Monday, August 06 2012

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES: Sunday, August 5, 2012

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Ian Wilkes reported Sunday morning that Fort Larned was a tired but happy horse the day after his breakthrough victory in the Grade 1 Whitney Invitational Handicap.

“He ran hard; he’s a little tired,” said Wilkes of Fort Larned, who in the Whitney earned a career-high 110 Beyer Speed Figure, the second-best Beyer for older males at more than a mile on dirt this year. “But he’s happy, although not as happy as I am. Really, I was expecting that kind of performance from him. I believe in him. He’s a very good horse. He ran the same type of race in the Cornhusker. In that race, he beat Successful Dan; yesterday, there were more good horses.”

NEW YORK WATCH: PALACE MALICE

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Palace Malice became the first North American winner sired by multiple Horse of the Year Curlin with a dominant 3-½ length maiden score Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. The Dogwood Stable color-bearer will now be pointed for the Grade 2, $300,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful on Monday, September 3.

Sent out by Saratoga leading trainer Todd Pletcher, Palace Malice was making his second career start. In his debut on July 5 at Belmont Park going five furlongs, the bay colt had a rough trip and raced greenly through the stretch, placing second to the promising Carried Interest by a half length, with 6 ¾ lengths separating him and the third-place finisher.

Sunday, August 05 2012

FORT LARNED HOLDS OFF RON THE GREEK TO CAPTURE WHITNEY

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fort Larned captured his first Grade 1 race on Saturday and earned a trip to the Breeders’ Cup Classic as he held on for a 1 ¼-length victory over favored Ron the Greek in the $750,000 Whitney Invitational Handicap at Saratoga Race Course.

Under jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., who also won his first Grade 1, Fort Larned left from the far outside and immediately positioned himself in third as Endorsement led the field of nine older horses through an opening quarter-mile in 23.42 seconds, with the half going in 46.97. Moving up three wide on the turn, Fort Larned poked a head in front approaching the quarter pole and quickly spurted clear, opening up by four lengths at the top of the stretch, more than enough to fend off the late challenges from Ron the Greek, Flat Out and Hymn Book.

NEW YORK WATCH: FORTIFY

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It was only a matter of minutes after Fortify had broken his maiden on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course that his trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, stamped him as a contender for the Grade 2, $300,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful, the featured race on closing day.

Making his debut in Saturday’s third race, Fortify led exiting the chute in the 6 ½-furlong race before yielding the top spot to Boss Man Rocket. Fortify remained off the flank of the pacesetter through an opening quarter mile in 21.73 seconds, regained the top spot with three eighths to travel, led through a half in 44.43, and slipped clear when set down by Joe Bravo en route to a 5 ½-length victory.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES: Saturday, August 4, 2012

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Unbeaten champion My Miss Aurelia, who began her career with a pair of victories at Saratoga Race Course, makes her 2012 debut in Wednesday’s $100,000 Mandy’s Gold overnight stakes for 3-year-old fillies going 6 ½ furlongs.

Unraced since wrapping up the 2-year-old filly title with a front-running, three-length victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November, My Miss Aurelia missed the early part of 2012 with a minor shin injury and returned to the worktab in May. Most recently, the Smart Strike filly breezed six furlongs in 1:13.03 on July 29 over the Oklahoma training track.

Saturday, August 04 2012

C C’s PAL STRIKES LATE TO WIN HONORABLE MISS

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In the first 13 days of the Saratoga Race Course meet, no horse has run an opening quarter-mile as fast as It’s Me Mom, who left the crowd gasping Friday when the first call of the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap was posted in 21.14 seconds.

Yet the first half of one of Murphy’s Laws states, “The race is not always to the swiftest,” and Eric Fein’s C C’s Pal surged past It’s Me Mom and the other exhausted front-runners in the stretch to win the 21st running of the six-furlong sprint stakes race for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES: Friday, August 3, 2012

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With his eye on the Grade 1, $500,000 Foxwoods King’s Bishop on August 25, three-time graded stakes winner Trinniberg had his first breeze at Saratoga Race Course on Friday, traveling four furlongs on the Oklahoma training track in 49.41 seconds with jockey Willie Martinez aboard.

“His regular rider was aboard him, and we told him we didn’t want anything faster than 49,” said owner Shivananda Parbhoo. “He went in 49.41, which is perfect. [Martinez] didn’t move a muscle. He came back happy and went straight to his feed.”

Friday, August 03 2012

SHACKLEFORD CUTS BACK TO SIX FURLONGS FOR G1 VANDERBILT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Of the 11 horses that have won Triple Crown races since 2009, only three remain in training, and just one – the powerhouse called Shackleford – ranks among the elite performers in the sport.

The winner of the Grade 1, 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes last year over Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, Shackleford has transformed his game this year – from speedball that runs his heart out in route races to fearsome sprint and middle-distance star.

SHACKLEFORD CUTS BACK TO SIX FURLONGS FOR G1 VANDERBILT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Of the 11 horses that have won Triple Crown races since 2009, only three remain in training, and just one – the powerhouse called Shackleford – ranks among the elite performers in the sport.

The winner of the Grade 1, 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes last year over Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, Shackleford has transformed his game this year – from speedball that runs his heart out in route races to fearsome sprint and middle-distance star.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES: Thursday, August 3, 2012

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Shackleford arrived at Saratoga Race Course on Thursday morning the picture of vitality, strapping and happy and the center of attention at the barn of trainer Dale Romans.

Almost immediately after entering his stall following a four-hour trip from Kentucky, the 2011 Preakness winner had a short roll on his back and then set to rearranging his stall bed and angling for treats.

Thursday, August 02 2012

GRADE 1 WHITNEY HANDICAP COULD BRING CLARITY TO OLDER MALE DIVISION

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Nine of the top older horses in the country will convene Saturday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course for the 85th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Invitational Handicap, a race which could have far-reaching implications in the division.

In the past 10 years, four Champion Older Males have boasted the Whitney on their resumes, most recently Blame in 2010. Lawyer Ron (2007), Horse of the Year Invasor (2006) and Left Bank (2002) also won the 1 1/8-mile race, and with no older dirt horse yet having seized control on the East Coast, Saturday’s edition could go a long way in sorting out the division.\\

NEW YORK WATCH: TOP TIER LASS

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Todd Pletcher, who has won the Saratoga training title eight times, would be the first to tell you that much of his success at the Spa depends on the performance of his 2-year-olds.

So far in 2012, things are looking pretty good for Pletcher. By day 10, five of his six winners were juveniles, including Top Tier Lass, who romped home by seven lengths at first asking on the grass on July 30. Under John Velazquez, the daughter of dual Grade 1 winner Street Boss was away well at the start, contested the early pace while running in the four path, surged past the three in front of her when asked on the turn and extended her advantage through the stretch under a hand ride.