Voodoo Doll puts unbeaten record at stake in Friday’s $200K Rick Violette
Unbeaten Voodoo Doll will seek his fourth consecutive victory and first stakes win when he faces fellow New York-bred 3-year-olds in Friday’s $200,000 Rick Violette at 1 1/16-miles on the Mellon turf at Saratoga Race Course.
Last summer, Voodoo Doll, who is owned by D.J. Stable, trained at Saratoga but never started there as he subsequently was sent to Toronto to join dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse’s string at Woodbine Racetrack.
Voodoo Doll made one start at Woodbine, making a late surge to win by a nose in a six-furlong maiden special weight over Tapeta in November. He made his 3-year-old debut in May at Belmont at the Big A, closing strongly once again to win an entry-level allowance for New York-breds 3-years-old and up in a six-furlong turf sprint. Stretching out to one mile on the turf at that venue June 12, he brushed the gate before setting a moderate-but-contested pace and dug in to win an open entry-level optional claimer for 3-year-olds by a head.
“He just wasn’t handling the main track [at Saratoga] very well, so I sent him to Woodbine and I gave him the winter off,” said Casse. “He was training so good this winter, like a different horse. That’s why I sent him to New York. When I sent him to Toronto [last year], I thought maybe he was a cut below and he ran and he won, but this year he has trained like a different horse.”
The Rick Violette will be Voodoo Doll’s first start against stakes company.
“Usually, there is not a whole lot of difference [between open allowances and New York-bred stakes races],” said Casse. “I know there’s a couple of pretty talented horses [in the Rick Violette], but he’s for sure ready to move up. He has enough speed to be up on the lead, but I don’t think he has to be. [Brushing the gate] last time hurt him some, but he was able to overcome it.”
Voodoo Doll [post 2, Edgard Zayas], a $220,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale acquisition, is by Grade 1 Carter Handicap and Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap winner Vekoma and is out of Salino. His second dam is two-time winning Stellar, who was second in the Grade 3 Adirondack at Saratoga as a juvenile before going on to win the 2003 Very Subtle Handicap at Santa Anita Park. Voodoo Doll’s third dam, Starr County, produced 2002 Grade 1 King’s Bishop winner Gygistar.
Also stepping up off an allowance triumph is A Little At First [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], who on June 3 defeated older horses when he prevailed by 1 1/4-lengths under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in a 1 1/8-mile entry-level allowance for New York-breds during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. That race was A Little At First’s second start this year as the gelding was fifth, beaten 3 1/4-lengths, at that level May 10 at Belmont at the Big A. As a juvenile, A Little at First made three starts, breaking his maiden by 2 1/4-lengths at Aqueduct in his season finale.
“It’s either face straight 3-year-olds in a state-bred stakes, or go [against] 3-year-olds and up in a ‘2-other-than [allowance]’. This seems like the logical spot,” said trainer Horacio De Paz, who conditions the homebred for Roger Cimbora, Jr.
A Little At First, by War Dancer and out of the First Dude mare Brazo de Oro, is a full-brother to Twenty Six Black, a three-time stakes-winning turf sprinter who in his most recent start captured the Listed Harvey Pack by 2 3/4-lengths on July 5 at Saratoga.
“He’s a full brother to Twenty Six Black, but he’s more of a router than a sprinter,” said De Paz. “They progressively get better as time goes on. He needs to be placed forwardly; I think he’s still learning how to run. I think he’s had a lot of bad racing luck in some races. There’s always something that happens. He gets bumped or he can’t get a good trip. Last time, Javier was able to get a good break and place him tactically forward.”
Madaket Stables and Steven Bouchey’s Caroline St. Beat [post 7, Manny Franco] will be making his first start in nine months as he has not competed since working his way through traffic to finish second against New York-bred 2-year-olds in the one-mile Notebook at Aqueduct Racetrack. In one previous outing, the son of Tiz the Law won a maiden special weight by 2 1/4-lengths at Saratoga last August.
“[His] preparation [for the Notebook] was all messed up; we weren’t sure if he was going to make the race,” said trainer Miguel Clement. “I think he’s a better horse than that. And, yes, he ran a gallant race and finished second in a stakes, but the camp was bitter and disappointed because there are high expectations for him. I’m convinced he’ll be a better horse going a mile and a quarter and farther. The distance will be a touch on the short side. Nevertheless, he might have enough talent to overcome it.”
The top last-out Beyer Speed Figure in the field belongs to Chummers [post 5, Flavien Prat], who on June 19 at Belmont at the Big A received a figure of 85 when he scored by 3 3/4-lengths in a $55,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up who had never won two races lifetime. After breaking his maiden at Belmont at the Big A last October in his third start, he finished no better than sixth in five consecutive starts – all in stakes or allowance-level races – prior to his victory last time out. In two previous stakes tries, he was sixth in the Notebook and 12th on dirt in the NYSSS Great White Way in November at Aqueduct.
“An 85 Beyer for a 3-year-old New York-bred, I think we are in good shape,” said Ray Handal, who owns and trains Chummers. “It could be a little fluffed up; it’s always tough when they go back up into stakes or allowance company. I think restricted to straight 3-year-olds and New York-breds, he is going to have a big shot in here. It’s going to be a lot easier than what he has been running against [this winter and spring]. It was a weird race last time. He’s a horse who is very timid, so if he has things go the right way for him, he’ll be in good shape. If he has to face some adversity, I don’t know if he has all the class to summon to overcome it.”
The Rick Violette field also includes Spirit of New York [post 1, Jose Ortiz], now in the barn of Brad Cox, and winner of last year’s Bertram F. Bongard, who most recently was third in the NYSSS Spectacular Bid on June 20; Newlyn [post 3, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], fourth in an allowance for New York-breds at Belmont at the Big A June 26; and Manor Park [post 4, Tyler Gaffalione], who broke his maiden by a half-length July 11 at the Spa.
Sunday Boy, Minorinconvenience and Max Money are entered for the main track only.
The Rick Violette is slated as Race 9 on Friday’s 10-race program, which also features the Grade 2, $250,000 Shuvee in Race 8. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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