Francesca Le Donne Photo

Sistercharlie in fine fettle after G1 Diana win; Despite minor setback, Gronkowski remains on target for G1 Travers

by NYRA Press Office

• Motion undeterred after posting fifth runner-up finish in G1 Diana
• Bravazo taking Haskell-Travers route, Sporting Chance to G2 Jim Dandy
• Pletcher pleased with Somebeyay’s trip in G3 Sanford win
• G1 Vanderbilt-bound Done Deal just getting started; McCraken possible for Spa return in G1 Whitney
• Imperial Hint ‘fantastic’ following Parx breeze, all systems go for Vanderbiltp
• Sixth annual TRF Hay, Oats, Spaghetti fundraiser happening Monday

Capping a two-win day on Saturday, led by Diana winner Sistercharlie, trainer Chad Brown was in good spirits Sunday morning, reporting that the 4-year-old Irish-bred was in fine fettle the morning after earning her second Grade 1 win of the year.

Purchased privately by owner Peter Brant after beginning her career in Europe, Sistercharlie made her first five career starts in France, posting a win in the Group 3 Prix Penelope in June 2017 at Saint-Cloud Racecourse.

Making her first start for her new connections in the 2017 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, where she finished second, the Myboycharlie filly followed with a victory in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on April 14 at Keeneland and a second-place finish by a neck in the Grade 2 New York on June 8 at Belmont before earning a return trip to the winner’s circle in the Diana, besting 15-1 longshot Ultra Brat by a neck in the final jumps.

“She’s good,” said Brown. “She’s such an exceptional talent. She was able to perceiver and get there. The runner-up ran a huge race as well. Hats off to her, a real top effort, but I’m thankful we got on the right side of that photo.”

Brown also saddled multiple graded stakes winner A Raving Beauty, who was checked at the quarter-pole but rallied late to finish third, and New Money Honey, who finished sixth. Brown reported both in good condition coming out of the Diana.

“A Raving Beauty had a real unfortunate trip,” said Brown. “Things didn’t open up for her, but she showed a lot of courage to comeback late. Everybody came back good, so far, so we’ll look to move forward from here.”

Brown also said Belmont Stakes runner-up Gronkowski came back from his workout Saturday in good order, as well as graded stakes winner and fourth-place Kentucky Derby finisher Instilled Regard, who breezed three furlongs in 37.88 seconds on Saturday in his first workout since being transferred to Brown for an East Coast summer campaign.

Saturday’s breeze was the first for Gronkowski since June 23. Despite the setback, said Brown, the Lonhro colt, who finished 1 ¾ lengths behind Justify in his Triple Crown-winning Belmont Stakes effort, is still on target for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on August 25.

“I was very pleased with both horses,” he said. “The way Gronkowski went, I’m optimistic and hope he can make the Travers. Instilled Regard’s first breeze for us went really well. He came to us in good condition. It was nice to get him back on the worktab and we’re thankful to have him in the barn.”

Brown said graded stakes winner Backyard Heaven, who worked five furlongs in 1:01.77 on Saturday, remains on target for a start in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney on August 4.

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Motion undeterred after posting fifth runner-up finish in G1 Diana

The synthesizer-heavy beat of Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” did not play outside of trainer Graham Motion’s barn on Sunday morning. But you could forgive Motion if he had the song playing on a loop one day after his Ultra Brat ran second by a nose to Sistercharlie in the $500,000 Diana at the Spa. It was the fifth time a Motion-trained horse had finished second in the Grade 1 race for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, and the third time against a Chad Brown-trained winner.

Last year, Brown’s Lady Eli hit the wire a head in front of Quidura, and in 2011, Zagora, also trained by Brown, finished 1 ½ lengths ahead of Motion’s Aruna. The first two runner-up finishes in the Diana for Motion came against winners trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, with Provision defeating Shared Account by a head in 2010 and Sweet Talker a head back to the victor Angara in 2006.

“It’s one of those [special] races in New York that has that history behind it, and it’s been a race that I’ve always really liked, and I’ve had some nice fillies, so it fit in well with the schedule,” Motion said. “But I am frustrated. The last two were incredibly frustrating, but it doesn’t stop me from coming back. You have to keep trying. I’ve been fortunate to train some nice fillies on the grass, so to have the opportunities year after year; I’m very lucky.”

Ultra Brat, off at 15-1, took the lead in the upper stretch under a confident ride from jockey Joel Rosario before Sistercharlie ran her down in the final jumps. The 5-year-old Uncle Mo mare recorded her second straight solid effort after running 10th in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on April 14 at Keenland, rebounding to win the Grade 2 Gallorette on May 19 at Pimlico before making her Saratoga debut.

She seemed to come out of it really well, I thought she looked good this morning,” Motion said. “She’s been very consistent. If you throw out the Jenny Wiley, where I just think she didn’t get a good trip, she’s been remarkably consistent. It was really gratifying to me to see that she could be competitive in a race like yesterday.

“When I saw it was going to be a seven-horse field, I thought it was a great opportunity for her to get a Grade 1 placing, which is always important. She had a lot of time since the Pimlico race and I had a lot of time to freshen her up and get her over that big effort. She ran a good number that day. I thought she was doing well.”

Motion said the race has made him think of the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on November 3 at Churchill Downs. That race, contested at 1 3/8 miles, would be an increase from the 1 1/8-mile Diana.

“I’m trying to see if she’s good enough to run in the Breeders’ Cup,” Motion said. “I don’t know if she can go [that distance] and I want to find out, but she handled the trip yesterday.”

Spring Quality, the winner of the Grade 1 Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day, June 9, breezed seven furlongs in 1:27.00 at Fair Hill’s all-weather training track on Friday as he readies for the Grade 1 Arlington Million on August 11. Motion said the Quality Road gelding could return to Belmont for the fall meet, bringing him back to a track at which he finished second in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy on May 5 before outlasting Sadler’s Joy be a neck on the inner turf in the Manhattan a month later.

“He’s doing great, he worked on Friday,” Motion said. “He’ll go to the Arlington Million and hopefully come back to New York in September or even October.”

Motion also said the French-bred Thewayiam, who was second in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks on July 7, is working towards the Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid at 1 1/8 miles on the turf on August 18.

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Bravazo taking Haskell-Travers route, Sporting Chance to G2 Jim Dandy

Calumet Farm's Bravazo put in his final work leading up to next Sunday's Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, clocking 48.77 seconds for a half-mile over the Oklahoma training track listed as good. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said the work was just what his colt needed.

“What we’re trying to do is just put him on his toes for the Haskell," Lukas said. "A shake-the-trees type work. Just a good solid work. I put a nice little 2-year-old in there [Derby Day] to see if he can run a little bit. They work well those two.”

The Haskell will be the first start since the son of Awesome Again finished sixth in the Belmont Stakes on June 9. Lukas, who has 14 victories among the three Triple Crown races, said the Kentucky-bred was a victim of the pace scenario.

“I was very disappointed, but the Belmont, the way it unfolded and everything, compromised his chances completely,” Lukas said. “We wanted to get up in those fractions going down the backside, we wanted to get up and put some pressure on Justify and see if we can run with him the last quarter. He got the first run away, [and] we couldn't get out; we were pinned there. I said with five-eighths left to go that we weren't going to beat anybody. We wasted ourselves.”

With the Haskell only a week away, Lukas is already planning for Bravazo to start in the Grade 1 Travers.

“I tell you most of these horses after the Triple Crown are either tired, used up and need a little rest because that’s a hard series,” he said. “Some of them will flourish and get stronger and fill up, and he's one of them. He's a very tough horse. Our schedule right now is the Haskell and the Travers. I think he's one of the horses that can handle that. 

“He had a complete physical after the Belmont. Seventy something X-rays, a complete, Grade A bill of health.”

Bravazo's lone graded stakes victory came in the Grade 2 Risen Star on February 17 at Fair Grounds. His Belmont start followed a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby and a runner-up finish in the Preakness, respectively.

Last year's Grade 1 Hopeful winner Sporting Chance is on target for the July 28 Grade 2 Jim Dandy, and could also be on target for the Travers, Lukas said. The rambunctious son of Tiznow will make his first start since his sixth-place finish in the Preakness. The 82-year-old Lukas has his hands full with his Kentucky-bred.

“Mentally, his gene pool kicked in. His sire was very difficult to train," Lukas said. “Tiznow spent a lot of days going out to the racetrack, and never made it to the racetrack. A lot of people don't know that. He would lock up on the track and refuse to train.

“This one has got some quirks about him. If he shows up with his best race, and I think he likes this racetrack, if he shows up he'll be very tough in the Jim Dandy, but he's got to bring his ‘A’ game.”

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Pletcher pleased with Somebeyay’s trip in G3 Sanford win

Sombeyay came out of his neck victory over Silver Strike in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford in good order, trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday morning.

In the six-furlong sprint, Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano kept Somebeyay near the pacesetters, sitting off Bano Solo by one length a quarter-mile in and one length behind Silver Strike at a half mile before outkicking Strike Silver in a race for juveniles.

“He came back well, I was pleased with the way he did everything,” Pletcher said. “The thing that pleased me was having him as close to the pace as he was. The track was trending towards being close to the pace and my concern going in was that he’d get shuffled back and be a bit further back than he wanted to be. He actually put himself in a good spot. He was a touch keen at one point there but then Javier was able to tip him outside.” 

Somebeyay, who has two wins in three career starts, could be targeting the Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful on Saratoga’s Closing Day on September 3.

Ivy Bell, who breezed a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.18 on Saturday on the Oklahoma training track, remains on schedule for the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee Handicap on July 29. The 5-year-old Kentucky bred, who finished second to Abel Tasman in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on June 9 at Belmont, has one win and four runner-up efforts since November.

“She worked very well and came out of it in good order and targeting the Shuvee,” Pletcher said.

Hi Happy remains bound for the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green on July 28. The Argentinian-bred put in his final work before the 1 3/8-mile turf route, going four furlongs in 49.66 seconds on the Oklahoma dirt track on Saturday. 

“He’s ready to go in the Bowling Green,” Pletcher said. “He’s been a model of consistency and seems adaptable to multiple pace scenarios and multiple distances. He’s easy to train; very straightforward and professional.”

Hi Happy was third last out in the Grade 1 Manhattan on June 9, which came on the heels of back-to-back wins in the Grade 2 Pan American on March 31 at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 1 Man o’ War on May 12 at Belmont.

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G1 Vanderbilt-bound Done Deal just getting started; McCraken possible for Spa return in G1 Whitney

Sierra Farm’s homebred Done Deal appears poised to take a big step up in class next weekend as he makes just his third start in two years in Saturday’s Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at six furlongs for trainer Ian Wilkes.

In September of 2016, the Macho Uno gelding was sitting on a two-race win streak when he was sidelined, ending a promising 3-year-old season, said Wilkes. When he finally made his return to the races nearly 20 months later, the now-5-year-old Done Deal seemingly picked up where he left off, extending his win total to three with a dead heat for victory in an optional claiming turf sprint in May at Churchill Downs, and then to four in his first stakes try in the Iowa Sprint.

In that race, on July 6 at Prairie Meadows, Done Deal tracked a sharp early pace before taking command in the far turn to draw off by four lengths, earning a personal-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure and encouraging his connections to take a shot at Grade 1 company.

“After he came back and dead heated for the win his first race, I decided to give him a little time and take him to Prairie Meadows, and if he ran good, we said we’d think about the Vanderbilt,” said Wilkes. “The horse has done it all himself in taking us there.

“It all goes back to a testament to the owners and farm crew for giving him the time and persevering. A lot of people would’ve given up on him,” he added. “He’s a naturally fast horse and he’s just gotten better and better.”

Done Deal, who breezed five furlongs in a bullet 59.09 seconds on Saturday over the Saratoga main track, owns four wins from seven overall starts with two of his victories coming over the turf.

“He’s a unique horse, for sure,” Wilkes said. “He can run turf or dirt and that’s a great thing about him. Which surface is he best on? I don’t know yet, I’m still figuring that out, but it’s a nice problem, isn’t it?”

Next week, Wilkes will also saddle Originator in the $100,000 Coronation Cup for 3-year-old fillies at 5 ½ furlongs on July 30 over the Mellon turf. Originator, a dark bay daughter of Artie Schiller owned by Denholtz Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Head of Plains Partners.

Originator finished second last time out in the Alywow on June 9 at Woodbine, 1 ½ lengths behind Road to Victory, the only horse thus far to beat Kentucky Oaks heroine Monomoy Girl and who followed the Alywow with a runner-up finish to Midnight Bisou in the Grade 2 Mother Goose on July 1 at Belmont.

“Orignator was very impressive winning her maiden and I tried stretching her out and she just didn’t want to go that far yet,” said Wilkes. “I think her strength is going to be a one-turn sprint, anywhere from five to seven furlongs. I think that’s going to be the key to her. Last time out, we ran into a really nice filly, Road to Victory, who came back and ran second in the Mother Goose, so the form holds up well. The filly is doing well, I’m very happy with how she’s doing. She’s got a little blacktype with her and now if we can get a stakes win, all the better.”

Wilkes added that Whitham Thoroughbred’s multiple graded stakes winner McCraken is slated to breeze Tuesday for a possible bid in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney on August 4. The 4-year-old Ghostzapper colt, seventh in last year’s Travers in his only other appearance at the Spa, finished third last time out in the Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap on July 6.

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Imperial Hint ‘fantastic’ following Parx breeze, all systems go for Vanderbilt

Raymond Mamone's multiple graded stakes winner Imperial Hint is set to ship up to Saratoga this Thursday for a start in Saturday's Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt according to trainer Luis Carvajal, Jr.

The son of Imperialism worked a half-mile in 46.98 seconds at Parx Racing on Saturday, his first work since pulling a shoe in his prior work on July 7.

“He worked fantastic,” Carvajal said. “He doesn't work well all the time, but he came out in really great condition and looks really good today, so now we can just look ahead and look forward to going up to Saratoga.”

Imperial Hint will return after his neck victory over Whitmore in the Grade 2 True North at Belmont Park on June 8. The 5-year-old was perfect through four starts in his 4-year-old campaign before getting beat by a length by Roy H in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. 

Carvajal has endured a few bumps with his colt in the last few weeks leading up to the Vanderbilt, but an occasional stall mishap or loose shoe are all part of the job, he said.

“It’s all the time,” Carvajal noted. “A good horse is like that sometimes, they do things. It’s a minor thing, but you always worry about it. It’s always about timing. Something can always happen, but all is good. I'm really looking forward to his race. We'll ship up late Thursday, so the heat doesn't get to him. We'll jog him a few miles on Friday, and then on to the race.”

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Sixth annual TRF Hay, Oats, Spaghetti fundraiser happening Monday

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is having its sixth annual Hay, Oats, and Spaghetti fundraising dinner on Monday, July 23 at the Saratoga Automobile Museum on 110 Avenue of the Pines in Saratoga Springs.

Along with the Italian dinner catered by Mama Mia's, beverages provided by DeCrescente Distributing and photography from Skip Dickstein, there will be entertainment and a raffle of various prizes.

The event begins at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at $100 each with all proceeds going to the TRF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, please visit the TRF website.