Coglianese / NYRA Photo Photo

Maker holds strong hand for Saratoga Derby

by NYRA Press Office

• Concrete Rose works for Saratoga Oaks
• Promises Fulfilled blitzes through half-mile in preparation for G1 Forego
• Tickets available for Sunday's Saratoga Jockeys Karaoke Contest benefitting the PDJF
• Saratoga Week 4 stakes probables

Trainer Mike Maker will be represented by a pair of strong contenders in the second leg of the Turf Trinity in the $1 million Saratoga Derby set for Sunday, August 4, when he saddles Henley's Joy and newcomer Kadar.

Bloom Racing Stable's Henley's Joy was a three-quarter length winner of the first leg of the newly minted Turf Triple series, the $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational, at odds of 20-1. With Jose Lezcano up, Henley's Joy rated in third position and found his best stride down the lane in the 10-furlong test, overtaking Social Paranoia in the final furlong and hitting the wire in 1:58.29.

After seeing his charge finish second in a trio of graded events by narrow margins, Maker was resolute in his estimation of the best part of the Grade 1-winning performance from Henley's Joy.

"The way he finished," said Maker. "There were a few races there where he had a less than ideal trip, and hopefully he'll get another good trip in the Derby."

On Saturday, Henley's Joy breezed for the second time following his breakthrough score, covering five furlongs on the Saratoga main track in 1:01.95.

"He worked well and is on target for the Derby," said Maker.

Phoenix Thoroughbred III's Kadar, a dark bay son of Scat Daddy, graduated on debut in September in a one-mile turf allowance at Haydock under the tutelage of Karl Burke. In April, Kadar finished fourth in the Feilden at Newmarket before shipping to North America.

Kadar made his North American debut on July 18 at the Spa, rallying from last-of-10 to finish third, defeated just a head, in a race won by the well-regarded Chad Brown trainee and fellow Saratoga Derby invitee Value Proposition.

"He ran a really good race. He didn't get away very good and was carried extremely wide. He finished strong and just missed in a very competitive allowance race," said Maker.

Maker said the 1 3/16-mile distance of the Saratoga Derby will suit the lightly-raced colt.

"I got him with orders to stretch him out, which I totally agreed with," said Maker. "I look forward to running him in the Derby as well."

The third leg of the Turf Trinity, the $1 million Jockey Club Derby at 1 1/2-miles, is slated for September 7 at Belmont Park.

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Concrete Rose works for Saratoga Oaks

Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing's Concrete Rose was back to work on Saturday morning when posting her second breeze since a triumph in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational. The Twirling Candy dark bay went a half-mile in 49.05 seconds over the turf course at the Oklahoma training track for trainer Rusty Arnold.

The move was her second local work towards her next start in the $750,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational presented by Encore Boston Harbor. On July 19, she went a half-mile in 53.20 seconds over the Oklahoma turf.

Concrete Rose has won all three of her starts this year, capturing the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs, the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill Downs and most recently the Belmont Oaks.

"I thought she went very well. Julien was happy with her work and if he's happy then I'm happy. Everything is good," Arnold said.

Concrete Rose defeated a stellar field of turf sophomore fillies in the last out Belmont Oaks including last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord, as well as Irish group stakes winners Coral Beach and Just Wonderful.

Next on the table for Concrete Rose is the Saratoga Oaks, which is the second leg of the newly designed Turf Tiara, which includes the Belmont Oaks, Saratoga Oaks and the $750,000 Jockey Club Oaks on September 7 at Belmont Park going 1 3/8 miles over the turf.

Given the fact that she has won at a wide range of distances, Arnold feels that the Saratoga Oaks' 1 3/16-mile distance is within her wheelhouse.

"Right now, she is [the best 3-year-old turf filly in the country], but we're halfway through the year and hope we continue on. She won at five-and-a-half furlongs, a mile-and-a-quarter and in the middle so its not an issue I think the mile and three sixteenths is well within her ability," Arnold said.

Bred in Kentucky by Ron Patterson, Concrete Rose was purchased by bloodstock agent David Ingordo from last year's Fasig-Tipton Mid Atlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale for $61,000.

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Promises Fulfilled blitzes through half-mile in preparation for G1 Forego

Robert Baron's five-time graded stakes winner Promises Fulfilled was back to serious business on Saturday morning when drilling through a half-mile in 47.85 seconds.

The move was his first breeze since winning the Grade 2 John Nerud on July 6 at Belmont Park. The Shackleford chestnut posted the second-fastest time of 70 recorded works at the distance over the Saratoga main track. Trainer Dale Romans said Promises Fulfilled would target the Grade 1 $600,000 Forego Presented by Encore Boston Harbor on Saturday August 24, one of six Grade 1 events scheduled for the Travers Racing Festival at Saratoga.

"[Exercise rider Tammy [Fox] worked him and said it was the slowest she could get him to go. He's on his game," Romans said.

Promises Fulfilled's triumph in the Nerud was his first win since taking the Grade 2 Phoenix last October at Keeneland. Unbeaten when contesting over the Spa main track, he won last year's Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial in gate-to-wire fashion which came after he registered a 107 Beyer Speed Figure for winning the Amsterdam.

Romans purchased Promises Fulfilled for $37,000 from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2016, where he was consigned by Select Sales.

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Tickets available for Sunday's Saratoga Jockeys Karaoke Contest benefitting the PDJF

The Saratoga jockey colony will look to impress with more than just their riding abilities on Sunday evening, with the Saratoga Jockeys Karaoke Contest being held at the Vipor night club at the Saratoga Casino Hotel to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF).

For the second year in a row, a friendly competition between the Saratoga and Del Mar jockeys will comprise the "Riders Up! Battle of East-vs-West" contest. The Saratoga jockeys will go first, with retired NYRA track announcer Tom Durkin serving as emcee.

Four accomplished trainers will serve as judges, with Mark Casse, Mark Hennig, Graham Motion and Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas set to offer their assessments at Vipor, located at 342 Jefferson Street in Saratoga Springs.

The Del Mar jockeys will have their turn on Sunday, August 4 in Solana Beach, California.

Performances are scheduled to start at 7:45 p.m. VIP tickets are $150 and include two drink coupons, access to the buffet and reserved VIP seating with access to the venue starting at 6 p.m. General admission tickets are $75, include one drink coupon, with access to the venue starting at 7:30 p.m.

To purchase tickets, visit: https://pdjf.org/purchase-tickets/riders-up-east/

Both contests will be streamed live via PDJF's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/jockeysfund) and after the judges on each coast name their favorite performance, the public will vote for their favorite online via Facebook and Twitter (@PDJFund). The East Coast jockeys won last year's contest by 124 votes.

The PDJF's mission is to promote awareness of the needs of permanently disabled jockeys through public advocacy; to provide financial support to permanently disabled jockeys to help defray everyday expenses associated with living with a catastrophic injury; to provide financial support and assistance in obtaining medical coverage for permanently disabled jockeys; and to promote medical research dedicated to reducing catastrophic injuries within the horse racing industry.

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Saratoga Week 4 stakes probables

Friday, August 2:

$750,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational presented by Encore Boston Harbor
Probable: Alasaayil (McLaughlin); Cambier Parc (Brown); Concrete Rose (Arnold); Goddess (O'Brien); Happen (O'Brien); Her Royal Highness (Graham Motion); Kelsey's Cross (Patrick Biancone); Olendon (Brown)

Grade 3, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame
Probable: Award Winner (Lynch); Casa Creed (Bill Mott); Fog of War (Chad Brown); Front Run the Fed (Brown); Global Access (Michael Trombetta); Moon Colony (Casse); Swamp Rat (Phil Gleaves); War Film (Asmussen)
Possible: Elektronic (Linda Rice); Empire of War (Pletcher); English Bee (Graham Motion)

$100,000 Alydar
Probable: American Tattoo (Pletcher); Backyard Heaven (Brown); Candygram (Jimmy Jerkens); Carlino (Hennig); Golden Brown (Patrick McBurney); Tom's D'Etat (Al Stall); You're to Blame (Pletcher)

Saturday, August 3:

Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Handicap
Probable: Mckinzie (Bob Baffert); Preservationist (Jerkens); Thunder Snow (Saeed bin Suroor); Vino Rosso (Pletcher); Yoshida (Mott)
Possible: Forewarned (Uriah St. Lewis)

Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test
Probable: Bellafina (Simon Callaghan); Covfefe (Cox); Jeltrin (Alexis Delgado); Please Flatter Me (Mark Reid); Royal Charlotte (Brown); Serengeti Empress (Tom Amoss); Take Charge Angel (Ben Colebrook); Trenchtown Cat (Rohan Crichton)
Possible: Message (Bob Baffert)

Grade 3, $200,000 Troy
Probable: Dirty (Jeremiah Englehart); Leinster (Arnold); Pure Sensation (Christophe Clement); Rocket heat (Michael Tannuzzo); Square Shooter (Englehart); Wet Your Whistle (Trombetta); World of Trouble (Jason Servis)
Possible: Imprimis (Joe Orseno); Totally Boss (Arnold); Tricks to Doo (Delacour)

$100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose
Probable: Conquest Hardcandy (Jim Ryerson); Divine Miss Grey (Danny Gargan); Dynatail (Michael Dini); Got Stormy (Casse); Miss Munnings (John Kimmel); My Sistersledge (Trombetta); Scottish Jig (Mott); Souper Striking (Trombetta); Stella Di Camelot (Brown)
Possible: Andina Del Sur (Albertrani)

$100,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure
Probable: Admission Office (Lynch); Great Wide Open (Conor Murphy); Lucullan (McLaughlin)
Possible: Gidu (Pletcher); Pizmo Time (Edward Graham)

Sunday, August 4

$1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational
Probable: A Thread of Blue (Kiaran McLaughlin); Cape of Good Hope (Aidan O'Brien); Digital Age (Brown); Eons (Arnaud Delacour); Flying Scotsman (Sisterson); Henley's Joy (Mike Maker); Mohawk (O'Brien); Rockemperor (Brown); Seismic Wave (Mott); Social Paranoia (Pletcher); Value Proposition (Brown); Van Beethoven (O'Brien); Kadar (Maker)

Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack
Possible: Big Q (Gary Gullo); Daphne Moon (Englehart); Frank's Rockette (Mott); Josie (Cox); Justleaveitalone (Robert Hess, Jr.)' Magic Dance (Asmussen); Miss Peppina (Gullo)
Possible: Kiss the Girl (Pletcher); Shippy (Kathy Ritvo)

Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya
Probable: Coachwhip (Sisterson); Fools Gold (Brown); Gentle Ruler (Wilkes); Get Explicit (Barbara Minshall); Giant Zinger (Mott); Semper Sententiae (Hennig)
Possible: War Cabinet (Shug McGaughey)