Chelsea Durand Photo

Abel Tasman looks to leave her mark in G1 Personal Ensign

by NYRA Press Office

• Versatile G1 Forego favorite City of Light evokes Quality Road memories for McCarthy
• Glorious Empire seeks to extend his reign in G1 Sword Dancer
• Full field set for Sunday’s Smart N Fancy
• Kentucky Derby runner Combatant looks for turf success in Better Talk Now

Abel Tasman is a familiar name down under, as the Australian island and state of Tasmania, the Tasman Sea, the Tasman River and Mount Tasman are but a few of the landmarks named after the 17th-century Dutch explorer. Other namesakes include Tasman, a layout engine for Internet Explorer; The Able Tasmans, an indie band from Aukland; 6594 Tasman, a main belt asteroid; and, of course, China Horse Club and Clearsky Farm’s filly Abel Tasman.

Last year’s champion 3-year-old filly, a daughter of Quality Road and Vargas Girl, is the narrow 6-5 favorite over Elate in Saturday’s Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign, a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She enters the 1 1/8-mile race off a resounding 7 ½-length score in the Grade 1, 1 1/16-mile Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, her second start of the year following a fourth-place effort in the Grade 1 La Troienne on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

“I remember Mike [Smith] said [after the Ogden Phipps], 'Man, no one can beat her if you keep her like this,’” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. “That was very comforting, so hopefully she'll stay the same. But it's going to be tougher now. Bill [Mott] has been bragging on his filly [Elate] and that means he's got her sharp and ready to go.”

The filly was named by her co-owners after Tasman National Park in New Zealand, near where Clearsky Farm founder Eamon Cleary, a native of Ireland, had many of his international business holdings.

In addition to her talent – Abel Tasman possesses a record of 7-4-0 from 13 starts with earnings of more than $2.9 million – Baffert particularly likes the filly’s temperament.

“She’s so sweet, she just loves to be loved on,” said Baffert, who feels much the same way about his 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, earlier this summer. “I hope when she retires they’ll breed her to American Pharoah, but the foal would probably be so nice it wouldn’t want to run.”

*      *     *

Versatile G1 Forego favorite City of Light evokes memories of his sire Quality Road for former Pletcher assistant McCarthy

On Saturday trainer Michael McCarthy will saddle Mr. and Mrs. Warren K. Williams, Jr.’s City of Light, the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego for 3-year-olds and up.

Although City of Light has two wins and a runner-up performance in three starts at the Forego’s seven-furlong distance, including victories in the Grade 1 Malibu and Grade 1 Triple Bend at Santa Anita, his connections originally were pointing the 4-year-old toward the Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile Whitney after he won the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap at that distance in March and finished third in the Grade 1, 1 ¼-mile Gold Cup in May at Santa Anita.

“Originally, the Whitney was on our radar," said McCarthy. "We decided to reroute after a bit of a stubborn foot bruise caused us to back off for a week or two, and here we are. He is a fast horse who broke his maiden [going six furlongs] in 1:09 1/5. He went seven eighths in 1:21 and change [when he won the Malibu and Triple Bend]. He stretched out and went a mile an eighth and ran a very respectable third going a mile and a quarter. He’s a wonderful horse who gives you all kinds of options. We have multiple Breeders’ Cup races we can participate in.”

City of Light will be McCarthy’s first starter at Saratoga, but he is no stranger to the Spa, having previously assisted Todd Pletcher here as recently as 2011. McCarthy assisted Pletcher for 11 years before launching his own stable in 2014 in California.

During his time with Pletcher, McCarthy worked with City of Light's sire, multiple Grade 1 winner Quality Road, in 2009 and 2010. Quality Road made four starts at Saratoga, winning the Grade 1 Woodward, setting a 6 ½-furlong track record when taking the Grade 2 Amsterdam, losing by a head when second to Blame in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap, and finishing third in the Grade 1 Travers.

Quality Road not only is the sire of City of Light but also Illuminant and Paved, trained by McCarthy to graded stakes wins in California.

“[Quality Road] had everything you would look for in a good stallion: size, speed, ability to carry his speed, all good things that make successful stallions,” said McCarthy. “You have Spring Quality winning at added distances on the turf. He has fillies on the dirt and the turf like Abel Tasman and Illuminant. And he has City of Light, who can sprint or go two turns on the dirt.”

McCarthy said City of Light carries a striking resemblance to Quality Road.

“I think City of Light is probably the best physical image of his sire that I have seen,” said McCarthy. “He has the size, the shoulder, the hip, the high leg, and the head, right down to his forelock.”

In addition to succeeding at multiple distances, City of Light has also demonstrated versatility within his races, having won after setting the pace, stalking, and racing as far back as sixth. He drew the outside post in the field of eight for the Forego. Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be aboard City of Light for the first time.

“I couldn’t be happier about where we drew,” said McCarthy. “It’s wonderful for Irad, being able to see whatever is developing inside of him. City of Light is a horse who can prompt the pace, set the pace, lay off the pace if need be. We’ll leave that up to [Ortiz].”

*      *     *

Glorious Empire seeks to extend his reign in G1 Sword Dancer

In the best form of a 22-race career that began in England in the fall of 2013, and fresh off his first graded-stakes victory over the same inner turf course, Matt Schera’s Glorious Empire will take on his biggest challenge yet in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer.

Dead-heat winner of the Grade 2, 1 3/8-mile Bowling Green on July 28 at Saratoga, Glorious Empire will stretch out another furlong for the 1 ½-mile Sword Dancer, which immediately precedes the Grade 1 Travers on a blockbuster 13-race program that begins at 11:30 a.m.

Based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. with James “Chuck” Lawrence II, Glorious Empire drew the rail in a field of 10 and is listed at 10-1 on the morning line, far below his 22-1 odds in the Bowling Green. Jockey Julien Leparoux has the return call.

“I’d love to have been kind of in the middle. He’ll be forwardly placed, whether he’ll be on the lead or right there. Drawing the rail, it’s the shortest way around, so we’ll make due,” Lawrence said. “One of the reasons we took a shot is, knock on wood he hasn’t missed an oat and he’s just trained great.

“He had an incredible work last week. He went seven-eighths in [1:27.60] and galloped out the mile in 1:39 and he was real pleased with himself,” he added. “With these races it all comes down to the trip and the horse being 100 percent. We hope we get both.”

The Sword Dancer will be the fourth start for Glorious Empire since joining Lawrence. He was sixth in his 7-year-old debut, the one-mile Henry S. Clark April 21 on the Laurel Park turf, his first race in nearly seven months. He followed up with a four-length optional claiming triumph going about 1 1/8 miles June 28 at Delaware Park.

Overall, the Irish-bred gelding owns eight wins and $317,147 in purse earnings from 22 lifetime races dating back to a debut victory at Kempton in England in November 2013. A stakes winner in Hong Kong in 2015, he made his North American debut in the fall of 2016 at Woodbine.

“He’s a special horse, that’s for sure,” Lawrence said. “We’ve been in Grade 1s before and it’s a different league when you step into Grade 1, Grade 2 company. The horse is talented enough; it’s just a matter of whether everything comes together right, but that’s with any horse. We’ll see.”

Lawrence and Schera were also considering the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles September 3 at Saratoga, but opted instead for the Sword Dancer. Glorious Empire is 2-for-3 lifetime at the Spa, winning a 1 1/16-mile claiming event before finishing seventh in the Baruch last summer.

“They really didn’t run until the last part of the [Bowling Green] so it wasn’t that hard of a race on him. He came out of it in really good shape. I’ve just been really pleased with him,” Lawrence said. “There wasn’t a whole lot else out there to take a shot right now. The stake on the last day looked like it had a lot of speed in it so we thought we would take a shot here.

“Nobody else had ever stretched this horse out. We stretched him out and he’s won two races,” he added. “It really comes down to the trip with any of the horses in the race. It just how it sets up and if they get a good, clean trip. Everything he does in the morning he does right, he’s just finally getting it all put together.”

Lawrence said he is bringing his good luck charm along for the Sword Dancer – his 9-year-old son, Chace, who was also on hand for Glorious Empire’s last trip to the Spa.

“The family is really excited. My son was able to be here for the Bowling Green and he just loved it,” Lawrence said. “It’s great for young people to experience that to really grab them and put them into the game. It’s much fun to win any race at Saratoga, particularly a Grade 2, but to have my son there with me was the icing on the cake.”

*      *     *

Full field set for Sunday’s Smart N Fancy

A full field of familiar foes has been entered for Sunday’s $100,000 Smart N Fancy at 5 ½ furlongs on Saratoga’s Mellon turf course.

Looking for some class relief and a surface switch after finishing fifth on the dirt in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss on July 25 is Faypien for the Baoma Corporation and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

A 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper, Faypien kicked off her year with a victory in the Harry Henson on March 25 at Sunland Park but failed to reach the winner’s circle in her next three starts, including a second-place finish behind La Sardane on the turf in the Garde 3 Intercontinental on June 7 at Belmont Park.

Faypien will leave from post 9 with Luis Saez back in the irons.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen entered Chanteline for Ten Broeck Farm and main track only entrant Vertical Oak.

Seventh in last year’s Smart N Fancy, Chanteline most recently finished a good second in the Caress at odds of 11-1. She will leave from post 3 with Ricardo Santana, Jr. riding.

A homebred for owner G. Watts Humphrey, Jr. and trainer Rusty Arnold, Grade 3 winner Morticia will look to improve off a fourth-place finish in the Caress.

The Twirling Candy filly has one win from five starts this year, taking the Penn Ladies Dash on June 2, but has an impressive 6-2-1 record from 10 starts at the distance.

Morticia will leave from post 8 with Jose Lezcano aboard.

Making a return to stakes company is Jc’s Shooting Star for Shooting Star Stable and trainer David Donk. The 6-year-old Miracle Man mare started her year with back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the License Fee and Mount Vernon at Belmont Park before winning an optional claiming race on June 20.

Ending her spring campaign with a third-place finish in an optional claiming race at Belmont on July 14, she returned to finish third on August 12 at the Spa in a race taken off the turf.

Jc’s Shooting Star will depart from post 11 with Manny Franco aboard.

Also entered in the main body of the field are Tillie’s Lilly for Southwind Stables and trainer Jonathan Thomas; Fire Key for Backwards Stable and trainer Pat Kelly; Battle Joined for Courtlandt Farms and trainer Mark Hennig; Girls Know Best for Triton Stable and trainer Eddie Kenneally; Bowie for trainer Bret Calhoun and LNJ Foxwoods; Just Talking for trainer Jason Servis and owner Michael Dubb; Epping Forest for Waterville Lake Stable and trainer Christophe Clement; and Amapola for trainer Arnaud Delacour and Lael Stables.

Conquest Tizfire is also eligible. Play Unified and Kirby’s Penny are entered for the main track only.

*      *     *

Kentucky Derby runner Combatant looks for turf success in Better Talk Now

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing’s Combatant will look to capitalize on class relief in headlining the $100,000 Better Talk Now for 3-year-olds Monday on Saratoga’s inner turf.

Combatant, fifth in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame on August 3 at the Spa in just his second turf start, will be cutting back from 1 1/16 miles to one mile, where he ran second in the Smarty Jones on January 15 at Oaklawn Park and in the Remington Springboard Mile on December 17 on the main track.

The Scat Daddy colt, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, is looking to post his first win since breaking his maiden at second asking in October. Combatant made headway on the Kentucky Derby trail, finishing second in the Grade 3 Southwest on February 19 before running third in the Grade 3 Rebel on March 17 at Oaklawn. After a wide-running 18th place finish in the Run for the Roses on May 5, Combatant has posted back-to-back fifth-place efforts in graded stakes.

Ricardo Santana, Jr., who has been aboard for all of his races since his maiden-breaking win, will have the return call from post 3.

Strike Power has graded stakes black type, winning the Grade 3 Swale to commence his 3-year-old campaign on February 3 before running second to Promises Fulfilled in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 3, both at Gulfstream Park. The Mark Hennig trainee was the pacesetter in the Grade 3 Amsterdam on July 28 at Saratoga before tiring late.

The son of Speightstown will be making his turf debut, drawing the rail with Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the irons.

Bill Mott will saddle a pair of European imports looking to rebound from disappointing graded stakes finishes, with Westerland running eighth in the Hall of Fame and Irish Territory finishing last of five in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge on June 2 at Belmont Park.

Westerland had two wins and three runner-up efforts in his native Great Britain before arriving in North America, where he ran third in the Manila on July 4 at Belmont at the Better Talk Now distance. The Frankel colt drew post 9 with Manny Franco riding.

Irish Territory returns to the track where she ran second in her stakes debut last year, rallying to finish just one length behind Catholic Boy in the 2017 Grade 3 With Anticipation. After breaking his maiden on May 5 at Churchill, the son of Declaration of War returned to stakes competition two months ago and will look to improve on that effort, leaving post 8 in tandem with Junior Alvarado.

Rose’s Vision, second in the Toronto Cup on July 28 at Woodbine, will make his first appearance at the Spa for trainer Stuart Simon, exiting post 5 with Jose Ortiz.

Have At It, third in the Hall of Fame, will make her second start of the summer meet for trainer Christophe Clement. Jockey Luis Saez rides from post 7.

Rounding out the field are three colts making their stakes debuts with Ceevee from post 2; Corot from post 6; and Prioritize from the outside post 10. Roaming Union is entered for the main track only.