Smooth Breeze sails into Thursday’s $150K Rick Violette

Trainer Jorge Abreu looks to get Smooth Breeze back into the winner’s circle in Thursday’s $150,000 Rick Violette, a 1 1/16-mile Mellon turf route for New York-bred 3-year-olds, at Saratoga Race Course.

Smooth Breeze [post 6, Flavien Prat], a Joseph Hinkhouse homebred by More Than Ready, returns to turf after a solid runner-up effort under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in a state-bred off-the-turf allowance optional claiming event contested over a sloppy and sealed main track on June 14 at Belmont at the Big A.

Flavien Prat, who won three races on the July 10 Opening Day card here, returns to the irons aboard Smooth Breeze, whom he guided to a four-length state-bred allowance win versus elders traveling 1 1/16-miles over good turf on April 27 at Aqueduct Racetrack. There, he tracked from fourth-of-10 before edging clear in the late stages of the race.

“Smooth Breeze is doing very, very well. I feel pretty confident because I got Prat to ride him back and Prat knows him very well,” Abreu said.

Prior to that effort, he finished a disappointing ninth in the one-mile Listed Colonel Liam in March at Gulfstream Park, while racing with blinkers on for the first time.

“I think at Gulfstream Park I threw too much at him off the bat. He had a three- or four-month layoff since he ran, and it was a salty race, and I put blinkers on him,” Abreu said. “I don’t know if the blinkers made a difference in maybe not performing the way he usually does. So, I took them off and he came back and won with Prat and then came back and we finished second with him.”

Smooth Breeze now returns to familiar Saratoga surroundings where he won at first asking last August in a state-bred maiden over course and distance after a troubled start, crossing the wire first in a final time of 1:44.23.

AWC Stables, Gold Square, Paul Braverman and Scott Akman’s Leon Blue [post 5, Christopher Elliott] will make his stakes debut for trainer Melanie Giddings.

The Mo Town gelding, out of the Shackleford mare Alana’s Allure, is coming off of two strong efforts to start his campaign, beginning with a head score in a six furlong off-the-turf state-bred maiden in April at Aqueduct. He followed with a stretch-out in distance on June 4 here, showing the way in a 1 1/16-mile state-bred allowance when nailed by a nose by returning rival Outsource.

“Last time, what got him was just that slightly bad head bob. It was more or less his first stretch out off the layoff, so we are really looking forward to this race,” Giddings said.

Giddings said Leon Blue, bred by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, doesn’t necessarily need the lead.

“I think he can do anything that horse. I think just him coming out of sprints and having natural speed is where he [Elliott] put him,” Giddings said. “I just told him wherever he puts you, just be comfortable there and go with it.”

Leon Blue, who boasts a perfect in-the-money record of 5-1-3-1, made three juvenile starts on turf, including a runner-up effort last July on debut in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint when a half-length back of next-out open Skidmore winner Out On Bail. He followed in September at Belmont at the Big A with a prominent second in a 1 1/16-mile maiden when three-quarter-lengths back of Jack and Jim, who exited that effort to win the Listed Central Park versus open company. His 2-year-old season closed with a troubled third in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden in November at Belmont at the Big A where he lunged at the start.

Rachel Gerson’s dual stakes-placed I’m Due [post 3, Dylan Davis] will try and claim a first stakes victory for trainer Kent Sweezey.

The War Dancer bay, bred by Cedar Meadow, has made his last three outings in stakes events, including a distant third in June at Belmont at the Big A in the NYSSS Spectacular Bid where he finished seven lengths behind the victorious Friend Ofthe Devil and three lengths behind runner-up River of Time, who he is set to face in this race.

Rounding out the field are stakes-placed River of Time [post 1, Junior Alvarado] for trainer Chad Summers; stakes-placed Sounds Like a Plan [post 2, Ricardo Santana Jr., blinkers ON] for trainer Horacio De Paz; and allowance winner Outsource [post 4, John Velazquez] for trainer Tom Morley.

The $150,000 Rick Violette, which is slated as Race 3 on Thursday’s 10-race card, is named for the late trainer and NYTHA President who spearheaded the creation of the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program and TAKE THE LEAD Retirement Program.

Thursday’s card will also celebrate New York Aftercare Day, which brings retired racehorses back to Saratoga for on-track demonstrations of the skills they’ve learned in their second careers. This year’s presentations, before the first and second races, will feature western riding, jumping, and a polo match. Fans can also meet a retired racehorse in the Horse Sense Stall behind the grandstand. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.