Saratoga Race Course Notes 7.28.17

by NYRA Press Office

• Tom's d'Etat could be G1 Woodward-bound off impressive allowance win
• Finley'sluckycharm likely to show off moves in G1 Ballerina
• Red-hot Gargan eyeing G1 stakes for Phi Beta Express, Divine Miss Grey
• Queen's Plate heroine Holy Helena shooting for G1 Alabama
• Sly Roxy gives Casse first win of summer, may return in G2 Adirondack
• Let It Ride Mom, India Mantuana square off in Monday's Coronation Cup
• PDJF Day to benefit jockeys tomorrow at the Spa
• Week 3 stakes probables

G M B Racing's Tom's d'Etat could wind up in the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward September 2 off his nine-length romp in a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance Thursday, trainer Al Stall said Friday morning.

The 1 1/8-mile Woodward would mark the stakes debut for the 4-year-old Smart Strike colt. In his only previous start at Saratoga, Tom's d'Etat broke his maiden by four lengths in front-running fashion last August 5 in his third career start.

G M B Racing is the nom de course of Gayle Marie Benson, the wife of New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans owner Tom Benson.

"We'll take a long look at the Woodward, for sure. I'm not for sure running but we'll nominate and see how it shakes out," Stall said. "He's got a great record on this track, he's right here, and it's 30 days, not to mention the owner has had lofty goals his whole life. The man has won the Super Bowl. We're going to hope we have a horse that comes out of the race well and see what we can do."

Tom's d'Etat made his race debut on turf last May and didn't run again after his maiden victory until returning with a 3 ¾-length score March 20 at the Fair Grounds. He entered Thursday's race off a 2 ¼-length win June 10 at Churchill Downs, going 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.46.

"He's a horse we've been high on for a long time and he's a horse that is maturing as he's getting some age on him. He's getting himself together and still has a way to go," Stall said. "He makes the lead and pulls himself up and puts his ears forward. He's been running like that with a little bit left in the tank. If he ever gets down and runs, who knows what might happen.

"He's a good-looking horse. He was kind of an expensive yearling [$330,000] with a good pedigree," he added. "As soon as he got on the dirt he just woke up and you could see the proverbial light coming on. He's still in the process."

Stall, who has Excitations entered in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam, said he also expects to run E.H. Beau Lane III's homebred Minnie Blip in the Grade 1, $500,000 Test on August 5. The dark bay or brown daughter of Algorithms won first time out March 23 at Fair Grounds and rebounded from a fourth-place effort May 5 to take a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance June 22 last out, both at Churchill Downs.

"We liked her at the Fair Grounds and she ran great her first time out," Stall said. "She caught a real deep track in her second start, the same day as Tom's d'Etat. The track was really strange. She showed that speed and then she just didn't finish up. We gave her some time and she came back in the a-other-than in [1:16.65]. The very next race was a two-other-than, older fillies and mares; I had one in there. They ran 27 minutes apart and she ran like six lengths faster. The track couldn't change that much. The owner owns the family, so any piece of the Test would be great for him."

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Finley'sluckycharm came out of her runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss in good order and is now targeting the Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina on August 26, trainer Bret Calhoun said outside his barn Friday morning.

Finley'sluckycharm set the early fractions in the six-furlong sprint before Paulassilverlining won by a neck in the final jumps. A talented field that included third-place finisher By the Moon provided a strong test for the 4-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy, who has six wins and two second-places finishes in her last eight starts, including Grade 3 wins in the Winning Colors and the Chicago Handicap, respectively.

"She came back great and if everything continues to look like it does now, we'll point towards the Ballerina," Calhoun said. "It seemed like she handled everything great and ran hard. She just got beat by a really good filly. No excuses. It was a good field.

"I'm prejudiced, but I think the 1-2-3 finishers are probably the three best sprint fillies in the country," he added. "We look forward to the rematch in four weeks in the Ballerina."

Galactica, a talented 2-year-old, could make his graded stakes debut in the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special presented by Coors Light on August 13, Calhoun said. The Texas-bred son of Uncle Abbie won his first stakes start on July 22 at Lone Star Park, capturing the $100,000 colts-and-geldings division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity," contested at five furlongs.

Galactica won by three-quarters of a length and would be stretched out to 6 1/2 furlongs if Calhoun chooses to run him in the Saratoga Special. Calhoun said the $100,000 Skidmore on August 18 could be a possibility if he wants to try him on the turf for the 5 ½-furlong sprint.

"It's back in three weeks, so we'll have to figure out if that's enough time," Calhoun said. "He got shipped to Churchill Downs today and he's flying up here on the third. If he makes it in good order, we might make the Saratoga Special. You kind of hate to try him on the turf since he's done so well on the dirt, but it might be a softer spot than the Saratoga Special and gives us another week, so we'll see."

Galactica has won back-to-back races at Lone Star after finishing second in his debut at the track on June 9.

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Riding the momentum from a strong spring-summer meet at Belmont Park, where he finished in the top 10 with 12 wins along with nearly $640,000 in purse earnings, trainer Danny Gargan has gotten off to a fast start at Saratoga.

Gargan has won with three of his first six starters thus far, matching his entire win total from 16 starters in 2015 and just two shy of 2016, when he ran 22 horses.

"We had a really big Belmont, and we always do really well at Aqueduct. Last year at the end of this meet we ended up pretty good. We were [23] percent, which is always impressive," Gargan said. "This year we came in and we have some younger horses that are doing really well. We enter to win, and a couple things just fell into place. We expected to win the same number of races we did last year, just the [condition] book worked out better in the beginning this year."

The first winner for Gargan came July 23 with Phi Beta Express, a 3-year-old Afleet Express colt bred and owned by Martin Cherry. He broke his maiden July 4 at Belmont and came back to take a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance by eight lengths in 1:17.01.

Gargan said he would consider the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, formerly the King's Bishop, at seven furlongs August 26 for Phi Beta Express' next start.

"It's straight 3-year-olds and he's just so fast. Mr. Cherry will decide on that," Gargan said. "He's a really nice horse. He had run three times and I really don't understand why he didn't run any good before. We ran him at Belmont and he ran really fast and then here the other day he just tore the track up. He's really fast. His numbers are really impressive."

Midwest Thoroughbreds' 2-year-old filly Trouble for Skylar, a $225,000 yearling purchase last summer at Saratoga, captured her unveiling by eight lengths going 5 ½ furlongs on Wednesday. Gargan said she could wind up in the $200,000 Seeking the Ante against fellow New York-breds August 25 at the Spa.

"There's a stake coming back here and there's a stake at Finger Lakes. We'll probably consider both of them and see which one's our best option," Gargan said. "She's a pretty smart filly so shipping won't be a problem if we go to Finger Lakes. The race here is $200,000 so we'll weigh the options and see which one she fits in. She's a nice filly."

Gargan is also high on Corms Racing Stable's Divine Miss Grey, a winner of her last three starts who is expected to make her stakes debut in the Grade 1 Test at seven furlongs. The chestnut daughter of Divine Park may have her second local work over the main track Saturday morning.

Divine Miss Grey was claimed for $16,000 out of a March 15 win at Gulfstream Park and has won three of four starts for her new connections, scoring at 6 ½ and seven furlongs and one mile in her last three, the latest coming June 30 at Belmont.

"We're going to look at the Test. She's a pretty nice filly," Gargan said. "She's 3, she's won three in a row, and her numbers are going in the right direction. She's training really well. She's probably going to work tomorrow first after the break. She'll get a nice half and we'll evaluate it from there and see if we belong in the race."

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Stronach Stable's Queen's Plate winner Holy Helena has settled in at Jimmy Jerkens' Saratoga barn in good order and is likely to make her Spa debut in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama on August 19, her trainer said on Friday morning. 

Jerkens added that the Ontario-bred Ghostzapper filly is expected to work in the coming days. Last Saturday, she breezed a 50.33-second half-mile on the Oklahoma training track, her first work since she beat males with a 3 ½-length victory in the Queens Plate on July 2 at Woodbine Racetrack, the second leg of Canada's Triple Crown.

Unveiled as a 3-year-old this spring, Holy Helena broke her maiden at second asking on May 12 over Belmont Park's main track and has gone on to register back-to-back stakes wins on Woodbine's Tapeta course, winning the Woodbine Oaks on June 11 prior to taking the Queen's Plate at the Alabama's 1 ¼-mile distance. 

"She broke her maiden on the dirt and it wasn't a great field, but she acted like one that was making big leaps and bounds," Jerkens said of the filly's development. "She was improving really quickly and she took to that surface up there, that's for sure."

Jerkens said that multiple Grade 1 winner Shaman Ghost will train up to the Grade 1 Woodward on Saratoga's closing weekend. Also by Ghostzapper and owned by Stronach Stables, the 5-year-old bay horse got back to the worktab for the first time since finishing second to Keen Ice as the 1-2 favorite in the July 8 Grade 2 Suburban, covering three furlongs in an easy 39 seconds last Saturday. 

"[We breezed him] in case we were going to come back and work him this weekend for the Whitney but we're not going to go there," said Jerkens. "He's still in training, but we'll back him up for another couple of weeks for the Woodward."

Graded stakes-placed Dolphus won't make a start at Saratoga this summer following a tendon injury suffered during training recently. The 4-year-old half-brother to 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra was nominated last week to the $100,000 Alydar on August 6.

"He's got a tendon problem so he'll be out for a good while," said Jerkens. "He's going to go to Ocala in the next couple of days."

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George Yager's Sly Roxy ended an 0-for-18 start to the meet for Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse on Thursday, pressing the early pace before taking command and drawing away to a 5 ½-length triumph in her unveiling.

A bay daughter of Speightstown out of the Indian Charlie mare Roxy Gap, Sly Roxy bested her stablemate Gio Game, who overcame a rough start to earn the place by 2 ¼ lengths.

"Sly Roxy is a nice horse," Casse said. "I really liked the filly that was second, too. She got away bad and came through horses. I think both fillies are better than average fillies. I was just happy to win a race. It's been rough."

Casse, who also has three seconds and two thirds at the meet, said he will look at the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack August 12 for Sly Roxy.

"We'll see how it is. She's nice," Casse said. "I trained her mom, and she made about $900,000. I never met him when George called me up and said, 'You trained her mom, would you be interested in training her?' and I said sure. We took her to our training center in Ocala and George said to take her wherever she needs to be, and after a little while I told him I think she needs to be at Saratoga. It worked out really well."

Casse has four horses entered Saturday including Casses Story, a 3-year-old colt owned by Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation. A maiden winner at Saratoga last September in her fourth and final start at 2, Casses Story has run twice this year finishing third last out June 23 at Churchill Downs.

A son of champion Bernardini, Casses Story is a sentimental horse for the trainer. He got his name following the death of Casse's father, well-respected horseman Norman Casse, Sr., at age 79 last March.

"He's named after my father," Casse said. "Mrs. Weber came to the memorial for my dad and I told some stories about my dad, and that's how it came about."

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Live Oak Planation's Let It Ride Mom and Head of Plans Partners and Sterling Road Stables' India Mantuana will headline a field of nine in Monday's $100,00 Coronation Cup for 3-year-old fillies at 5 ½ furlongs on the Mellon turf course.

A daughter of Into Mischief in the care of trainer Mark Casse, Let It Ride Mom will make her first start on the turf in the Coronation Cup coming off a second-place finish in an optional-claimer on June 2 at Churchill Downs. With a record of two wins from six starts including a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Mazarine as a juvenile filly at Woodbine, Casse said he is confident her bloodline should enable her to compete.

"Her pedigree allowed us to do a little exploring with her," said Casse. "Training horses is like putting together a puzzle. You use different pieces, and then see which ones work together. She's been training really well. She is sharpening up, and I think she will run well."

With Joel Rosario aboard, Let It Ride Mom will leave from the rail.

Making her way to Chad Brown's barn after being previously trained by Antonio Sano, India Mantuana is the most experienced runner in the field with 15 lifetime starts, with her last three under the Brown banner. She ran fifth in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride and followed with a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill Downs on May 5. 

In her most recent start, the sophomore filly by Wilburn cut back in distance to 6 ½ furlongs in the Alywow at Woodbine on June 11, where she finished a close third.

"I thought we got a really good race out of her [last out]," said Brown. "Five and a half might be too short for her, but I like it as a better alternative than stretching her out again. That's why this is a good spot for her." 

India Mantuana will break from post 5 with Javier Castellano in the irons.

Rounding out the field is Hidden Mystery for Jason Servis and owners Gary and Mary West, who last out finished second in the Crank It Up Stakes at Monmouth on June 10; No More Babies for Rigney Racing and trainer Philip Bauer; Heavenly Score for trainer John Terranova and Curragh Stables; Lady Alexandrafor trainer Tom Proctor and Sheep Pond Partners and Newport Stables; Epping Forest for Waterville Lake Stable and trainer Christophe Clement; multiple stakes winner Morticia for trainer Rusty Arnold and owner Humphrey Watts; and Yorkiepoo Princess for trainer Eddie Baker and owner Danny Chen.

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As part of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) Day Across America, Saratoga Race Course will unite with racetracks across the country on Saturday to help raise money and promote awareness of the needs of permanently disabled jockeys.

The day's events will kick off with a special autograph session from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in front of the jockey silks room porch, featuring top riders from the Saratoga jockey colony.

For a suggested donation of $10 a throw, fans will have the opportunity to support the PDJF by soaking some of their favorite jockeys, plus NYRA racing television analyst Andy Serling. The dunk tank will be located in the backyard outside the Clubhouse near Dunkin' Donuts and the Spectrum News Gazebo from 1-3 p.m.

The Community Outreach Booth on track will also host the PDJF. Fans are encouraged to visit the booth located near the jockey silks room porch to learn more about the not-for-profit organization's mission to provide financial assistance to former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries.

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$100,000 Birdstone - Thursday, August 3
Probable: Archanova (Ian Wilkes); Hard Study (Todd Pletcher); Rich Daddy (Eddie Kenneally); Rum Tum Tugger (Jonathan Sheppard)
Possible: Scuba (Brendan Walsh); Sea Raven (Kelly Rubley); Tu Brutus (Gary Contessa)

Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame - Friday, August 4
Probable: Big Handsome (Tony Dutrow); Bricks and Mortar (Chad Brown); Parlor (Kenneally); Secretary At War (Jimmy Jerkens); Snap Decision (Shug McGaughey); Yoshida (Bill Mott)
Possible: Just Howard (Graham Motion); Makarios (Nick Zito)

Grade 1, $1,200,000 Whitney Handicap - Saturday, August 5
Probable: Breaking Lucky (Reade Baker); Cautious Giant (Anthony Quartarolo); Gun Runner (Steve Asmussen); Keen Ice (Pletcher); War Story (Jorge Navarro) 
Possible: Discreet Lover (Uriah St. Lewis); Tu Brutus (Contessa); Watershed (Kiaran McLaughlin)

Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test - Saturday, August 5
Probable: American Gal (Simon Callaghan); Chalon (Peter Miller); Chanel's Legacy (Chad Summers); Cursor (Mark Hennig); Divine Miss Grey (Danny Gargan); Jamyson 'n Ginger (C. Brown); Minnie Blip (Al Stall); Tequilita (Michael Matz); Verical Oak (Asmussen); Your Love (C. Brown)

Grade 3, $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya - Saturday, August 5
Probable: Achnaha (George Weaver); Apple Betty (McGaughey); Daring Duchess (Mike Maker); Estrechada (Mike Puype); Evidently (Roy Lerman); Gone Away (Matz); Guilty Twelve (Motion); Lottie (Motion); Suffused (Mott); Summersault (Hennig)

$100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose - Saturday, August 5
Probable: Elysea's World (C. Brown); Josdesanimaux (Ralph Nicks); Light In Paris (C. Brown); Off Limits (C. Brown); On Leave (McGaughey)
Possible: Boreale (Motion); Sassy Little Lila (Cox); Thundering Sky (Weaver)

$100,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure - Saturday, August 5
Probable: Aubenas (Stall); Fire Away (McGaughey); Our Way (Jimmy Bond); Ring Weekend (Motion); Sir Dudley Digges (Maker); Zennor (McLaughlin)
Possible: Diversify (Rick Violette); Get Jets (Dutrow)

$100,000 Alydar - Sunday, August 6
Probable: Conquest Windycity (B. Walsh); Mo Tom (Tom Amoss); Rally Cry (Pletcher)
Possible: Ocean Knight (McLaughlin)

$150,000 Troy
Probable: Bold Thunder (Patricia Farro); Conquest Panthera (Mark Casse); Dowse's Beach (Brad Cox); Green Mask (Brad Cox); Holding Gold (Casse); Mongolian Saturday (Enebish Ganbat); Pure Sensation (Christophe Clement)
Possible: Rainbow Heir (Jason Servis)