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Althiqa matches career-best 101 BSF with carbon copy G1 Diana score

by NYRA Press Office

• Althiqa matches career-best 101 BSF with carbon copy G1 Diana score
• Wit targets G1 Hopeful following G3 Sanford score; Pletcher looks ahead with star pupils
• Channel Maker eyes comeback in G2 Bowling Green
• Caravel works in preparation for G3 Caress
• Rusty Arnold’s Saratoga contingent looks to make up for lost time
• Robin Sparkles posts half-mile breeze for G3 Caress
• New York-bred millionaire Zivo to lead post parade for Rick Violette stakes
•  All graded stakes $0.20 Pick 6 nets total pool of $104K

Godolphin’s talented grey fillies Althiqa and Summer Romance replicated their one-two finish in June’s Grade 1 Longines Just a Game at Belmont Park by again completing the exacta in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Diana at Saratoga Race Course.

In the one-mile Just a Game, Summer Romance set the pace under Luis Saez. But the late-running Althiqa, with Hall of Famer Mike Smith up, arrived in the nick of time with an inside rush to secure a three-quarter length win.

On Saturday, Saez again dictated terms with Summer Romance in the nine-furlong inner-turf test, but Althiqa, under Manny Franco, rallied wide down the lane to win by the same margin.

In keeping with the theme, Althiqa matched up her 101 Beyer Speed Figure, while Summer Romance paired her 100 figure.

The Charlie Appleby-trained duo arrived in New York in May for their two-race mission under the care of traveling assistant Sophie Chretien.

Chretien credited Franco, who secured his fourth career Grade 1 win at the Spa, for his picture-perfect ride.

“It was great,” Chretien said. “I just said to make sure she had a target; she's a good horse, and she'll give everything for you. He rode her very confidently and did everything right and it paid off at the end. He's a good rider.”

Chretien said Summer Romance, who bested Althiqa in the nine-furlong Group 2 Balanchine in February at Meydan, also performed well.

“Summer Romance did everything right, it's just that Althiqa is improving,” Chretien said. “They both ran great. As a mare, Althiqa is getting stronger with age. The pace was perfect for her and she loved coming from behind. Everything worked a treat for her.”

Chretien also credited exercise riders Patrice Pot [Althiqa] and Peppe Bussu [Summer Romance] for their important contributions during their lengthy stay stateside.

“Everything worked out perfect: mission accomplished,” Chretien said.

Chretien said the winning moment was made that much better in front of a paid Saratoga attendance of 25,520.

“We haven't seen atmosphere like this for a while. It was great to see that,” Chretien said.

Chretien said the fillies will return to Appleby’s care in England next week.

“They're both doing just fine,” Chretien said. “They'll stay here and relax for a couple days and they will be leaving on Tuesday morning to fly back to the U.K.” 

***

Wit targets G1 Hopeful following G3 Sanford score; Pletcher looks ahead with star pupils

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher enjoyed a prosperous Saturday at both Saratoga and Monmouth Park in New Jersey, sending out graded stakes winners over both ovals. 

While Pletcher was at Monmouth saddling Dr Post and Graceful Princess to respective victories in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup and the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth, assistant Tristan Barry oversaw an impressive victory by rising star Wit in the Grade 3 Sanford. 

Owned by Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway Stable, Wit has won both of his lifetime starts by a combined 14 lengths. After overcoming a slow start to win by six lengths in his June 5 debut at Belmont, he handled his graded stakes debut with flying colors in capturing the Sanford by eight lengths. The triumph produced a 90 Beyer. 

“We couldn’t be more pleased with his performance, and I thought he broke a little better this time,” Pletcher said. “He put himself in a good stalking position and used his very impressive turn of foot around the turn. He’s a very well behaved horse, very composed and mature mentally. He’s just one that, for whatever reason, is not super quick the first jump or two. It’s not a behavioral issue. We did our normal standing at the gate in between races. I thought he would improve just by having the start and he definitely broke more alertly and got bumped by the 2 [Candy Landing] a little bit, but was still able to get into the position we were hoping he could and went smoothly from there.”

Wit provided Pletcher with an eighth Sanford victory, with his success in the event dating back to 1999 winner More Than Ready – a subsequent influential sire. He also provided his freshman sire Practical Joke – a three-time Grade 1-winner – with his first graded stakes-winning progeny. 

Pletcher said the Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful on September 6 at the Spa will be Wit's likely next task. 

“The Hopeful would be the next target,” Pletcher said. “I spoke to the connections a little bit after the race and that was everyone’s gut reaction. We’ll let the horse guide us but that’s the logical next step.”

Bred by Rosilyn Polan, Wit was purchased for $575,000 from the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the unraced Medaglia d’Oro mare Numero d’Oro. 

Dr Post gave Vinnie Viola of St Elias Stable another graded stakes victory, capturing the Monmouth Cup by 1 ¼ lengths. The 4-year-old Quality Road colt, who finished second to Tiz the Law in last year’s Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, made the grade in his 2021 bow in the Grade 3 Westchester on May 1 over Big Sandy. 

Pletcher made an equipment change with Dr Post, who raced with blinkers on for the Monmouth Cup. 

“His first start off the bench in the Westchester was good and it was his second graded win of the year,” Pletcher said. “I think the addition of blinkers helped. It had him more focused early on and I was very pleased with the way he stepped up.”

Pletcher said the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 4 at Saratoga and the Grade 1, $750,000 Pacific Classic on August 21 at Del Mar are options for his next start. Both races are Breeders’ Cup “Win And You’re In” qualifying events for the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 6 at Del Mar. 

“We’ll try him a little further and keep an eye on the Pacific Classic and the Jockey Club,” Pletcher said. 

Pletcher said he was delighted to get regally-bred Graceful Princess a graded stakes triumph when upsetting the field in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at 14-1 odds. The bay daughter of Tapit, out of 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, is owned by Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm. 

“It’s very exciting for her to get a win like that being bred as well as any horse in the world,” Pletcher said. “For her to add graded black type to her resume is great for her, the dam, and the siblings. It was a great win for the Whisper Hill team.”

Graceful Princess was a well-beaten fifth in the Obeah at Delaware Park in her previous start, which Pletcher blamed on a sloppy track. 

“We caught sloppy tracks at Delaware and at Aqueduct in the Go for Wand last year and she didn’t seem to care for that at all. She was able to get the kind of trip we were looking for yesterday and got into a good rhythm,” Pletcher said. “I think she’s versatile enough, it just depends on the fractions. She had an outside draw yesterday, so she was able to stay in the clear. Everything fell into place. We’ll give her a bit of spacing. She seems to respond well to a little bit of time in between races, we’ll see how she comes out of it.”

Pletcher sent out Spendthrift Farm’s Following Sea for the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational over the Jersey Shore oval, where he crossed the wire a distant third but was elevated to second following the disqualification of Hot Rod Charlie, who clipped heels with Midnight Bourbon, unseating jockey Paco Lopez. Joel Rosario, aboard Following Sea, had to angle his horse wide to avoid the horse and fallen jockey. 

Pletcher said he was expecting to see a little more out of the son of Runhappy, who might cut back to one turn for the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on August 28 at Saratoga. 

“I don’t think he ran to his capabilities,” Pletcher said. “I’ve certainly seen a lot more in the mornings out of him than that. I think the track for Monmouth wasn’t particularly kind to speed yesterday and he was under pressure most of the way. It’s hard to gauge the last eighth of the race when Joel had to take him up to avoid the fallen horse. We’ll get him back and assess how he trains, but I’ll talk to the guys and Spendthrift and we might look at backing him up in the Allen Jerkens.”

***

Channel Maker eyes comeback in G2 Bowling Green

After two international endeavors, multiple Grade 1-winning turf veteran Channel Maker, the reigning Champion Turf Male, will make his stateside comeback in the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green on July 31 at Saratoga. 

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 7-year-old English Channel gelding was a game second in the Group 1 Neom Turf Cup on February 20 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia before a distant eighth to multiple Group 1 winner Mishriff in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic on March 27 at Meydan Racecourse. 

Channel Maker captured the 2018 Bowling Green when dead-heating with Glorious Empire and has finished a respective fourth and third in the previous runnings. 

Following last year’s Bowling Green, Channel Maker added two Grade 1 triumphs to his ledger, capturing the Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park before running a close third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland. All three efforts netted a career best 108 Beyer. 

“He’s doing great, looks great and has travelled well,” Mott said. “He’s just a nice horse to have in the barn. He always shows up even if he doesn’t win.”

Following the Bowling Green, Mott said he would “absolutely” look at the Grade 1, $600,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Invitational on August 28 at Saratoga. 

Owned by R. A. Hill Stable, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Channel Maker boasts a strong 39-7-6-5 record and lifetime earnings of $3,241,551. 

Mott added that the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy presented by Horse Racing Ireland on August 6 is a likely target for Casa Creed, who last out won the Grade 1 Jackpocket Jaipur on June 5 at Belmont . 

The 5-year-old Jimmy Creed bay has won two straight races, capturing the Elusive Quality ahead of his Jaipur coup. The Troy, which is run at 5 ½ furlongs, will be the shortest distance Casa Creed has raced in his 20-race career. 

“We’re looking at the Troy,” Mott said. “We just have to see if five and a half is good for him.”

Mott confirmed that graded stakes winner Antoinette will race in the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee on July 25. The homebred daughter of Hard Spun was a last out second to Letruska in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill. 

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations’ J L’s Rockette, a recent maiden special weight winner at Ellis Park, could make her next start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack. The juvenile daughter of Into Mischief worked a half-mile in 49.32 seconds over the Oklahoma training track on July 16.

*** 

Caravel works in preparation for G3 Caress

Caravel, bred in Pennsylvania by her trainer Elizabeth Merryman, will make her Saratoga debut in Saturday's Grade 3 Caress.

Merryman sold a majority interest in the 4-year-old Mizzen Mast grey to Bobby Flay following her last-out 4 1/4-length score in the Goldwood, a five-furlong turf sprint at Monmouth Park on June 25 that garnered a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

Caravel breezed a half-mile in 50 flat Saturday on the Fair Hill main track in preparation for her graded stakes debut.

"She had a good breeze yesterday and she's ready. If the weather cooperates, we're ready to go," Merryman said.

A winner of 6-of-8 career starts, Caravel is out of the Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom, who graduated in August 2015 in a one-mile turf test on the Saratoga turf for trainer Amy Tarrant. 

When Zeezee Zoomzoom was retired and in need of a second career, Merryman stepped up.

"A friend, Kim Brette, used to gallop for me and she is a really good horseman and I trust her judgment," Merryman said. "She had a friend with a mare that was injured and she called me and told me she thought she could make a good broodmare prospect for me. I looked up the pedigree, which was a little obscure, but I liked it. I liked the fact that she was young, untried and with a decent pedigree. I liked what I saw, so I took a shot on her."

Caravel's second dam, the graded-stakes placed Zee Zee, was a first-out maiden winner on the Saratoga turf in 2007 and ran third in the 2008 Grade 2 Lake George at the Spa. 

Zee Zee's impressive ledger, which includes a pair of turf stakes wins, inspired Merryman to breed Zeezee Zoomzoom to noted turf sire Mizzen Mast.

"My theory on the filly was they had bred a really good turf horse to a dirt sire in Congrats and still came up with a turf horse," Merryman said. "I thought if I went back to a turf sire, I could strengthen it. Being a first-year mare, I wanted to breed her to a proven sire at a reasonable rate and he checked all my boxes. I've trained several Mizzen Masts that I like, so I went with it."

Merryman took her time with Caravel, who was unraced as a 2-year-old but won her first three starts, beginning with a last-to-first rush in a state-bred maiden special weight last June.

"She was going through little growth spurts and wasn't mature enough to run at two," Merryman said. "I gave her the winter off and brought her back at three, but COVID held up the start of racing. By the time she was ready to run, I felt she was very fit and ready."

With Inoel Beato up, Caravel rallied from last-of-10 to win by 1 1/4-lengths in a five-furlong turf sprint at Penn National.

"She always broke fast in the morning but they often break slow in the afternoon coming from Fair Hill," Merryman said. "It's a smaller gate here and they've never been in the big racetrack gate. So, she broke really flat footed. I told the rider even if she broke slowly there's hope because she had an incredible amount of ability. He let her drop back and then just circled the field. It was kind of fun to watch."

Caravel won four times in her sophomore season, including scores in the Lady Erie and Malvern Rose on the Presque Isle Downs synthetic. She will enter the Caress on the back of consecutive stakes wins, including a nose score in the five-furlong The Very One on May 14 at Pimlico.

Last out, Caravel proved her ability to rate, sitting off a sharp 20.57 opening quarter and rallying wide down the lane to win under Pablo Morales.

Merryman credited the patient Morales, who is 3-for-3 aboard Caravel, with a perfect ride.

"I think it's really important that a rider understands her," Merryman said. "She really needs quiet hands early in a race because the moment they change holds, she's taking off like a shot. If they're super quiet, she knows she's not supposed to go. But the moment they give her half a clue, she's going."

If Caravel were to succeed in the Caress it would provide Merryman with both a first graded stakes win and a first victory at the Spa.

"Saratoga is the place for racing. To win there would be amazing. Especially since I bred her and raised her," Merryman said.

***

Rusty Arnold’s Saratoga contingent looks to make up for lost time

 Trainer Rusty Arnold has been a strong contributor to Saratoga’s opening-week trend of Kentucky-based trainers earning success at the historic race course. The veteran conditioner saw Calumet Farm’s Gear Jockey post a win in a 5 1/2-furlong turf optional claiming contest on Saturday and will now turn his attention to stakes competition at the Spa.

Among those stakes contenders is G. Watts Humphrey, Jr. homebred Navratilova, who Arnold entered on Sunday for the Grade 3, $150,000 Lake George for sophomore fillies going one mile on the inner turf on July 23. The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro thrived stretching out to the Lake George distance last out, winning the Tepin by a half-length on June 26 at Churchill Downs for her first career stakes score.

Navratilova, 2-0-2 in five career starts, will now look to follow in the footsteps of her dam Centre Court, who won the 2012 Lake George edition, as she seeks her first graded stakes score.

“She’s in good shape and had a good workout last week,” Arnold said. “It’s a good, logical step for us. She’s a stakes winner and it’ll be very nice for her because her mother won that race.”

Navratilova started her sophomore campaign with back-to-back third-place finishes in 5 ½-furlong turf stakes sprints, earning black type in the Limestone Turf Sprint in April at Keeneland and the Mamzelle in May at Churchill Downs before besting Lake George-rival Tobys Heart in the Tepin.

Another stakes contender for Arnold will be the Irish-bred Artos, who is targeting the $120,000 Bolton Landing on August 18 for juvenile fillies going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. That race would be Artos’ first since running fourth in the Group 2 Queen Mary during the prestigious meet in England at Royal Ascot in June.

Arnold gave the Kodiac filly a break after her overseas sojourn but said he will soon start breezing her again in preparation for her fourth career start.

“It’s a long ways off, but that’s the plan,” Arnold said of the Bolton landing. “She hasn’t done a lot since then. She had a long trip over and long trip back and had a little vacation, but now she’s back here and ready to go back to work.”

Owned by A Dunne, P Harlow, B Miley and J Wilkinson, Artos ran second in her first start in April at Keeneland at 5 ½ furlongs and broke through at the same distance net out with a win by a nose over next-out winner Overbore in May at Churchill.

That set up an ambitious spot traveling across the Atlantic for the five-furlong Queen Mary, where Artos ran 3 1/4 lengths back to winner Quick Suzy at Ascot. Arnold said while Artos is trying to improve with each race, she is not the easy-going type. 

“She’s feisty,” Arnold said. “She feels good all the time and has a lot of personality. It’s not a bad thing.”

Calumet Farm’s Gear Jockey, who ran third in the 2019 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, won for the second time in three starts and netted a 95 Beyer for her victory on Saturday. Arnold said that could set up her return to stakes company for the first time since running third in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf in February at Gulfstream Park.

Gear Jockey, whose previous stakes experience includes a third in the 2019 Grade 3 Bourbon and eighth in the 2020 Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, could now look towards the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy presented by Horse Racing Ireland on August 6. The Troy, for 4-year-olds and up, will run at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf.

“That’s the plan [to return to stakes],” Arnold said. “It was a good race for him. It got him back on the winning track. I’d say the Troy will be a possibility.”

***

Robin Sparkles posts half-mile breeze for G3 Caress

Michael Schrader’s New York-bred Robin Sparkles worked a half-mile in 48.31 Friday on the Oklahoma dirt training track in preparation for the Grade 3, $200,000 Caress, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares on July 24.

Trained by Bruce Brown, it was the first work back for the 4-year-old Elusive Quality bay following an impressive open optional-claiming win on June 24 at Belmont that garnered a career-best 94 Beyer.

"She worked well on Friday and she's ready to go," Brown said. "Jose Ortiz breezed her and she galloped out awesome. She actually seems like she's getting better each time out. Even Jose said she's filling out and getting bigger and stronger."

Robin Sparkles has posted wins at all three NYRA tracks, including a maiden win at Saratoga in August traveling 5 ½-furlongs on the turf.

"She's always done well up here," Brown said. "I have a few horses like that. It's like a switch. I don't know if they like being in the country and the air is different, and there are some that don't handle it as well with all the action here and being able to see all that's going on. But I'd say the majority of them like it more up here."

Bred in New York by Hibiscus Stables, Robin Sparkles launched her campaign with a second in the six-furlong License Free on the Belmont turf in April and followed with a three-quarter length score in the off-the-turf one-mile Mount Vernon on May 31.

Brown said he had hoped to test the talented bay’s turf stamina in the Mount Vernon, but will now focus on Spa turf sprints with the Caress and $120,000 Smart N Fancy on August 21 on the ledger.

"With turf horses, you don't want to experiment too much. You only have a certain window," Brown said. "We know she can do the sprinting game, so we'll stick with that for a while."

Brown sent out Alley Oop Johnny to a front-running second on Opening Day. The 4-year-old Animal Kingdom bay made all but the last step a winning one in the one-mile turf allowance only to fall a nose short to Smile Bryan.

"I had a real tough beat opening day, but there all doing well," Brown said. "We just have to get them in the right spots. It's so competitive up here and we just have to hope we can get lucky. We're trying to claim a few and get some fresh stock in, too."

*** 

New York-bred millionaire Zivo to lead post parade for Rick Violette stakes

Retired New York-bred graded stakes millionaire Zivo will lead the post parade for Wednesday’s Rick Violette Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. The event is one of many activities set for the inaugural New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day on Wednesday, July 21 at the Spa. 

Presented by the New York Racing Association (NYRA), New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, (NYRA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB), New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day will highlight the work of a variety of organizations committed to aftercare initiatives. 

The 12-year-old son of True Direction, who accumulated $1,017,300 in earnings with nine victories from 19 starts for owner and breeder Thomas Coleman and conditioner Chad Brown, initially retired to stud in 2016 at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater, New York before being pensioned. 

Currently, he is the stable pony for trainer Cherie DeVaux, who initially worked with Zivo when she was as an assistant for Brown. Since first meeting their bond has been inseparable. 

“Zivo has always been special to me. I think he came into the barn during my second winter working with Chad [Brown],” said DeVaux. “He was always one of my favorites. From the start it was a love affair. Just to see him being able to develop from a young colt to an accomplished runner was something special. The highlight winning the Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont [2014] to competing in the Breeders’ Cup [eighth-place finish in 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic]. He not only gained my heart but the affection of many New Yorkers.” 

Although Zivo made the majority of his starts between Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack with 13 starts, he also ran five times at Saratoga, highlighted by an allowance victory and second-place finish in the Albany stakes in 2012. DeVaux is happy racing fans will once again have the chance to see him on track on a day in celebration of one the many careers retired racehorses can go on to successfully do. 

 “He is a really personable horse,” said DeVaux. “When I found out he was being pensioned there was no other option as to where he was going. It was just a matter of what capacity with me and my family. I’m really excited the fans will get to see him once again. It’s really neat when you get to see a retired racehorse, and one as accomplished as him back on the track after a couple of seasons of breeding in a whole another role. Watching him at the barn and performing his new duties day to day, you would never know he was any of that. He’s taken onto his new career in a great way and he’s another great example of how we care for our horses and their capabilities in being able to  perform one of many duties once leaving the track.” 

The Rick Violette Stakes, named in honor of the late NYTHA President who spearheaded the creation of the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program and TAKE THE LEAD Retirement Program, and was a founding member of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) is carded as Race 4 on Wednesday with a post time of 2:49 p.m. ET.  

***

All graded stakes $0.20 Pick 6 nets total pool of $104K

Saturday’s all graded stakes $0.20 Pick 6, featuring action from Saratoga and Monmouth Park, paid $1,467.60 for selecting all six winners on a 20-cent ticket.

The $0.20 Saratoga/Monmouth Pick 6 featured a low 15 percent takeout and mandatory payout and registered a total pool of $104,126.

Monmouth hosted the first three legs, starting with Dr Post’s 1 1/4-length win in the Grade 3, $300,000 Monmouth Cup for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles in Race 8. The 2020 Belmont Stakes runner-up stalked in fifth position under Joel Rosario before overtaking Bankit in the stretch and besting Night Ops to win for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Dr Post paid $7.20 on a $2 win bet.

Rosario and Pletcher teamed up again to earn another winner’s circle trip the next when Graceful Princess posted a three-quarter length score in the Grade 3, $250,000 Molly Pitcher for fillies and mares 3-and-up going 1 1/16 miles. Off at 14-1, Graceful Princess was the sequence’s biggest price, paying $31.

The first favorite to win in the Pick 6 was Tribhuvan, who went gate-to-wire in a two-length win in the Grade 1, $500,000 United Nations for 3-year-olds and up going 1 3/8 miles on the Monmouth turf in Race 11. Flavien Prat guided the bay gelding to a strong showing, with the Chad Brown trainee paying $5.40 as the favorite. 

Saratoga then got in on the action during the first Saturday of the 40-day summer meet, with another favorite, Wit, drawing away to an eighth-length victory in the Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford for juveniles sprinting six furlongs on the main track in Race 9. Pletcher continued his stellar day across multiple states by training another graded-stakes winner, as Irad Ortiz, Jr. was aboard the talented 2-year-old, who returned $4.20.

Monmouth’s featured race saw Hot Rod Charlie cross the wire first in the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell for 3-year-olds in Race 12. But Hot Rod Charlie was disqualified and placed last-of-seven after drifting in front of Midnight Bourbon and clipping heels. Mandaloun was elevated to the win, giving trainer Brad Cox a second prestigious win in as many months after his Essential Quality won the Belmont Stakes in June. Mandaloun, ridden by Florent Geroux, paid $8.20.

Saratoga closed the Pick 6 with the first Grade 1 of the meet, as stablemates Althiqa and Summer Romance replicated their finish in June’s Grade 1 Just a Game by again running first and second, respectively, in the $500,000 Diana for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf in Race 10. 

Charlie Appleby, who trains both ends of the exacta for owner Godolphin, saw his pair of European shippers continue to thrive in North America, with the English-bred Althiqa returning $9.90 following jockey Manny Franco’s strong ride. 

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.