Chelsea Durand Photo

Pletcher contingent busy as Saratoga meet begins

by NYRA Press Office

• Tyler Gaffalione looking to make impression in first full-time stint at Saratoga
• Rusty Arnold not bluffing with two queens in pocket
• War of Will to breeze Saturday; Enforceable seeks maiden win
• Englehart hopes Mrs. Ramona G can kickstart successful meet
• Osare, half-sister to Arrogate, retired
• Graded stakes placed fillies clash in Sunday turf allowance
• Tough 2-year-old maiden races on deck for Saturday

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he plans on working stakes winners King for a Day and Coal Front on Saturday morning at Saratoga Race Course. Both horses are possible for stakes action at Monmouth Park for their next test.

Red Oak Stable homebred King for a Day scored a breakthrough win in the Pegasus at Monmouth last out over heavy favorite and disqualified Kentucky Derby winner Maximum Security on June 16. The bay son of Uncle Mo entered the Pegasus off a victory in the Sir Barton at Pimlico, which he won off of a six-month layoff on May 18.

Pletcher said he is leaning toward sending King for a Day back to the Jersey Shore for the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 20.

"We're going to breeze Saturday morning and make a decision after that, but right now we're looking at the Haskell," Pletcher said.

King for a Day has recorded two works over the Oklahoma training track, most recently a five-furlong move in 1:01.64.

Robert LaPenta and Head of Plains Partners' five-time graded stakes winner Coal Front also is scheduled to work Saturday in preparation for a possible start in the Grade 3, $200,000 Monmouth Cup on the Haskell undercard.

The 5-year-old Stay Thirsty bay colt was seventh in the Grade 1 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap, which came after a win overseas in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile on March 30 at Meydan Racecourse.

"We're going to breeze him Saturday as well," said Pletcher. "We postponed some works because the track is still wet. We'll make a decision but he's a possibility for the Monmouth Cup."

All five of Coal Front's graded stakes wins came at different main tacks. As a 3-year-old, he won the Grade 2 Amsterdam over Saratoga's main track two starts before winning the Grade 3 Gallant Bob at Parx Racing. He finished his 4-year-old campaign with a win in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector going the one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park before shipping to Oaklawn Park where he was a hard-fought winner of the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap.

Pletcher went on to speak highly of Prince Lucky's effort in the State Dinner on Closing Day at Belmont Park last Sunday. The Daniel McConnell-owned son of Corinthian successfully sought redemption after two off-the-board placings against graded stakes company when taking the one mile open company stake at Big Sandy.

The State Dinner was Prince Lucky's first win since notching a pair of graded stakes victories at Gulfstream Park in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile and the Grade 3 Hal's Hope.

"His couple of races in Florida were very good," Pletcher said. "It was nice to see him get back on track in the State Dinner. He ran very well, came back well, so we'll figure out what we're going to do next."

Pletcher said Social Paranoia, a close second in last Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational, will likely target the $1 million Saratoga Derby, the second leg of the newly created Turf Trinity on August 4.

Never off the board in nine career starts, The Elkstone Group's consistent dark bay Street Boss colt has placed four times against graded stakes company. Before the Belmont Derby, he finished third in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge to Demarchelier and was third in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs. His sole victory was an eight-length maiden win at Gulfstream Park on March 30.

"We'll try the Saratoga Derby and see how that goes," Pletcher said. "He's knocked on the door, so maybe we'll get lucky and get that big win. He trained very well and always run well so we were optimistic. I thought he ran as well as he's capable of."

Pletcher confirmed that the well-bred long distance specialist Marconi, seventh in the Grade 2 Suburban last Saturday at Belmont Park, would stretch back out to longer distances and will point to the 1 ¾-mile $100,000 Birdstone on August 1.

The son of Tapit is out of stakes winner Ponche de Leona, who also produced 2013 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man. He was purchased for $2 million from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2016 by owners Bridlewood Farm and Mrs. John Magnier who own him in partnership with Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

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Tyler Gaffalione looking to make impression in first full-time stint at Saratoga

The current campaign has already produced milestones for jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who won his first American Classic race when he piloted War of Will to victory in the Grade 1 Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in May.

Entering the summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course, Gaffalione has already registered eight graded stakes wins this year. The 24-year-old will now look to add another milestone and win his first stakes at Saratoga.

"This is my first full meet here. I've shipped in a few times the last couple of years just here and there, but I'm excited about riding here," Gaffalione said. "It's a tough colony. There's a lot of good trainers and nice horses here, so I'm just excited for the opportunity."

Gaffalione started riding at Saratoga in 2017, posting a 2-5-4 record with earnings of $305,899 in 35 starts. Last year, he had seven mounts at the Spa, with one runner-up finish, but he will already exceed that total in five days with 19 mounts scheduled through the opening week.

Winning the second leg of the Triple Crown was the continuation of a strong career start, which included 28 wins in 331 mounts in 2014 before a 2015 campaign in which he went 217-207-191 in 1,491 mounts, earning the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey.

"I've always been very confident, hopefully we can just get some good opportunities and make the most of them here," Gaffalione said. "It's incredible just walking around here, you can feel the history. The fans are great. It just makes everything so exciting."

Gaffalione said riding full-time at Saratoga wasn't a goal heading into the year, but he will now be a regular after spending the bulk of the year at Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park in Kentucky and Florida, respectively.

"It just kind of happened and the way the business went," he said. "It looked like we'd have a few mounts here and there, and with racing going down to three days a week in Kentucky, this was a good option for us."

War of Will, slated to make his next start in the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy on July 27, is also a possibility for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on Saturday, August 24. It could mark Gaffalione's second mount in the "Mid-Summer Derby" following Giuseppe the Great's sixth-place finish in 2017.

"I got familiar with the track and the way things go here, so it makes it easier settling in now," he said.

Saratoga features some of the best jockeys in country, which Gaffalione said could help raise his level. He already has reached the 1,000-win mark, with 1,107 wins in 6,524 starts and earnings of nearly $44 million entering Friday.

"There's great riders and even better people, and in order to compete with them, you have to match their ability," he said.

Gaffalione's father, Steve, won 827 races from 1978-98. Tyler, who spent his youth on the backstretches of Florida-based tracks such as Gulfstream, Calder and Hialeah, will now look to make a mark in New York.

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Rusty Arnold not bluffing with two queens in pocket

A perennial resident of Saratoga for the summer racing season, conditioner Rusty Arnold was in good spirits returning to stable at the historic racetrack. The mood is justifiable as he conditions a pair of talented graded stakes winners in 3-year-old phenom filly Concrete Rose for owners Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing and 5-year-old Morticia for owner G. Watts Humphrey, Jr.

"It's always fun to be up here," said Arnold. "I've had good meets and I've had bad meets up here, and it's not so bad coming up here knowing you have some talented runners to compete."

Concrete Rose is undefeated in three starts this year, capturing the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Gulfstream and the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill Downs ahead of her victory in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, the first leg of the newly created Turf Tiara for fillies.

Arnold said the daughter of Twirling Candy had shipped and settled into Saratoga well with the goal of racing in the second leg of the Turf Tiara, the $750,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational, on Friday, August 2.

"She really came out of her race well," said Arnold. "We'll run back in the Oaks if everything goes well. She has really progressed. She's 3-for-3 as a 3-year-old and each time she's run I feel she's gotten better. Hopefully, by the end of the meet we can say we still have the top 3-year-old turf filly in the country. Certainly, as of right now, she's proven herself that so far."

Arnold also reported seven-time stakes winner Morticia, who won an allowance race on June 2 at Churchill last out, would work on Sunday and is expected to enter the $200,000 Caress on Saturday, July 20.

"She's doing really well," said Arnold. "Everything's a go so far and she works on Sunday. We were very happy we found a race for her to run in when she got back to Churchill. She shipped in here good and continuing to do really well. We'll target the Caress, and she'll breeze here on Sunday."

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War of Will to breeze Saturday; Enforceable seeks maiden win

Gary Barber's Grade 1 Preakness winner War of Will, trained by Mark Casse, will breeze on Saturday morning at Saratoga as he continues preparations for a possible start in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 27 at Saratoga Race Course.

"He's doing well. He shipped up to me two days ago from Keeneland and jogged the first day he was here and then galloped this morning," said Jamie Begg, Casse's New York-based assistant. "He's moving good and looks good."

War of Will competed in all three legs of the Triple Crown, placing a troubled seventh in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby ahead of his Preakness redemption. Last out, the War Front bay was ninth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 8.

In Friday's sixth race, the Casse team will send out well-bred maiden Enforceable in a 1 1/16 mile turf test. By Tapit, Enforceable is a full brother to multiple graded stakes winner Mohaymen, who in 2015 won his first four starts including the Grade 2 Nashua and Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct.

Enforceable has finished second and third in his first two career starts in dirt sprints at Churchill Downs and will make his turf debut on Friday. He breezed five furlongs on the Belmont main track in 1:02.55 on July 4, which Begg said was a strong effort from the promising grey.

"He worked with another 2-year-old filly of ours and she struggled over the track a little bit, so he outworked her, but I was extremely happy with his work," said Begg. "It wasn't a super quick time, but he waited with her and had a good gallop out."

Begg said the added distance on Friday will benefit Enforceable.

"I think the two turns will suit him really well. We've been pretty high on him the whole time," said Begg. "They were high on him in Kentucky, but he just wasn't able to get it done there. I think going longer is better for him."

The Casse barn has a number of promising 2-year-olds to debut this summer at Saratoga including the British-bred Lashara, a bay daughter of Triple Crown champion American Pharoah out of the graded stakes winning mare Marbre Rose.

Lashara breezed a half-dozen times at Casse Training Center in Florida before shipping to Belmont Park, where she worked four furlongs over the main track on July 6 in 50 flat.

Begg said the promising filly is expected to breeze again this weekend at Saratoga.

"She's a good mover. We're pretty high on her and think she could be a nice horse," said Begg. "I think she'll be ready by the next book. I worked her once and then she had a little baby sickness and that pushed her back a bit. She'll probably be a horse that wants longer, but she seems to be a pretty nice filly. We'll let her tell us what she wants."

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Englehart hopes Mrs. Ramona G can kickstart successful meet

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart ended the Belmont Park spring/summer meet with 18 wins and just over $1 million in earnings and is looking to keep his good momentum going into the summer meet at Saratoga.

Gold Square's Mrs. Ramona G is pointing towards next Saturday's $200,000 Caress at 5 ½-furlongs on the turf. A 4-year-old filly sired by Kantharos, she kicked off her 2019 campaign with a third-place finish in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream. She followed with a fourth-place finish in the License Fee at Belmont before recording two second-place finishes back-to-back in the Politely on May 18 at Monmouth Park and the Perfect Sting on June 29 at Belmont.

Englehart said Mrs. Ramona G is training well and is building towards a start in the Grade 2, $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters, slated for September 16.

"It seems like she came out of the Perfect Sting in good order," said Englehart. "We kind of had the Caress in mind for her and then maybe the Masters at Preque Isle Downs. So we're king of using the Caress as a stepping stone to that race."

Gold Square's New York-bred stakes winner Wendell Fong will eye a start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam on July 28 according to Englehart. The 3-year-old Flat Out colt won the Gold Fever in May at Belmont before stepping up to graded stakes competition for the first time, finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens in his most recent start.

Englehart said he was encouraged by Wendell Fong's graded stakes debut.

"I was pleased with his effort in the Woody Stephens," said Englehart. "It looked like you had to be on the inside on that day and we kind of took him out of his game plan in letting him sit and relax. We pressed him early to get him into the race to see if we could get on the rail and we had to sit just outside. He really ran well to finish fifth and only get beaten by a couple of lengths, so we're pointing to the Amsterdam from here with him."

Englehart said graded stakes winner Forty Under, who last out ran fifth in the Grade 2 Penn Mile at Penn National, received throat surgery following the race. Forty Under is currently stabled at Saratoga with the hopes of making a race before the end of the meet.

"He's doing well," said Englehart. "We did throat surgery on him coming out of the Penn Mile. Dr. Patty Hogan of Hogan Equine in New Jersey performed the surgery and we just got him back to Saratoga. Since he's been here, he also picked up a little foot abscess, but we're hoping to make a race with him by the end of the meet."

Englehart also reported New York-bred graded stakes winner Sue's Fortune is in good order after not finishing in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 5 at Belmont in her third start of year after running second in the Jersey Girl on June 9.

"She came back okay," said Englehart. "It just didn't seem to be her day. I ran her back a little too quick off of her race against Brad's filly [winner, Break Even]. I was hemming and hawing on whether to run her and I talked to Junior [Alvarado] before the race and I said if it's not her day don't worry about it. I wasn't 100 percent sure I had her 100 percent going in, but we'll regroup from here."

Englehart said stakes winner Isotope, who was recently entered in the Fasig-Tipton Summer Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale and kept by her owners, would also target a race towards the end of the meet.

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Osare, half-sister to Arrogate, retired

Bridlewood Farm's Osare, a stakes-winning half-sister to Arrogate trained by Jonathan Thomas, has been retired following an off-the-board effort on July 6 in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park.

Bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms, the dark bay daughter of Medaglia d'Oro is out of the multiple stakes-winning Distorted Humor mare Bubbler, who produced multiple Grade 1-winner and 2016 Eclipse Award-winning 3-year-old colt Arrogate.

"She chased a fast pace at Delaware," said Thomas. "She's already a stakes winner, but with her pedigree you want to give her a chance to be graded stakes placed. We're going to retire her to be a broodmare.

"She went back to Bridlewood and they have a lot of time until the breeding season to decide who she will be bred to," continued Thomas. "With her pedigree and the fact that she is a stakes winner, there's nothing but upside."

Currently with eight stalls at Saratoga, Thomas will saddle the promising 3-year-old maiden Peaceful in Saturday's eighth race at the Spa, a 5 1/2 furlong turf sprint for . Owned by Twin Creeks Racing, the Declaration of War chestnut debuted with a closing second on June 16 at Monmouth Park.

Thomas said a troubled start may have cost her a debut win.

"The plan was to run her in New York but the race didn't go," said Thomas. "We reluctantly went to Monmouth and she broke a little slow, but ended up making up a lot of ground. So, we're here now and she's doing well. At the end of the day, I think she wants more ground than the five and a half offers her, but she ran well enough to come back and try it here."

Thomas has a number of 2-year-old prospects for the Saratoga summer meet, including Embur's Zip, who graduated on the Belmont turf on June 30 at second asking and the New York-bred Assault Breaker.

"He'll [Assault Breaker] run long on the grass. I have another that finished third in a three-quarter race on the turf [Dubai Bobby] and he'll run here probably in the second book," said Thomas. "There's eight to 10 2-year-olds to run here before the meet is over, that are all currently stabled at home at Belmont."

Robert V. LaPenta, Madaket Stables, Siena Farm, and Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Catholic Boy, the runner-up effort to Preservationist, in the Grade 2, $700,000 Suburban as part of the Stars & Stripes Racing Festival at Belmont Park, has remained at the Elmont oval.

Thomas said he will ship the dual Grade 1 winner to Saratoga at the end of the month with the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward, slated for August 31, as the target.

"I'll bring him up here in a week or two," said Thomas. "I'm just letting him get over his race down there. He came out of it okay for the most part. The Woodward is still the primary target."

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Graded stakes placed fillies clash in Sunday turf allowance

Even first-level allowance events at Saratoga will often come up highly competitive. Such is the case with Race 8 on Sunday afternoon's program which is a 1 1/16-mile test for sophomore fillies on the inner turf boasting a $92,000 purse.

Placed twice against graded stakes company is Augustin Stables' Varenka, who enters Sunday's race off a third-place effort in the Grade 3 Regret, which she entered off of a two-length maiden victory over next out winner Romantic Pursuit. The bay daughter of Ghostzapper was also second in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo over a yielding inner turf at Belmont Park in October.

Trainer Graham Motion was aware that the race would come up quite tough.

"I was afraid of that but not completely surprised," Motion said. "It's a stakes anywhere else in the country with that purse."

Motion considered another stakes race for Varenka but opted to run her against winners instead.

"She's doing well, I thought about taking her to Arlington this weekend [for the $100,000 Hatoof], but I didn't want to put her on a van for that long of a trip again," Motion said. "It's amazing to me how competitive the three-year-old filly and colt turf divisions are. There are stakes all over the country and yet an allowance race still comes up this competitive. Three-year-olds on the grass is a very deep division this year.

"I don't think we had a perfect trip last time," Motion said of the Regret. "I don't think it cost us a win, maybe a better placing. She always runs well and I'm trying to be conservative with her."

A homebred out of stakes winning Dynaformer broodmare Dynamic Cat, Varenka is a half-sister to turf stakes winners Appealing Cat and Lift Up.

Fourth in the Grade 3 Regret, finishing a neck behind Varenka, is Belle Laura, who also is entered in Sunday's race.

Trained by Norm Casse, the Mucho Macho Man bay filly was third in last year's Grade 3 Jessamine at Keeneland finishing 3 1/4 lengths to Concrete Rose. She began her 2019 campaign with a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream Park, where she ran a career best 82 Beyer Speed Figure.

"We were looking for some class relief," Casse said. "She ran against some good horses and we want to take advantage of the fact that it's an 'a other than', but it looks to be about as tough as any other race she's been in. Her run in the Regret was really good. She probably just needed the race."

Owned by GU Racing Stable, Belle Laura was purchased for $32,000 from the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale in 2017. She was bred in Kentucky by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and is out of the Giant's Causeway broodmare Belle Chaussee.

Other graded stakes placed entrants in the race include Stellar Agent, third in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Comic Kitten, who finished third beaten a neck in the Grade 3 Mazarine last October at Woodbine .

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Tough 2-year-old maiden races on deck for Saturday

The first Saturday of the prestigious Saratoga meet will twice feature juvenile action, as two maiden special weight events on both surfaces have been assembled for the program.

Race 4, a 5 1/2-furlong event on the Saratoga main track, will see a field of eight 2-year-olds going into the starting gate including the well-bred High Tide who breaks from the rail for trainer Todd Pletcher. The gelded dark bay son of Malibu Moon owned by Bass Racing is out of the Arch broodmare Bauble Queen who was a graded stakes winner on grass. High Tide is a half-brother to Blitzkrieg, who won the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile over the turf at Golden Gate Fields in April.

"He's been training really well on the dirt so we'll start there," Pletcher said. "Hopefully he does well there. Turf would be a consideration if he doesn't succeed on the dirt."

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will saddle the first progeny of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah to race at the Spa when Pharoah Cat breaks from post 7. The dark bay colt has already made one career start when racing a distant fifth at Churchill Downs to runaway winner Long Weekend.

Bred in Kentucky by Gabriel Duignan, Windmill Manor, Liam Duignan & Tranquility Investments, Pharoah Cat was a $475,000 purchase from last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Eaton Sales. He is out of the Giant's Causeway broodmare Meerkat Miss, who is a half-sister to 1996 Belmont Stakes winner Editor's Note, also trained by Lukas, as well as 2002 European Champion Two-Year-Old Hold That Tiger.

Pharoah Cat will be guided by jockey Rajiv Maragh.

Zayat Stables' well-bred Zyramid will look for a second out graduation after a third-place finish at Churchill Downs to stablemate and next-out stakes winner Halfmoon Reef. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the gray or roan City Zip colt is out of the three-time stakes winning Unbridled's Song broodmare Ravi's Song, whose dam is the five-time graded stakes winning millionaire Lu Ravi. Zyramid was purchased for $275,000 from last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Greenfield Farm.

Two races later, a field of nine plus two main track only entrants have been drawn for the first two-turn maiden race of the meet for 2-year-olds. The 1 1/16-mile race over Saratoga's inner turf will feature well-bred Enforceable who will look for a third out graduation when switching surfaces for trainer Mark Casse.

Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle Decorated Invader for owners West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman and William Sandbrook. The career debuting bay son of Declaration of War was a $200,000 purchase from last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Indian Creek. Decorated Invader is out of the Arch broodmare Gamely Girl and comes from the same family as champion sprinter in Puerto Rico Dr. Arbatach, Grade 1 winner Bandini and multiple graded stakes producing sire Stormy Atlantic.

Stuart Janney III's chestnut Orb homebred Cloudbased will make his turf debut after a first out fifth over a sloppy Belmont Park main track. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Cloudbased is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner on turf Data Link. Both are out of the Known Fact broodmare Database who is a half-sister to Hymn Book - a Grade 1 winner on dirt.

Fern Circle Stables' Cardiac Kid makes his career debut for trainer Kenny McPeek, who bought the horse at the Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale this year. The son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is out of the Tale of the Cat broodmare New Wave who is a half-sister to General Quarters - a Grade 1 winner on synthetic and turf and Grade 3 winner on dirt. Cardiac Kid was purchased for $230,000 from the consignment barn of Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables.