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Kimari records 105 Beyer for G2 Honorable Miss conquest

by NYRA Press Office

• Kimari records 105 Beyer for G2 Honorable Miss conquest
• Pletcher trio of G1 Whitney probables to breeze Saturday
• Long Range Toddy looks for G1 Vanderbilt upset; Chess Chief trying for Alydar crown
• Sterling Silver looking for gold in G1 Test; Wolfie’s Dynaghost may return in allowance level

Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Jonathan Poulin’s Kimari secured a stakes victory for the fourth straight year when capturing Wednesday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss at Saratoga Race Course. 

The 5-year-old daughter of Munnings earned a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure for her closing half-length victory over Frank’s Rockette for trainer Wesley Ward. The triumph was a sixth overall stakes win for Kimari, and second at the graded level. Last year, she captured the seven-furlong Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland, defeating graded stakes-winner Estilo Talentoso and Grade 1-winner Bell’s the One. 

A dual-surface stakes winner, Kimari captured the Bolton Landing over the Saratoga turf in August 2019 following a narrow second in the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot. She returned to Royal Ascot the following year, finishing second in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup. 

Kimari will likely return to Keeneland for her next start, which Ward said would take place in the Grade 2, $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America on October 8 with the ultimate goal being the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on November 5 going seven furlongs over the same surface. 

“I just wanted her to get back on track and now we’ll get her back to our home track at Keeneland,” Ward said. “She’ll have around 60 days until the next one and that will lead her right into the Breeders’ Cup.”

Ward said seven-furlongs is with Kimari's scope when racing at Keeneland. 

“I think she’s a little vulnerable at seven [furlongs], and she can get to seven at her home track, but anywhere else might be a bit of a stretch. She ran such a big race, we kind of want to give her a little bit of extra time,” Ward said. 

Lightly raced for a mare her age, Kimari boasts a consistent lifetime record of 15-8-2-2 and earnings of $981,327. 

“She’s a very tranquil filly, but she’s had some problems that have kept her from starting as much,” Ward said. “This is where you want them heading right into the fall. The big dance is coming up.”

Bred in Kentucky by China Horse Club, Kimari is out of the graded stakes-winning Cozzene mare Cozze Up Lady. Initially owned by Ten Broeck Farm, Kimari was purchased by Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier for $2.7 million at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Breeding Stock Sale following a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeder’s Cup Sprint at Del Mar. 

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Pletcher trio of G1 Whitney probables to breeze Saturday

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher could have as many as three Grade 1, $1 million Whitney contenders with Life Is Good, Happy Saver and Americanrevolution all possible for the nine-furlong test for older horses on August 6 at Saratoga.

All three contenders are slated to breeze Saturday over the main track in preparation for the 95th renewal of the historic event, which offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Keeneland.

CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's Life Is Good has banked earnings in excess of $3.5 million through a record of 9-7-1-0, garnering a career-best 112 Beyer Speed Figure last out for his five-length romp in the seven-furlong Grade 2 John A. Nerud on July 2 at Belmont. 

The 4-year-old Into Mischief colt closed out his sophomore season with a dominant win in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in November at Del Mar and returned in January to post a frontrunning score in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.

Wertheimer and Frere's Kentucky homebred Happy Saver won the 2020 Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup traveling 10 furlongs at Belmont and has completed the exacta in each of his last four starts, including a distant second to Flightline last out in the Grade 1 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 11 over Big Sandy.

Pletcher said the 5-year-old Super Saver chestnut, who was also under consideration for the restricted Alydar on August 4, deserves a shot at a second Grade 1.

"He's very consistent. He's training as well as he always has," Pletcher said. "We'll breeze on Saturday and make a final decision. He's a Grade 1 winner already and while the Alydar is a fine race, we feel he's worthy of a giving a Grade 1 another try. He's won from seven-eighths to a mile and a quarter and he shows up and gives you a good effort every time."

CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's New York-bred Americanrevolution captured the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets in December at Aqueduct. The 4-year-old Constitution chestnut, bred by Fred W. Hertrich and John D. Fielding, finished a game second last out to possible Whitney rival Olympiad in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster on July 2 at Churchill Downs.

"We'll strongly consider entering Americanrevolution as well. We'll see how things go Saturday and talk it over with the team," Pletcher said.

The regally-bred Capensis, by Tapit and out of multiple graded stakes-winner Tara’s Tango, will face winners for the first time in Race 10 on Saturday, a 1 1/16-mile Mellon turf allowance for 3-year-olds and up. 

A $2 million purchase at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Capensis was a strong debut winner by five lengths going the same distance on July 2 at Belmont Park.

Pletcher said he had considered entering Capensis in the one-mile Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on August 5, but will save the grey colt's stakes debut for the Grade 3, $200,000 Saranac on September 3 should he perform well this weekend.

"I thought his debut was as impressive as you could hope for a first timer to be. He really showed a great turn of foot down the lane and won convincingly," Pletcher said. "We strongly considered him for the Hall of Fame, but felt that if we could bridge the gap between his debut and the Saranac it might make a little more sense."

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Long Range Toddy looks for G1 Vanderbilt upset; Chess Chief trying for Alydar crown

Zenith Racing’s Long Range Toddy will return to stakes company against Champion Male Sprinter Jackie’s Warrior in Saturday’s Grade 1 $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga Race Course. The 6-year-old son of Take Charge Indy enters from a third in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance sprint at Churchill Downs earlier this month. 

In May, Long Range Toddy took on reigning Jackie’s Warrior and 2021 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Aloha West in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard and finished sixth. 

Trainer Dallas Stewart said he believes his horse is capable of turning the tables.

“It’s a really tough race running against Jackie’s Warrior but we think we fit in against some of them," Stewart said.

Long Range Toddy arrived in Saratoga last week and breezed a half-mile over the Oklahoma training track in 49.60 seconds on July 23. 

“He’s had one work over the training track that went well,” said Stewart.

Long Range Toddy, with morning line odds of 15-1, will emerge from post 5 in the six-horse field under jockey Luis Saez.

The Estate of James J. Coleman, Jr.'s graded stakes-winning Chess Chief is looking for his first win of the year in the nine-furlong $135,000 Alydar for older horses who have not won a sweepstake in 2022 other than a state-bred, at Saratoga Race Course on August 4. 

The 6-year-old son of Into Mischief breezed five-eighths in 1:01.80 over Saratoga’s main track Thursday. 

Chess Chief started the year with a trio of sixth-place finishes, the first two coming over the winter when he competed in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January and in his Grade 2 New Orleans Classic title defense in March at Fair Grounds. A three-month layoff saw him return in an allowance race going 1 1/16-miles on June 25 at Churchill Downs.

Stewart said he believes that Chess Chief is ready to step up off the layoff. 

“The three-month layoff was by design,” said Stewart. “He was freshened up one time at Churchill and should be on target.”

A lifetime winner of over $878,000, Chess Chief sports a record of 33-5-4-4.

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Sterling Silver looking for gold in G1 Test; Wolfie’s Dynaghost may return in allowance level

Mark Anderson’s New York-bred Sterling Silver will look to make the grade in the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test, a seven-furlong dirt sprint for sophomore fillies on August 6 at Saratoga. 

The grey daughter of Cupid broke her maiden at first asking at Aqueduct Racetrack in November in her lone juvenile start. She became a two-time New York-bred sprint stakes winner this year with scores in the Franklin Square at the Big A in March and the Bouwerie at Belmont Park on May 30. She followed with a graded placing when third behind well-respected sprinter Hot Peppers in the Grade 3 Victory Ride at Belmont earlier this month. 

“She’s been training well since the Victory Ride,” said trainer Tom Albertrani. “I’m hoping to see a little bit more improvement from that race going into the Test.”

With three career wins against New York-breds, Albertrani believes Sterling Silver is ready to notch her first victory against open company. 

“The Test is going to be a little bit more testing,” said Albertrani. “Physically, she’s been improving. She’s faced New York-breds and done very well.”

Sterling Silver, purchased for $13,000 at the Fasig Tipton Select Sale in 2020, sports a 6-3-0-1 lifetime record with over $200,000 in the bank.

Woodslane Farm’s homebred Wolfie’s Dynaghost, who was last seen finishing an even seventh in the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple on Opening Weekend at Saratoga, will target an allowance race later in the meet. 

“Right now, we’re just going to train on and maybe see if we can find an allowance race for him and try to get a win at Saratoga with him,” said Albertrani.

Wolfie’s Dynaghost earned a career-high 95 Beyer Speed Figure for his Forbidden Apple effort. 

“He’s a very talented horse.” said Albertrani. “Sometimes, he’s just been a little bit frustrating in his races. Last time, he got stuck on the inside a little bit, but he always seems to try hard.”

He ended his 2021 season on a high note with an optional claiming victory over the turf at Tampa Bay Downs in December en route to a win over Gulfstream Park’s all-weather surface to kick off his 4-year-old campaign on January 29.

The multiple graded-stakes placed son of Ghostzapper established himself as a competitive turf miler this spring with dual runner-up efforts in the Grade 3 Appleton at Gulfstream in April and two starts later in the Grade 3 Poker in May at Belmont. 

Sporting a 15-4-2-3 lifetime record, Wolfie’s Dynaghost has banked $279,305 in earnings.