Shaman Ghost / Adam Mooshian Photo

Saratoga Race Course Notes - 9/1/16

by NYRA Press Office

Jerkens hoping Shaman Ghost will make his presence felt in G1 Woodward
Maiden filly Special Risk stepping up in G1 Spinaway
Gap Year looking to make the grade on familiar turf in G3 Glens Falls
Asmussen team in search of third Spinaway win with Runway Doll
McGaughey expecting improvement from Inspector Lynley in G3 Saranac

Coming in under the radar for Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Woodward is Stronach Stables' classy and versatile Shaman Ghost, who captured the 2015 Queen's Plate on Woodbine's synthetic surface for former trainer Brian Lynch, and returned to post a decisive victory in this year's Grade 2 Brooklyn in his second start for Jimmy Jerkens.

The Ghostzapper colt would surpass the $1 million mark with a win or a runner-up finish in the 1 1/8-mile Woodward, and Jerkens feels there are reasons he can rebound after running fifth in the Grade 2 Suburban behind his stablemate Effinex. 

"He didn't show up that day, but he did come up with a cough in between the races, which was kind of stubborn," he explained. "We got rid of it and then he looked like he trained up to the race good, but he sure was flat. The rail was really not the place to be that day and it looked like he was in the slower going and kind of got a little discouraged."

Shaman Ghost has had three local workouts since the Suburban, capped by a bullet half-mile last Sunday that was fastest of 61 at the distance on the Oklahoma training track.

"He's been good up here, and I like the fact that he drew the rail and can save some ground," Jerkens added.  "Maybe Frosted will be worried about Bradester and go at him early, and they get to going too fast...and it looks like he's certainly on par numbers-wise with the rest of the field."

The major goal for Shaman Ghost this fall is the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on October 8. Jerkens was considering waiting for next Saturday's $100,000 Seattle Slew Stakes, but said owner Frank Stronach "...didn't really seem like he was crazy about that idea."

"He's a Grade 2 winner, and if he were Grade 1-placed it can only help him," said Jerkens.

Jerkens will send out Joseph Allen's homebred Jay Gatsby in Monday's Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch, scheduled for turf at 1 1/16 miles. 

The gray 4-year-old began his career in France, winning twice on all-weather surfaces, and has won twice on grass in the United States. After taking a high-end optional claimer at Belmont in early summer, he returned from a two-month layoff to run second, beaten a nose, in the Lure Stakes on the Whitney Day undercard. 

"He's been improving in small increments and has been pretty reliable," said Jerkens, who mentioned Jay Gatsby will be reunited with Javier Castellano for the Baruch. "He likes the turf firm...even though he comes from Europe he seems to really like it firm much more as opposed to it being soft, so hopefully that's what happens." 

Jay Gatsby is out of the Rubiano mare Starry Dreamer, who, in addition to being the dam of Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt winner and in-demand sire War Front, has also produced graded stakes winners Teammate and Ecclesiastic. All three were trained by Jerkens' late father, Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens.

Centennial Farms' Adulator, a one-length allowance winner August 12 at Saratoga, breezed five furlongs in 1:02.22 Wednesday over the main track. Jerkens said the Flatter colt, purchased in March as a 2-year-old in training for $400,000, would likely make his next start during Belmont's fall championship meet. 

"There's the [G3] Smarty Jones at Parx, but I didn't really want to do that so we'll probably aim for an allowance race at Belmont and maybe a race like the Discovery later on in the year might be good for him," he said. "He's doing good." 

The Grade 3 Discovery Handicap for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles is run during Aqueduct Racetrack's fall meet. 

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Narrowly beaten in a 5 ½-furlong maiden event on opening day, Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners LLC and The Elkstone Group's 2-year-old filly Special Risk returns to Saratoga seeking her first career victory in the Grade 1 Spinaway.

Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, the juvenile daughter of Grade 1 winner Eskendereya had been training at Belmont Park since her second start where she trailed by seven lengths entering the stretch but closed strongly to finish a half-length behind impressive front-running debut winner Bowie.

Special Risk was third in her unveiling May 18 at Belmont Park, a half-length out of second going five furlongs. Both races saw her sit off wickedly fast early fractions before making up ground late.

"We're just taking a chance. She looks like she wants to go the distance so that's going to be a plus, but the race is going to be tough," Rodriguez said. "We've just got to hope that she improves a little bit and is competitive. There's a couple horses in there that look like they're pretty fast, so hopefully they hook up and go 21 and 44 [seconds] and maybe we can sit behind and pick up some of the pieces." 

Special Risk will break from post 2 in a field of seven under jockey Joel Rosario. They will carry low weight of 116 pounds, getting from two to six pounds from the rest of the group. 

Rodriguez earned his first career Grade 1 victory in the 2014 Spinaway with Condo Commando, also partly owned by Dubb and Elkstone. 

"I think Joel can give her a good ride. He's as good as anybody in the country," Rodriguez said. "She looks like she's coming into the race good, and the post is good. She drew on the inside and she doesn't have much speed. She's going to be sitting there and she doesn't have to take back so maybe she'll be a little closer than drawing on the outside and having to save ground. Hopefully we can pick up a check. If we win, I'm not going to get mad. She has to step up, definitely."

After consulting with Dubb Thursday morning, Rodriguez said he plans to runEverybodyluvsrudy in Monday's Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful rather than Saturday's seventh-race maiden special weight event where the Union Rags colt is the second of four also-eligibles in a 14-horse field. Both races are run at seven furlongs.

"We put him in the Hopeful and maybe he's better off because you're going to run with five or six horses instead of running with 10," Rodriguez said. "He's very good. I'm very happy with the way he's training. He got a nice work yesterday on the main track. I was hoping to run him on Saturday and blow him up a little bit but we can run him Monday. He's very good. He's ready." 

Rodriguez said Summer Revolution, fourth in the Grade 1 Ketel One King's Bishop August 27, is likely to make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby September 24 at Parx. 

"He came out of the race very good, so I'm going to take it easy with him," he said. "He looks very good, very happy. I thought he ran a good race considering the race he ran before was a huge race. We're going to take a look at the Pennsylvania Derby. I think he can stretch out. We're going to take each race as it comes and hopefully he'll run good over there." 

In the King's Bishop, Summer Revolution contested a hot early pace set by front-running winner Drefong before being caught late by Economic Model and Noholdingback Bear, who were a half-length apart, the latter a neck in front of Summer Revolution. 

"Right now I don't have any regrets about running him. He looks like he came back good; the only regret is that we didn't win the race," Rodriguez said. "The winner ran a big race. I don't think he embarrassed himself. He got a little tired. For a minute it looked like we were going to be second, but he ran good."

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Unplaced in three previous graded stakes attempts, Godolphin Stable's 4-year-old filly Gap Year will get another opportunity and the first over her favorite course in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Glens Falls. 

The 1 3/8-mile grass stakes for fillies and mares will be run over the inner turf course, where Gap Year has earned two of her three lifetime victories. The first came in a 1 1/16-mile allowance last September, and she was winless until her 20-1 upset of a one-mile optional claiming allowance by a head July 24.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin passed the Grade 2 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa on August 27 rather than face stablemate Sentiero Italia or the previously undefeated Lady Eli, who finished third and second, respectively, behind upset winner Strike Charmer, trained by McLaughlin's brother-in-law, Mark Hennig. 

"We wanted to run her back because she's done well here. Whether it's coming out of her own stall or that she likes the turf course here, we're not sure," McLaughlin said. "But our options were to run against Lady Eli and Sentiero Italia and Mark's filly, so we decided to run in this race and go from there."

Gap Year will be stretching out to 11 furlongs for the Glens Falls, where she will break from post 7 in a field of 10 carrying jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. and low weight of 116 pounds.

"I thought we might be on an uncontested lead, but we're not going to be," McLaughlin said. "There's a couple of speed horses in there. We don't have to be on the lead, but I thought she might be going that far." 

"We're not sure about the mile and three-eighths and it is on the turf course that she likes and out of her own stall, so that's what we're doing," he added. "We'd love for her to hit the board because she's very well-bred. It won't be our last chance, but being that it's here and she likes it here. It looks like a tough race."

In all, McLaughlin has eight horses entered on the final Saturday of the 40-day meet. Godolphin 2-year-old colts Westwood in Race 4 and Speith in Race 7 are each in seven-furlong maiden special weight events; 5-year-old Munjaz is in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on the Mellon turf in Race 6; 3-year-oldTrade Zone and 4-year-old Ekhlaas are in a seven-furlong main track allowance in Race 8; and Frosted and Mubtaahij are part of the nine-horse field for the Grade 1 Woodward. 

"It just happens when the races come up. We were busy at the beginning of the meet so, timing-wise, we thought it might happen," McLaughlin said. "It's a good day and we hope we have some luck." 

McLaughlin said multiple Grade 2 winner Mohaymen left Saratoga on Wednesday and arrived at Shadwell Stable's farm in Lexington, Kentucky, where he is expected to get the rest of the year off and point for a 4-year-old campaign. The 3-year-old Tapit colt has lost four straight starts after opening his career with five consecutive victories. 

"He left yesterday and got there in good shape," McLaughlin said. "We'll give him some time and figure it out."

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Having won two previous editions of the Grade 1 Spinaway in 2001 with Cashier's Dream and 2009 with Hot Dixie Chick, newly minted Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen will look for his third winner in the race when he saddles 3-1 second choice Runway Doll for owners Bobby Flay and William and Connie Heiligbrodt.

Breaking her maiden in her first start on July 31 at Saratoga, the daughter of Majestic Warrior bested a field of eight over a sloppy track to win by 13 ½ lengths. Stepping into a Grade 1 off a single maiden victory is a big move, but Asmussen assistant Scott Blasi remains confident in the filly's ability.

"She came out of her race in good shape and she's trained solid since," said Blasi. "We thought a lot of her going into her first race, we weren't necessarily surprised by her performance but glad she ran the way she did." 

Although Runway Doll flashed speed in going wire-to-wire, Blasi said he thinks the filly has more than one dimension.

"She's pretty manageable," added Blasi. "She has a high cruising speed. My only concern is she's only won one race. The other horses we've won the Spinaway with in the past had won multiple races coming in. It takes some immense talent to win a Grade 1 off of one race."

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Inspector Lynley is the second-longest shot at 8-1 on the morning line in Saturday's Grade 3, $300,000 Saranac, but Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey likes his chances in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds.

The Stuart Janney color-bearer broke his maiden fourth time out in February at Gulfstream Park, and went on to finish third in both the Grade 3 Transylvania on April 8 at Keeneland and the Grade 3 Kent on July 16 at Delaware Park.

McGaughey said he is pleased with the way the Lemon Drop Kid colt has been training, most recently breezing four furlongs in 49.54 seconds over the Oklahoma training turf course last week Sunday.

"I think he's trained well and breezed well over the grass here," said McGaughey. "I thought he ran good at Delaware. We had a pretty wide trip and we only got beat a length. I wanted to run him in an allowance race here a few weeks back ago, but it didn't fill, so I said we'll go straight in here."

Inspector Lynley will leave from the rail carrying Joel Rosario and 117 pounds, six less than 9-5 morning-line favorite Camelot Kitten. 

"I feel good and I like the post," McGaughey said. "With his kind of running style he should be able to save ground. Hopefully we won't go wide and hopefully we won't get stopped on the rail."