Creator / NYRA Photo

Saratoga Race Course Notes - 8/8/16

by NYRA Press Office

Saratoga Race Course Notes - 8/8/16

Creator, Gun Runner take first steps toward next starts
Summer Revolution possible for G1 Travers or King's Bishop
King Kreesa targets G1 Fourstardave
Catch a Glimpse on point for Lake Placid; Tepin to resume work Friday
Highland Sky readies for G3 Saranac
Familiar foes set to battle again in Statue of Liberty
Competitive field set for Mrs. Ogden Phipps 

Trainer Steve Asmussen sent his pair of accomplished 3-year-old runners Creator and Gun Runner to the Oklahoma training track early Monday morning as each put in a half-mile maintenance work in preparation for starts later to be determined.

Creator completed the four-furlong workout in 50.94 seconds while Gun Runner was officially clocked in 51.33 as both looked to move forward off subpar performances.

Belmont Stakes winner Creator, ran to a last-place finish in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy while Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner and fourth-place Kentucky Derby finisher Gun Runner finished fifth in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.  

"They breezed back beautifully," said Asmussen, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday. "I'm very happy. Obviously, disappointed in each of their last races but the only thing I'm worried about now is how they're doing today and today we're looking good."

With each of his stakes winning 3-year-olds stabled at Saratoga and the Grade 1 $1.25 million Travers two and half weeks away, Asmussen wouldn't commit to the race as of yet but conceded it is certainly an option for both.

"Weather permitting, they'll work more serious next Monday and we'll look to make decisions on where we want to go with both after a more serious move. They're 3-year-olds and we're here so I promise we won't miss nominations," quipped Asmussen.

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Summer Revolution,who has won both of his career starts after a three-length victory against allowance company on Saturday, could be ready to make his stakes debut in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers or the Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One King's Bishop, which are both on August 27. The 3-year-old son of Summer Bird, for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, said owner Jeff Drown has not made the decision.

"We're not too sure yet, I'll talk to the owners. But we'll take our time," Rodriguez said. "We want to give him the opportunity to be a nice horse. I don't want to say no and I don't want to say yes."

Summer Revolution broke his maiden on July 4 at Belmont Park before winning his Saratoga Race Course debut, earning a 104 Beyer Speed Figure in his first-level allowance win.

Rodriguez said Royal Posse came out of Sunday's 1 ¼-length victory in Sunday's $100,000 Alydar in good order. The 5-year-old gelding has four wins in six career starts at the Spa, including his first stakes victory in last year's Evan Shipman for New York-breds. 

"She came out of it fine," Rodriguez added.

Literata and Jules N Rome are both possibilities for the $100,000 Saratoga Dew on August 15, Rodriguez said outside his barn on Monday morning. Owner Michael Dubb claimed Jules N Rome on July 27 and the 4-year-old gray filly could soon make her debut for Rodriguez in the 1 1/8-mile course on the main track for New York-breds.

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King Kreesa is targeting Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap, trainer David Donk said on Monday. King Kressa is coming off a victory in the Forbidden Apple on July 16 and will be aiming for his first graded stakes victory since the 2015 Grade 3 Poker.

"He's doing quite well and as long as there are no surprise entries, that's the plan [for the Fourstardave]," Donk said. "It was a big race for him in the Forbidden Apple. As long as we're not going to see Tepin or Ironicus, it's a different race than it was shaping up three or four weeks ago."

JC's Shooting Star is being pointed towards the Saratoga Dew. A 3-year-old bay filly, JC's Shooting Star has won two of her three career races on turf but has enjoyed success on Saratoga's main track, including a win last year.

"It looks like it's coming up light, so I'm [targeting] that race. My initial goal was the Yaddo the day before the Travers. She's run well on the grass but she's won the Fleet Indian on the dirt here last year at a 1 1/8 and that's what the Saratoga Dew is, so I'm thinking I want to do that."

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Catch a Glimpse, 8-for-8 on turf after a front-running win in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, breezed a sharp five furlongs on the Oklahoma turf course Saturday and remains on schedule for the Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid Stakes August 21.

Catch a Glimpse, trained by newly-minted Canadian Hall of Famer Mark Casse, went five panels beneath regular rider Florent Geroux in 1:00.25 seconds.

"She worked awesome. She's doing as good as I've ever seen her do," said assistant trainer Norm Casse. "She galloped out three-quarters in something like 1:12 and change; pretty incredible. She looked really good and she seems to really be thriving right now."

Casse also said Tepin, who last worked July 22, is likely to return to the work tab Friday.

"If all goes well Tepin will breeze on Friday," he said. "It'll be an easy breeze and we'll see where we're at. She didn't have a very good week last week, but this week has been much improved and she seems to be happier and we're just taking our time with her. She got up here, we breezed her quickly after getting off the van and it may have just knocked her on her butt a little bit. But other than that, she's been perfect ever since." 

Since finishing second by a nose in the Grade 1 Diana and second by a head in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa [to Dacita, winner of this year's Diana] in Saratoga last summer, Tepin has won seven consecutive graded stakes capped by a historic victory in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. She remains a possibility for the Ballston Spa on Travers Day, August 27, a race likely to feature the return of unbeaten Lady Eli.

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Trainer Barclay Tagg reported all is well with his 3-year-olds Highland Sky and Tale of S'avall, both of which are likely to run in stakes later in the meet.

Highland Sky, a fast-closing second in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational last time out, breezed five furlongs on the Oklahoma turf course last Friday in 1:02 flat. The stretch-running Sky Mesa colt is being pointed to the Grade 3, $300,000 Saranac Stakes September 3. 

"He breezed good," said Tagg, who opted to bypass the upcoming Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park. 

Tale of S'avall, third beaten just over a length in the Grade 3 Dwyer most recently, breezed four furlongs in 49.43 seconds on the main track on Saturday. The son of Wood Memorial and Cigar Mile-winner Tale of Ekati may run next in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One King's Bishop. 

"I'm probably going to run him there," said Tagg. "There's no other place to run him. When you've got a nice horse with nowhere to run, it's frustrating. I think he can handle seven furlongs but I don't know if he can handle Grade 1 horses. The seven-eighths is no problem, though. He's quick enough."

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Next Thursday's New York Stallion Series Statue of Liberty of Stakes for fillies 3-years-old and up going on one mile on the inner turf will feature a field of familiar and battle tested New York-breds highlighted by Gabrielle Farms' Frosty Margartia for trainer Rudy Rodriguez and Louisville First for RAP Racing and trainer George Weaver. 

Matching up in each of their most recent starts, Louisville First took the New York Stallion Series Cupecoy's Joy on June 26 at Belmont with Frosty Margarita finishing third making her first start on the turf.

"We were on the fence [about that race] but she looks good, so we decided to run her," Rodriguez said. "She looks good, so we'll just hope for the best."

Also returning to the Statue of Liberty from the Cupecoy's Joy is second-place finisher Little Bear Cat for owner and trainer David Cannizzo, sixth-place runner Amerine, for trainer David Donk and owners William Punk, Jr. And Philip DiLeo, and fifth-place runner Libreta who will join the field if moved to the main track for Goldophin Stable and trainer Tom Albertraini.

New runners in line for the Statue of Liberty include undefeated Highway Star for Chester and Mary Bromans Sr. and trainer Rodrigo Ubillo who will be making his first start on the turf and against stakes competition coming off an New York-bred allowance win on July 13 at Belmont. 

Riot Worthy, who finished second to Highway Star in that allowance heat will enter for owner and trainer Charlton Baker. Rouning out the field are Lady Lucky, Naked Empress, Free N Clear, Sneaky Fudge Face, and Young Anna. 

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A highly competitive field of 10 fillies and mares will compete in Thursday's $75,000 Mrs. Ogden Phipps over 21/16-miles featuring eight hurdlers in the opener of the 10-race card.

Topping the handicap at 155 pounds is Jacqueline Ohrstrom's Lady Yeats, a winner of an open novices allowance hurdle at Catterick in England on New Year's Day. Trainer Richard Valentine named Willie McCarthy to ride as Lady Yeats will depart from post 3.

Trainer Ricky Hendriks will saddle Dino Mite, a 2015 import who is looking for her first victory in the United States. She finished second in an open Ratings Handicap at the Radnor Hunt Races in suburban Philadelphia on May 21. Sean McDermott will ride from post 2.

Michael Moran's Ivy Mills, last year's female champion over fences, began the year with a third-place finish in the Iroquois Steeplechase's Margaret Currey Henley on May 14 and finished seventh in a Suffolk Downs Ratings Handicap on July 9. Trainer Jack Fisher named Connor Hankin to ride the 6-year-old Broken Vow mare.

Barbara's Smile will be looking to repeat her victory in a Parx Racing allowance hurdle on July 12. Owned by Michael A. Smith and trained by Julie Gomena, the 5-year-old Curlin mare will be ridden by Mark Watts out of post 8.

Sarah Joyce, who won a maiden hurdle in Ireland in May, drew post 6. Owned by the Fields Stable, the Elizabeth Voss-trained Sarah Joyce will be ridden by jockey Jack Doyle.

Completing the field is Give Us A Reason, who will leave from the rail under jockey Paddy Young; Dino Mite, the Radnor Ratings Handicap runner-up out of post 2; Lady Yeats, who will be making her American debut from post 3; Willow U from post 5; So Far Away, the third-place finisher in the Carolina Cup for maiden female hurdlers, will exit post 7; Secret Reward, who won her 2016 debut in maiden hurdle for fillies and mares at Foxfield Spring in Virginia, will depart post 9; and Get Ready Set Goes, the High Hope open-maiden hurdles winner, who drew the outside.