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G1-winner Sierra Leone returns to the work tab at Saratoga

by NYRA Press Ofiice

• G1-winner Sierra Leone returns to the work tab at Saratoga
• Halina’s Forte earns career-best 87 BSF in Galway
• Looms Boldly to try for more state-bred stakes success; Cox stable stars breeze for Spa stakes
• Showcase earns career-best 79 BSF in G2 Saratoga Special
• Printrack proving more than worth his claim price after latest victory

Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing and Peter Brant’s dual graded stakes-winner Sierra Leone had his first work back Sunday since a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun. NYRA clockers caught the son of Gun Runner covering a half-mile solo in 49 seconds flat over Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma training track shortly after 7:30.

“He worked super,” said four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. “He’s come out of his last race well and I’m happy with where he’s at.”

Sierra Leone is targeting the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 24 here on the heels of a game runner-up finish to reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Fierceness in the Jim Dandy on July 27. There, he showed his signature come-from-behind tactics and came on late in the lane to threaten on the inside but finished one length shy after Fierceness dug in bravely.

Sierra Leone was a narrowly-defeated second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May and a hard-trying third in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in June, with both efforts including some drifting late in the lane.

Brown began working Sierra Leone solo training up to the Jim Dandy and also switched from a cage bit to a ring bit. The talented colt had no issues in the Jim Dandy and kept a straight course under the guidance of Flavien Prat.

“I’m not concerned with how he’s going to travel,” Brown said. “He’s focused and he’s traveling really consistently.

“It’s an area of his training that he’s kind of graduated into,” added Brown. “He’s got a lot of experience now and fitness, so at this stage of his career, it seems to be working good for him. We’ll see where it takes us. For right now, he’s fine doing that. We’re very much so on target for the Travers.”

Bred in Kentucky by Debby M. Oxley, Sierra Leone was a $2.3 million purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. He notched graded stakes wins this winter and spring in the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds Race Course and the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland. He has banked just over $2.2 million in purses through a 7-3-3-1 lifetime record.

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Halina’s Forte earns career-best 87 BSF in Galway

Trainer Phil Bauer has enjoyed a solid start to the Saratoga Race Course summer meet through an 8-4-1-0 record, including picking up his first ever Spa stakes win Saturday when Rigney Racing’s Halina’s Forte captured the off-the-turf $150,000 Galway.

The Galway, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for sophomore fillies, was moved to the main track after heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Debby soaked the course allowing Halina’s Forte to draw in as a main-track only entrant.

The Tyler Gaffalione-piloted Baraye set a swift tempo as Halina’s Forte tracked from third position under leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. Halina’s Forte cruised into contention through the turn where she was joined by a wide-rallying Value Area under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. Baraye opened up by 1 1/2-lengths at the top of the lane as Value Area battled gamely to the outside of Halina’s Forte.

Baraye stayed on stubbornly down the lane before Ortiz, Jr. asked Halina’s Forte to dive to the rail inside the final sixteenth and the brave filly put a head in front to secure the win in a final time of 1:04.24.

“Irad worked a horse for us this morning and he said, 'Phil, when that horse [Value Area] came next to me, she wanted to go but Tyler was drifting and when he pulled the stick out to go left-handed, that's when I ducked to the rail.’ It made all the difference,” Bauer said. “He said the filly deserves a lot of credit; she was very brave. A lot of horses don't like to do that, but she was awesome.”

Bauer has the welcome issue of having to separate a talented group of sophomore fillies for Rigney Racing that includes Princess Madison, who is pointing to the Grade 2, $750,000 Charles Town Oaks on August 23; and Two Sharp, who is targeting the Grade 3, $200,000 Prioress going six-furlongs here on August 31.

“We were trying to find a lighter spot for Halina’s Forte and also keep a few of our 3-year-old fillies separated,” explained Bauer. “Originally, we had pointed her to the Prioress and then Princess Madison won and Two Sharp won. So, we saw this spot and we entered MTO and hoped. Once we knew ‘Debby’ was coming, we felt pretty confident.

“I'm really happy for the filly,” Bauer added. “She's such a nice little filly and it was nice to find her a winning spot. She looks good this morning - bright, alert and happy. No idea where we're headed next, we'll see.”

The $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase won the seven-furlong Ruthless in February at Aqueduct Racetrack before stretching out to two turns and finishing off-the-board in the Grade 1 Ashland in April at Keeneland. She has since won an optional-claiming sprint in May at Churchill and arrived at the Galway from a third in the Grade 3 Victory Ride in July at Belmont at the Big A.

Halina’s Forte is out of the stakes-winning Yes It’s True mare Lunarlady, who is a half-sister to both multiple graded stakes-winner Lunarpal and graded stakes-winner Astrology.

Two Sharp, by Twirling Candy, was purchased for $925,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She was off a step slow in her June 29 debut at Churchill Downs and finished a distant second to $1.2 million yearling purchase Mugen.

The talented bay shipped to Saratoga and worked three times ahead of a powerful gate-to-wire score in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on August 2 here, dusting a field of five by 11 1/4-lengths to register a lofty 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We were very high on her. The only blemish on her record is probably my fault. She worked so well from the gate at Churchill that we gave her a go, but she just wasn't polished, and she missed the break,” Bauer said. “We brought her up here and topped her off and made sure she was ready to roll. She put everything together and came out of it great. I think in the future we can stretch her - she's a very stout, strong filly."

Bauer will look for more stakes success here Travers Weekend when he sends out Xigera on Friday, August 23 in the nine-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign for older fillies and mares followed by Angkor one day later in the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Forego for older horses.

The pair worked five-eighths in company in 59.80 this morning with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard Angkor and Tyler Gaffalione on Xigera.

“I had them in a minute and out in 1:12. That was what we were looking for with one more to come next weekend,” Bauer said. “They've been workmates all year even at Churchill going into all their spots. They're two quality older horses and everything has gone well when they breeze together.”

Xigera, a six-time winner from 13 starts, captured the Grade 2 Mother Goose in October at Belmont at the Big A and the Grade 3 Falls City in November at Churchill Downs – both going nine furlongs. The 4-year-old Nyquist dark bay was last seen finishing fifth in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Fleur de Lis on June 29 at Churchill Downs.

Angkor, a 6-year-old Anchor Down gelding, boasts a record of 23-4-6-6 for purse earnings of $480,195. He was last seen finishing second to Closethegame Sugar in the Listed Kelly’s Landing on June 29 at Churchill Downs.

Bauer noted that Buchu will make her next start in Saturday's Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, a nine-furlong turf test for sophomore fillies.

The Justify dark bay has notched a pair of Grade 2 wins at Keeneland, taking the Jessamine in October and the Appalachian in April. Those efforts were sandwiched around a close sixth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Santa Anita when 2 3/4-lengths back of the victorious Hard to Justify.

Last out, she finished sixth in the Grade 1 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 6 at Belmont at the Big A when four lengths in arrears of the victorious Cinderella’s Dream.

“I put her on a plane yesterday and she's going to run in the Del Mar Oaks on Saturday,” Bauer said. “You don't know until you try, but I think the waters are a little deeper over here and based on her last race, we were within four lengths of the best 3-year-old turf filly. If we can get top three in a Grade 1 it would be huge. She seemed to appreciate the turf in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita. I think the key to her is pace and a lot of times you'll get it out there.”

Warrior Johny, a 5-year-old Cairo Prince gelding, was a distant ninth last out in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Whitney with Gaffalione up. The $1 million event was contested over a muddy and sealed track on August 3 here.

He entered the Whitney from a four-length optional-claiming win on July 11 here that garnered a solid 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I thought his allowance win was good enough to take a swing at it, but Tyler said he hated the surface - he was chopping at it the whole way,” Bauer said. “All you can do is put a line through it. He came out great. We’re flirting with some ideas, but I don't know yet.”

Bauer said he would nominate Warrior Johny to the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup slated for September 1 here. The 10-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Del Mar. Warrior Johny finished seventh in last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup.

“He's got some really good races in there but very few of them are close together - we’ll see,” Bauer said.

Warrior Johny has banked $440,488 through a 20-4-3-5 record.

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Looms Boldly to try for more state-bred stakes success; Cox stable stars breeze for Spa stakes

Ten Strike Racing’s New York-homebred Looms Boldly exited a tour de force in Thursday’s six-furlong John Morrissey at Saratoga Race Course in fine order, according to trainer Brad Cox. The 4-year-old Goldencents gelding led from gate-to-wire under jockey Florent Geroux to best the fellow New York-breds 3-years-old and up by 3 1/4-lengths in a final time of 1:10.41.

The John Morrissey was the third state-bred stakes win for the bay, who won the Damon Runyon at Aqueduct Racetrack and the Ontario County at Finger Lakes as a sophomore.

“He came out in good order,” Cox said. “We may look at a stake up at Finger Lakes for him. He has won up there before so he is familiar with it, he just shipped back to Belmont, and we will go from there.”

Coming off a head defeat in open company to the talented Subrogate on June 8 here during the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Festival, Looms Boldly rejoined the state-bred ranks for the first time this season and was able to get his first win on the year.

He earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure in the win and boosted his record to 12-5-3-2 with $323,870 in earnings.

Bred by Marshall Gramm and Clay Sanders, out of the winning Forestry mare See the Forest, Looms Boldly has an exciting family. He is a half-brother to two state-bred stakes winners in Whittington Park, winner of the Haynesfield, and Critical Value who took down the Maid of the Mist and Bouwerie in her career. His second dam is the Grade 1 winning Dynaformer mare Critical Eye.

Tonight, Hip 315 in the Fasig Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale is a half-brother to Looms Boldly by Constitution.

The Cox barn is home to a few horses with upcoming assignments during Travers Weekend at the Spa. Last year’s Champion Older Dirt Mare Idiomatic worked Saturday over the Oklahoma training track, covering five-furlongs in 1:00.40 towards a title defense in the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign, a 1 1/8-mile test for older fillies and mares on August 23.

“Really good breeze on the Oklahoma. She will have one more before the Personal Ensign,” Cox said.

Last year, the Juddmonte homebred led gate-to-wire in her first try in Grade 1 company in the Personal Ensign, winning by four lengths on her way to Championship honors which included wins in the Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita, as well as the Grade 3 Shawnee at Churchill and Grade 2 Delaware Handicap.

She comes into the race this year after taking down the July 20 Grade 3 Molly Pitcher last out at Monmouth Park by a hard-fought head over Soul of an Angel. Prior to that she was beaten a head in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford on June 8 here to Randomized.

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm’s Grade 1 Champagne-winner Timberlake worked a good five-furlongs in 1:01.25 over the Oklahoma Saturday.

He has his sights set on a cut back in trip in the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on Travers Day August 24.

“Really good move from him yesterday,” Cox said of the work.

The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief was most recently third beaten 6 1/4-lengths in the Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell on July 20 at Monmouth Park behind the victorious Dornoch and runner-up Mindframe. He began his season on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” at Oaklawn Park by annexing the Grade 2 Rebel in February before a flat fourth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in March.

Given some time to mature, he came back in the Haskell and ran a very credible effort before the decision to cut him back in trip.

“We do think he is probably a one-turn horse, and he is doing very well up here,” Cox said. “It is shaping up to be a tough race, but we are happy with our horse.”

Timberlake has made a single start here at the Spa. He went the H. Allen Jerkens distance in last year’s Grade 1 Hopeful where he was the betting favorite and ultimately fell 1 1/2-lengths short when second to longshot Nutella Fella.

Timberlake went on to win the Grade 1 Champagne in October at Aqueduct, which marks his last try around one turn, before an off the board finish to Fierceness in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Santa Anita. He boasts an 8-3-1-1 record with $1,273,100 in earnings.

Another New York-bred by Goldencents in the barn is Dicke Racing’s Caldwell Luvs Gold. The sophomore filly was last seen winning the state-bred New York Oaks at Finger Lakes which was her first win since last year’s state-bred Seeking the Ante here. She matched her career-best 83 Beyer in the New York Oaks win. After breaking slowly, she was able to draw clear late, winning by 3 1/4-lengths in her second try around two turns.

Caldwell Luvs Gold worked five-furlongs in 1:02.95 Saturday over the Oklahoma dirt for an anticipated start in the August 25 $200,000 Fleet Indian, a 1 1/8-mile test for sophomore state-bred fillies.

“She won the New York Oaks last time and timing wise it sets up well and hopefully she can handle the added distance,” Cox said.

The filly has exclusively run in state-bred races other the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct over a muddy track as a 2-year-old finishing off-the-board. The Fleet Indian will mark her third try around two turns. She has a record of 9-3-2-2 with $299,765 in earnings.

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Showcase earns career-best 79 BSF in G2 Saratoga Special

Harrell Ventures’ Showcase improved his record to 2-for-2 with a win in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juveniles, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the Uncle Mo gray was boxed in during the stretch drive but navigated back out under Irad Ortiz Jr. en route to a 3 1/4-length score over First Resort. The performance earned a career-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure, building upon a 73 for a 7 1/2-length debut score on July 6 at Belmont at the Big A.

“I thought it was very professional,” Pletcher said. “He put himself in a good spot, overcame some adversity, and finished up strongly.”

Pletcher confirmed Showcase exited the race in good order.

“He’s excellent. He looked really good this morning,” said Pletcher. “We will play it by ear [where to run next].”

Showcase, a $300,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of graded stakes-placed Violence mare Buy Sell Hold, who placed in the six-furlong 2018 Grade 3 Miss Preakness and won the five-furlong Kentucky Juvenile in 2017. Buy Sell Hold is a full-sister to Grade 1-winning sprinter Volatile.

After the race, Pletcher indicated the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful on September 2 here may be a little quick back. He said he may prefer to wait until the fall and stretch out in the one-mile Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont at the Big A or the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.

Also under consideration for the same races is another Saturday winner in Tenacious Leader for Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable. The Not This Time dark bay captured a one-mile off-the-turf maiden tilt by 4 3/4-lengths to graduate impressively at second asking.

“I thought that was good,” said Pletcher. “We knew he’d appreciate stretching out. It allowed him to get into a good rhythm. He finished up well. We were happy.”

The performance earned a career-best 74 Beyer, showing marked improvement from an off-the-board finish sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on July 13 here. That race was won by Tough Catch, who is pointed to the Grade 1 Hopeful for trainer Dallas Stewart, and close runner-up Innovator returned yesterday to run a good second to $1.2 million OBS Two-Year-Old in Training purchase Sandman here.

Out of the Curlin mare Diamonds and Rust, Tenacious Leader was a $375,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. His second dam is Belle Watling, who produced multiple graded stakes winner War Story and Grade 1-placed Land Over Sea.

Pletcher said plans are still undecided for WinStar Farm and Repole Stable’s Uncaged, a 1 3/4-length debut winner on August 3 here.

The talks about racing’s up-and-coming prospects that day were mainly regarding Ferocious, a $1.3 million son of Flatter who earned a 96 Beyer in victory for trainer Gustavo Delgado and some of the 2023 Kentucky Derby-winning connections of Mage. However, Uncaged put up a strong 84 one race earlier, also in a six-furlong sprint.

“He came out of it great. I’m not sure what we are going to do. He’s a Curlin that we know he wants more distance, so we are keeping all options open,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher said next Saturday’s action will include Grade 1-winner Candied and uprising graded challenger Miss Justify in the 10-furlong Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales. Candied could only chase the dominant Thorpedo Anna last-out in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 20 here, while Miss Justify is set to stretch out after a score in the local one-mile restricted Wilton on July 12.

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Printrack proving more than worth his claim price after latest victory

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez dropped the slip on Printrack one year ago at Saratoga Race Course, claiming the son of Awesome Again for a frugal $12,500 out of a win in an August seven-furlong sprint. The scrappy gelding has gone on to reward his conditioner handsomely for his decision to take a gamble on the then-5-for-19 bay, scoring seven wins and three runner-up efforts at the claiming and starter allowance level in 11 starts since.

“He just keeps running, and we’re lucky to have him,” said Rodriguez. “He’s a nice, solid horse and he always tries. Hopefully it continues. He keeps paying the bills.”

Printrack, co-owned by Michael Imperio, found the winner’s circle again Saturday at the Spa in Race 11, a six-furlong starter allowance, under the guidance of Luis Saez. There, he rated three lengths off the pace at the half-mile call and idled a touch in the turn, but came on strong in the final sixteenth to run down Downtownchalybrown and score by three-quarter lengths in a final time of 1:10.67.

Rodriguez said despite the gelding’s outstanding recent form, he still may not be at his best as he presents occasional difficulty with turns, including in a rare off-the-board finish in a similar local starter allowance tilt on July 25.

“Sometimes, he tends to get out, so I might try an extension blinker on him,” said Rodriguez. “The time he got beat, he didn’t see the horses on the outside. He tries to drift in the turn a little, but when he goes straight, he’s kicking in again.”

Rodriguez added Printrack now likely heads west to Finger Lakes Racetrack to take on first-level allowance company next, with an eye towards the fall and winter at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Printrack has banked over $200,000 since moving to the Rodriguez barn and improved his lifetime record to 30-12-8-1. He was bred in Kentucky by Frank Penn.

Rodriguez also sent out Factually Correct to a hard-trying runner-up finish in Thursday’s John Morrissey Handicap where he dug in gamely under Flavien Prat to fend off Light Man for place honors by a neck while 3 1/4 lengths back of the victorious Looms Boldly.

The veteran conditioner said he was proud of the game effort from the Tourist gelding, who made his stakes debut as the longest price in the six-horse field at 13-1.

“He looks good and we’ll keep him here and maybe try him on the grass at the end of the meet,” said Rodriguez. “He tried hard and he’s another nice, solid horse that we picked up. He’s got fight in him, and it’s hard to find those kinds of horses.”

Co-owned by Rodriguez with Michael Imperio, Robert Cotrone, Andrew Gurdon, Gabrielle Farm, Matthew Mercurio and Vincent Scuderi, Factually Correct was bred in New York by Thorostock and boasts a 21-5-4-5 record with $367,975 in earnings.