Saratoga Race Course Notes - 8/3/16

by NYRA Press Office

• Pletcher looks to strike in G1 Whitney with Comfort
  
• G1 Haskell winner Exaggerator returns to track
  
• Ironicus targets G2 Bernard Baruch
  
• Mott contingent getting into gear

After winning back-to-back races Sunday, highlighted by Curalina's 9 1/4-length romp in the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee, Aron Wellman's Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners head into the third week at Saratoga Race Course with three victories from nine starters and tied for leading owner with Godolphin Stable and David Jacobson. They will try to keep that momentum going when trainer Todd Pletcher saddles Comfort in Saturday's Grade 1, $1.25 million Whitney Stakes.

"He's doing well, had a good work over the track [five furlongs in 1:01.23 Saturday]," said Pletcher, who has nine wins at the meet going into Wednesday's card and shares the top spot with Chad Brown. "It's an ambitious move, but we feel like he's an improving horse who's in good form."

Comfort's only loss from five starts on dirt came in last year's Grade 3 Lexington Stakes when a troubled fourth in his initial outing following a private purchase by Eclipse. He has won three in a row since then, capped by an impressive score in the State Dinner at Belmont Park on July 4. The Whitney will be his first Grade 1 assignment.

"It's a tough race but not a huge field, and we're taking a crack at it," said Pletcher, whose Cross Traffic won the 2013 Whitney in just his fifth career start. In last year's Whitney, Liam's Map was making his sixth lifetime start and graded-stakes debut when he led to the final yards before being run down by Honor Code. In the 2010 Whitney, Quality Road suffered a similar fate, coming up a head short to Blame after leading throughout.

"After last year's beat and Quality Road's beat...it's hard to get those back," said Pletcher. "Comfort is definitely an improving horse and sometimes those can be dangerous."

In addition to Mother Goose winner Off the Tracks, Pletcher also entered Kinsley Kisses in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Test Stakes. Both 3-year-old fillies will be cutting back in distance to seven furlongs. Kinsley Kisses won her first two starts at seven furlongs, and has since finished third in the Beaumont, Black Eyed Susan and Delaware Oaks.

"Off the Tracks is coming off a big win and she's had success around one turn," said Pletcher. "Kinsley Kisses is a filly that ran well her first two starts sprinting and we felt like she was going to improve stretching out, and now after having stretched her out a few times we're thinking the cutback might be beneficial, and we're going to add some blinkers just to see if we can get her zeroed in a little bit. She's a filly that's always impressed us in the mornings as a kind of filly that would have won a graded stake by now."

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Exaggerator took to the main track Wednesday morning for the first time since returning to his Saratoga training base following his 1 ½-length win in the Grade 1 Haskell on July 31 at Monmouth Park.

The spirited son of Curlin lacked none of his characteristic energy as he galloped under regular exercise rider Peedy Landry.

"Peedy lets them cruise a little bit, especially this horse. He's a bottomless pit of energy," said Julie Clark, assistant trainer to California-based Keith Desormeaux. "He gives him a little more leeway on the first day because he really likes to play. He is happy with himself for sure. He's come back great."

The Preakness winner will remain in New York as he prepares for his next target, the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on August 27, with an expected return to the worktab on August 13.

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Ironicus, the second-place finisher in the Grade 1, $1 million Woodford Reserve Manhattan, is being pointed towards the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap on Saratoga's closing day on September 5, Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said on Wednesday.

Ironicus was originally a possibility to start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap on August 13 but was taken out of training due to foot issues.

"Ironicus had some bumps and bruises, but hopefully we'll have her ready for the Bernard Baruch," said McGaughey. 

The 5-year-old has never finished worse than second in his five career graded stakes starts, including wins in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy on May 7 and victories in the 2015 Grade 2 Fourstardave and the Grade 2 Dixie. His victory in the 2015 Grade 2 Bernard Baruch was a memorable one as he set a Mellon-turf record for 1 1/16 miles in 1:38.54.

McGaughey said Carrumba came out of her second-place finish in the Grade 3 Shuvee in good order. Carrumba set the pace and held the lead for three-quarters of a mile before Curalina overtook her right before the stretch for the victory. The ultra-consistent Carrumba is 4-5-1 in 10 career starts.

Queen's Parade was originally set to start in the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya on Saturday. But McGaughey said the W.S. Farish-owned 5-year-old chestnut mare has been shipped to the Middle East, leaving on Tuesday. Her next race overseas has not been determined yet.

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Watching morning workouts at the Oklahoma training track Wednesday morning at Saratoga, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott was in good spirits discussing his barn's performance heading into Week 3 of the meet, having notched three wins and three second-place finishes from 26 starts so far.

"We're doing well, but never good enough. We always want to win more than we want," Mott said with a wry smile.

Long On Value, who took the Lucky Coin stakes for owners Wachtel Stable and George Kerr, came out of the race well and will most likely make another start later this meet.

"He's doing really good. He came out of the race well and we aren't certain where exactly but we'll look to run in a stakes later this meet," said Mott.

Mott said multiple graded stakes placed 5-year-old Tourist, who finished second in the Grade 2 Shoemaker Mile Stakes on June 4 Santa Anita Park, is scheduled to work over the training track tomorrow and is on point for a possible bid in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave on August 13.

"He's been coming along and if he stays on track we'll take a good look at having him ready for the Fourstardave," he said.

Lastly, Mott provided an update on multiple graded stakes winner Celestine, who has won her last two starts. In her most recent race, the 4-year-old Scat Daddy filly won the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game at Belmont Park on June 8.

"She's training every day," said Mott. "We're not pointing for anything in particular; we're just getting her back in rhythm for now."