Saratoga Race Course Notes 9.1.17

by NYRA Press Office

Fern Circle Stables' impressive maiden winnerOskar Blues is ready for his close-up in the Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful Monday, Closing Day of Saratoga's summer meet, trainer Ken McPeek said Friday.

The chestnut son of champion sprinter Speightstown drew post 2 in the field of eight juveniles and will carry 118 pounds including jockey Dylan Davis, who was aboard for Oskar Blues' debut victory August 12 at Saratoga.

"He's doing good. He's an easy horse to be around," McPeek said. "His first race was a good, solid race. I actually was pleasantly surprised. I thought maybe he would need the race. He fought on and ran big. I expect some improvement first to second start, and I think he's going to want to go longer than this."

Oskar Blues dueled for the lead from the start in his unveiling, contested at the Hopeful's seven-furlong distance, giving it up in the stretch before fighting back for a gutsy nose victory over well-regarded Airtouch.

"His last work before that race he got pretty tired and we thought maybe he'd need another one but we went ahead and decided to run him," McPeek said. "He jumped right in it, and he acts like a horse with a big future."

Since the race Oskar Blues has breezed twice over the Oklahoma training track, most recently going five furlongs in 1:03.87 on Tuesday. McPeek said the horse's demeanor and work ethic recall Harlan's Holiday, who McPeek trained to wins in the Grade 1 Florida Derby and Blue Grass before a seventh-place finish as the favorite in the 2002 Kentucky Derby.

"He's had normal gallops and a couple of maintenance works, just keeping it on an even keel. Nothing complicated," McPeek said. "He kind of reminds me of Harlan's Holiday. He just did everything right every day and didn't have a lot of flash to him but was very workmanlike, and workmanlike is a very good thing in this game. He just goes out there and works. He makes training horses easy."

Oskar Blues is one of four maiden winners making his stakes debut in the Hopeful. Among his rivals are Firenze Fire, Free Drop Billy and Psychoanalyze - the top three finishers from the Grade 3 Sanford July 22 at Saratoga.

"They're all taking that same step. I'm not worried about all that," McPeek said. "You can jump right into these things and a good horse will handle the jump. He's certainly capable of doing that."

* * *

Iris Smith Stable's Seymourdini, unraced since registering his third straight victory in the State Dinner July 3 at Belmont Park, began working toward his return with a five-furlong breeze in 1:02.18 over Saratoga's main track Friday morning.

It was the first time back on the work tab for the 4-year-old son of champion Bernardini following the 1 1/16-mile State Dinner, where he cruised on the lead to romp by 10 ½ lengths in just his second try against stakes company.

"He went beautiful. We just worked him in hand and he went [a half-mile] in 49 [seconds] and 1:02 and basically looked like he was just galloping," trainer Linda Rice said. "I was very pleased with it. It went well. We're going to point toward a fall campaign with him. We're very anxious to have him back and going."

Seymourdini has finished in the top three in eight of nine career starts with five wins and $229,027 in purse earnings. Seventh in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens in 2016, he captured back-to-back optional claiming allowances over the winter and spring at Laurel Park prior to the State Dinner.

Following the race, Seymourdini spent some time at the Cream Ridge, New Jersey farm of veterinarian Dr. Patty Hogan before rejoining Rice's string. Rice opted to remain patient with the ridgling rather than bring him back at Saratoga, where she is third in the trainer standings with 14 wins entering Friday.

"We had a small issue we had to take care of so I sent him down to Dr. Hogan for 30 days," she said. "I really didn't want to run him in the two-turn races and I didn't think the [Grade 1 Forego] was going to be ideal, either, with Drefong and Mind Your Biscuits. I'd rather run him a one-turn mile, so I was really pointing toward a fall campaign."

Rice said she is shopping for a race prior to the Grade 1 Cigar Mile December 2 at Aqueduct, her year-end target for Seymourdini. Among the options are the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso at a mile September 23 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler Handicap at seven furlongs October 28, both for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont Park.

"The Cigar Mile is our long-term goal and I'm sure I'll find something between here and there. I don't know what exactly," she said. "It could be the Bold Ruler. I doubt it would be the Kelso; maybe an allowance race. We'll find something."

* * *

Ring Weekend's record-setting run in last year's Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch earned the son of Tapit another chance in this year's edition, trainer Graham Motion said from his barn Friday morning.

Last year, Ring Weekend outlasted Jay Gatsby by a neck, completing 1 1/16 miles on Saratoga's Mellon turf course in 1:38.29, which remains the track record for the distance. The 6-year-old enters Monday's race looking to win for the first time in seven starts, dating to the 2016 Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap.

After a poor start last out in the Lure, Ring Weekend rallied from 10th at the half-mile mark to finish fifth, just two lengths behind the winner, Zennor.

"It was definitely part of my thinking, knowing how well he ran here last year," Motion said. "I think with last time; he tends to break a step slow in his races, and that's really hurt him because he's putting himself at a disadvantage. It's really important he breaks well and gets in the races a little earlier and doesn't leave himself so much to do."

Ring Weekend drew post 4 in the nine-horse field with jockey Jose Ortiz, currently the meet's leading rider, aboard.

Fresh off an impressive debut win on August 5 at Delaware Park, Maya Malibu will make her stakes debut in the Grade 1, $350,000 Spinaway for juvenile fillies on Saturday.

A daughter of Malibu Moon, Maya Malibu stalked the six-horse field before gaining the lead into the stretch and clearing away by six lengths in a six-furlong sprint. She will now be stretched out to the Spinaway distance of seven furlongs, breaking from the outside in challenging a talented field encompassing Separationofpowers, Obvious Two, Lady Ivanka and Pure Silver.

"I could have brought her up here for a maiden race, but I'm always reluctant to do that with babies, I think it's a lot to ask of them," Motion said of running at Delaware Park. "I would have been disappointed if she didn't win the way she's trained. Obviously, this is a big step up, but you have to find out. It was either [running] here or Monmouth. I like the idea of seven-eighths, although this is a really competitive race.

"She's a filly I liked since day one," he added. "She's done everything very easily and has a touch of class about her. It's a really good family and I thought the distance should help."

Saturday's card will also feature two Motion-trained entries in the Grade 3, $200,000 Glens Falls. Lottie has finished on the board in her last four starts, parlaying strong efforts in allowance races into stakes competition, finishing third in the River Memories on July 9 at Belmont Park and adding a second-place effort in the Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya, just a half-length behind Estrechada.

Happyness will look to win her first stakes race after running second in the Flaming Page on August 11 at Woodbine, hitting the wire just a head behind Involuntary. The English bred 5-year-old won her first two races since shipping from France, defeating allowance company on April 9 at Aqueduct Racetrack before winning an optional claimer on May 16 at Belmont.

Happyness drew the rail with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons and Lottie will break from post 2 with jockey Joel Rosario aboard.

"If Lottie can run back to that race [Waya], it puts her in the mix, for sure," Motion said. "Happyness, coming off a good race at Woodbine, hopefully got back on track. They'll both need to duplicate their last races to be competitive."

Miss Ella is doing well after two good races at Saratoga, Motion said. The Exchange Rate mare won the Caress on July 24 and ran second to Ginger N Rye in the Smart N Fancy on August 27.

"She came out of it really good. She looks super, actually," Motion said. "We're not quite sure where we'll head next with her. She liked running at Keeneland, so that might be a possibility."

Tickled Pink is targeting the $100,000 Christiecat on Opening Day of the Belmont fall meet September 8, Motion said. The 3-year-old Shackleford filly breezed Friday at Fair Hill, going five furlongs in 1:02.60. Tickled Pink won her last start on July 29 at Laurel Park and is on point for her first stakes start since running third in the Caesar's Wish on March 18.

Motion said Irish War Cry, winner of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial and runner-up in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, will breeze on Monday at Fair Hill in preparation for the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby on September 23 at Parx.

* * *

Trainer Chad Summers plans to bring multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Your Biscuitsback to the track Saturday for the first time since running sixth to 2016 champion sprinter Drefong in the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego August 26.

Summers said Friday that Mind Your Biscuits exited the Forego without any issues and has done well and showed good energy since the race, the lowest finish in 17 lifetime starts that include four graded stakes triumphs and more than $2.2 million in purse earnings.

"He came out of it good. I can't find anything wrong with him. We pulled blood on him and the blood was perfect. The vet went over him and can't find anything wrong with him. He's run 16 times and never had an off day; he just didn't show up," Summers said.

"I thought he was a little flat in the paddock and I didn't really love how he warmed up. He just didn't run," he added. "Hats off to Drefong; he's a champion and he showed up. We got beat eight lengths and we know what the target is in the Breeders' Cup."

Summers said Mind Your Biscuits is scheduled to leave for Belmont Park in the coming week and continue working toward a return trip to the Breeders' Cup Sprint, having earned an all-fees-paid berth by virtue of his victory in the Grade 2 Belmont Sprint Championship July 8.

Mind Your Biscuits' only previous off-the-board finishes came when fifth in the Grade 1 King's Bishop last summer at Saratoga and a November 2015 maiden special weight at Aqueduct, where he ran fourth.

"It happens; the one thing is to just figure out why it happened. That's the big thing," Summers said. "Fortunately, like we thought when he wasn't training well before, it's not a physical thing, and that's a good thing. Now it's just getting the horse back in the right mental state of mind, getting back down to Belmont and hopefully that'll do the trick.

"He looks great. He's acting good," he added. "He was on his hind legs this morning so he's getting back to himself. He'll leave this week and we'll get ready for the next spot."

Among several options being considered are the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash September 16 at Laurel Park; Grade 2 Kelso September 23 and Grade 1 Vosburgh September 30, both at Belmont; the Grade 2 Phoenix October 6 at Keeneland and Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship October 7 at Santa Anita.

"We'll nominate to everything. It's one of those things where we'll let him tell us. We've kind of always been like that with him," Summers said. "Maybe in hindsight we shouldn't have run [in the Forego] but he showed enough signs over those last 10 days [before the race] that he was on the right track and it was just one of those things.

"He never picked up the bridle. He never picked up his feet. Even when he was fourth he never looked happy, never looked comfortable," he added. "There's no reason for us right now to stop on him or anything like that. It's just a matter of figuring him out. He had his week off, he'll go back to the track tomorrow and start jogging and we'll go from there."

* * *

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said Royal Posse has recovered from a bout of gum inflammation that caused him to miss a pair of starts this summer at Saratoga Race Course and is eyeing a return to the races early in the Belmont Fall Championship Meet for the multiple New York-bred stakes winner.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables and Gary Aisquith, Royal Posse was scratched from the August 21 Evan Shipman for state-breds, a race he won in 2015 and 2016, after the 6-year-old son of Posse was discovered with an impacted splinter in the side of his mouth, said his trainer. He was redirected to the West Point presented by Trustco Bank on New York Showcase Day on August 25, but Rodriguez opted to skip that race to ward off the chance of infection, he said.

Royal Posse worked Thursday morning over the Saratoga main track, covering five furlongs in 1:00.66, the fastest of two at the distance.

"He looks like he's ready for a race," said Rodriguez. "I'm kind of disappointed. I wanted to see him run one more time here, but it wasn't meant to be. His last couple works, though, were very good. Before the Shipman, I really liked the way he worked. Maybe he was feeling too good and started biting the wall or something like that, I don't know. But, he breezed very, very good on the main track, so I'm happy with where he's at right now."

Rodriguez said the major fall goal for Royal Posse is a title defense in the Empire Classic Handicap on Belmont's Empire Showcase Day on October 21, but is likely to run once before.

"I know he likes two turns but maybe we need to get a race in before the Showcase Day and hopefully we can get him back with a win," he said. "He's going to have to step up though, because there's a lot of nice New York-breds out there, but I think he's still got it from everything he's showing us."

Rodriguez added that Libby's Tail, a 3-year-old filly by Tiz Wonderful, is "very good" as she prepares to make her second start off a seven-month layoff earlier this year on Sunday in Race 9, a six-furlong allowance.

Runner-up in the Grade 1 Frizette last year, Libby's Tail was given time off following a second-place finish as the heavy favorite in the Busanda in January at Aqueduct and finished a half-length behind Grade 2 Prioress entrant Royal Inheritance in her comeback race on August 6.

"We were thinking of running in the Prioress if they didn't use the [allowance], but we're going to take that route to get to the winner's circle hopefully," said Rodriguez. "I know the race is tough but she's doing very, very good. She ran a really good race [last time] in Saratoga and she's ready to run.

"The last six, seven weeks, she's really put herself in the bridle and she's been training the way you want her to," he added. "Hopefully, she continues to improve and maybe we have a nice winter horse. We've got a good post and a good rider, so we hope she'll run good."

Meet-leading rider Jose Ortiz has the mount from post 7 in Sunday's nine-horse field.

* * *

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey hopes Allen Stable's War Flag will move forward off a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth Park on July 30 to capture her first North American victory in Saturday's Grade 3 Glens Falls.

The race will mark the third U.S. start for the War Front filly, who won the Group 3 Prix Chloe as a 3-year-old. in France in July of 2016, her last start in Europe before she was sent to McGaughey for her 4-year-old campaign.

"I'm looking forward to running her," said McGaughey. "I think she's a natural route filly. Her two races since I've had her back from Europe have both been good. We'll see what happens. Being a War Front she'll appreciate the firm going and the distance hits her right between the eyes."

Graded stakes winner On Leave, who last out finished fifth in the Grade 2 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa to multiple graded stakes winners Lady Eli, Dickinson, and Roca Rojo on August 26, will most likely next point to the listed All Along on September 16 at Laurel Park, according to McGaughey.

"She came out of her race fine," said McGaughey. "I'll probably run her in Maryland in the All Along and give her a class break. I had planned on Antonoe going and then we went right behind Kiaran's horse [Dickinson] and it messed it up for us a little bit. She was in pretty deep against the field so I'm just thinking we'll give her a little bit of a class break."

McGaughey also reported Snap Decision, who finished third in the Better Talk Now Stakes on August 28, also exited his race in good condition, although he wasn't sure where he would run the homebred son of Hard Spun next.

"He came out of his race good," said McGaughey. "I don't know what we're going to do with him yet, but he did come out of his race good."

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