Flintshire / Chelsea Durand Photo

Saratoga Race Course Notes - 8/12/16

by NYRA Press Office

Saratoga Race Course Notes - 8/12/16

Dominguez, Asmussen, Rachel Alexandra among Hall of Fame inductees
Busy morning for Brown's upcoming stakes contenders
King Kreesa back for a third try in G1 Fourstardave
Governor Malibu breezes for G1 Travers
Sheer Drama back galloping at Saratoga for G1 Ballerina
G1 Alabama headlines Week 5 stakes action

There was a strong Saratoga flavor among the Class of 2016 inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Friday at the Fasig-Tipton/Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion.

Jockey Ramon Dominguez, trainer Steve Asmussen and champion filly Rachel Alexandra were each elected in the contemporary category along with the champion mare Zenyatta.

Dominguez, 39, won 20 riding titles on the New York Racing Association circuit and was the state's leading rider from 2009-12. He was a two-time Saratoga Race Course riding champion, including a record of 68 victories in 2012 that still stands.

Forced to retire in June 2013 from a brain injury suffered five months earlier at Aqueduct, Dominguez is one of only two jockeys to win six races on a single Saratoga card, having done it twice during the 2012 summer. He also holds the NYRA record with seven consecutive victories December 14-15, 2011.

"What an honor to be here," said Dominguez, who received a standing ovation both before and after his acceptance speech. "I have to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to follow my dream and become a professional jockey. The horse racing industry has given me so much joy as well as friends I call family. I will never forget that."

Asmussen, 50, continues to be a regular on the Oklahoma training track backstretch during the summer, which also was the base for two-time Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Curlin and 2016 inductee Rachel Alexandra. Asmussen ranks second all-time with more than 7,300 wins and has broken the single-season record for victories three times, topped by 650 in 2009.

"It's such an honor to be here. The example my parents set for me and [brother] Cash, they're as good as it gets. They put me in the Hall of Fame," said Asmussen, who choked back tears several times during his speech. "Horses like Valid Expectations, Rachel Alexandra, Curlin ... they were able to do things for us that we couldn't have done for ourselves. You sit back and wonder, 'How did we get to be so fortunate?'

Rachel Alexandra was named Horse of the Year in 2009, a title all but sealed by her electrifying victory in the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga. It was her third win over males that year, following the Grade 1 Preakness and Grade 1 Haskell, and gave Asmussen his third straight Horse of the Year honoree.

"Sitting here really gave me a great opportunity to relive her career. It was truly great," said Barbara Banke, whose late husband Jess Jackson co-owned both Rachel Alexandra and Curlin. "I think she's truly, truly deserving of being in the Hall of Fame. Even more wonderful, she's healthy and back on the farm. We'll read her her plaque tomorrow."

Also inducted were jockey Wayne Wright and 19th century racehorse Tom Ochiltree, selected by the museum's Historical Review Committee, and Pillars of the Turf Arthur 'Bull' Hancock III and William Woodward, for whom Saratoga's Woodward Stakes is named.

In attendance were Hall of Fame jockeys John Velazquez, Angel Cordero Jr., Chris McCarron, Manny Ycaza, Eddie Maple, Jose Santos, Jorge Velasquez, Jerry Fishback, Walter Blum and Braulio Baeza and trainers D. Wayne Lukas, Carl Nafzger, Bill Mott, Nick Zito, Shug McGaughey, Jonathan Sheppard and Janet Elliott, each recognized before the ceremony.

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Current meet leading trainer Chad Brown sent several of his stakes horses to the track this morning in hopes of beating this weekend's projected rain.

Multiple stakes winner Flintshire, coming off a dominant victory in the Grade 2 Bowling Green and pointing toward the Grade 1, $1 million Longines Sword Dancer, breezed four furlongs on the Oklahoma training track turf course in 49.43 seconds.

"He looked very, very good," commented Brown. "It was just a little maintenance work for him. Just to stretch his legs ahead of the upcoming weather. I thought he did fine." 

Grade 1 Diana winner Dacita, put in her first work since her victory clocking four furlongs in 49.12 seconds on the Oklahoma training track, getting the same half-mile time as stablemate and Diana third-place finisher Rahina De Bateria.

"I gave [Dacita] a little time to recover from that race; she was tired coming out of it," said Brown. "I thought it was a good maintenance work for her. I sharpened up Rainha De Bateria as well who I thought looked good." 

Curlin Stakes top two finishers Connect and Gift Box, both pointed for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers, also put in works over the Saratoga main track with Connect breezing four furlongs in company in 48.33 seconds while Gift Box worked a solo half-mile in 48.89. 

"[Gift Box] worked well and galloped out strong. Connect was more of a maintenance move and I thought he was moving just as good. So I'm really happy with where they're at. They seem to have bounced out of the Curlin the right way," said Brown. 

Undefeated 4-year-old Lady Eli, expected to make her return to the races in the Grade 2, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa on August 27, did not work ahead of this weekend's expected rain but, Brown hopes, will be able to keep her regular Sunday/Monday training regimen.

"I didn't really have an opportunity to move her work up to today," said Brown. "We'll see what just happens with the weather and if we need to make some adjustments we can."

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Trainer David Donk is hoping that the third time is the charm when he sends out Gerald and Susan Kresa's multiple stakes winner King Kreesa in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap.

The 33rd running of the Fourstardave is the first since being elevated to Grade 1 status. Donk had initially planned to point King Kreesa to the $150,000 West Point Presented by Trustco for New York-breds August 26 off a second straight win in the Forbidden Apple Stakes July 16 at Belmont Park.

"He's doing very well. It's been kind of a typical pattern the last couple years. He just seems to do really well this time of year," Donk said. "It was a big effort last time. Honestly, after I ran that day I just figured I'd come back in the West Point but the complexion of this race changed quite a bit a few weeks ago. There's no Tepin, obviously, no Ironicus. It's a very wide-open, very competitive spot."

 A gelded 7-year-old son of King Cugat, King Kreesa owns one win and three seconds from five career starts at Saratoga, the lone victory coming in the 2014 West Point. He finished second by 1 ¼ lengths to two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the 2013 Fourstardave, and was fourth by a length in last year's edition to Grand Arch, who also returns Saturday.

"His second to Wise Dan was obviously one of his best races, and last year was a very good race. It's like we never remember who finishes second," Donk said. "A really good effort with a really strong field, and a couple weeks ago knowing it was going to come up a little bit on the lighter side even though it's a very competitive spot. He deserves the opportunity and a mile seems to be his best distance."

For his career, King Kreesa has 10 wins, nine of them in stakes, with seven seconds, four thirds and $1,256,704 in purse earnings. Winner of the Grade 3 Poker in 2013 and 2015, he drew post position 7 in a field of 10 under meet-leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. and is 15-1 on the morning line.

"He's amazing. He looks great," Donk said. "He's done really well and we're just very fortunate to have been a part of it." 

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Governor Malibu, the second-place finisher in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 29, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.84 Friday morning on Saratoga's dirt track in preparation for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on August 27. 

"He breezed well. Everything looks good," trainer Christophe Clement said. "Obviously the Travers is the main goal, so we'll see as it gets closer."

After finishing fourth in the Belmont Stakes on June 11, the son of Malibu Moon will be looking for his first Grade 1 stakes victory in his 10th career start. The Jump Sucker Stable and Oak Bluff Stables-owned New York-bred enters with one win and three seconds this season.

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Harold Queen's multiple Grade 1-winning homebred Sheer Drama, most recently fifth in the Grade 1 Odgen Phipps June 11 at Belmont Park, galloped over the main track for the third straight morning on Friday.

Trainer David Fawkes brought the 6-year-old mare back from Gulfstream Park on Tuesday, and she has been ridden in the morning by Fawkes' 18-year-old daughter and assistant, Natalie.

"She's doing excellent. There's no change in her at all," Fawkes said. "I did bring her up here with another horse, a New York-bred filly, and they were so good in the truck. She ships so good."

Fawkes said Sheer Drama will continue to gallop this weekend and have a work likely next Thursday in preparation for her next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina on Travers Day, August 27.

"I'll probably just do a little open gallop this week, let her stretch her legs on the track and then give her one more work before the Ballerina," he said. "I don't think she needs any more than that. She's really fit. She's been working really good and doing good."

An Eclipse Award finalist for champion older female in 2015, Sheer Drama has seven wins from 28 career starts and nearly $1.7 million in purse earnings. She opened 2016 by winning the Madison April 9 at Keeneland, her third Grade 1 victory including last year's 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign at Saratoga.

Sheer Drama will be cutting back to seven furlongs for the Ballerina, which is not a concern for Fawkes.

"I love the distance. She won at Keeneland going seven-eighths and she likes this track," he said. "I think it's really good for her."

Fawkes said that Daring Kathy, impressive winner of the Soaring Softly during last weekend's Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream, remains in South Florida. He was considering running her in the $100,000 Smart N Fancy here August 28.

"Originally I was going to bring her up here but she ran so big and ran back to her old races and seemed like her old self again," Fawkes said. "We kind of wanted to keep her there and let her stay with her own. I think those sprint races really helped her a lot to get her on her feet. I'm a lot happier with her."

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The fields are taking shape for for an exciting fifth week of live racing for the summer Saratoga meet, featuring the much-anticipated return of Fox Hill Farm's undefeated champion Songbird in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday, August 13.

As the dominating winner of the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 24, Songbird will be joined in the 1 ¼-mile Alabama by Flora Dora, the third-place finisher of the CCA Oaks, for Marialice Cofffey; recent optional claiming winnerGoing for Broke from the Chad Brown barn; and Grade 1 Ashland winner Weep No More for trainer Rusty Arnold. Dark Nile and Family Tree, winners of the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks and Grade 2 Indiana Oaks, respectively, are possible to start, as is Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan victor Go Maggie Go, from the barn of Dale Romans.

Also on tap for Saturday is the $100,000 Troy at 5 ½ furlongs on the Mellon turf course. Asset Inflation, Disco Partner, Green Mask, Less Than Perfect, andRainbow Heir are possible for the race, while Calgary Cat and Doctor J Dub are listed as possible.

Week 5 stakes action will get underway with Wednesday's $100,000 Bolton Landing for 2-year-old fillies at 5 ½ furlongs on the Mellon Turf, featuring impressive maiden winner Bowie for trainer Steve Asmussen; Astoria runner-upChina Grove for Ben Colebrook; as well as Con Te Partiro, Heartspoke, Iron Mizz, Jazz Lady, and Safe With Me. Get Sassy, Inspired Flight and Whistle Stop are considered possible.

Hot City Girl, the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks winner and half-sister to Eclipse Award winner La Verdad, is expected to headline the $100,000 Union Avenue for New York-bred fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs on Thursday. Also probable for the day's featured race are Dr. Fager's Gal, Familyofroses, Hot House Rose, Non Finisce Mai, and Quezon. Court Dancer is also possible.

The second edition of the $100,000 Skidmore, known in its inaugural running as the Schenectady, will anchor Friday's card as the male counterpoint to the Bolton Landing. Cardinal Sin, Drive Sandy Drive, Iron Mane, Manifest Destiny andWellabled are probable for the race. Freud's Friend and Yes Mon are questionable.

Sunday's live racing program will be highlighted by the 33rd running of the Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid for sophomore fillies on the grass. At 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf, the Lake Placid is expected to feature a rematch between Catch a Glimpse and Time and Motion, the respective winner and runner-up of the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks on July 9. Diamond Fields, Harmonize and Outsider Art are also likely. Tin Type Gal is possible.

Rounding out the weekend's stakes action is the $100,000 Summer Colony for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on Monday, expected to attract Eskenformoney,Money'soncharlotte, Rachel's Temper, Sweetgrass, and Tiger Ride. Lady Serena and Milaya are also possible.