Antiquarian earns career-best 108 BSF for G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup score
- Antiquarian earns career-best 108 BSF for G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup score
- Sierra Leone to train up to G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic title defense; Excellent Truth works for possible G3 Waya start
- Bellezza eyes Breeders’ Cup bid after G2 Flower Bowl score
- Donegal Momentum points to G1 Coolmore Turf Mile
Centennial Farms’ Antiquarian earned his first top-level score in Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, a 10-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up, at Saratoga Race Course. The win secured a “Win and You’re In” berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Del Mar.
Hall of Fame-trainer Todd Pletcher felt mixed emotions after the victory as his other entrant Mindframe unseated jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. following an incident just after the start where the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Phileas Fogg prompted a chain reaction of bumping.
Antiquarian, breaking from the outermost post 8 under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, was unaffected by the incident and stalked comfortably, flying by the subsequently disqualified Phileas Fogg in the stretch while holding off the favored Sierra Leone, who altered course early under jockey Flavien Prat to avoid the fallen Ortiz, Jr.
The son of the Centennial Farms-campaigned Preservationist scored by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 2:02.16, earning a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure. Pletcher confirmed the 4-year-old chestnut exited the performance in good order.
“He’s doing excellent, very good,” Pletcher said. “I thought that was a great performance. He is steadily improving. I thought that was his best race to date. He is kind of learning how to polish a race off, so we are very happy for him.
“We’ll train up to the Classic,” added Pletcher.
Mindframe was collared by the outrider, walked home and was in good order Monday morning.
“He’s excellent, he seems fine,” Pletcher said. “We got lucky that he’s unscathed. An unlucky race, but lucky that he is OK.”
Ortiz, Jr. was reported by agent Steve Rushing to have escaped serious injury and all tests came back negative. Ortiz, Jr. was cleared to ride, but posted on the social-media platform X this morning that he is taking Closing Day Monday at Saratoga off with a return to riding on Thursday at Kentucky Downs.
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables’ Mindframe already secured a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Classic when capturing the nine-furlong Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 28 at Churchill Downs by one length over Sierra Leone.
“We are just happy he came out of the race [Sunday] well. We’ll regroup and come up with a plan for him,” Pletcher said.
Pletcher and Velazquez won the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Saturday at Del Mar with Fierceness, who veered in early towards the temporary rail but recovered to score by 3 1/4 lengths over a top sophomore in multiple Grade 1-winner Journalism. The win secured a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Classic.
“He came back well. He will ship back here on the third and we’ll point him for the Classic as well,” Pletcher said. “To simply overcome the start alone, and that mistake he made there that we felt might leave him with no chance, he recovered to run a big race. We are proud of him.”
At this stage, Pletcher has three tickets punched to the Classic, which he won in 2019 with Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables’ Vino Rosso.
“We feel good about that now, but it is 60 days away. Hopefully everything stays in order,” Pletcher said.
Spendthrift Farm’s Tommy Jo dominated by 6 1/2 lengths in Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway, a seven-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies here. The race awarded a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.
Tommy Jo stalked and pounced with a three-wide bid under Carmouche en route to the authoritative victory over stakes-winner Percy’s Bar in a final time of 1:23.29. The performance earned an 85 Beyer, the same number as her dominant debut victory on July 26 here under Velazquez, scoring by 3 3/4-lengths over next-out winner Tennessee Belle.
Pletcher indicated post-race Tommy Jo could make her next start in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Alcibiades on October 3 at Keeneland, a two-turn test that would serve as a bridge to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
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Sierra Leone to train up to G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic title defense; Excellent Truth works for possible G3 Waya start
Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook T. Smith’s Sierra Leone finished a deep-closing second under Flavien Prat following a troubled trip in Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, at Saratoga Race Course.
The reigning Champion 3-Year-Old Colt had to alter course several strides out of the gate in attempting to avoid a fallen Irad Ortiz, Jr., who was unseated from Mindframe after a chain reaction of bumping rivals - that included pacesetting stablemate Contrary Thinking - after Phileas Fogg veered in after the start.
Sierra Leone traveled in last-of-7 and 18 lengths off the pace before making a wide run down the lane to finish 1 1/2-lengths back of the more prominently positioned Antiquarian.
"Thankfully Irad looks like he escaped anything serious, and our horses came back OK,” Brown said on Sunday morning. “Sierra Leone went quite wide in the stretch. It was a very challenging trip, but I'm very proud of the horse that he persevered, stayed with it and still ran a pretty remarkable race. He got his final prep in for the Breeders' Cup Classic and hopefully he has an uninterrupted, healthy couple months leading up.”
Sierra Leone won the Grade 1 Blue Grass last April at Keeneland ahead of a narrow nose second to Mystik Dan in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and a late-closing one-length third to the victorious Dornoch in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. He hit the board in both the Grade 2 Jim Dandy [2nd] and Grade 1 DraftKings Travers [3rd] here last summer before shipping to Del Mar and defeating familiar foes Fierceness and Forever Young in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to cement Championship honors.
Brown indicated that Sierra Leone will remain in Saratoga for the time being to prepare for his final career start before he moves on to his next career at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud.
“He'll stay here for the month of September and then by October I expect him to move down to Belmont and follow the plan I used last year,” Brown said. “He's been ultra consistent his entire career and I'm hopeful he goes out in his last race as he has in all his races - consistent. He shows up every time. He's never been off the board.”
The 4-year-old Gun Runner colt has banked in excess of $7 million via a 13-5-5-3 record.
Resolute Racing’s Excellent Truth, winner of the nine-furlong Grade 1 Dunkin’ Diana here on July 12, missed a start in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine due to an ankle issue but was back on the worktab Sunday covering a half-mile in 51.90 over the Oklahoma training turf per NYRA Clockers.
Brown said the 5-year-old Cotai Glory mare could point to the 11-furlong Grade 3, $175,000 Waya on October 5 at Belmont at the Big A as a potential bridge to the 11-furlong Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar.
“She's back and we might use the Waya as a test for her going three turns as an audition for the Filly and Mare Turf,” Brown said.
Excellent Truth, who was a Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed in France, has made three stateside starts since joining the Brown barn, posting close runner-up efforts in both the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley in April at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Just a Game presented by Resolute Racing in June here during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
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Bellezza eyes Breeders’ Cup bid after G2 Flower Bowl score
Trainer Miguel Clement said Moyglare Stud Farm’s Irish homebred Bellezza is likely Breeders’ Cup bound after securing a “Win and You’re In” berth into the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf with a 2 1/4-length win in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl, a 1 3/8-mile inner turf test for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.
“I believe that is the strong consideration,” Clement said of the Filly and Mare Turf on November 1 at Del Mar. “We’ll probably train her straight to the Breeders’ Cup and we’re very lucky to have her.”
Bellezza notched her second graded victory in her fourth start since moving stateside. She made her American debut for the late Christophe Clement with a 1 1/2-length win in the Grade 3 Sheepshead Bay over the same distance in May at Belmont at the Big A, and followed with a respective third and second in the Grade 1 New York presented by Rivers Casino in June and the Grade 2 Glens Falls in July, both over yielding Spa turf.
Clement said the firm footing on Saturday helped Bellezza return to the winner’s circle with a strong rally from last-to-first under Jaime Rodriguez in the seven-horse field.
“She’s good, and I thought she was very impressive,” Clement said. “She finally got the ground she was looking for, which is firm turf, and she has not had the opportunity to run on firm since the Sheepshead Bay. I’m delighted for the connections, because Moyglare Stud Farm have been a big supporter of the stable for many years.”
The 4-year-old Bellezza is by Siyouni and of the Galileo mare Terrific, who was stakes-placed in Ireland and is a full-sister to Grade 1-winner Together and a half-sister to Group 1-winner Jan Vermeer.
“She’s a very tough filly and she’s genuine,” Clement said of Bellezza. “She’s got a superb pedigree, which makes my life easier.”
While Bellezza is likely to train up to the Breeders’ Cup and bypass the Grade 3, $175,000 Waya on October 5, Clement said Flower Bowl fourth-place finisher La Mehana is likely to resurface in the 1 3/8-mile route for fillies and mares at Belmont at the Big A.
LSU Stables’ 6-year-old Al Wukair mare was fifth and 7 1/2 lengths back early in the Flower Bowl under Kendrick Carmouche before swapping spots with Bellezza at the rear of the field to be last through the final turn. She was angled widest of all into the stretch to make a belated bid and landed 3 1/4 lengths back of Bellezza.
“She was a bit unlucky and Kendrick was never able to switch her off, a touch keen early on and that probably cost us a bit of her punch that we’re used to seeing,” Clement explained. “It’s OK, we’ll regroup and we’ll come back.”
La Mehana was a romping winner of the Grade 2 Ballston Spa ahead of the Flower Bowl, and earned a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure for the 8 3/4-length triumph. She won last year’s Waya as part of a 6-2-0-2 campaign for Christophe Clement.
Clement also noted that LSU Stables’ multiple Grade 1-winner Far Bridge is on point for a start in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on September 27 at Belmont at the Big A off a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer on August 9 here.
“100 percent,” Clement said of going to the Joe Hirsch. “He’s doing very well, and I just want to give him a few easy weeks. He got a bit light after the Sword Dancer I thought. He’s doing much better now and I intend to only give him two works on the grass here at Saratoga between now and then.”
The earner of more than $2.3 million is among the leaders of the older turf division with wins this year in the Grade 3 Pan American at Gulfstream Park and Grade 2 Man o’ War at Belmont at the Big A ahead of a neck third in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan in June and a three-length score in the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 12 here.
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Donegal Momentum points to G1 Coolmore Turf Mile
Donegal Racing’s Donegal Momentum earned a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure for his neck score over multiple Grade 1-winner Program Trading in Friday’s Listed Bernard Baruch, a 1 1/16-mile turf route for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Tom Morley, the 4-year-old Uncle Mo colt returned victorious from a troubled outing in the Grade 3 Kelso on July 5 here, where he was forwardly-placed through the half-mile before stumbling and nearly falling. Donegal Momentum sustained a cut to his right-hind pastern in the incident and further required time off for a hamstring pull which caused him to skip the Spa’s Grade 1 FanDuel Fourstardave on August 2.
Donegal Momentum proved resilient in the Bernard Baruch, showing the way through splits of 24.56 seconds, 49.03 and 1:13.81 over the firm turf with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up for the first time in the afternoon. He shrugged off an early move to the lead by the Hall of Famer Joel Rosario-piloted Northern Invader at the top of the lane and stayed on strong to the wire, staving off the late charge of Program Trading to secure the narrow win in a final time of 1:43.05.
Morley credited Ortiz, Jr. for a heady ride.
"Many other riders would have gone for it when Joel came up the inside and Irad had the wherewithal to realize how much horse he had and was patient. He rationed out beautiful fractions and it was a seriously good ride,” Morley said.
Morley also credited Donegal Momentum for making a successful return following his troubled effort in the Kelso.
"I think he's a horse that probably hasn't got the respect he deserves. This year he's beaten some very good horses,” Morley said. “People say that he's a one-trick pony, that he needs the lead; but what he is, he's a fast horse. And he's a very good horse. I was delighted to see him come back after the mishap in the Kelso.
"It took us a few weeks to get him straightened out after the Kelso,” Morley added. “We had to take our time for three weeks with him and get everything ironed out and then we got back into a breeze program. But he's a horse that thrives on racing. He's a high-energy horse and he takes his racing very well.”
The ultra-consistent Donegal Momentum, who boasts a 12-6-2-1 record for purse earnings of $565,775, made the grade in the one-mile Grade 3 Poker in June here. He will now look for a first top-flight score when he takes on the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile on October 4 at Keeneland, which Morley’s 2021 Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap-winner Tell Your Daddy exited to finish second.
"The Baruch is a very historical race here that we've won before with Tell Your Daddy and he went on to Keeneland and finished second in what was then the Shadwell Turf Mile. We'll probably point towards the Coolmore Mile with him,” Morley said.
The talented horse was third in the nine-furlong Hollywood Derby in November at Del Mar in his only previous Grade 1 try.
Donegal Momentum was a $375,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the stakes-placed Malibu Moon mare Moon Dash.
Rainbow’s End Racing Stable and West Paces Racing’s Attfield was an emotional debut winner on Friday’s card, surging up the rail to post a neck victory over heavily favored Schwarzenegger in a 5 1/2-furlong turf maiden for 2-year-olds.
The Vekoma colt is named for Morley’s former assistant, John Attfield, who passed away in November. Attfield was a popular figure, who often dressed in colorful suits to match the silks of his horses on race day. Attfield had previously worked for his father, dual Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield, and with trainer Kelly Breen.
The equine Attfield, with Dylan Davis up, tracked from fourth position as Schwarzenegger zipped through splits of 21.59 seconds and 44.82 over the firm turf. While the debuting Schwarzenegger drifted out to the middle of the course in the stretch run, Attfield cut the corner and gained steadily to earn the victory in a final time of 1:03.31.
Morley said racing against such a well-backed first-time starter in Schwarzenegger took the pressure off.
“My instructions to Dylan were, 'don't worry about the one [Schwarzenegger], because he's meant to win this by five lengths.' Which, if you take Attfield out of the race, he actually would have done,” Morley said. “We all thought we were running for second and third - my 2-year-olds, I want them to have a good experience first time out. I told Dylan he'll break well and travel well - just make sure he finishes well and gallops out well and we can build off that.
“When he got through that hole inside Miguel's horse [Clement, Brooklyn Styles], he was a little green switching leads back and forth,” Morley continued. “Dylan gave him a tap left-handed and he really leveled off. It was a case of if he'd get there and was there enough real estate, but I thought it was an excellent debut from him.”
Both Morley and his wife, NYRA TV Analyst Maggie Wolfendale, were emotional in the winner’s circle after the unlikely score that capped a memorable day for the barn.
“Axelle Solares, my assistant at Belmont, and John both have a very special rapport with Donegal Momentum, so for him to come back from a blip and run as well as he did and win the Baruch and then for Attfield to win four races later it was a real roller-coaster of an afternoon,” Morley said.
Attfield, bred in Kentucky by Jose Martin Ramirez, was purchased for $220,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the Street Boss mare Graceful Witch, a half-sister to Listed stakes-winner Ray’s Away.
Morley said Attfield would be considered for a pair of Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” events on October 3 at Belmont at the Big A in the six-furlong Futurity [Sprint] and 1 1/16-mile Pilgrim [Juvenile Turf].
"I do think he'll go further. We have the Futurity on the same day. Those are both races we'll strongly consider, but I also think he'll run on dirt,” Morley said. “I was expecting him to run well. He's not turf bred but rather than run in one of those seven-furlong maidens Saturday first time out against $8 million worth of horses, I thought a soft start on the turf might be a good thing. Dylan came back and said, 'he loved the grass.' So, the dirt will be in his future at some juncture, for now we'll stick to the turf.”
West Paces Racing, Rainbow’s End Racing Stable and Michael P. Lyden’s Glavine finished a head second to Sunrise in his career debut here Sunday in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden for 2-year-olds.
With Luis Saez up, the Not This Time chestnut tracked three-wide and dueled the length of the stretch with the eventual winner in a strong debut performance.
“He's a supremely talented horse, who was unlucky not to break his maiden first time out,” Morley said.
The $250,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the winning Bernardini mare Aspen Hilltop. His second dam is Grade 1-winner Home Sweet Aspen.