Joe Labozzetta Photo

2017 Belmont winner Tapwrit works in company for G1 Whitney; Ivy Bell to try two turns in Sunday’s G3 Shuvee

by NYRA Press Office

• Grade 1 winners Oscar Performance, Heart to Heart settle in at Saratoga
• California-based Dalmore due to arrive Sunday for Whitney bid
• Factorofwon looks to ascend in Monday’s Coronation Cup
• Trainer Joe Sharp off to a solid start at the Spa

Tapwrit turned in his final official workout for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney, breezing four furlongs in 49.11 seconds on the Oklahoma training track Saturday morning.

Ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Tapwrit worked outside of Argentine import Village King and finished on even terms with his stablemate.

“I thought Tapwrit breezed well,” said Pletcher, who trains the 4-year-old for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta, Bridlewood Farm, Gainesway Stable, and Whisper Hill Farm. “A good, solid, progressive breeze with a good gallop out. He was full of himself and he’s doing well.”

Tapwrit is seeking his first victory since his triumph in the 2017 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. The gray son of Tapit has raced twice this year, finishing third in an optional claimer in June at Belmont Park and a flat fifth as the favorite in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 7.

“I was disappointed with the Suburban outcome,” said Pletcher. “He was training well going into that, but it was only his second start off a pretty lengthy layoff. Sometimes you get a surge in your third start off the layoff, and based on his breezes following the Suburban, I’m optimistic he’ll have an improved effort.”

Village King, who is unraced in the United States, has now worked seven times over the Oklahoma surface for Pletcher. The bay son of Campanologist won a pair of group stakes in Argentina, including the Group 1 Jockey Club, before finishing third in the 2017 Group 1 Carlos Pellegrini in his final start in his native country.

Pletcher will saddle China Horse Club, Madaket Stables, and Mathis Stable’s Ivy Bell, second in the Grade 1, 1 1/16-mile Ogden Phipps on June 9 at Belmont, in the Grade 3 Shuvee Handicap on Sunday. Ivy Bell, whose top victory to date came at seven furlongs in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff in May at Churchill Downs, will be making her first start around two turns in the 1 1/8-mile Shuvee.

“She has some impressive breezes coming into [the Shuvee], and she has always galloped out strong, so that’s why we want to stretch her out one more time," said Pletcher. "There is a lot of pace, I think, for a mile and an eighth, so we want to see what kind of position she’s able to get comfortable with."

Pletcher added that he plans to run Hard Study in the $100,000 Birdstone on August 2 and Outplay and Patch in the restricted $100,000 Alydar on August 5.

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Grade 1 winners Oscar Performance, Heart to Heart settle in at Saratoga

Two multiple Grade 1 winners arrived at Saratoga to trainer Brian Lynch’s barn, with their conditioner saying Saturday morning that Oscar Performance and Heart to Heart have settled in nicely and are slated to return to the worktab this weekend, weather permitting.

“Everybody shipped in well and we have some turf works scheduled for tomorrow; it looks like some pretty solid races coming up,” Lynch said. 

Oscar Performance returned from a seven-month layoff to win the Grade 3 Poker on June 17 at Belmont Park, setting a track record for one mile on the turf in 1:31.23 to best a field of eight by 1 ½ lengths. Lynch said the 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy colt, who was making his first start since running ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on November 4 at Del Mar, is targeting the Grade 1 Arlington Million on August 11 at Arlington Park.

“Using his last race as a gauge to see where he’s at, he seems like he’s in good order,” Lynch said. “I worked him with Heart to Heart the last time at Belmont on the turf. Heart to Heart had four or five lengths on him at the quarter pole, and if you said to me that he was going to be head-to-head with him at the wire, I’d say no way, but he joined him, so I tell you, he’s doing really well.”

Oscar Performance registered three straight graded stakes wins in 2017, capturing the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge, the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational and Arlington’s Grade 1 Secretariat. He returned to Belmont in the fall to face older horses, finishing third in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, his final race before the Breeders’ Cup.

Heart to Heart is on target to run in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap on August 11 at the Spa. Lynch said both of his barn’s superstars have handled the ship upstate with aplomb.

“They both have the right constitution to handle it, they do any transition with class,” Lynch said. 

Heart to Heart has already recorded a pair of Grade 1 wins in his 7-year-old campaign, edging Kurilov by a neck in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf on February 10 and following with a 1 ¾-length score over Ballagh Rocks in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile on April 13 at Keeneland.

Last out, the Ontario-bred son of English Channel finished a neck behind Hunt in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on May 28 at Santa Anita, nearly earning his third straight Grade 1 victory. Lynch will now be seeking his second Fourstardave win after notching the 2015 edition with Grand Arch.

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California-based Dalmore due to arrive Sunday for Whitney bid

Loooch Racing Stable’s Dalmore will ship from Del Mar to New York early Sunday morning and arrive on the Saratoga backside late in the afternoon for his anticipated start in next Saturday's Grade 1 Whitney.

The 5-year-old Colonel John gelding posted his final work Friday morning over Del Mar's main track, covering four furlongs in 49.20 seconds handily over a fast track for trainer Robert Hess, Jr.

"All systems go," Hess said by phone. "He worked well the other day, went 49 and did it well. He looks good today, so we'll get him to New York and get ready."

The Whitney will be the third start for Dalmore since the Florida-bred was transferred from the barn of Keith Desormeaux after winning his first start of the year by 8 ½ lengths against optional claiming company in February at Santa Anita Park.

In his first start for Hess, Dalmore finished fourth in the Essex Handicap on March 17 at Oaklawn. He returned later in the summer to finish second in the July 6 Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows.

“Loooch Racing bought him after he ran in early February,” said Hess. “[Ron Paolucci] bought him right after the race. His first race was a little disappointing, and we found a little foot bruise. We fixed that, and after that, he ran a good race, but came up a little short late. We think he'll move forward off of that race.”

Dalmore ran twice at Saratoga as a 2-year-old maiden, finishing eighth in a turf route, then shortened up to six furlongs over the main track, where he just missed by three-quarters of a length. A winner of four races from 22 lifetime starts, he also finished eighth in the mud in the 2016 Grade 1 Wood Memorial and owns a lone graded stakes victory in the 2016 Grade 3 Affirmed at Santa Anita.

Hess hopes the Saratoga experience will help get Dalmore back to the winner’s circle.

“I wouldn't say we're overconfident,” he said. “It is Saratoga and a Grade 1, but we’re hoping he shows up and runs his ‘A’ race. We're all systems go and looking forward to it.”

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Factorofwon looks to ascend in Monday’s Coronation Cup

Red Baron’s Barn’s Factorofwon will look to build on two strong efforts in stakes competition when she challenges nine competitors in the seventh running of the $100,000 Coronation Cup for 3-year-old fillies on Monday at Saratoga Race Course.

Factorofwon posted her first victory in five starts when she captured the 6 ½-furlong Black Pearl on May 27 on Santa Anita’s turf. She then cut back to the Coronation Cup distance of 5 ½ furlongs in her last start, when she finished second by 1 ¼ lengths to Miz Mayhem in the Stormy Blues on July 7 at Laurel Park.

Trainer Christophe Clement took over the training duties entering the Coronation Cup over the Mellon turf course and said he is looking forward to seeing how she responds to the quick turnaround.

“She’s trained well and looks good and had an easy work the other day,” Clement said. “We’re running her right back, but why not? It’s a question mark on the weather and question mark on the ground, but she’s good.”

Sired by The Factor, Factorofwon has two career wins in nine starts, both at 6 ½ furlongs. She was previously trained by Phil Schoenthal and Mark Glatt. 

“She’s a very average-sized fillya, but very powerful and very quick,” Clement said. “On paper, it looks like a very open race.”

Jockey Joel Rosario picks up the mount aboard Factorofwon, who will leave from post 3 at 8-1 on the morning line.

Mominou, trained by Jimmy Toner, is the 7-2 favorite out of post 4 who will be making her first stakes appearance after going 2-2-0 in her last four starts. A runner-up in an optional claimer on June 29 at Belmont, the Congrats filly won at seven furlongs on the Belmont turf on May 31. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who was aboard for her last three starts, will ride from post 4.

Trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of entrants, with Brattata looking to build on a third-place finish in the Wild Applause on June 23 at Belmont. That marked an improvement from a last-place effort in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly that was moved off the turf on May 19.

The More Than Ready filly has never finished off the board in seven career turf starts, going 1-3-3. Tyler Gaffalione, who rode Brattata to a second-place finish in the Chelsey Flower on November 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack, will have the return call from post 2. Brattata is listed at 4-1.

Brattata’s stablemate, Lady Suebee, ran fifth in her stakes debut in the Wild Applause. Prior to that one-mile race, she registered two wins and three second-place efforts in her first five starts. Manny Franco will be in the irons again from post 9 at 5-1.

Originator was second in the Alywow to Road to Victory, who remains the only horse to have defeated leading 3-year-old filly Monomoy Girl. A daughter of Artie Schiller, the Ian Wilkes-trained Originator, 6-1, will depart from post 7 in tandem with Jose Ortiz.

Rounding out the field is Broadway Run, making just her third start, for trainer John Terranova from the outside post; debut winner Flashly, who is stepping up to stakes competition in her second start, for trainer Wayne Catalano from post 8; and the Jonathan Thomas-trained Tesora from post 5.

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Trainer Joe Sharp off to a solid start at the Spa

Trainer Joe Sharp has enjoyed a fruitful start to the Saratoga meet, posting three wins from five starters through the first seven days of racing. He entered Saturday’s card sixth in the trainers’ standings. 

Sharp is hoping to take that momentum into next week, he said, particularly with Mom’s On Strike in the Grade 2, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya for older fillies and mares going 1½ miles over the inner turf course Saturday, August 4.

“She has been going fantastic,” Sharp said. “We gave her some extra time in between races. She has put on weight and looks really good. We feel pretty confident going back to the 1½-mile distance. We’re planning to give her a final workout on the grass on Monday.”

Two of Sharp’s winners occurred on Wednesday with Luis Saez aboard – Four Knights in a maiden claiming race and Morrison in an optional claiming allowance.

“It has been great,” Sharp said. “Each year, we learn a little more on what kind of conditions to bring up here. Obviously, you need to have the racing luck. Everything has fallen into place. We are very appreciative because we know how hard it is to win here at Saratoga.”

Prior to the Saratoga meet, Sharp had just two winners from 16 starts in Belmont Park’s spring/summer meet. Five of his horses finished second, which he believes set his horses up for the Saratoga race conditions.

“We won a couple of races,” Sharp said. “It seems when you have a weak meet, you have a lot of conditions saved up. We had a lot of seconds at Belmont. A lot of those horses were sitting on wins. You just try turning them into wins going into the next meet. Hopefully, we can keep up half the pace of what we started with for the rest of the meet.”