Marylou Whitney Stables’ Pretty Birdie caps emotional Opening Day with G3 Schuylerville score

by NYRA Press Office

·     Marylou Whitney Stables’ Pretty Birdie caps emotional Opening Day with G3 Schuylerville score
·     Golden Pal registers 95 Beyer in G3 Quick Call score; seeks Group 1 prosperity overseas
·     Maxfield posts half-mile breeze for G1 Whitney
·     Got Stormy works towards second career win in G1 Fourstardave
·     Masqueparade works for G2 Jim Dandy; Dalika possible for G3 Glens Falls
·     Echo Zulu registers 92 Beyer in debut win
·     Microbiome impresses connections in capturing Spa’s first 2-year-old maiden event
·     Rookie Report: McGaughey to debut half-brother to champion Covfefe
·     Special training hours for horses quarantined in Barn 86
·     Saratoga Week 2 stakes probables

Marylou Whitney Stables’ Pretty Birdie wired Thursday's Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville for juvenile fillies by two lengths in a fitting tribute to her late owner on Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course.

Trainer Norm Casse, the 37-year-old son of Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse, is a racing history buff and said the victory by the Bird Song grey, out of the Street Sense mare Bird Sense, resonated for him. Pretty Birdie's fourth dam, Dear Birdie, produced 2004 Belmont Stakes and Travers winner Birdstone for Whitney.

That year, with a Triple Crown on the line at Belmont Park, Birdstone upset the Kentucky Derby and Preakness-winner Smarty Jones at odds of 36-1 for Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito.

"Everyone assumes I love horse racing because of who my family is and who my father is, but Smarty Jones is the reason I fell in love with horse racing," said Casse. "I think we all know the story on how that one ends with Marylou beating him, and now I train for her. It's just surreal. I thank her and John [Hendrickson] so much. They've really given me everything and I really appreciate everything they've done."

Following Thursday's emotional win, Hendrickson reflected on how much it would have meant to his late wife, who provided so much to the racing community at Saratoga.

“This is where she felt the most alive. This is the way she is alive and she has a win on Opening Day. It’s pretty special," Hendrickson said. "This is a dream come true for me and Marylou. Things getting back to normal and winning on Opening Day, she’s throwing a party. She said, ‘I want to race, get back to work.’"

Pretty Birdie was quickest away from the inside post under Luis Saez and set swift fractions, while being tracked by the mutuel favorite Mainstay who was off a step slow. Despite appearing to tire late in the lane, Pretty Birdie held strong against her well-related rival, who is a half-sister to reigning 2-year-old champion filly Vequist.

"She didn't switch leads and it kind of looked like she was laboring down the lane, but I think that was more of her just being still a little green and still figuring things out," Casse said. "But more importantly than that, it's the first time she's ever been over on the main track so I think she was looking around."

Pretty Birdie, who garnered a 76 Beyer Speed Figure, entered the Schuylerville from a similar front-running score in a five-furlong maiden special weight on June 18 at Churchill Downs.

Casse said the attractive grey filly may have been distracted by an Opening Day crowd of 27,760 fans in attendance.

"When she ran at Churchill, it was a decent crowd when she won there but you can't recreate the Saratoga experience in most places," Casse said. "She had a lot of excuses to finish the way she did down the lane, but I think it was more about that, than her ability. I think she was just playing around yesterday."

Casse said Pretty Birdie will now look to stretch her speed in the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway on September 5 at Saratoga.

"I'm a firm believer that if you have really great gate speed and you can run horses off their feet, it's very advantageous. It's the same thing as having a head start in a foot race," Casse said. "Going forward, she should relax a little more but that doesn't mean she won't be on the front end."

Casse, who has 16 stalls adjacent to the Oklahoma training track, said he will look to earn more hardware at the Spa summer meet with a pair of promising juveniles in Robert E. Masterson's Glacial, who is targeting the Grade 2, $150,000 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite; and Deuce Greathouse, Cindy Hutson and Madaket Stables' Ontheonesandtwos, who is probable for the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on August 8.

Both juveniles last raced in six-furlong main track stakes on June 26, Closing Day at Churchill Downs, with Ontheonesandtwos finishing second in the Debutante and Glacial a strong third in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor.

"Ontheonesandtwos probably should have won the Debutante at Churchill on Closing Day," Casse said. "She had a really tough trip. She'll breeze on Sunday and start preparing for the Adirondack.

"Glacial finished a really good third in the Bashford Manor," Casse continued. "He's being pointed to the Saratoga Special."

Golden Pal registers 95 Beyer in G3 Quick Call score; seeks Group 1 prosperity overseas

After returning victorious in Opening Day’s Grade 3, $120,000 Quick Call, trainer Wesley Ward said Golden Pal will take his talents overseas for his next engagement.

A winner of his last three starts, Golden Pal was in command throughout the entire 5 ½-furlong journey for sophomores and was wrapped up by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the final sixteenth of a mile, garnering a career-best 95 Beyer for the three-length win.

Ward said he plans on shipping Golden Pal back to Keeneland in the next couple of days to prepare for a possible start in either the Group 1 Nunthorpe on August 20 at York in England or the Group 1 Flying Five on September 12 at the Curragh in Ireland.

“I was planning on going this morning, but he ran such a big effort I’ll keep him here for a couple of days,” Ward said. “Right now, when he’s this good and you want to try and make him a sire, you have to hook into a Group 1 somewhere.”

Ward said the Nunthorpe might be coming up a little sooner than ideal.

“It’s close together, but when you’re talking about going over to England and off a layoff, I like to give them some time so I’m not 100 percent certain he’ll go to the Nunthorpe,” Ward said. “I would say, looking at his energy and his workouts, that will determine whether it’s there or if he’ll run in Ireland. I’ve never run one in Ireland.”

Both the Nunthorpe and the Flying Five are contested at five furlongs, a half-furlong shorter than the Quick Call.

“He’s much better going five-eighths,” Ward said.

Golden Pal, owned by Coolmore partners Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Westerberg, was a dazzling 3 ½-length winner of the Skidmore at Saratoga last summer before capturing the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland. He arrived at the Quick Call off eight months rest.

Golden Pal’s next start will not be his first international endeavor. In his second outing, he was second beaten a neck in the Group 2 Norfolk last June at Royal Ascot.

While Golden Pal takes his show on the road, Ten Broeck Farm’s five-time stakes winner Kimari will target the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss on July 28 at Saratoga.

The daughter of Munnings captured the Grade 1 Madison on April 3 at Keeneland last out, defeating graded stakes-winners Estilo Talentoso, Bell’s the One and Sconsin.

The 4-year-old bay filly, who has never finished worse than fourth in 10 career starts, seeks a second stakes victory at the Spa. She earned her first stakes triumph when taking the Bolton Landing in August 2019.

Maxfield posts half-mile breeze for G1 Whitney

Godolphin homebred Maxfield, a multiple graded stakes winner, breezed a half-mile in 49.09 seconds Friday morning on the Oklahoma training track in company with maiden-winning filly Longpants Required [49.37] in preparation for the nine-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 7 at the Spa, which offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, was caught by NYRA clockers through splits of 25.3 and out in 1:01.1, galloping out strong through the turn outside of his workmate.

"I just wanted them to start out nice and easy and pick it up as they went," Walsh said. "It was a good work. I just wanted to get him back in the swing of things again. He looks like he's doing great. I was delighted with him yesterday when I got up here. He looked as good if not better than ever."

A winner of seven-of-eight career starts with purse earnings in excess of $1.2 million, the 4-year-old Street Sense colt captured the 2019 Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland.

Maxfield suffered his only career defeat in March when third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. In his last two starts, Maxfield has taken a big step forward, garnering triple-digit Beyers, winning the Grade 2 Alysheba [105] on April 30 and the Grade 2 Stephen Foster [103] on June 26 both at Churchill.

Walsh said he was pleased with the colt's first breeze back since his Stephen Foster score.

 "It’s three weeks since he ran and it worked out fine," Walsh said. "I wasn't in a rush to work him back with the shipping. It's just a question of keeping him happy and keeping him healthy."

Got Stormy works towards second career win in G1 Fourstardave

Six-time graded stakes-winner Got Stormy posted a four-furlong breeze in 49.93 seconds on the Oklahoma training turf on Friday in her first work back at Saratoga in preparation for the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap on August 14.

Got Stormy, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, won the 2019 edition of the Fourstardave and will be making her first start since running a competitive fifth, 3 1/2-lengths back to winner Casa Creed, in the Grade 1 Jaipur on Belmont Stakes Day June 5, netting a 94 Beyer.

Owned by My Racehorse Stable and Spendthrift Farm, Got Stormy started her 6-year-old campaign with a win by a nose in the Grade 3 Honey Fox in February going one mile at Gulfstream Park. She will now look to win again at the same distance and notch her third career Grade 1 score, joining the 2019 Matriarch at Del Mar.

“She’s good. If history repeats itself, she gets better about this time, so that’s what we are hoping for is a good summer and fall,” Casse said. “We’re hoping for dry weather, because she’ll need a hard, fast turf course to be competitive in the Fourstardave.”

Her 2019 win in the Fourstardave came over a firm turf course, as did her win on the surface in the 2019 De La Rose.

Coinage, owned by D.J. Stable and Chester and Mary Broman, will be entered Friday for the $100,000 Rick Violette for New York-bred juveniles going six furlongs on July 21.

The $450,000 purchase at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale was sired by Tapit out of New York-bred Bar of Gold, who won the 2017 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Also working on the turf Friday for Casse was Gary Barber’s I Get It, who registered a half-mile work in 50.06 over the Oklahoma training turf as she prepares for a start in the Grade 3, $150,000 Lake George for sophomore fillies going one mile on the inner turf on July 23.

I Get It, bred in Maryland by Flying H Stables, ran ninth in the Grade 3 Wonder Again last out going 1 1/8 miles. But the Get Stormy filly will look to rebound as she makes her first start at the Spa.

“Things didn’t go great for her, but she’s a lot better than she showed,” Casse said. “We’re just looking for bigger and better things. She had missed some time going in and the turf had some give to it the last time, but like I said, we’re keeping our fingers crossed.”

Orpen Horses Limited’s Cappy worked Friday as well as she readies for her first North American start after making her first two starts in France.

Transferred into Casse’s care, the 3-year-old Hard Spun filly will likely target a maiden race at the Spa, her conditioner said.

“She just came in and she’s from Europe, so we’ll probably just target a maiden race for her,” Casse said.

Masqueparade works for G2 Jim Dandy; Dalika possible for G3 Glens Falls

FTGGG Racing’s graded stakes-winner Masqueparade breezed a half-mile in 49.23 seconds over a fast main track Friday in preparation for the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy on July 31 at the Spa.

The Al Stall, Jr.,-trained son of second crop sire Upstart has made a gradual climb up the ladder since being elevated to first via disqualification from his fourth career start on March 20 at Fair Grounds.

Masqueparade followed with an 11 ¾-length optional-claiming win going nine furlongs at Churchill Downs before defeating graded stakes winners King Fury, Keepmeinind and Promise Keeper in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 26 at Thistledown.

“He’s an improving 3-year-old mentally, physically and figure wise and that’s why we’re taking our chance in a race like the Jim Dandy,” Stall, Jr. said. “He’s easy on himself. He won’t grab the bit and go down there in 47 and change and gallop out in a minute, which is good at this point in time. It might help his longevity.”

Stall, Jr. said he had considered the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 17 at Monmouth Park and the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby on 7 at Mountaineer, but decided the Jim Dandy provided the best opportunity.

“I think with natural selection they’ll sort themselves out,” Stall, Jr. said of the 3-year-old crop. “There’s plenty to choose from. The Haskell will tell us a lot, the Jim Dandy will tell us a lot, West Virginia might tell us something moving forward. The Haskell came up too close, but honestly, we just want to give this horse a chance to improve. He keeps on moving forward, so he belongs in this group.”

A $180,000 purchase from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Masqueparade is out of the Any Given Saturday mare Cry War Eagle. She has a 2020 colt by Collected and a 2021 filly by Cairo Prince.

Jockey Miguel Mena, who has piloted Masqueparade in all six of his lifetime starts, will retain the mount for the Jim Dandy.

Stall, Jr. added that Bal Mar Equine’s Dalika is possible for the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls on August 7 at Saratoga.

The gray or roan German-bred mare earned her first graded stakes triumph last out in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial on July 10 at Delaware Park. She will return to the Spa after recording stakes efforts the past two seasons, finishing second in the Riskaverse in 2019 and fifth in the Caress last year.

“She’s kind of hard to ride against because if you have a horse lengths ahead of you, it takes so much to catch up to her,” Stall, Jr. said. “She got overaggressive in the Caress and she’ll do that. She’s the type of horse that you cannot fight her. You’ve got to let her do her thing. That’s why Miguel [Mena] fits her so well. We don’t send her one inch, she just trains that way.”

Echo Zulu registers 92 Beyer in debut win

L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Echo Zulu asserted herself as a rising star with a 5 ½-length debut triumph in a maiden special weight on Opening Day at Saratoga for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

The 2-year-old daughter of leading freshman stallion and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, who also was trained by Asmussen and owned by Winchell, tracked mutuel favorite Lady Scarlet from second, taking the lead in upper stretch and powering home impressively to register a 92 Beyer for the 5 1/2-furlong contest.

David Fiske, bloodstock and racing advisor to co-owner Ron Winchell, said that both the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on August 8 or the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway on September 5 could be in play for Echo Zulu.

“I can imagine she’ll run back in a stake somewhere,” Fiske said. “Whether that’s the Adirondack or the Spinaway, it just depends on how she trains and how she comes out of this.”

Echo Zulu, a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Echo Town and graded stakes winner J Boys Echo, gave her sire an eighth winner in his first crop. Five of his eight winners are owned by Winchell.

“The assessment on most of the Gun Runners is that they don’t have a lot of early gate speed, but they will keep running,” Fiske said. “Everyone has been excited that distance will be where they really start to excel. The performance yesterday was good. She left the gate running, going around the turn laying second. All the other Gun Runners we’ve had don’t have a lot of quit in them. To open up by five and run such a high Beyer was just icing on the cake.”

Asmussen, a three-time winner of the Adirondack, teamed up with Ron Winchell to capture the 2015 edition with Just Wicked.

Echo Zulu, a $300,000 purchase from the Betz Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of black type producer and graded stakes winner Letgomyecho.

Microbiome impresses connections in capturing Spa’s first 2-year-old maiden event

Joel Politi’s Microbiome romped on debut under Tyler Gaffalione, capturing the first maiden special weight for juveniles at the Saratoga meet, leading at every point of call and extending her advantage throughout the 5 ½-furlong event.

The daughter of Twirling Candy, trained by Tom Amoss, arrived at her first start off bullet works over the Churchill Downs and Saratoga main track. On July 9, Microbiome blitzed through a half-mile in 47.60 over a muddy main track at the Spa.

Microbiome registered a 77 Beyer for the 5 1/2-length score.

“She had trained really forward in the morning with all of her works in hand,” said Politi. “Thursday, she broke sharply. Tyler shook the reins at the top of the lane, and showed her the stick once but that was it. This morning, she looks like she didn’t run. It didn’t really take much out of her, and it looks like there’s plenty more in the tank.”

Both Politi and Amoss said that the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on August 8 and the Grade 1 Spinaway on September 5 could be in play for Microbiome.

Politi and Amoss previously teamed up to campaign multiple graded stakes winner Serengeti Empress, who won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in 2019 and conquered the following year’s Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga.

Bred in Florida by John B. Penn, Microbiome was bought for $100,000 from the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Sue Vacek. She is out of the graded stakes placed Smoke Glacken mare Sonja’s Angel.

Rookie Report: McGaughey to debut half-brother to champion Covfefe

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey will saddle regally bred juvenile colt Montauk Point for his career debut in Saturday’s fifth race – a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight over the Saratoga main track.

Owned by Annette Allen and Helen C. Alexander, Montauk Point is a half-brother to Covfefe, the 2019 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly and Champion Female Sprinter who captured the Grade 1 Longines Test in her championship year. A chestnut son of Violence, Montauk Point is out of the Unbridled mare, Antics who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Acoma. He hails from the prestigious Courtly Dee broodmare line.

“I like him. I remember I saw him when he was just a baby and I liked him then, too,” McGaughey said. “I told Joe Allen that he ought to take a look at this horse, and then Helen stayed in for part of him. He’s a horse we’re excited about. He got bigger and a lot taller than I thought he would. Body-wise, it’s about what I thought.”

Montauk Point was purchased for $550,000 from the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Sale where he was consigned by Gainesway.

Jockey Jose Ortiz will pilot Montauk Point from post 7.

After scoring on Opening Day with Echo Zulu, Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen seeks another maiden winner early on in the meet when he saddles the morning line 9-5 favorite in Chattalot.

Owned by Bloom Racing Stable and David A. Bernsen, the son of Midnight Lute is out of the Kingmambo mare Mamboalot and was bought for $110,000 at the 2021 OBS April Sale.

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. rides from post 9.

Fans will be treated to a juvenile maiden special weight daily double as Race 6 on Saturday features juvenile colts going 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf course.

McGaughey sends out W.S. Farish homebred Informal, who is by third-crop sire Honor Code out of 2003 English Oaks winner Casual Look.

“I like this horse on the turf. He’ll make a good account of himself. He’s a down the line kind of horse,” McGaughey said.

Jose Ortiz rides from post 7.

Trainer Chad Brown will debut Portfolio Company for Klaravich Stables.

The bay son of Kitten’s Joy has trained with Brown’s Spa contingent since early May and last worked on the main track going a half-mile in 49.80.

The $125,000 purchase is a full-brother to millionaire Charming Kitten, who won the inaugural two-mile Belmont Gold Cup in 2014.

Breaking from post 4, Portfolio Company will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Special training hours for horses quarantined in Barn 86

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) placed Barn 86 at Saratoga Race Course under a precautionary quarantine Thursday until further notice due to a positive case of Equine Herpesvirus-1 in that barn.

During the initial quarantine period, the 46 horses stabled in Barn 86 will not be permitted to enter races or train among the general horse population.

Afebrile/asymptomatic horses stabled in Barn 86 will have isolated training hours at the Oklahoma Training Track following the close of training for the general horse population from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

 Saratoga Week 2 stakes probables

Thursday, July 22

$100,000 Stillwater

Probable: Miss Alacrity [Ward], Ready A.P. [Clement], Shesawildjoker [David Donk], Sue Ellen Mishkin [Jorge Abreu]

Friday, July 23

G3 $150,000 Lake George

Probable: Alda [Graham Motion], Amy C [Chad Brown], Demodog [Rodolphe Brisset], Fluffy Socks [C. Brown], I Get It [Casse], Jouster [Todd Pletcher], Minaun [C. Brown], Navratilova [Rusty Arnold], Nevisian Sunrise [C. Brown], Runaway Rumour [Abreu], Tobys Heart [Lynch]

Saturday, July 24

G1 $500,000 CCA Oaks

Probable: Clairiere [Steve Asmussen], Crazy Beautiful [McPeek], Malathaat [Pletcher], Maracuja [Rob Atras], Rockpaperscissors [Brisset]

Possible: Army Wife [Maker], Tabor Hall [Kenny McPeek], Town Avenger [Lynch]

G3, $200,000 Caress

Probable: Caravel [Elizabeth Merryman], Flower Point [Shug McGaughey], Jakarta [Maker], Robin Sparkles [Bruce Brown]

Possible: Madeleine Must [Clement], Toffen [Lynch]

Sunday, July 25

G2, $200,000 Shuvee

Probable: Antoinette [Bill Mott], Crystal Ball [Brisset], Dunbar Road [C. Brown], Liberty M D [Ian Wilkes], Point of Honor [McGaughey], Royal Flag [C. Brown], Swiss Skydiver [McPeek]

Possible: Water White [Rudy Rodriguez]