White Abarrio back to work at Saratoga

• White Abarrio back to work at Saratoga
• Hill Road to G3 Nashville Derby; Ways and Means to miss G1 Resorts World Casino Ballerina
• Queen Azteca blows out for G1 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales
• Sacred Goddess tries Listed Bolton Landing; Mo Plex leaning towards G1 Pennsylvania Derby
• Mindframe training forwardly towards G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup

Multiple Grade 1-winner White Abarrio returned to the work tab on Thursday over the Saratoga Race Course main track, posting a bullet half-mile in company with Alexander Helios [47.24] in 47.04 seconds.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the 6-year-old son of Race Day posted his first breeze since finishing a respectable fourth four lengths behind Sierra Leone in the Grade 1 Whitney on August 2 at the Spa.

The work came 12 days after the Whitney, which was the same amount of time Joseph, Jr. gave the gray horse before working him again after winning the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector in December at Gulfstream Park. That began a series of works that led to a 6 1/4-length romp in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January at the Hallandale Beach oval.

“I thought he worked great,” Joseph, Jr. said of Thursday’s move. “That’s the first time I’ve worked him back in 12 days since the Pegasus, and I feel like it was a Pegasus work, so hopefully we stay as is and we’re very happy with where the horse is at at the moment. It’s the happiest we’ve been in a long time.

“It was a credible effort, we just didn’t have him at his optimum yet,” Joseph, Jr. added of the Whitney, where White Abarrio raced wide throughout and made a bid in the final turn. “We thought it was a good guideline because we were within four lengths of Sierra Leone and as wide as we were, he and Sierra Leone ran the fastest race on the Ragozin sheets. We feel we have moved forward since the race.”

White Abarrio is targeting a stretch-out to 10 furlongs in either the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on August 30 at Del Mar, or the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on August 31 at the Spa. Both races award the winner a “Win and You’re In” berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 1 at Del Mar, a race White Abarrio won in 2023 when in the care of trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.

“The older he gets, you feel more confident,” Joseph, Jr. said of the distance. “Earlier in his career, we weren’t sure if he wanted to go a mile and a quarter, but obviously he won the Classic and it was a fast-run race. I think that was probably the most impressive race of his life because of how hard he ran and how he was able to hold on. I think as he’s gotten older, longer seems to be no problem for him.”

Joseph, Jr. said he will discuss options with owners C Two Racing Stable, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable. Should he stay for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, he’s likely to face a rematch with Sierra Leone amid a field that is also expected to include dual Grade 1-winner Mindframe and defending race winner and Whitney runner-up Highland Falls.

“California is under consideration, but we’ll talk it over with the ownership group and he might stay for the Jockey Club,” Joseph, Jr. said. “I think when you have the best, you’ve got to run against the best. We think we have the best, so now is the time to take them on again.”

Joseph, Jr. added that White Abarrio’s workmate Alexander Helios, winner of the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap in February at Oaklawn Park, is likely to join multiple graded stakes-winning stablemate Skippylongstocking in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic next Friday at its namesake course.

The son of Cairo Prince was last seen finishing a distant last-of-7 in the Grade 3 Blame on May 31 at Churchill Downs after setting a pressured pace.

“He didn’t run good last time in an unexplainable race, so we backed off him a bit and he’s rounded back into form,” Joseph, Jr. said. “Hopefully, he’ll start to get back to his top performance soon.”

As for Daniel Alonso’s multimillionaire Skippylongstocking, the 6-year-old Exaggerator bay is looking for his third consecutive Charles Town Classic score on the heels of a seventh-place finish in the Whitney, which was his first start since taking the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup in May at Santa Anita Park.

Joseph, Jr. noted that Skippylongstocking also used the Whitney last year as a prep for a 5 3/4-length romp in the marquee West Virginia route.

“He’s doing good. He made a little move in the Whitney, but I didn’t think he was at his optimum going into it,” Joseph, Jr. explained. “I felt like we needed to get a race into him and I didn’t want to go to Charles Town off a long layoff. The year before, he ran off-the-board in the Whitney, too, and then he won at Charles Town, so I felt confident running him in there and getting him a race rather than training him into it.”

Skippylongstocking boasts a 33-11-3-7 record with more than $3.6 million in earnings, including nine graded stakes victories.

***

Hill Road to G3 Nashville Derby; Ways and Means to miss G1 Resorts World Casino Ballerina

AMO Racing USA’s Grade 1-placed Hill Road will return to the turf in the Grade 3, $3.5 million [$1.5 million KTDF] Nashville Derby, a 1 5/16-mile test for sophomores on August 30 at Kentucky Downs.

Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the Kentucky-bred son of Quality Road closed from last-of-10 to finish a 4 3/4-length third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in his last of three starts for former trainer Adrian Murray.

The bay colt was transferred to Brown for his sophomore campaign and has performed admirably with a win in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Peter Pan in May at Belmont at the Big A ahead of a fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets here in June. Last out, Hill Road landed a distant third to Sovereignty in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun on July 26.

Hill Road worked back a half-mile in 48.77 seconds August 10 over the Oklahoma training turf as he prepares for a third career turf outing, following a first-out graduation last August at Leopardstown and a seventh-place effort in the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National in September at The Curragh.

“I'm planning on running him in the Nashville Derby, something different with him,” Brown said. “He's not quite good enough to crack the top couple [in the Travers], Sovereignty and the likes of the other horses [though] he's running solid races. He has some form on the turf originally. I liked the work, and it's a huge purse as he's a Kentucky-bred.”

Bred in Kentucky by Lynch Bages LTD and Camas Park Stud, Hill Road was a $350,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Exotic Notion, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning multimillionaire and top sire City of Light. He has banked $456,496 via a 7-2-0-3 record.

Klaravich Stables’ multiple graded stakes winner Ways and Means [10-5-2-1, $997,500] spiked a temperature and will miss next weekend’s Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Ballerina here.

“She's going to miss the race,” Brown said. “She caught a temperature at the wrong time. It's day-to-day. We've been treating her.”

Ways and Means earned a career-best 111 Beyer Speed Figure here for her last-out 7 3/4-length romp in the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The talented 4-year-old daughter of Practical Joke made the grade in the Grade 1 Test presented by Ticketmaster here last August and added the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom to her ledger in September at Belmont at the Big A.

Ways and Means is out of the Klaravich Stables-campaigned and Brown-trained stakes-winner Strong Incentive, who also produced graded stakes-winners Highly Motivated and Surge Capacity for the same connections.

Brown indicated Thursday that Strategic Focus remains on track for next Saturday’s Grade 1 $1.25 million DraftKings Travers and Chancer McPatrick is pointed to the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on the Travers Day undercard.

***

Queen Azteca blows out for G1 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales

Queen Azteca, winner of the Group 3 UAE Oaks in February at Meydan Racecourse, blew out three-eighths in 39.01 seconds Wednesday over the Oklahoma dirt training track.

The Sharp Azteca bay, a Niels Petersen trainee purchased privately by Team Valor International, will make her North American debut in Saturday’s 10-furlong Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales. She arrived in Saratoga on Friday from Petersen’s yard in Norway and has since trained over both the Oklahoma and main track here.

“She's done all her work. She's fit. She raced in December in Dubai. She's been frequently racing ever since. She's done enough,” Petersen said. “We worked her before she came out here. We just wanted her to stretch her legs yesterday. Back home we work horses a little different than they do here - we're not obsessed with clocks - European style is different.

“I said to my rider just to let her roll on and build in and extend your canter up the last two furlongs,” Petersen added. “I was quite happy with her. She looked good on the surface was the main thing - time-wise, probably not fantastic, but we saw what we wanted to see, and she was never asked for anything. Just a nice little stretch.”

Queen Azteca made her two most recent outings at Jagersro in Sweden, winning at 11 furlongs in June and finishing a 1 3/4-length second in 12-furlong Jockeyklubben Svenskt Derby on July 13.

“The distance suits her,” Petersen said. ”She ran a mile and a half last time and she was wide all the way and she didn't really get into the race, but she still ran a fantastic race. Distance, no problem. It's a matter of how far, how much she has to make up to get involved in anything.

“This is a class field, so it's not like we're walking over there thinking we have a good shot of winning - we're not,” Petersen added. “But if we can pick up a horse or two, I think we've done as good as we could. Running style wise, she will be finishing but she has to be in contention of course.”

The Kentucky-bred Queen Azteca saved all the ground from fourth position in the 1 3/16-mile UAE Oaks in February at Meydan and advanced willingly into the lane as pacesetter Arigatou Gozaimasu opened up a significant lead. Carlos Lopez kept to task aboard Queen Azteca and made up four lengths in the very late stages to win by three-quarter lengths.

On Saturday, Hall of Famer Joel Rosario will be tasked with having Queen Azteca in contention to track down the likely pacesetter La Cara in a talented field that also includes Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks-winner Good Cheer and the well-regarded Nitrogen.

“It's a different style of racing and I believe we have an extremely good jockey on board and he's well informed on how she races,” Petersen said. “You have to believe she will finish the race and she ran over in the Oaks in Dubai at 9 1/2-[furlongs] and now it's 10 [furlongs], so even better. It's always a matter of how far away she will be. There's a lot of early speed in this race which I haven't been able to look at the form...she has to break well not to be too far away.”

Queen Azteca will stay in the U.S. following the Alabama and will be trained by Rodolphe Brisset.

Initially purchased for $22,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Queen Azteca, out of the Palace Malice mare Princesa Helena, hails from a Hall of Fame family with her fourth dam being Personal Ensign

“Team Valor bought her, and it was their plan to bring her out and she's going to stay here afterwards,” Petersen said. “They gave me the opportunity to train her and come for this race. I appreciate that a lot. It's a big event - back in Scandinavia, we're not used to coming here.

“It's been a very interesting couple of days here and I'm looking forward to the next couple of days because it's a whole different environment here,” Petersen added. “You learn a lot just going around to watch.”

***

Sacred Goddess tries Listed Bolton Landing; Mo Plex leaning towards G1 Pennsylvania Derby

Icon Racing Stable, Team Penney Racing and Peter Dorsman Racing’s New York-bred Sacred Goddess will try open company in Sunday’s Listed $150,000 Bolton Landing, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for juvenile fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, the Kantharos bay graduated over course and distance in her July 17 debut versus fellow state-breds. There, Sacred Goddess traveled four lengths back in fourth position early and launched a successful wide bid under returning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. to beat next-out winner Trading Trouble by a neck.

The final time of 1:03.69 on the firm turf earned a 68 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She’s good. She’s coming into the race pretty well,” said Englehart. “I was looking forward to this spot after her maiden win. She seems like she’s making the right improvements. We will try to give this next race a challenge.”

Englehart has enjoyed training the $200,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase for former MLB All-Star Jayson Werth’s Icon Racing, whose first starter was Sacred Goddess’ aforementioned graduation. 

“He’s a great guy. I love the energy, love the passion that he brings to the horses,” Englehart said. “In watching him manage Icon Racing, it is fun to watch. I look forward to working with that team in the future.”

Englehart provided his current thoughts on Mo Plex. The Grade 3 Ohio Derby-winning Complexity bay is nominated to next Thursday’s state-bred $200,000 Albany presented by Albany Distilling Company and next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers here, but is leaning towards the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby on September 20 at Parx Racing, as of Thursday morning.

“I think right now, I’d say he is doing well, my plan after his last race was to give him another crack at open company and right now I’m still leaning towards the Pennsylvania Derby,” said Englehart. “[That would be] coming back a little quick in the Albany, for me.”

Upcoming local stakes action for the barn includes Toga Twist, a debut-winning 2-year-old Omaha Beach colt, probable for next Sunday’s $150,000 Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, a six-furlong sprint for New York-bred juveniles that Mo Plex won last year.

***

Mindframe training forwardly towards G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said dual Grade 1-winner Mindframe has continued to impress in his training at Saratoga Race Course as he gears up for the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on August 31 at the Spa, a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 1 at Del Mar.

“He’s doing great and everything is on schedule,” Pletcher said of the last-out winner of the nine-furlong Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 28 at Churchill Downs. “He’ll breeze again this weekend.”

Mindframe has worked four times at Saratoga since his one-length Foster score, including five furlongs in 1:01 flat on Saturday over the main track in company with the unraced sophomore Operation Overlord [1:01.55].

“Very good,” Pletcher said of the work. “We just wanted to do a little more since we have the time between races, so we put him in company. He responded well.”

Campaigned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, Mindframe will return to the course and distance of his game runner-up effort in last year’s Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, where he finished a half-length behind Dornoch in just his third career start. The talented 4-year-old also won the Grade 1 Churchill Downs sprinting seven furlongs on May 3, displaying versatility as he rallied from eighth-of-11.

“It’s a special horse that’s capable of doing everything well, and it’s pretty rare that you have one that can win a Grade 1 at seven-eighths, a mile and an eighth, and second in the Belmont at a mile and a quarter in the third start of his life,” Pletcher reflected.

Mindframe is one of a handful of heavy-hitters in the older division for Pletcher, whose 2023 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Fierceness was last seen finishing an even fifth as the favorite in the Grade 1 Whitney on August 2 here.

The 4-year-old son of City of Light was four-wide in the first turn and even wider heading into the second turn as he made an early move for the lead under Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez. He led the field of nine at the top of the stretch but weakened in the final eighth as Sierra Leone swept by to claim victory.

“He looks good, and everything is in play,” Pletcher said of upcoming plans. “I’ve been happy with the way he’s been galloping. We’ll see when we’ll breeze him again. It was a tough-run race for him – he got hung out wide in the first turn and then when the pacesetter buzzed by him in the first turn, he got a little more eager than we wanted him to and he had to go around the pacesetter again in the far turn and lost a lot of ground. But he seemed to come back well, so we’ll regroup.”

Pletcher’s other major player in the older dirt division is Eclipse Thoroughbreds Partners and Walmac Farm’s Locked, who was a last-out third as the favorite in the Grade 2 Suburban presented by Subourbon on July 4 here. The 4-year-old Gun Runner colt won the 10-furlong Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March, his third win in his fourth start since returning from a nearly one-year layoff in October at Belmont at the Big A.

The extended respite ended with a 7 1/2-length trouncing of a seven-furlong optional claimer, which was followed by a 1 1/2-length score around one turn in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by TwinSpires.com in December.

Locked has been nominated to the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Forego on August 23 at the Spa, but Pletcher said there are no firm plans yet for the chestnut colt.

“He did win a seven-furlong ‘two-other-than’ and the Cigar Mile going one mile, so he has been effective going one turn – we’re just keeping all options open, really,” Pletcher said. “We don’t have anything planned yet.”