Lovely Lucky was being hard held the first part of the race and I don't think it helped her any to be held up quite like that," said Albertrani. "I think the distance of her winning or losing, or even getting a little closer, would have been beneficial if Jose had let her use a little more of her stride.

"I think going 53 for the half certainly didn't help her," he added. "It may have helped Beau Belle being on an easy lead, but it made the other filly not want to settle and it hurt her in that respect. If it comes up the same scenario, I don't think we'll hold up Lovely Lucky and just let her go to the front because Beau Belle is better at settling."

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Thin White Duke to seek additional stakes fame in Bertram F. Bongard

Thin White Duke, trained, bred and co-owned by Phil Gleaves with Steven Crist, Ken deRegt and Bryan Hilliard, switched from turf to dirt to graduate in fine fashion in the $150,000 Funny Cide last out on September 4 at Saratoga.

Gleaves said the New York-bred son of Dominus, who worked a half-mile solo in 50.96 Wednesday on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga, is on target for the $100,000 Bertram F. Bongard, a seven-furlong test for state-breds on Big Sandy slated for October 2.

"He went in 50 and change this morning and got the last quarter in 24. I thought he looked very good," said Gleaves. "His energy level is very good and we're moving on towards the Bongard."

Thin White Duke finished third in his first two career starts on the Belmont main track before switching to turf and finishing second in a pair of sprints at Saratoga.

In the 6 ½-furlong Funny Cide, Thin White Duke saved ground in sixth position as Lookin for Trouble rattled off swift splits of 22.13 and 45.07 before being angled out by Joel Rosario for a winning stretch run over the game mutuel favorite Eagle Orb.

Thin White Duke is named for the David Bowie stage persona associated with the 1976 album Station to Station, which includes the track "Stay," which Gleaves said is his personal favorite.

"I'm the world's biggest David Bowie fan. I've seen him a bunch of times in concert and I always wanted to name a horse Thin White Duke," said Gleaves. "I love that particular stage persona of David Bowie and when this guy came along, I thought he was the one.

"My favorite Bowie song is 'Stay,'" he added. "It has a heavy, electric disco sound and with Bowie being the master of change in his style, it was really out of the box even for Bowie. That's probably my favorite although there are so many great ones."

Thin White Duke, much like his namesake, has also demonstrated versatility posting good efforts on both dirt and turf.

"His siblings have all preferred the turf, but he's by Dominus who won graded stakes on both surfaces," said Gleaves. "We started him on the dirt but then he ran two bang-up races at Saratoga on the grass.

"We're keeping an open mind about it [a return to grass], but the New York-bred stakes in the fall are all on the dirt so that was our reason for running in the Funny Cide," he added. "We wanted to find out how he fit with the better New York-breds on the dirt. So, for now, we'll stay on the dirt but he's one of those adaptable horses that can run on both."

Gleaves said a good effort in the Bongard could set up Thin White Duke for a start in the $150,000 Sleepy Hollow, a one-turn mile for juveniles on Big Sandy as part of Empire Showcase Day on October 24.

"It wouldn't be too quick [back], that wouldn't bother me. It would all depend on how he ran in this next one," said Gleaves.

Although Joel Rosario was aboard for the stakes score, Gleaves said Manny Franco, aboard for the first four starts, would take the star turn in the Bongard.

"Joel has commitments that day in Kentucky so Manny Franco will be riding the 'Duke,'" said Gleaves with a laugh. "No other ch-ch-changes."

Bryan Hilliard's Second of July, a Kentucky-bred son of Jack Milton, earned a shock debut win on September 20 in a six-furlong maiden special weight on the Belmont turf as the 68-1 longest shot on the board.

With Dylan Davis up, Second of July tracked a moderate early pace from third position before striking the front late in the turn and battling to a three-quarter length win that garnered a 68 Beyer Speed Figure.

"He had trained well in the morning on the dirt, but I had not had him on the grass," said Gleaves. "Having said that, he's by Jack Milton who is having good success with his offspring on turf. Jack Milton was a good turf horse himself winning the [2015] Maker's Mark Mile [at Keeneland].

"We knew he was dead fit and we knew he would run well," added Gleaves. "But we knew there were some highly touted horses in there, which is why he was such a big price."

Gleaves said Second of July will now point to the Grade 3 Futurity, a six-furlong turf sprint on October 11 offering a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

"He's come out of the win excellent. He's had three days off and will head back to the track tomorrow," said Gleaves. "I walked and grazed him myself this morning to see how he was and his energy level was very high. He's come out of the race in great shape."

***

Bon Raison possible for Kelso (G2)

Trainer Jack Sisterson said Calumet Farms' Bon Raison could ship to Belmont Park for next Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Kelso going a one-turn mile over the main track.

The veteran of 42 starts was tenth last out in the Grade 3 Runhappy Turf Sprint on September 12 at Kentucky Downs. He was claimed for $80,000 two starts back from former trainer David Cannizzo after finishing third in a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming event on July 23 at Saratoga.

"The Kelso is still a possibility, but we'll see how he breezes this weekend and see how he trains out of that. Nothing is confirmed, and we haven't ruled anything out," Sisterson said.

Initially campaigned by Calumet Farm when under the care of former trainer Todd Pletcher, the son of Raison d'Etat passed through the stables of five other trainers before being claimed by Sisterson in July. A winner of ten starts, Bon Raison won last year's Tale of the Cat in July at Saratoga, eight starts after capturing the Peeping Tom going 6 ½ furlongs at Aqueduct, while being conditioned by Carlos Martin.

A Kentucky homebred, Bon Raison is out of the French Deputy broodmare Padmore, who produced stakes winners Leigh Court, Flying Scotsman, and Barracks Road. He has secured lifetime earnings of $606,504. 

***

Taishan invited to Belmont Derby Invitational (G1)

Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran's graded-stakes placed Taishan is named on a list of 14 horses invited to the Grade 1, $250,000 Belmont Derby Invitational; a 10-furlong turf test for sophomores on October 3 offering a "Win and You're In" berth in the Breeder's Cup Turf on November 7 at Keeneland.

Trained by Richard Baltas, the Twirling Candy bay finished a rallying second last out in his turf debut on September 5 in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs.

"It's looking a little tough, but we're thinking about it," said Baltas. "I'm pretty happy with how he ran the other day at Churchill."

He said the Grade 2, $150,000 Hill Prince, a one-mile turf test for sophomores, might also come under consideration. Baltas won the Hill Prince last year with Neptune's Storm.

"The Twirling Candys like the turf," said Baltas. "We tried him on the dirt and did the best we could. He won an allowance race at Oaklawn and tried the Arkansas Derby on short rest which didn't work."

Bred in Kentucky by Nursery Place and Donaldson and Broadbent, Taishan is out of the multiple stakes-winning Woodbine Racetrack-based mare Grace Phil who won a thrilling renewal of the 2011 South Ocean on the synthetic as a 2-year-old and the Passing Mood on turf a year later.

Taishan made his first eight starts on dirt, graduating at second asking in a one-mile maiden special weight at Santa Anita. He opened his sophomore campaign with a fourth in the Grade 3 Sham at Santa Anita and a fifth in the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park which was followed by a third in the Oaklawn Stakes.

After off-the-board efforts in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and Grade 3 Indiana Derby, Taishan overcame a troubled start to launch a strong stretch kick in the American Turf.

Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm and Domenic Savides' Venetian Harbor, second last out in the Grade 1 Longines Test on August 8 at Saratoga, worked a bullet five-eighths in 58.60 Tuesday at the San Luis Rey Training Center.

"She's doing fantastic. She did that easy, just sat behind a horse and ran by her," said Baltas. "We're not sure where we'll go with her next."

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Belmont Park Week 3 stakes probables

Saturday, October 3
Grade 1, $250,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
Probable: Channel Maker (Bill Mott), Cross Border (Mike Maker), Highland Sky (Barclay Tagg), Laccario (Andreas Wohler), Sadler's Joy (Tom Albertrani)
Possible: Master Piece (Chad Brown)

Grade 2, $150,000 Kelso
Probable: Bon Raison (Jack Sisterson), Code of Honor (Shug McGaughey), Complexity (Chad Brown), Endorsed (Bill Mott), Mo Don't No (Anthony Quartarolo)
Possible: Knicks Go (Brad Cox)

Grade 2, $150,000 Pilgrim
Probable: It's A Gamble (Kelly Breen), Public Sector (Chad Brown), Safe Conduct (Phil Serpe), Shawdyshawdyshawdy (Jorge Abreu), Step Dancer (Barclay Tagg), Tijuana Brass (Mike Maker), Zippy Baby (Dermot Magner)

Sunday, October 4
Grade 2, $150,000 Beldame
Probable: Dunbar Road (Chad Brown), Horologist (Bill Mott), Letruska (Fausto Gutierrez), Nonna Madeline (Todd Pletcher), Point of Honor (George Weaver)

Grade 2, $150,000 Miss Grillo
Probable: Golden Voice (Mike Maker), Plum Ali (Christophe Clement)