Cox mulls options for Leading Change after G1 DraftKings Travers triumph

• Cox mulls options for Leading Change after G1 DraftKings Travers triumph
• Chad Brown’s fabulous fillies Ways and Means, Fully Subscribed and Naomis shine bright at the Spa
• Golden Tempo, Englishman to depart Saratoga for Keeneland on Monday with an eye on the Breeders’ Cup
• Napoleon Solo under consideration for G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic or Dirt Mile after G1 Travers second
• The Puma lands a good fourth in G1 DraftKings Travers
• Club Reign points to G1 Champagne off sparkling maiden score
• Moquett full of praise for Hymn after G1 Forego score
• Next start undecided for Renegade, eighth in DraftKings Travers as second choice
• LaRose picks up another 2-year-old win with Virabhadrasana, will try to close Saratoga meet strongly with Stress Relief and Midnight Still
• Wood Island earns 78 BSF for Skidmore
• Evershed eyes G2 Flower Bowl off G3 Waya victory

Wathnan Racing’s Leading Change remained perfect through three starts with his gutsy half-length victory at 10-1 odds over Napoleon Solo in Saturday’s 10-furlong Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers at Saratoga Race Course, and few were happier with the result than the colt’s dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox.

“I tell you, yesterday watching that horse run, that was about as excited as I’ve ever been in however many horses I’ve run,” said Cox, who won his second Travers after taking the 2021 edition with Essential Quality. “It was unbelievable. Someone asked me what the difference was between this and when ‘E.Q.’ won – well, ‘E.Q.’ was a Champion 2-Year-Old and had won the Belmont and was heavily favored. When you win a race and you’re heavily favored, sometimes it’s just like, the pressure is off and you want to get it over with, but that was something yesterday. I really enjoyed it, and it was nice to see that horse step up and perform the way we thought he could. I’m happy for our team and the Wathnan group. It meant a lot.”

Guided to victory by Manny Franco, the son of Gun Runner was sharp from post 2-of-10, but sat patiently on the inside in a shared second as Napoleon Solo marked splits of 23.66 seconds, 47.95 and 1:12.62 over the fast main track. Sea Strike advanced to challenge for the lead exiting the turn and Leading Change angled out around the top two to make his bid. The colt responded with aplomb, putting away Sea Strike and grinding to the outside of Napoleon Solo to will himself in front for the narrow score in a final time of 2:02.98, with Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes-winner Golden Tempo running on late for third. Leading Change earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.  

“He looks good and was just out walking, looked good last night, came out of it in good order,” Cox said. “He’s always been one that seems to take his workload real well and recover quickly.”

The win continued a well-established run of success for the partnership of Cox and Franco, who teamed up with 2024 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Immersive as Franco rode her to three Grade 1 wins. Together, the jockey/trainer combo has posted additional graded wins with Comparative and Hit Show, and Franco often rides first call for Cox throughout the winter in New York.

“He’s a top rider, bottom line, and he’s proved that this summer,” Cox said. “We’ve had confidence in him for years. Immersive a few years ago, he won all three Grade 1s on her. He’s riding with confidence seeing it all play out, and he’s on top of his game right now.”

Leading Change now joins a stellar cast of top sophomores for Cox, including fellow Grade 1-winners Commandment and Further Ado. The trainer said that while all three horses were standouts from Day One, Leading Change always stood tallest.

“I’ve always felt this was the most talented horse in the group,” Cox said. “Further Ado has always been an incredibly good work horse, and Commandment is super honest and tries hard all the time. They’re different, but it’s a solid group of horses. I think these three colts are as good as any colts in the country.”

Leading Change gave up plenty of seasoning to a large group of rivals in the Travers, including the aforementioned Napoleon Solo and Golden Tempo, as well as Grade 1-winners Baby Vino [seventh] and Renegade [eighth]. He debuted just 12 weeks ago with a 6 1/2-length stroll going seven furlongs in June at Churchill Downs, and faced both winners and a two-turn test for the first time when annexing the Grade 3 Indiana Derby by a neck on July 11.
The colt’s rapid ascent to the top of this division was a welcome one for Cox and the Wathnan Racing team, who were forced to be patient after he was entered to debut in October at Keeneland, but scratched the morning of with what was discovered to be bone bruising.

“I was confident he would run well [in the Travers]. He’s always been good. We knew he was very good last fall, and we thought he was the horse that would take us where we wanted to go,” Cox said. “After he had his setback, we started looking at the calendar and said, ‘oh wow, we’re not going to make the Kentucky Derby because we’re not going to be able to run in any preps.’ When he came back off the layoff, he was very rusty. He gained weight with his layoff, which is expected, but he had lost a lot of fitness. It did take him a while to get back into shape – when he came back and started training, there was maybe a little bit of a concern that he wasn’t the horse he was. But maybe six weeks prior to his debut at Churchill, he was showing signs of the talent we saw as a 2-year-old.”

An appetizing purse of $7 million is on offer this fall in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, and several of the year’s top sophomores – and older horses - will be looking to add that feather to their cap, but Leading Change may not be one of them. Cox said the still-developing colt could set his sights on something further down the line, such as the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in the spring.

“I don’t know that we have to go to the Breeders’ Cup – who says we have to? We’ll talk that over with the Wathnan team,” Cox said. “I am a very realistic person and I do look at numbers, and he ran a great race yesterday, but he had to fight to win and he showed he can handle a mile and a quarter. We think that’s something he’s going to be really good at the rest of his career, and the Dubai World Cup means a lot to the Wathnan team, so we’ll watch him come out of it, ship him back to Churchill, and I don’t want to say too much on future plans yet. I’m all about trying to develop him, and yeah, we’re looking at the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but it very well could be the 2027 Classic.”

Bred by WinStar Farm, Leading Change is out of the Congrats mare Starship Warpspeed, making him a half-brother to the Cox-trained Kentucky Oaks-winner Shedaresthedevil. Cox said class is the common thread that runs through the family.

“Great minds,” he said of the similarity between the siblings. “He might be even more laid back.”

In the sophomore sprint division, Juddmonte’s Kentucky homebred Deep Flame would likely be the standout in any other year, but is unlucky to be from the same crop as Englishman, who has dominated his last two starts in Grade 1 company here and was a devastating winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, where Deep Flame was second beaten 3 3/4 lengths.

“He came out of it good. Unfortunately for him, it’s probably a bad year to be a fast, one-turn 3-year-old,” Cox said, with a laugh. “He’s a good horse, and with what he showed yesterday, it made me start thinking – and this is up to the Juddmonte team – about pumping the brakes with him and try to get him ready for a 2027 campaign, because I don’t want to just chase horses that are faster around there than we are and discourage him.”

Cox also sent out Qatar Racing’s Senior Officer to land a dead-heat second behind the victorious Hymn in Saturday’s Grade 1 Forego. The effort ended a three-race win streak that included a pair of narrow allowance-level victories in June and July here, and was his first start in stakes company. He weaved through rivals in the stretch from off the pace to hit the wire in tandem with longshot T Kraft for the minor awards.

“He’s good, and he ran well, just couldn’t get there,” Cox said of the son of Into Mischief that has never been worse than second in seven efforts. “He had a pretty good trip and I’m excited about giving him another shot at that level down the road.”

And while Cox relishes a fruitful Travers Day, the peaks and valleys of life as a horse trainer are ever present as a small issue was discovered with top colt Commandment this week, taking him out of consideration for the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby on September 19 at Parx Racing.

“He did have a setback, that’s something that’s just developed over the last day or two. I don’t think it’s major, but it is going to require a little time,” Cox said of the son of Into Mischief that was last seen finishing second to Renegade in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun on August 1 here. “I had him slated to breeze Friday, but had to cancel that. He shipped back to Kentucky and we still need to do some diagnostics on him. He’ll be fine, it’s just [a question of] how much time is he going to get off, and I think the intent is to try to [aim for] 2027.”

Cox added that Commandment is not expected to race again this year.

 

***
Chad Brown’s fabulous fillies Ways and Means, Fully Subscribed and Naomis shine bright at the Spa

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown’s barn at Saratoga Race Course was dressed up with the flower blankets from a trio of winning fillies on Saturday’s Travers Day card thanks to stellar performances from Ways and Means in the Grade 1, $500,000 Resorts World Casino Ballerina, Fully Subscribed in the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign and Naomis in the Grade 2, $400,000 Lake Placid. All three fillies were piloted to victory by Flavien Prat, who won five races on the 14-race card.

Ways and Means, owned by Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables, continued her tremendous form at the Spa, where she has won 6-of-7 starts, with a 5 1/2-length romp in the Ballerina, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. The winning effort returned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. In victory, she earned a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in October at Keeneland after which she is likely to be offered at public auction.

“It was a very special result. She's got six wins in seven starts at Saratoga, that's just a remarkable career that's coming to an end soon,” Brown said. “To do that on Travers day with the Klarmans here and my family here, with a horse that's really become our barn favorite through the years, and to shine on Travers Day like that was special.”

Ways and Means, a Kentucky homebred, is by the Brown-trained Practical Joke, a multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire campaigned by Klaravich Stables in partnership with William H. Lawrence. Practical Joke’s Grade 1 scores include the 2016 Hopeful and 2017 H. Allen Jerkens at the Spa, as well as the 2016 Champagne at Belmont Park. Ways and Means is out of the Klaravich Stables and Lawrence-campaigned Warrior’s Reward mare Strong Incentive, a maiden winner at Saratoga in 2015 for Brown who closed her brief career with a win against fellow Ontario-breds later that year in the Jammed Lovely at Woodbine.

Brown is hopeful that Ways and Means, who he noted was in good order Sunday morning, will complete her career with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint and cap what would surely be a Championship campaign.

Brown has won the Filly and Mare Sprint on three occasions, with Wavell Avenue in 2015 at Keeneland and twice with Goodnight Olive [2022, Keeneland; 2023, Santa Anita Park], the latter mare using the Ballerina as a springboard on both occasions [winning in 2022, running second in 2023] en route to back-to-back honors as Champion Female Sprinter.

“I think she's as good as them. Hopefully, she can stay healthy and get in that race the right way,” Brown said. “She’s the best looking filly that's ever come into my barn. She's got to come with one more big one in the Breeders' Cup. It's a race we've won three times, and we’ve had success at Keeneland.”

Klaravich Stables also captured a “Win and You’re In” berth to this year’s Breeders’ Cup with Fully Subscribed, who scored by 9 3/4-lengths in the nine-furlong Personal Ensign for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up to earn her way into the Grade 1 Distaff. The victory registered a career-best 106 Beyer.

The 4-year-old Tiz the Law chestnut entered from a half-length score over returning rival Scottish Lassie, a dual Grade 1-winner, in the Grade 2 Shuvee on July 24 here. After finishing second in a pair of Grade 1s earlier this year – to Shred the Gnar in the La Troienne at Churchill and to the reigning 2025 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Nitrogen in the Ogden Phipps presented by Ford – Brown was thrilled to see Fully Subscribed earn her first top-flight win.

“She's really stepped up and moved forward like we thought she could,” Brown said. “She's put it all together finally. She's always trained really good but yesterday was a breakthrough performance.”

Fully Subscribed will use either the nine-furlong Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame on September 25 at Belmont Park or the nine-furlong Grade 1, $650,000 [$150,000 KTDF] Spinster on October 3 at Keeneland as a bridge to the Breeders’ Cup.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Thirty Year Racing and Michael J. Caruso’s Naomis closed from last-of-8 to make her stateside debut a winning one with a stunning half-length score in the Grade 2 Lake Placid, a one-mile inner turf test for sophomore fillies. She earned an 88 Beyer.

“I wasn't sure there was enough real estate to get there at a mile, but that was some quick turn of foot. She had trained like she had a lot of promise,” Brown said.

Naomis had initially been considered for the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Lake George presented by Surfside on August 1 here but spiked a temperature and re-routed to the Lake Placid.

She captured the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham on May 31 at Chantilly in her final start in her native France after being privately purchased. The City Light bay did win at 10-furlongs as a 2-year-old at Lyon-Parilly and Brown said he plans to stretch out Naomis to nine furlongs for her next outing in the Grade 1, $750,000 [$150,000 KTDF] Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 10 at Keeneland.

“That was a good spot to start her on form as she had been running a mile over there, but I think there's more run there,” Brown said.

Brown landed fifth and sixth, respectively, with Emerging Market and Sea Strike in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers.

Klaravich Stables’ Emerging Market captured the Louisiana Derby in March at Fair Grounds ahead of a 10th-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs. The Candy Ride chestnut was fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in June here and followed with a runner-up try versus elders in an optional-claimer on July 25 in which he was wide and far back before closing well.

Emerging Market exited post 1-of-10 in the Travers under Ricardo Santana, Jr. and made a five-wide run down the lane to finish 5 1/4-lengths back of the victorious Leading Change.

Flanagan Racing’s Sea Strike, by Midshipman, entered from a rousing 8 1/4-length score in the restricted Listed Curlin presented by Casamigos on August 2 here in just his third career start. The winning effort earned a lofty 102 Beyer. The attractive chestnut exited post 7 under Prat in the Travers and was well positioned in second to the outside of Napoleon Solo at the top of the lane, but landed six lengths back of Leading Change.

“Both horses got good trips, they just didn't fire,” Brown said. “I think Sea Strike, from the quarter-pole home, it looked like he felt his big number in the Curlin and bounced.”

Brown said Sea Strike was in good order Sunday morning and that no definite plans have been made for him as of yet.

“I don't think it's a distance thing. I'm not looking to run him a mile and a quarter the next time I run him, he just didn't fire the same way from the quarter-pole home,” Brown said.

Brown said Emerging Market will likely take a break.

“No excuse for him. He looks like a horse that might need to be backed up on, given a break and just re-group. I'll pull the plug on him for a while - he's sound, he's just fallen off a bit,” Brown said.

A successful weekend of stakes runners also saw Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Richard Schermerhorn’s dual Grade 1-winning New York-bred Spirit of St Louis surpass the $2 million mark in career earnings with a rallying half-length score in Friday’s state-bred $200,000 West Point presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital.

The 7-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding won a pair of Grade 1s last year, taking the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park and the Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.

“It's nice to get him over $2 million, he's been a solid horse for us,” Brown said. “My team has done a good job of keeping that horse healthy through the years and managing him carefully. He's had a nice, full career and is still going strong.

“We'll probably have a couple more starts with him and then work on getting him a second career as an 8-year-old,” Brown added. “He's such a cool horse, he deserves it, and I think he'll be happy doing that.”

Brown indicated Spirit of St Louis is likely to stay in New York-bred company. A logical upcoming spot for the dark bay would be a third appearance in the state-bred $200,000 Mohawk on October 24 at Belmont Park – a race he won back-to-back in 2023-24.

Spirit of St Louis, bred by Chester and Mary Broman, has banked $2,035,000 through a 24-12-5-1 record.

Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm’s Always a Runner, winner of the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in May at Churchill, worked a half-mile in 48.75 Saturday over the Spa main track. The Gun Runner dark bay is pointing to the Grade 1 Cotillion on September 19 at Parx Racing.

Brown said he is extremely pleased with how Always a Runner is training into the Cotillion.

“She's working like she was in May again. It's remarkable that she's been able to hold form,” Brown said.

Always a Runner has made five starts this year, graduating in February at Tampa Bay Downs and winning the Grade 3 Gazelle in April at Aqueduct Racetrack ahead of her Oaks coup. She followed with a pair of Grade 1 seconds to Counting Stars here in the DraftKings Acorn in June and the Coaching Club American Oaks on July 25.

***
Golden Tempo, Englishman to depart Saratoga for Keeneland on Monday with an eye on the Breeders’ Cup

Trainer Cherie DeVaux on Sunday expressed pride in the accomplishments of Golden Tempo and Englishman and discussed the long-term plans her stable has for the pair of 3-year-old colts.

Back as the 2-1 favorite in Saturday's Grade 1 DraftKings Travers, Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets winner Golden Tempo raced as far as 16 lengths behind the pacesetter in ninth before working his way through the field. He was 2 1/2 lengths behind the leader in third at the stretch call but made no further impact, finishing third, beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Leading Change, who took command from Napoleon Solo in the final 50 yards of the 10-furlong race for 3-year-olds.

“None of us are disappointed in his race,” said DeVaux, who trains the homebred Golden Tempo for Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable. “He’s a horse that just needs things to go in his favor. Not everything in his favor, but some things need to happen, and it wasn’t the case yesterday, but he still ran a great race, and we’re pleased and proud of him. We’re still going to march on to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.”

Earlier on the card, DeVaux sent out Englishman to another dominant victory at Saratoga as the colt posted a front-running victory in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds. His final time of 1:20.71 was .31 seconds slower than the track record-equaling time of 1:20.40 he provided in his Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun victory here on June 6.

“It was another electrifying performance from [Englishman],” said DeVaux. “He’s been ultra consistent in his whole career, with the exception of stretching out to the mile [in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile in May]. He’s an exciting horse. I would say I would be hard pressed to have another horse like him in my barn ever. Again, ultra impressive.”

DeVaux said Englishman likely will train up to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Whether Golden Tempo will race between the DraftKings Travers and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic will be decided by DeVaux and the colt’s owners at a later date. Both the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Breeders’ Cup Sprint will be contested October 31 at Keeneland. Golden Tempo and Englishman will depart Saratoga on Monday for DeVaux’s base at Keeneland, the trainer said.

On the work tab for DeVaux on Sunday was Grade 2 Secretariat winner Supercharger, who breezed four furlongs over the Oklahoma training track in 49.05 seconds. Supercharger, who like Englishman races for C R K Stable, is targeting the Grade 3 Old Dominion Derby on September 7 at Colonial Downs.
“He’s doing great,” said DeVaux. “Another exciting horse in our stable. It took him a little while to get there, but he has been really impressive, so we are really pleased with him.”

***
Napoleon Solo under consideration for G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic or Dirt Mile after G1 Travers second

Espoir USA’s dual Grade 1-winner Napoleon Solo was game on the lead before landing a half-length second to Leading Change in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers, the 10-furlong test for 3-year-olds, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Chad Summers, the Grade 1 Champagne and Preakness-winning Napoleon Solo will now point towards the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic or Dirt Mile. The decision between those two races will come at a later date.

“He bounced out of the race well. We’ll see how the races kind of go and see how everything goes,” Summers said. “Just kind of how the races set up and figure out what makes the most amount of sense. Obviously, we’ve made no secrets for our long range goal, which is to get to the Saudi Cup. The moves we make will be with that in mind.”

Summers said Napoleon Solo would train up to the Breeders’ Cup rather than contest another race beforehand.

“With the Saudi Cup being in February, knowing he’s not going to be able to have an extended break on a farm like maybe you’d normally do with a horse of his caliber coming back for a 2027 campaign, and knowing we’d want to get a race into him after the Breeders’ Cup, it just makes sense to give him a little freshening here,” said Summers.

Napoleon Solo was second to the Jorge Vargas, Jr.-piloted Baby Vino in the Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell in July at Monmouth Park before his heartbreaker Saturday to the Brad Cox-trained and Manny Franco-ridden Leading Change in the Travers. Baby Vino ran seventh in Saturday’s Travers with Paco Lopez aboard.

“Happy and sad at the same time, he showed up again, but sad to not get that Travers victory. Wanted it for everybody involved, the connections, and felt like he ran a winning race. Credit to Team Cox,” Summers said. “[Leading Change] got an unbelievable ride from Franco. We’ve now lost two Grade 1s by a half-length in a row and it might’ve been the ride of Vargas’ career and might have been the ride of Manny Franco’s career. We’ll take that as it is, take nothing away from our horse and look forward to hopefully avenging this loss, like we did when we ran against Baby Vino yesterday.”

***
The Puma lands a good fourth in G1 DraftKings Travers

OGMA Investments, JR Ranch, High Step Racing, TCC Stables and YNG Stables’ The Puma closed for a solid 3 1/4-length fourth in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers, the 10-furlong test for 3-year-olds, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the Essential Quality chestnut was previously fourth in the Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell in July at Monmouth Park.

“He looks good this morning,” said Gustavo Delgado, Jr., son of and assistant to Delgado. “It was just a very competitive field. They were all right there together. I think we had to go wide a little bit, but we were really happy with the effort. He always shows up.”

Delgado, Jr. said The Puma’s run from seventh to fourth was not one entirely sustained move.

“He was making his move piece by piece,” Delgado, Jr. said. “At the quarter [pole], then right at the end he started engaging again. I mean that’s all about timing [fractions] and stuff like that, but I think he looks good this morning.
That’s what you hope for, that they come back good and you think about the next one.”

Delgado, Jr. said a next spot hasn’t been determined, but The Puma may remain in Saratoga for around two weeks as connections select a race.

***
Club Reign points to G1 Champagne off sparkling maiden score

Trainer Whit Beckman started off Saturday’s Grade 1 DraftKings Travers Day card at Saratoga Race Course with a sparkling six-length score from promising 2-year-old Club Reign in a six-furlong maiden special weight.

The Core Beliefs colt utilized a prominent trip and drew clear from his six rivals comfortably down the lane to win in a final time of 1:11.27 to earn a 73 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He's always been a special horse. He's extremely talented in the morning and to do that in the afternoon, he lived up to the billing,” Beckman said.

Club Reign is owned by Ribble Farms, Three Brand Racing and Walmac Farm. Three Brand Racing is the nom de course of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, who was at the Spa Saturday with his Grammy Award-winning wife Ciara and their family. Wilson’s interest in horse racing was sparked, in part, by his brother Harry, who lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

“I've known Russell's brother for 10 years and he lives down the street from me,” Beckman said. “We're happy that they could come and share it with us and see what we do here. We have an amazing outlet for competition, getting together with family and friends and being part of something big. It's a lot of fun. I'm grateful he's chosen to go down this road with us. I’m hoping we can reproduce that with many more peak moments.”

That next peak moment could come in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile on October 3 at Belmont Park which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on October 30 at Keeneland.

“My thoughts go back to another horse I was around a lot that broke his maiden on Travers Day and the next race he won was the Champagne,” Beckman said, with a nod to the Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained Uncle Mo, who followed the Champagne victory with a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile score when Beckman worked as an assistant. “It seems like a good progression and nice timing. If that's the case, good, if he needs more time we'll give him more time.”

Beckman, who also trains horses for former Major League Baseball star Jayson Werth, acknowledged his barn does seem to be aligning with a number of professional athletes.

“Two of them…we don't have enough to field a team yet,” he said, with a laugh. “I’m working on it.”

Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate, Ribble Farms, Hoolie Racing Stable and Kamp Racing Stables’ popular maiden Ocelli landed ninth in the Travers. The Connect colt competed in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, finishing third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at odds of 70-1 and fourth in the Grade 1 Preakness.

“The track was a little quick, but I thought he was in a good spot down the backside and moving well,” Beckman said. “As soon as he switched leads in the turn, he just went idle and lost the same gear we'd seen in other races. He's fine this morning.

“We haven't come to a decision on any future plans,” he added. “We’re just enjoying the moment, and he'll tell us.”

Beckman’s Travers Day lineup also includes sixth-place finishes from Kokomotion in the Grade 2 Lake Placid and Bring the Smoke in the Grade 1 Forego. The conditioner said all of his starters came back in good order.

***
Moquett full of praise for Hymn after G1 Forego score

Fleur De Lis Stables, William Sparks and Bret Jones’ Hymn earned his first graded victory with a three-quarter-length score in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Forego, at Saratoga Race Course. The seven-furlong sprint for 3-years-old and up provided a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in October at Keeneland.

“I really like how he came out of the race, he seemed very happy this morning,” trainer Ron Moquett said. “I was very pleased obviously with the way it worked out. I thought Ricardo [Santana, Jr.] rode him the exact way it took to win the race.”

Moquett indicated that he would prefer the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for Hymn rather than the Dirt Mile and could look to use the Grade 2, $400,000 Phoenix on October 2 at Keeneland as a potential bridge with that race offering a “Win and You’re In” berth to his preferred event.

“Yes, if we win that sprint, we can go there [Breeders’ Cup Sprint],” said Moquett. “He’s proven he’s better at a sprint distance, but we might be willing to try something later.”

Moquett won the 2018 Forego with Whitmore en route to runner-up efforts in that year’s Phoenix and Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He followed the same route in 2020, landing seventh in the Forego and fourth in the Phoenix ahead of an 18-1 upset score in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland.

***
Next start undecided for Renegade, eighth in DraftKings Travers as second choice

Renegade, eighth in the Grade 1 DraftKings Travers on Saturday as the 3-1 second choice, emerged from the 10-furlong race for 3-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course in good shape, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday morning.

Owned by Repole Stable and Robert and Lawana Low, Renegade was attempting to become Pletcher’s fourth horse to complete the Jim Dandy-Travers double, but plans began to go awry at the starting gate as Renegade was fractious before lunging at the start and was pinched back by Ocelli and The Puma. He trailed the field in 10th and was 17 1/2-lengths behind pacesetting Napoleon Solo a half-mile into the race, never seriously cutting into that deficit before ultimately finishing eighth, beaten 10 3/4 lengths by Leading Change. In addition to the Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun on August 1, Renegade’s record includes a victory in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in March.

“While I was watching [Renegade] in the starting gate, I was hoping they would maybe back him out and give him a chance to regain his composure," said Pletcher. “He wasn’t quite settled leaving the gate, and then he got swiped by [Ocelli and The Puma]. We were looking for him to settle [off the pace], but that was kind of extreme how far back he was. And he never seemed to be able to get outside in the clear, away from the dirt, and make that run that he likes to make, but I think it all went wrong before the start.”

Pletcher and the colt's owners have not yet made a decision regarding Renegade’s next start.

“I usually try not to make any decisions immediately after a race,” said Pletcher. “It appears as though he came out of it in good order this morning. We will give it a few days and get with the team and come back with a game plan.”

Pletcher’s highest-finishing stakes entrant on Saturday at Saratoga was Spendthrift Farm’s Local Knowledge, who finished in 11 1/2 lengths in arrears of Englishman when third in the seven-furlong Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial for 3-year-olds. Local Knowledge was the 7-2 third choice in that race off a victory in the Grade 2 Amsterdam on July 31.

“I thought Local Knowledge ran well,” said Pletcher. “The winner was very good. I think when you have a horse of that caliber and he is able to go the first quarter in 23 [seconds], it’s kind of impossible to make up a lot of ground when they run as fast as he does. So, I thought it was a solid try from [Local Knowledge], and it was a really fast race, but I’m thinking he might appreciate a little more distance down the road.”

East Jabip, owned by Blue Bird Stables, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Ken T. Reimer, finished a game fourth in the Grade 2 Lake Placid for 3-year-old fillies after veering out and hitting the side of the gate, causing jockey Tyler Gaffalione to have his right foot fall out of the stirrup. She pulled herself forward to press the pace from the outside and took the lead turning for home before being outfinished in the final furlong of the one-mile turf race.

“She hit the side of the gate pretty hard, and Tyler had to get his foot back in the iron,” said Pletcher. “She was pretty wide around the first turn. I thought she was very game to keep fighting and keep it close after, basically, an impossible start.”

In the seven furlong Grade 1 Forego for 3-year-olds and up, James J. Bakke and Gerald Isbister’s Tip Top Thomas set a contested pace from post position 1 before yielding in the stretch and finishing fifth, beaten 2 3/4 lengths.

“He set some solid fractions. He just couldn’t quite hold off those horses in the end,” said Pletcher. "He might be better going just a touch further. You never want to draw the one hole going seven-eighths, so, that was not what we were hoping for because [jockey Flavien Prat] had to ride him away from there a little bit and use him a little more than we were hoping.”

Pletcher’s lone win on the DraftKings Travers card came in Race 3 with Grazie, who returned from a 10-month layoff to take a 6 1/2-furlong entry-level allowance race for New York-bred fillies and mares by 8 1/4 lengths. The 3-year-old was making her first start since finishing second in the Maid of the Mist last October at Belmont at the Big A.

“Pretty good comeback,” said Pletcher. “She had been training very well leading into it. She showed up and ran to her training.”

At Kentucky Downs on Saturday, Pletcher sent out Pinpoint, who broke his maiden on August 1 at Saratoga in his second start, to a third-place finish in the Listed Kentucky Downs Juvenile. Pletcher said the colt will be considered for the Grade 2 Pilgrim, which will be contested at 1 1/16 miles on turf October 3 at Belmont Park. Like Renegade and Grazie, Pinpoint races for Repole Stable. The Pilgrim offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in October at Keeneland.

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LaRose picks up another 2-year-old win with Virabhadrasana, will try to close Saratoga meet strongly with Stress Relief and Midnight Still

Rookie trainer Kinnon LaRose on Saturday continued his strong run with 2-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course when Virabhadrasana won Race 6, a six-furlong maiden event for fillies, by 2 1/2 lengths.

In her lone prior outing, Virabhadrasana trailed the field in last-of-10 before passing tiring rivals to finish fourth, beaten 9 1/4 lengths, in an August 1 race won by Life Changing, who is targeting next Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway. Yesterday, Virabhadrasana was hustled from the gate by returning rider Ricardo Santana, Jr. and chased the pacesetter in second before taking the lead turning for home and being driven to a 2 1/2-length score.

“I thought she ran well [in her debut], but she broke horrible,” said LaRose. “She spotted the field however many lengths and had a really wide trip around there and was really the only one making up ground late. It was a good learning experience for her, and I think it made her mature mentally. Ricardo came and worked her in the week before she ran yesterday. He had the most confidence in the world. He said, ‘Man, this filly is doing great.’”

Virabhadrasana is owned by Dr. Joel Politi, whose wife, Julie, is a yoga instructor. Her name is a reference to the Sanskrit word for “warrior pose.”

“Of course, we just call her ‘Vera’ for short,” said LaRose. “We were super impressed with her yesterday. She ran a great race. She came out of it well.”
LaRose said Virabhadrasana’s next start will be selected after she is shipped to Kentucky.

“She’ll run either at Churchill or Keeneland and we will find something for her,” said LaRose. “There are not too many options coming out of a straight 2-year-old race, but we’ll try to find the best spot for her.”

Virabhadrasana’s victory was LaRose’s fourth of the Saratoga meet, all with juveniles. The trainer also sent out Intraosseous and Midnight Still to maiden victories and won the Grade 3 Adirondack with Stress Relief. Virabhadrasana, Intraosseous, and Stress Relief are all owned by Joel Politi, while Midnight Still is campaigned by Double Down Horse Racing.

LaRose has been allocated eight stalls at Belmont Park but has not yet decided whether he will send a string to that venue this fall.

“It’s been a good meet for us,” said LaRose. “There certainly have been ups and downs, but such is this game. It’s been a good learning experience for me. We brought some nice 2-year-olds here that have performed well. Coming up to Saratoga, this is a place where you want to compete against the best and try to do your best, be able to make sure these horses are right on race day. We’ve been lucky with some of the 2-year-olds we have had, and, hopefully, we’ll close out the meet strong.”

LaRose said he would enter Stress Relief, who won the Adirondack by 3 1/2 lengths on August 2, in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway, which is a “Win and You’re In" race for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Stress Relief breezed four furlongs over the Saratoga main track in 51.25 seconds on Saturday in her final timed workout prior to the seven-furlong Spinaway.

“She’s a filly that doesn’t try to do too much in the mornings,” said LaRose. “She takes good care of herself and came out of it well.”

On Sunday, Midnight Still covered four furlongs on the main track 47.16 seconds. Midnight Still has been pointed toward the Grade 1, $300,000 Spendthrift Farm Hopeful next Sunday off a 6 1/4-length maiden win July 11 here at the Spa. Junior Alvarado will take over aboard Midnight Still in the Hopeful, a seven-furlong race open to all 2-year-olds.

“He worked a sharp half,” said LaRose. “Junior came and worked him. It was the first time Junior got on him and got a good feeling of him and got to know him pretty well. It was a good, sharp move for him. We will see how he comes out of it and enter Wednesday for the Hopeful.”

LaRose, who formerly worked as an assistant to Tom Amoss and took over the stable in April after the latter retired from training, expressed gratitude for the continued support he has received from his mentor.

“Tom’s been great,” said LaRose. “I mean, we still talk daily. For him to give me this opportunity, I’m very grateful for it. He’s a good guy to have in your corner, and I love learning from him each day, kind of picking his brain. He’s really a wealth of knowledge, to be able to have the relationship we have. And I couldn’t be more appreciative.”

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Wood Island earns 78 BSF for Skidmore

Smart Choice Stable’s Wood Island earned a career-best 78 Beyer Speed Figure for his pacesetting 2 3/4-length score in Thursday’s $200,000 Skidmore, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for juveniles, at Saratoga Race Course.

“He came out it good, very happy with him,” trainer George Weaver said. “I was impressed with his effort. I was happy with how he left the gate running and happy with how he responded in the stretch. That was all good.”

The speedy colt, winner of his off-the-turf debut in July here, became the first North American stakes-winner for his sire Jackie’s Warrior, who memorably won five graded sprints at Saratoga from 2020-22.

“I think he’s the only Jackie’s Warrior I have, but I like him physically,” Weaver said of the $250,000 purchase at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. “I liked him at the sale and he’s a nice looking horse.”

Woodbine Racetrack offers the Grade 3, $250,000 Algonquin, a five-furlong inner turf sprint on October 3, which Weaver successfully used as a springboard to winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last year with Cy Fair.

“Probably Algonquin [next for Wood Island],” Weaver said. “There’s a race at Keeneland [Grade 3 Indian Summer on October 4], but I’m still enjoying the win, and we’ll figure it out once we get back going on the track.”

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Evershed eyes G2 Flower Bowl off G3 Waya victory

Trainer Arnaud Delacour noted on Sunday that Evershed, winner of Friday’s Grade 3 Waya at Saratoga Race Course, is in fine fettle as she now turns her attention to the Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl on September 26 at Belmont Park, a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

“She’s doing great, she’s back at Fair Hill and left the day afterwards, and so far, so good,” Delacour said. “I was very happy with the outcome, obviously. I think the timing of the race was right and she was coming up to the race second off the layoff.”

The 4-year-old Churchill bay broke through in the 1 3/8-mile inner turf marathon for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up following a one-length third in a July optional claimer at Colonial Downs in her first start off an eight month-respite.

In the Waya, she landed her determined three-quarter-length score over the pacesetting Storm Miami after stalking and pouncing up the inside under Flavien Prat, earning her first stakes win in a final time of 2:15.12. The effort was awarded the same career-high 91 Beyer Speed Figure she earned in a local second to Fionn in the Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational last year in her lone other Spa appearance.

“I thought it was a wide-open race and she had a good trip,” Delacour said. “She fired and it worked out. We’re very happy for the owner. We’ll nominate [to the Flower Bowl] for sure, make sure she’s OK, have a couple of works, and that will be a logical spot to try. I’m sure it will come up a little salty because it’s always a good race, but we’ll see.”

A winner of more than $340,000 from an 8-3-2-1 record, Evershed is campaigned by Mark Grier and sold for $369,665 at the 2023 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale. She is out of the Darshaan mare Balankiya, making her a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Bayrir.