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Altaf finds home on main track; takes big step up in CCA Oaks (G1)

by NYRA Press Office

When reading the pedigree of Shadwell Farm's Grade 1, $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks aspirant Altaf, one would be led to believe that she would likely find a home on grass. But such has not been the case thus far.

Following a seventh-place effort on debut over the lawn at Gulfstream Park, the bay daughter of Medaglia d'Oro raced at Churchill Downs over the main track, which appeared to make a huge difference as she powered home a 5 ¼ length-victor under jockey Joel Rosario.

Trained by Chad Brown, Altaf is out of the Smart Strike broodmare Fawaarek, who was a winner on grass. Her grand dam was three-time turf Grade 1-winner and 2002 Champion Turf Mare Golden Apples, who produced graded stakes winner on turf Habaya, as well as turf graded stakes-placed Hatheer.

"Golden Apples was a very good turf mare. I guess the Medaglia d'Oro is coming out in her a bit," said Shadwell Farms' general manager Rick Nichols. "She had worked well on the grass. Chad thought that's where she should start out at. But she didn't seem to like it all that much. The jockey [Joel Rosario] liked her the day he rode her, but he too didn't think she cared for it that much. We brought her back on the dirt and it was impressive."

How impressive? Enough to really catch Nichols' attention.

"Once you've seen as many horses as I have over the years, it's hard for me to be too impressed, and I was impressed," Nichols said.

The Coaching Club American Oaks, offering 100-40-20-10 points to the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, will be quite the step up in class from Altaf's maiden victory. But Nichols said that his filly is up for the task. Brown won last year's CCA Oaks with Guarana, who in her prior start won the Grade 1 Acorn off of an impressive maiden victory.

"It's a big step, but I like the fact that we have a nice small field and Chad is very, very pleased with her," said Nichols. "He loves her. He's always thought a lot of her. After that race her, we all like her a little bit more."

A big run on Saturday could result in Altaf targeting the lilies on the First Friday in September for the Kentucky Oaks.

"If she wins on Saturday and comes out of it well, we'll speak to Sheikh Hamdan and I'm sure he would love to give her a try in the Oaks," Nichols said.

Altaf will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post 3. 

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Seven-eighths should suit Risky Mandate

After a hard luck second in her 2020 debut, Ghost Hollow Farm's Risky Mandate will seek redemption when stretching out to seven furlongs in the $85,000 Shine Again on Friday at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Tom Amoss, the 4-year-old daughter of Strong Mandate last raced in a six-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs. Following a slow start, Risky Mandate was shuffled to the back of the field, made a wide move around the turn and was gaining ground in the stretch but came up too short, finishing a length to Unique Factor.

"I think the first start back we were ready to go. With a cleaner trip, she would have won. Having said that, either way, it's a good set up race for what we're trying to do here," Amoss said.

During her 3-year-old season last year, Risky Mandate won on debut at Churchill Downs before defeating winners going seven furlongs at Saratoga, defeating multiple New York-bred stakes placed Fair Regis by 3 ½ lengths, earning a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure. Following this effort, she was third beaten four lengths to Royal Charlotte in the Grade 2 Prioress going six furlongs at the Spa, marking her lone stakes effort.

According to Amoss, a cleaner trip and the added distance will be in his filly's favor.

"She had to break from the rail and I don't think that's what she has in mind going six furlongs," Amoss said. "I think she likes to gather herself and get going. When you're stuck down in there on the rail that can be difficult. Hopefully she breaks a little better, she has that extra eighth of a mile, but we're still down towards the rail [post 2], unfortunately.

"It offers us an opportunity for us to let the race unfold, which going six furlongs it doesn't," Amoss added. "Not only did she find herself in a bad spot, but going into the turn, she swung around everybody. On one hand it was a great race for her to get fit for the next one, but it certainly was not what we were hoping to accomplish in our first race back. She's a talented horse and the field has a very good Chad Brown horse [Indian Pride] and we'll just have to see how it goes."

A Kentucky homebred, Risky Mandate is out of the stakes-winning Malibu Moon broodmare Paying Off and is a half-sister to Joint Custody - a two-time stakes-winner at seven furlongs.

Jockey David Cohen will ride Risky Mandate.

Amoss said Serengeti Empiress, last year's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner, could cut back to one turn for the Grade 1, $300,000 Ballerina presented by NYRA Bets on Runhappy Travers Day, August 8.

Owned by Joel Politi, Serengeti Empress was second in last year's Grade 1 Longines Test at the Spa when she engaged in a dramatic stretch run with eventual Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Covfefe.

"There's a strong possibility that we'll go back to one turn with her," Amoss said. "She ran a terrific race in the Test with Covfefe. That seven-eighths distance is certainly something that Joel Politi and I are considering."

Serengeti Empress last raced when finishing fourth to reigning Champion Older Mare Midnight Bisou in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs. After making her seasonal bow in the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston finishing a narrow second to Lady Apple, she led at every point of call to take the Grade 2 Azeri by 6 ¼ lengths at Oaklawn Park.

A four-time graded stakes winner, Serengeti Empress has won all four of her graded stakes victories in wire-to-wire fashion.

"If she's left alone on the lead and allowed to conserve a little energy, that is her best race," Amoss said. "In this last race against Midnight Bisou, I was disappointed with how the race set up. We showed speed, we made the lead but there wasn't a lot of strategy with her. We just rode her until she said 'uncle' and that's never going to work well in a race. I'm looking for something a little more conservative with her."

Long Weekend, who was a recent runner-up in the Gold Fever over a sloppy main track at Belmont Park, is on target for the Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam on August 29.

Prior to the Gold Fever, Long Weekend won the Gazebo and Bachelor, both at Oaklawn Park.

"I was disappointed with how he broke and positioned himself early on," Amoss said. "He's a guy that is extremely athletic from the gate. For whatever reason, track condition may be a part of it, it didn't go well."

Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin's No Parole, winner of the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on June 20 at Belmont Park, recorded his first breeze over the Saratoga main track for Amoss and went a half-mile in 50.50 seconds on Thursday. The Louisiana-bred son of Violence is on track for the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens presented by Runhappy.

"It was his first breeze over the track, and it was a nice easy work," Amoss said. "He's just a very talented and athletic horse, you do whatever you want with him. He's easy to train."

A five-time winner of six starts, No Parole is unbeaten going one turn, with his lone defeat taking place in the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park, where he finished eighth. Bred in Louisiana by Coteau Grove Farms, No Parole is out of the stakes-winning Bluegrass Cat broodmare Plus One.

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Rookie Report: Two Saturday maiden fields kick off 2-year-old maiden racing at the Spa

While the Saratoga meet is known for its top quality graded stakes action, a part of what makes the racing season so prestigious are the fields of promising 2-year-olds it assembles for maiden special weights.

Saturday's overall program gets started when six 2-year-olds go into line for a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight over the main track.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will send out MyRacehorse Stables and Spendthrift Farms' Mo Mischief - a bay son of Into Mischief out of the multiple stakes-placed Montbrook broodmare Montessa G.

"He's a horse that we really liked when we bought him," said Spendthrift Farms' general manager Ned Toffey. "So far the reports are good. You just never know until you put them in a race. Everything is positive so far. Saratoga is the best of the bests, it's where people love to unveil their 2-year-olds and you better have your big boy pants on when you go to the starting gate at Saratoga. I'm always cautious about too many predictions of what a horse's talent is until they race. Its an amazing game and until you put them in a race, you never quite know."

Bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall, Mo Mischief was purchased for $500,000 from the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where he was consigned by DeMeric Sales.

"Seth Semkin went to that sale and he bought him. He was actually the same person who bought Into Mischief at OBS," Toffey said. "We always put a huge emphasis on the breeze and not just how fast they do it and how they do it and how they gallop out. Those were all positive.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will guide Mo Mischief in his career debut from post 3.

Trainer Christophe Clement will debut Momos for Ironhorse Racing Stable and Secure Investments.

The well-bred son of Distorted Humor is out of the Speightstown broodmare In Speight Of Us who is a half-sister to graded stakes winner on dirt and turf Daddys Lil Darling as well as Mongolian Saturday - winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in 2015.

Bred in Kentucky by Tami D. Bobo and Distorted Humor Syndicate, Momos was purchased for $180,000 from this year's OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Trianing, where he was consigned by DeMeric Sales.

"He's been very straightforward," Clement said.

Jockey Manny Franco will pilot Momos from post 2.

Hall of Famer Bill Mott will saddle LRE Racing and JEH Racing's Repo Rocks. Bred in Virginia by Mrs. C. Oliver Islien III, the son of second-crop sire Tapiture is out of Hawaiian Love and is a direct descendant of prolific broodmare La Troienne. He comes from the same extended family as 1994 Kentucky Derby winner Go for Gin and 1992 Champion Older Horse Pleasant Tap.

Jockey Junior Alvarado will be aboard Repo Rocks from post 6.

In Race 6, a field of 10 juveniles will go two turns in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight over the Mellon turf course.

Breaking from the rail is Gainesway Farms' Rip It who is by Tapit out of multiple turf graded stakes winner Riposte.

Trained by Clement, Rip It comes from the same family as undefeated two-time European Horse of the Year and world champion Frankel.

"He comes from the same family as Frankel, so he's got plenty of stamina. He's fit sound and ready to go," Clement said.

Rip It, a chestnut bred in Kentucky by Juddmonte Farms, will be guided by Joel Rosario.

Trainer Wesley Ward will saddle Stonestreet Farms' The Right Stuff and Ramon Tallaj and Constance Wickes' Breakthrough.

Bred in Great Britain by Framont Ltd., The Right Stuff is by Sea the Stars out of the Invincible Spirit broodmare Sarbacane - a half-sister to French Group 1-winner Sudan.

Breakthrough, a dark bay Nyquist colt, was purchased for $330,000 from the Fasig-Tipton Yearling Sale last July from the Stuart Morris consignment and is out of the Storm Creek broodmare Murky Waters - a half-sister to Illinois-bred millionaire Fort Prado and  multiple stakes winner Cammack.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione [post 2] will be aboard The Right Stuff, while Gerardo Corrales will pilot Breakthrough  from post 8.

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Xenobia to contest Friday's De La Rose

Augustin Stable homebred Xenobia, a 6-year-old Falco mare, makes her second start off the layoff in Friday's $85,000 De La Rose, a one mile event older fillies and mares over the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Xenobia is cross-entered in Saturday's Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth Park, but trainer Jonathan Thomas said the mare will stay at Saratoga as she looks to improve off an even fifth last out when competing off a more than six-month layoff in the Grade 3 Beaugay on June 3 at Belmont Park.

"She's been training well. Clearly, she had a very tough assignment first time off the break running against Rushing Fall," said Thomas. "But she ran a respectable number and came out of it well.

"It sounds like we might get some rain tomorrow which would be super helpful for her," added Thomas. "She appreciated a bit of cut in the ground."

Previously campaigned in her native Ireland by W. T. Farrell, Xenobia won the 2018 Group 3 E.B.F. Brownstown at Fairyhouse over seven furlongs of good going and was second in the 2018 Group 2 Irish E.B.F. Athasi at seven-eighths over yielding turf at Naas.

Xenobia was transferred to Thomas for her 5-year-old campaign and captured the Grade 3 Athenia at third asking in October at 1 1/16-miles on the Belmont turf.

The chestnut followed up with an off-the-board effort when sprinting on the Tapeta in the Grade 2 Bessarabian at Woodbine in November to close out her campaign.

Thomas said the De La Rose distance should suit the experienced Xenobia.

"It seems [with European horses] that if they are seven-furlong specialists over there they tend to me milers or mile and a sixteenth horses here," said Thomas. "But I think she's a generous filly in that no matter what distance we run her, she's going to try."

Thomas has also entered Bridlewood Cat as a main-track only entrant in the De La Rose.

"She's on a van headed up here on the chance the race comes off the turf," said Thomas. "If she doesn't run, she's still eligible for an allowance race here before stepping things up.

The 4-year-old Street Sense bay, owned by Bridlewood Farm, has won 2-of-6 starts and just missed two starts back when fourth, defeated a half-length after stumbling at the start, in the Correction on March 14 at Aqueduct.

Last out, Bridlewood Cat was seventh off the layoff when trying turf for the first time in the six-furlong License Fee on July 3 at Belmont contested over good ground and through a heavy rainstorm.

"I breezed her on the turf [June 26] and she did so well on it, I was lured into running her in the stakes," said Thomas. "It came up soft right before the race, so I'm not sure if I made a mistake and she didn't like the grass at all or she didn't like the soft going.

"There's a big part of me hoping it would come off the turf," added Thomas. "However, she did breeze very well over the turf. So, we'll see."

Thomas also breezed a pair of Augustin Stable homebreds at Monmouth Park on Wednesday with Talking and So High covering a half-mile in 50 seconds flat on the main track.

So High, a 4-year-old Nathaniel gelding, is out of the graded-stakes winning Alphabet Soup mare Fugitive Angel. A winner at third asking at Lingfield on April 10, 2019 for former trainer John Gosden, So High made a winning debut for Thomas in June with a 2 1/4-length score in a 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Downs turf allowance that garnered an 81 Beyer.

"He ran really well first out and we know for a fact that he's going to stretch out, so winning at a mile and a sixteenth was icing on the cake," said Thomas. "I think we'll bring him back in an allowance and then start thinking about stakes races for him."

Talking, a 3-year-old Union Rags gelding, graduated at first asking in August at Monmouth Park. He exited that effort to run fifth in the Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine which was won by Decorated Invader. Last out, in the Grade 3 Kent at nine furlongs on July 4 at Delaware, Talking finished fourth in an event won by Gufo.

Both Decorated Invader and Gufo, trained by Christophe Clement, are entered in Saturday's Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.

Thomas said the $500,000 Saratoga Derby, part of the Turf Triple Series for 3-year-olds, at 1 3/16-miles on August 15 is a possibility.

"It's something we could look at but he still has a condition or two left," said Thomas. "I'd love for him to be able to get his head in front somewhere. He's training great right now and he had a really unlucky trip last time. He's an interesting horse and has kept good company against horses like Decorated Invader. His numbers have increased since we stretched him out."

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License renewal available at Clark's Cottage

Following updated guidance issued by the New York State Gaming Commission [NYSGC] on Wednesday afternoon, the New York Racing Association [NYRA] will allow a limited number of licensed owners at Saratoga Race Course on the day that their horse is entered to race.

In order to reduce density and adhere to social distancing guidelines, the size of the ownership group will be restricted to eight individuals in possession of a NYSGC license per horse. With the exception of Friday's card, the application must be received 24 hours in advance of race day.

No same-day applications will be accepted. All owners within the group must be in possession of a valid NYSGC license. Horses with identical ownership will be limited to eight total admissions regardless of number of horses running that day.

Owners who need to renew their license are directed to visit the NYSGC office located on the second floor of Clark's Cottage located outside the gates of Saratoga Race Course at the end of Frank Sullivan Place off Nelson Avenue. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Those individuals in need of renewing their NYRA identification are directed to the attention of Lewis Kobel, NYRA Security ID Clerk, at the Horsemen's Credentials Office located on the first floor of Clark's Cottage. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Owners seeking access to the Saratoga barn area for training will be required to register with racing administrative assistant Zerfana Khan (718) 659-2313 or [email protected]. Only licensed owners will be allowed. No guests and no children.

All owners must provide to NYRA a negative COVID-19 test taken within 7 days of arrival to Saratoga or a positive COVID-19 antibody test. Test results should be sent to Zerfana Khan for clearance.

Owners are not permitted to watch live racing from the barn area and owner access ends at 11:20 a.m. Prior approval is required to enter the barn area. Owners approved to enter the barn area will be required to practice social distancing and to wear a facial covering at all times.

Owners planning travel to New York from any of the states currently listed on the New York Travel Advisory are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine. For additional information, visit https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory.

Owner applications for admission to Saratoga Race Course are to be sent to NYRA's Horsemen's Relations Associate, via email at [email protected] or by phone at 516-488-6008. NYRA will confirm all reservations via email. NYRA cannot consider or accept same day applications.