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G1 Whitney contender Tapwrit better ‘in the mix’

by NYRA Press Office

• St. Lewis taking two shots at Grade 1 glory on Saturday
• Voodoo Song out of Lure, possible for G1 Fourstardave
• Mott looking forward to added distance in Whitney for Good Samaritan
• Asmussen barn off to solid start, no timetable for Bolt d’Oro return
• Nevin hoping to see Spectator bounce back in G1 Longines Test
• Zennor back from lengthy in time for chance to defend Lure title
• Bletchley cuts back in distance for De La Rose

Trainer Todd Pletcher said Thursday morning he is encouraged by Tapwrit’s inside post in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney as the 2017 Belmont Stakes winner prepares to make his third start of the year.

“Actually I like the draw,” said the three-time Whitney-winning trainer. “I think he’s a horse that’s better off being in the mix, so being inside is probably better for him. Sometimes, he gets a little distracted when he’s on the outside.”

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta, Bridlewood Farm, Gainesway Stable, and Whisper Hill Farm, the 4-year-old Tapit colt is seeking his first win since the Belmont. Tapwrit was tabled last summer following a fourth-place finish in the Travers.  

Prior to last year’s Belmont, Tapwrit stamped himself an early Kentucky Derby contender with a 4 ½-length win in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, before running fifth in the Grade 2 Blue Grass and sixth in the Derby. He has raced twice in 2018, finishing third in an optional claimer in June at Belmont Park and a wide fifth as the favorite in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 7 under jockey Jose Ortiz.

“It kind of reminded me of the Blue Grass a little bit,” Pletcher said of the Suburban. “He didn’t get away well and he got outside and kind of lost his focus a little bit. I think he gets distracted. But, he’s come out of it well. He’s had two good breezes here and we’re expecting a good performance from him.

“It was his second start off a long layoff,” he added. “Jose said when he came back that he felt like at the time he made the right decision when he opted to go outside. They kind of kept fanning him out and fanning him out. He said if he had a do-over, he would’ve stayed inside. I don’t think he was going to beat Diversify that day, but I do think he would’ve been closer.”

Tapwrit, installed at 6-1 on the morning line, will be ridden for the first time in the Whitney by Hall of Fame jockey and four-time Whitney winner John Velazquez.

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St. Lewis taking two shots at Grade 1 glory on Saturday

Owner and trainer Uriah St. Lewis will give his horse Discreet Lover another chance to challenge the leaders of the older horse division in the Grade 1 Whitney. Last year, while Discreet Lover was no match for Gun Runner, the then-4-year-old still managed to get a piece of it with a fifth-place finish.

“Gun Runner was something special,” the 60-year-old St. Lewis said. “Last year, we had not won a stakes race. We were shooting for the sky. If you took Gun Runner out of the picture, you have a different race.”

Since then, Discreet Lover has proven to be a little harder to ignore, capped by a victory in the Grade 3 Excelsior at odds of 7-1 in April. He also finished fourth in both the Grade 3 Pimlico Special and Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap this spring. Discreet Lover was third last time out, finishing 8 ½ lengths behind Diversify in the Grade 2 Suburban.

While there is no Gun Runner in this year’s Whitney, St. Lewis knows the race will be tough, as Discreet Lover, with Manny Franco aboard, faces Mind Your Biscuits and Diversify again.

“Diversify has made it a little more difficult,” St. Lewis said. “Hopefully, my horse will show up with his best performance on Saturday. I have confidence in him and the jockey.”

St. Lewis purchased Discreet Lover for $10,000 as a 2-year-old in training. The son of Repent has been quite a fruitful investment, earning $821,560 in 41 career starts.

“When you own a horse, you can do whatever you want,” St. Lewis said. “He’s sound, and he does what we want him to do. He has been a bargain-basement horse. You can only make that kind of money in the stock market.”

St. Lewis will also run Norma’s Charm in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Test for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs. Norma’s Charm is coming out of the Grade 3 Victory Ride at Belmont on July 8 in which she finished last – just 3¾ lengths behind the winner, Dixie Serenade.

“That was her first real test, and she was beaten just 3 ¾ lengths,” St. Lewis said. “Basically, the same field has come back for this race. So, I said to myself that we weren’t beaten by much, and with a few adjustments, she could be the winner. She has been training good, eating good, and feeling good.”

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Voodoo Song out of Lure, possible for G1 Fourstardave

Barry K. Schwartz's Voodoo Song will likely scratch from Saturday's $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure and could instead target stakes later in the Saratoga meet, with trainer Linda Rice saying he could be pointed to the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap on August 11 or the $150,000 West Point against state breds on August 24.

The speedy English Channel colt rattled off four consecutive victories at the 2017 Saratoga meet, capped by his victory by a neck over Yoshida in the Grade 3 Saranac. The 4-year-old will return to his favorite course after posting a one-length win in the $150,000 Forbidden Apple on July 14 at Belmont Park.

“We plan to pass,” Rice said regarding the Lure. “I put him in there and spoke to Barry. The turf was awfully soft, and we're getting lots of rain on Friday. I really think he's much better on a firm course, so we’re probably going to pass the Lure. Maybe take a look at the Fourstardave or the West Point.”

Voodoo Song owns seven victories from 11 starts on turf, being transferred to Rice's barn in July 2017 when trainer Mike Hushion retired at the end of the Belmont spring/summer meet. He has earned $581,685 from 15 career starts, including $309,000 in purses at Saratoga.

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Mott looking forward to added distance in Whitney for Good Samaritan

With 2017 Jim Dandy winner Good Samaritan stretching back out in distance to 1 1/8 miles for the Grade 1 Whitney following a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Met Mile on June 9, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said he is confident that the multiple graded stakes winner will put forth a better effort on Saturday.

Owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, SF Racing and Head of Plains Partners, Good Samaritan began his 2018 campaign with a victory in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds, where he stalked a perfect trip rallying five wide in the stretch to win by 2 ¼ lengths under a strong hand ride.

“That would be good,” Mott said of a repeat setup. “I just hope he makes the same winning move. He’s doing well and that’s his style, so hopefully it will work out.”

Following the New Orleans, he ran third in the Grade 2 Alysheba at 1 1/16 miles on May 4 at Churchill Downs. The 4-year-old Harlan’s Holiday colt has been working regularly since the Met Mile, most recently breezing four furlongs in 50.55 seconds on July 30 over the Oklahoma training track.

“He’s doing good,” said Mott. “We had him gallop on the main track today and he walked through the paddock. He seemed like he was doing fine and we’re pretty happy with him.”

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Asmussen barn off to solid start, no timetable for Bolt d’Oro return

Trainer Steve Asmussen has enjoyed a successful beginning to his Saratoga meet. Asmussen, who was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2016, entered Thursday’s card with 10 wins from 27 starters through 11 days of racing, including four wins from four starters between Monday and Wednesday.

Topping the barn’s wins so far this meet was Tenfold’s three-quarter-length victory in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 28. The Jim Dandy was the first stakes win for Winchell Thoroughbred’s 3-year-old Curlin colt. Prior to that, he was fifth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, third in the Grade 1 Preakness, and fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont. Asmussen said Tenfold will work twice before the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on August 25.

“He ran well [in the Jim Dandy] and came out of it well. Travers is the next step,” said Asmussen.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Bolt d’Oro has been jogging and galloping regularly since joining Asmussen’s string on July 20. His conditioner said there is no timetable to breeze the 3-year-old Medaglia d’Oro colt, nor any clear-cut targets on the horizon.

“He’s a freakishly impressive horse both physically and mentally,” said Asmussen. “He’s very intelligent. He’s a pleasure to be around – and that’s the understatement of the day. [He will breeze] whenever he is ready.”

Midnight Bisou has emerged well from her runner-up finish to Monomoy Girl in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 22 and remains on course for the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama at 1 ¼ miles on August 18, said her trainer.

“She’s a nice filly and the opportunity to run a filly of her quality in the Alabama is very special,” he said.

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Nevin hoping to see Spectator bounce back in G1 Longines Test

Sharon and Rick Waller and Little Red Feather Racing’s Spectator will make her Saratoga debut looking to register her second career graded stakes victory when she competes against eight other 3-year-old fillies in the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test on Saturday.

Based in California under the care of trainer Phil D’Amato as a juvenile, Spectator won her first two starts: at first asking in a June 2017 maiden special weight at Santa Anita Park and a 5 ¼-length score in the Grade 2 Sorrento the following month at Del Mar. The Jimmy Creed filly capped her year by running third in the Del Mar Debutante in September.

As a sophomore, Spectator handled a stretch out in distance, finishing second to Midnight Bisou in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Anita Oaks on April 7. The only time she failed to finish on the board came in her last start – her first since transferring to the Michelle Nevin barn – when she ran sixth in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 8 at Belmont Park, though Nevin said that Spectator looks primed to rebound.

“She’s training well, her weight is good, her coat is good and she’s happy, so it’s all down to her,” Nevin said. “In the Victory Ride, we lost all chances at the start, so it’s a tough [race] to gauge. What we’re hoping for this time is a clean break and a good trip and hopefully she gets her head in front.”

Spectator drew post 2 with John Velazquez picking up the mount for the first time.

“Changing jockeys to Johnny V, hopefully it means she’ll be a little closer to the pace and we’re excited to see what she can do,” said Sean Feld, Little Red Feather’s East Coast representative. “I think the plan a couple of months back was to go to seven-eighths. Her sire, Jimmy Creed, was good at seven eighths, and we think the [distance] will hit her between the eyes.”

Spectator is 8-1 on the morning line, will look to be forwardly placed, according to her connections.

“We’re hoping to be four or five off the lead, because there’s enough speed in there to chase and we want to get first run on those closers,” Feld said. “With her speed, the key is breaking. If she breaks normal, we’ll be right there. She’s a really classy filly.”

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Zennor back from lengthy in time for chance to defend Lure title

Godolphin Racing's Zennor will return to racing in Saturday's $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure – one day short of a year since his one-length victory in last year's running of the 1 1/16-mile turf race. The 6-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding looks for his fourth straight victory and will try for his third win at Saratoga from four starts for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

“He's been away since last year,” McLaughlin said. “There were no conditions for him, but he's doing well.”

Zennor made his stakes debut in the Lure after winning two consecutive allowance level starts at Keeneland and Belmont Park, respectively. Jockey Joe Bravo took advantage of a slow pace in last year's Lure. He kept Zennor more forwardly placed than normal and was able to maintain his advantage through the stretch.

The Kentucky-bred owns a steady work tab at Greentree Center in preparation for his return and will break from post 7 under jockey Rajiv Maragh.

Gary Barber's Conquest Panthera will get a bit of class relief in the Lure after two consecutive Grade 2 starts at Woodbine. The 6-year-old gelding by Kitten's Joy closed well for third in the June 30 King Edward at a mile on the grass after a game effort for third as the favorite in the June 2 Connaughton Cup at seven furlongs. The Mark Casse-trained Kentucky-bred will make his fifth start of the year on Saturday.

“He's tough. It's been a little while since he's won, but he tries hard all the time,” Casse said. “He's a nice horse.”

Conquest Panthera drew post 4 and gets Luis Saez in the irons.

Also entered in the Lure are Camelot Kitten, Ticonderoga, Mr. Cub, Dalarna, Ballagh Rocks, Inspector Lynley, and Blacktype.

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Bletchley cuts back in distance for De La Rose

A field of nine will go postward in Saturday's $100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose for older fillies and mares contested at one mile on Saratoga’s inner turf course.

Keystone Racing's Bletchley is entered off of two Grade 2 turf starts at Woodbine, where she finished second in the one-mile Nassau on May 27 and fourth in the 1 ¼-mile Dance Smartly last out on June 30. The English-bred will now cut back in distance in attempting to capture her first stakes victory for trainer Mark Casse.

“She should run well," said Casse. “That was a tough race she ran in last time [in the Dance Smartly]. She probably got a little unlucky the time before [in the Nassau]. We tried running her, but I think a mile and a quarter is a little beyond her, so now were going to cut back.”

Bletchley will break from post 8 in tandem with John Velazquez, who rode the filly for the second time after they teamed to win an allowance level start at Gulfstream Park to start her 4-year-old campaign this year.

Godolphin Stable's Lido is another filly looking for class relief, returning off a seventh-place finish in the Perfect Sting on June 30 at Belmont Park. The 4-year-old Street Cry filly rattled off two victories to start the year, then stepped up in class and ran a four-wide trip for third in the Grade 3 Beaugay May 12 at Belmont for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

“She's doing very well, McLaughlin said. “It’s a tough race, but she's doing very well. Not many options for her, but we're in. It's the best available, but we're ready.”

Lido will break from post 3 under the meet's current leading rider, Luis Saez.

The De La Rose –the fifth of 11 races on a packed card highlighted by the Grade 1 Whitney and Grade 1 Test – will also feature Uni, Well Acquainted, Pas de Soucis, Precieuse, On Leave, Care Lady, and Thundering Sky.