Big Invasion returns in $135K Disco Partner

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Big Invasion returns from a nearly 10-month layoff in Sunday’s inaugural $135,000 Disco Partner, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up who have not won a graded sweepstakes in 2024-25, at Saratoga Race Course. 

The race is named for the multiple Grade 1-placed New York-bred Disco Partner, who won the 2016 Troy at the Spa and the 2017-18 Jaipur at Belmont Park for the late trainer Christophe Clement. Disco Partner set a new track and North American record time of 1:05.67 for six furlongs in the 2017 Jaipur, which still stands according to Equibase. 

Classy in his own right, Big Invasion posted a 22-9-5-1 record for Christophe Clement with over $1.1 million in earnings, including close seconds in the 2023 Grade 1 Jaipur at Belmont Park and that year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park. 

The Declaration of War bay’s past campaign, which featured a win over Sunday’s course and distance in the Listed Harvey Pack last September, ended with an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. Big Invasion now prepares for his first start for conditioner Miguel Clement as he embarks on his 6-year-old campaign. 

“It would be great to try and win it,” said Clement. “He had a bit of a setback in the spring at Keeneland when he got a bit of a splint, which was unfortunate timing and rare for an older horse. He's over it, sound and training very well. At his best, he's a very good sprinter.”

Clement recalled when Disco Partner [33-11-6-8, $1.4 million] made it three consecutive Jaipur triumphs for his father following the 2016-victor Pure Sensation [38-14-5-7, $2 million]- both gray Patricia Generazio homebreds.  

"They made us look like the gray turf sprinting outfit. They provided us with great memories. Pure Sensation would go straight to the front; Disco Partner would come from the back and the two grays would meet together at the wire,” said Clement. “They ran a lot together in turf sprints and both were owned by Mr. and Mrs. Generazio - those were great days.” 

Big Invasion [post 9, Dylan Davis] seeks his ninth overall stakes win, notable past scores including the 2022 Grade 3 Quick Call presented by Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation here and the 2023 Grade 2 Nearctic at Woodbine. 

KatieRich Stables, Christopher Connors and Lawrence Appel’s dual stakes-winning New York-homebred Works for Me [post 8, Luis Saez] enters from a 4 1/4-length second to Bring Theband Home in the Listed Harvey Pack over course and distance on July 4. 

Trained by Joe Lee, the 4-year-old Daddy Long Legs chestnut was bumped when traveling midpack in the Harvey Pack, but remained stalking the pace set by Bring Theband Home and closed willingly for second as that dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse-trained rival went on to victory and exited to win the Grade 2 Troy on August 3 here. 

“In the Harvey Pack, we got bumped around,” said Lee. “Not that we were going to beat Mark Casse's horse, he was gone, but I thought we'd be closer if we weren't jostled around.” 

Works for Me, who has returned from a minor nick on his leg sustained in the Harvey Pack, previously captured a local open optional claimer sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. After a stumble at the start, he traveled in mid-pack under Flavien Prat, finding a seam between rivals in the stretch and holding strong to keep a half-length in front of the closing Antares. 

There, Works for Me was making his second start off the layoff after a nose defeat to Felix in a May 4 optional claimer at Belmont at the Big A. Works for Me’s other effort over Spa turf was a deep-closing 1 3/4-length fifth in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Mahony last August. 

“He always tries,” Lee said. “He's a great horse to be around and so kind. He likes it up here. In the Mahony last year, he was 14 or 15 lengths out of it at the three-eighths pole. He came from way out of it and got bumped down the lane a couple times and still only got beat a length and three-quarters and galloped out really well.”

Works for Me capped his past campaign with a dead-heat for victory with returning rival Alogon in the Listed Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship in November. He also won the state-bred Notebook as a juvenile sprinting six furlongs over the Aqueduct Racetrack main track.

JAL Racing’s Doncho [post 6, Junior Alvarado] steps up in class off a 5 1/2-furlong optional claiming win on August 8 at Ellis Park where his final time of 59.75 seconds on the firm turf broke Cogburn’s North American record of 59.80 from last year’s Jaipur. Trained by Michelle Lovell, the 4-year-old Mo Town gelding was making just his second start on the lawn among eight career outings, highlighted by a win in the six-furlong dirt Listed Gold Fever last May at Belmont at the Big A. 

Both his good and sealed Gold Fever and last-out turf victory earned a career-best 96 Beyer in gate-to-wire fashion. Doncho kicked off his current campaign three starts back with his lone other effort on turf when a distant ninth at Sunday’s distance in April at Keeneland. 

Charles T. Matses’ Grade 1-placed Kentucky homebred Alogon [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] was fourth to Bring Theband Home in the Grade 2 Troy last out on August 3 over course and distance. Trained by Ned Allard, the 6-year-old California Chrome gelding launched a wide bid at the top of the lane, but ultimately settled for a 3 3/4-length fourth behind his heavily favored rival. 

Alogon was third in his other two efforts this year, including the six-furlong Listed Elusive Quality in May at Belmont at the Big A ahead of the 5 1/2-furlong Grade 1 Jaipur on June 8 here. He holds a 22-6-2-6 record with three stakes scores, the aforementioned dead-heat with Works for Me, and also outright winning last year’s Listed Parx Dash and the 2023 Wolf Hill at Monmouth Park. 

Roger Cimbora, Jr.’s New York homebred Twenty Six Black [post 5, Flavien Prat] was a closing 1 1/2-length second to Bring Theband Home last out in the Grade 2 Troy. Trained by Horacio De Paz, the 5-year-old War Dancer gelding rallied from 6th-of-7 to earn a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure in defeat. 

Twenty Six Black was previously fourth in three consecutive six-furlong turf stakes at Aqueduct, including the Listed Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship, the Listed Elusive Quality and the state-bred Ashley T. Cole. 

Another New York-bred War Dancer gelding to keep an eye on is Grade 3-winner Dancing Buck [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche], who hasn’t raced since a sixth in Cogburn’s 2024 Jaipur last June here. Trained by Michelle Nevin, Dancing Buck wired the 2022 Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint at Belmont at the Big A and boasts plenty of back class. 

The dark bay kicks off his 7-year-old campaign after a past season that featured a win in the Listed Elusive Quality at Belmont at the Big A and a close runner-up finish in the Grade 3 San Simeon at Santa Anita Park when in the care of Rick Dutrow, Jr. 

Rounding out the field is dirt Grade 3-winner Bold Journey [post 3, Jose Lezcano] for Hall of Famer Bill Mott; dual Grade 2-placed Eamonn [post 4, Javier Castellano] for trainer Joe Orseno; Grade 2-placed Step Forward [post 10, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] for dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse; and dual stakes-winner Outlaw Kid [post 2, Manny Franco] for trainer George Weaver.

Burninhunkoflove is entered for the main track-only. 

The Disco Partner is slated as Race 10 on Sunday’s 14-race program, which features the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in Race 5, awarding a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar. First post is 11:20 a.m. Eastern. 

Highlighted by the 107th running of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, a special edition of Saratoga Live presented by Caesars Sportsbook will air on FOX from 1-2 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, August 31.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit nyra.com/tv.

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