Chancer McPatrick nets career-best 94 BSF for Listed Curlin score

• Chancer McPatrick nets career-best 94 BSF for Listed Curlin score
• Governor Sam and Sandal’s Song work for Weaver
• New Century works for G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational; Proctor Street earns 90 BSF in allowance score
• Long Ago could go from claim-to-fame in G2 Glens Falls
• Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund autograph Signing and Awareness Day set for Saturday; Riders Up! Karaoke Contest slated for Sunday

Flanagan Racing’s dual Grade 1-winner Chancer McPatrick earned both his first win around two turns and his highest Beyer Speed Figure [94] to date for a determined head victory in Thursday’s restricted Listed $135,000 Curlin presented by Casamigos, a nine-furlong route for sophomores who had not won a graded stake at one mile or over in 2025, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the son of McKinzie rebounded from a distant seventh over a muddy track in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun on June 7 here.

Ridden in the Curlin by Irad Ortiz, Jr. for the first time in the afternoon, Chancer McPatrick stalked the pace with inside position through the first half-mile before advancing in the turn while favored stablemate Strategic Focus made a bold move to take command from the pacesetting Crudo before flattening out. So Sandy made his move to challenge down the center of the track and bumped with Chancer McPatrick right at the wire, but Chancer McPatrick would not be denied and got his head down in a final time of 1:49.71.

While Chancer McPatrick has now won around two turns, Brown said a cutback in distance could be preferable to a stretch-out to 10 furlongs in the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 23 here. The logical place to do so would be the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on the same day, a race Brown has won three times with Practical Joke in 2017, Jack Christopher in 2022 and with Domestic Product last year.

“He’s fine, it was a gutsy performance and I’m glad to get him back on track,” Brown said of Chancer McPatrick. “I don’t know which direction we’re going, but I’m probably leaning towards the Allen Jerkens. I’m not sure he wants to run much farther than [the Curlin]. I’ll talk to the owner about that.”

Practical Joke and Jack Christopher both won the Jerkens when cutting back from nine furlongs, and Brown said the same tactic may work for Chancer McPatrick. 

“Cutbacks have worked for me in that race. It’s going to be a tough race, but we’ll see,” Brown concluded.

Klaravich Stables’ Strategic Focus was favored in the Curlin off a nine-furlong optional claiming effort on June 6 here that saw him disqualified and placed second, awarding him a 102 Beyer. He made his eye-catching move in the second turn of the Curlin, but stalled once he made the front and was defeated a half-length.

Brown said he has no immediate plans for the son of Gun Runner’s next start.

“He looks good, and I don’t know [what’s next]. I may try an equipment change, and he came back looking fine, but when he made the lead, he just dropped the bridle,” Brown explained. “When he made the lead in his last start, he had some steering issues. There’s something with this horse when he makes the lead, and I’m going to have to figure that out.”

On Friday, Brown sent out several trainees to breeze over the Oklahoma turf training track, including multiple graded stakes-winner Zulu Kingdom, who NYRA clockers caught covering a half-mile in 49.70 seconds in company with Grade 2-placed Early Adopter.

Zulu Kingdom, a sophomore son of Ten Sovereigns, was last seen posting a three-quarter-length victory over Capitol Hill in the Grade 3 Manila on July 4 here. The Grade 1-winning ridgling is pointing to the Grade 2, $400,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on August 1 here.

“Excellent, he’s on target for the Hall of Fame,” Brown said of the work. “He looks good.”

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Governor Sam and Sandal’s Song work for Weaver

Trainer George Weaver sent out Governor Sam and Sandal’s Song for solo half-mile breezes on Friday over the Oklahoma turf training track at Saratoga Race Course. Both turf sprinters were completing their first works back since their last races; Governor Sam won the Grade 3 Quick Call presented by Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation on July 13 here and Sandal’s Song was third in the Group 2 Norfolk on June 19 at Royal Ascot.

Bregman Family Racing and Swinbank Stables’ Grade 1-placed Governor Sam covered a half-mile in 48.96 seconds, out in 1:02 1/5 according to NYRA clockers. The sophomore Improbable bay improved to 5-for-9 in the Quick Call when a comfortable 3 1/2-length winner under Irad Ortiz, Jr. and is targeting the Grade 3, $175,000 Mahony on August 10 here.

“He worked fine,” said Weaver. “He is coming back here in the Mahony.”

Governor Sam went 4-for-6 as a juvenile with three turf sprint stakes scores at as many tracks, culminating with a pacesetting one-length third to Magnum Force in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar. He came from off-the-pace last out to rebound from a third in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed William Walker in April at Churchill Downs and a fourth in an off-the-turf allowance sprint on June 6 there.

“He’s always been a nice horse,” Weaver said. “He changed up styles last time a little bit and he is doing really well.”

Wathnan Racing’s Sandal’s Song covered the same distance in 48.44 seconds, out in 1:01 3/5 according to NYRA clockers. The 2-year-old Mendelssohn chestnut was a three-length third to Charles Darwin in the five-furlong Group 2 Norfolk on June 19 at Royal Ascot following a debut graduation in the Royal Palm Juvenile on May 10 at Gulfstream Park.

“He worked well,” said Weaver. “He ran well last out. We went over there, and he hit the board at least. We were hoping to win. That is a long way to go to finish third, but he is a horse of quality. We believe we have a legitimate chance to make the Breeders’ Cup with him and win it. That is our goal.”

Sandal’s Song’s path to the World Championships, set for October 31 to November 1 at Del Mar, is undecided. Weaver said he is possible for the 5 1/2-furlong $150,000 Skidmore on August 16 here.

“He might run in the Skidmore here,” Weaver said. “He might run at Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, we’ll pick a stakes race and run in one of them.”

Sandal’s Song, a $75,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, is out of the Munnings mare Sandal, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-placed Qurbaan and Group 3-winner Qareeb. His second dam is Grade 1-placed Flip Flop.

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New Century works for G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational; Proctor Street earns 90 BSF in allowance score

Qatar Racing’s Grade 1-winner New Century worked a half-mile in 49.92 seconds Friday over the Oklahoma training turf in preparation for a start in the Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational, a 1 3/16-mile Mellon turf test for sophomores on August 2, at Saratoga Race Course.

For the third consecutive year, per a partnership between the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and Moonee Valley Racing Club, the winner of the Saratoga Derby will receive an exclusive invitation into the prestigious Group 1, AUD$6 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate, set to take place on October 25.

The Brendan Walsh-trained New Century, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, worked to the outside of 2-year-old maiden Signatory Man.

“He worked good. I'm happy with him. He worked with a 2-year-old, nothing fancy, just a nice building work,” Walsh said.

The British-bred New Century, by Kameko, launched his career with trainer Andrew Balding, taking the Grade 1 Summer in September at Woodbine ahead of a closing two-length fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Del Mar.

New Century joined the Walsh barn for his last two outings, rallying from 12th-of-14 in the Grade 1 American Turf in May at Churchill Downs to finish a 1 1/4-length third to the victorious Zulu Kingdom, who exited that effort to win the Spa’s Grade 3 Manila.

Last out, in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational on July 4 here, New Century traveled in second position under Oisin Murphy before fading late to land a two-length fifth.

Bred in Great Britain by The Potent Embrace Partnership, New Century is out of the unraced Street Cry mare Potent Embrace, who also produced Group 3-winner and Group 1-placed Passion And Glory.

Patricia Moseley’s Kentucky homebred Proctor Street made her second start off the layoff a winning one with a last-to-first score in a Thursday optional-claimer here traveling 1 1/16-miles over firm Mellon turf.

The 4-year-old Street Sense dark bay raced three times as a sophomore, including a rallying nose score here last July in an optional-claimer that runner-up Grayosh exited to win the local Grade 2 Lake Placid. She completed her campaign with a prominent fifth in the Listed Winter Memories in September at Belmont at the Big A.

Proctor Street returned to action in June at Churchill Downs with a 2 3/4-length second to multiple graded stakes-placed Vive Veuve and Walsh said she benefitted from that effort in Thursday’s stylish score.

“She ran great. We've always liked the filly. She's 3-for-5. She's never done too much wrong,” Walsh said. “We gave her some time off last year and brought her back about a month ago at Churchill - she ran a nice race, just got a little tired. It set her up good for yesterday, as we saw.”

Proctor Street earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure in victory and Walsh said he is hopeful the daughter of the multiple graded stakes-winning Walsh-trained Moseley homebred Proctor’s Ledge, who won three graded events as part of an 18-5-4-1 record, can work her way back to stakes company.

“She's a nice filly, like her mum. She picked up good. A good turn of foot. Hopefully she can go on to bigger and better things,” Walsh said.

Walsh also indicated that Heider Family Stables’ Sigh No More, last out winner of the Boiling Springs at Monmouth Park, will point to the Grade 2, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational on August 9 here.

The sophomore daughter of Starspangledbanner won the Group 3 Eyrefield in October at Leopardstown for trainer Joseph O’Brien and was purchased for $347,504 at the 2024 Tattersalls December Mare Sale.

She finished a rallying fourth on debut for Walsh in the Listed Hilltop over good going in May at Pimlico Race Course.

“She’s doing good, so we’ll take a look at the Oaks,” Walsh said. “She won a stakes at Monmouth in her last start and is a Grade 3 winner in Ireland.”

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Long Ago could go from claim-to-fame in G2 Glens Falls

Chris Nolan’s Long Ago has been tabbed at morning line odds of 4-1 in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls, a 1 1/2-mile inner turf test for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.

The 5-year-old Roaring Lion chestnut looks to go from claim-to-fame for trainer William Morey after being haltered for $80,000 two starts back when wiring an 11-furlong optional claimer on June 11 at Churchill Downs for trainer Brendan Walsh.

In her barn debut in the nine-furlong Anchorage on June 29 at Churchill Downs, Long Ago traveled three lengths back in third position, and she ended up with show-honors three-quarter lengths back of the victorious dual graded-winner Pin Up Betty. She was headed out of second by Grade 3-winner Duvet Day while maintaining that same margin to Grade 1-placed Sparkle Blue in fourth.

“That was a good race,” said Morey. “Those were good mares she was running to the wire with. The top three or four mares in there were all really solid. It was a good race.”

Morey said he looks forward to stretching Long Ago back out in distance.

“We’re excited to try her at the long distance,” Morey said. “That is the main reason we are trying this race. She won at 1 3/8 miles, this is 1 1/2, but let’s call them close. We’re looking forward to that.”

In her recent 11-furlong triumph for Walsh, Long Ago led from gate-to-wire to defeat next-out winner In Time by 2 3/4 lengths. That rival was trained by Miguel Clement, who entered a trio for the Glens Falls, including the favored Bellezza, 3-1 second choice La Mehana and 15-1 Sacaya.

Morey agreed controlling speed could be optimal at the longer distance. Jose Ortiz rides from post 5.

“That’s what we’re hoping for, yes,” Morey said.

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Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund Autograph Signing and Awareness Day set for Saturday; Riders Up! Karaoke Contest slated for Sunday

On Saturday, July 26, Saratoga Race Course will host autograph signings and photo opportunities at the Jockey Silks Porch as part of Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) Awareness Day across America. The autograph session will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Suggested donations will benefit the PDJF.

On Sunday, July 27, the PDJF presents “Riders Up!” the annual karaoke contest and fundraiser pitting the vocal stylings of the nation’s top jockeys in an East versus West competition.

Riders Up! will be held at Vapors Night Club at 342 Jefferson Street in Saratoga Springs, N.Y with doors open at 7 p.m. and performances to start at 8 p.m.

For tickets and more information, please visit https://pdjf.org/purchase-tickets/

In addition, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) and the PDJF are proud to invite the racing community and Saratoga summer guests to an unforgettable evening at the LALO Tequila “For Jocks & Horses” Cocktail Social, held on Wednesday, July 30, from 6:00–8:00 PM at The Adelphi Hotel.

This drop-in style event promises a memorable mix of conversation, cocktails, and camaraderie in support of two vital causes, providing dignified lifetime care for retired racehorses and ongoing support for jockeys who have experienced life-altering injuries on the track.

To learn more, please visit: https://trfinc.org/event/lalo-for-jocks-and-horses/

For more information about the PDJF, please visit https://pdjf.org/.