UPI Horse Racing Roundup – September 1, 2014
September 1st, 2014By ROBERT KIECKHEFER
UPI Racing Writer
Two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan holding off Optimizer in Saturday’s Bernard Baruch (G2) at SaratogaNYRA Photo
Wise Dan shrugged off colic surgery, a long layoff, some gate trouble and a lot of weight to highlight weekend racing with a dramatic victory at Saratoga.
Meanwhile, Itsmyluckyday hit a new career high mark and a couple youngsters opened some eyes with impressive wins. Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. had a good weekend, winning the Woodward and both juvenile races at Monmouth Park.
Despite his narrow loss in Saturday’s Woodward, Moreno’s trainer says he’ll win the Breeders’ Cup Classic by 5 lengths.
And keep an eye on Atreides, a 3-year-old who, until now, has been flying — really flying — under the radar at Gulfstream Park.
As the winners tell the losers at the poker table, read ’em and weep:
Turf Mile
Saturday’s $250,000, Grade II Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga was one of the most highly anticipated races of the year as the comeback race from colic surgery for Wise Dan, the two-time and reigning Horse of the Year. The 7-year-old gelding raised concern even higher by acting up in the gate, forcing the starters to back him out before the break. He was conceding between 8 and 11 pounds to his rivals. And once on his way, it was clear jockey John Velazquez was at least as concerned about protecting Wise Dan as he was about getting him home first. Still, the champ overcame it all, worked his way to the front in the stretch and gallantly held off a bold late move by Optimizer, another comebacker, to win by a nose. Five Iron made the early going and held on well to finish third, just another 1 1/4 lengths back. Wise Dan got the 1 1/16 miles on firm going in 1:39.08, not far off the course record of 1:38.91 — a mark set in 1991 by Fourstardave.
“We wanted a good race for him to get started with,” said a relieved trainer Charlier LoPresti. “He’s been through a lot. I knew he was training good and I knew he was going to run good. I wouldn’t have been disappointed if he was beat today. It would have been something to build on. He showed today why he is the two-time Horse of the Year.”
On Sunday morning, LoPresti said Wise Dan seemed a little tired but otherwise fine. He will head to Kentucky and a date in the Grade I Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 4 as a final tuneup for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, where he has won two straight runnings of the Mile. Optimizer, previously trained by D. Wayne Lukas, was running for the first time for Jose Fernandez and making his first start since a dismal showing in the Grade II Elkhorn at Keeneland in April.
“I think he’s coming back to form,” Fernandez said. “I just took care of him. That’s all. I don’t know what other people do. I just know what I do.”
Classic
Avanzare made all the early going — albeit slowly — in Saturday’s $150,000, Grade III Washington Park Handicap at Arlington Park and then gamely hung on to win by a head over Hattaash and another neck over the favorite, Mr. Marti Gras. Fordubai, Gimmeadrink and Only In America completed the order of finish. Avanzare, with Chris Emigh in the irons, ran 1 1/8 miles on the all-weather track in 1:52.76. The 4-year-old Grand Reward gelding was coming off a fourth-place finish in the Grade III Arlington Handicap, a 1 1/4-miles grass event which was his first stakes start. Saturday’s race was his first on anything other than the greensward. Emigh notched his 3,000th career win aboard a horse who earlier in the year gave trainer Tom Proctor his 1,000th training victory.
Emigh said he feared Gimmeadrink would provide more pace pressure “and that would have scared me, if we hooked up and killed each other. I got the jump on him into the turn and slowed it down. Everything turned out perfect. We barely hung on and I’m very happy.” Of his milestone win, Emigh added, “A few days ago I said I hope I win it in the big race. That’ll make it even more spectacular. But it took 25 years to get here and it took a lot of hard riding and a lot of broken bones and surgeries. My favorite memories are riding at Arlington Park.”
Turf
Midnight Storm led all the way to a 3 1/4-lengths upset win in Sunday’s $300,000, Grade II Del Mar Derby. Sent off at odds of 17-1, the Pioneerof the Nile colt bested fellow long shot Sawyer’s Hill with French import Talco just a head back in third in his first U.S. start. The favorite, Enterprising, showed a little interest in the lane but finished sixth, beaten about 1 length for third. Midnight Storm, with Tyler Baze up, ran 9 furlongs on firm turf in 1:47.47. The colt took four tries to break his maiden but now has two straight wins at Del Mar.
“I was very confident because I’ve never had a horse train for a race like this before,” said winning trainer Phil D’Amato.
Filly & Mare Turf
Irish Mission caught pacesetting Viva Rafaela in the final 50 yards to win Sunday’s $150,000, Grade III Glens Falls Stakes for fillies and mares by 1/2 length. It was another neck back to Caroline Thomas in third. Irish Mission, a 5-year-old Giant’s Causeway mare, ran 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in 2:15.01 with John Velazquez piloting. Irish Mission had posted two straight runner-up finishes before Sunday’s win — in the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational in June and the Grade III Matchmaker at Monmouth.
“I think she can do even better than that,” said winning trainer Christophe Clement. He said he will aim for one of three major Breeders’ Cup prep races at Belmont, Woodbine or Santa Anita.
Sprint
Palace stalked the pace into the stretch in Saturday’s $500,000, Grade I Forego Stakes at Saratoga, then kicked away to a handy 3 1/2-lengths win. Big Business was a long shot second and Vyjack took third. The odds-on favorite, Clearly Now, had an off day, finishing next-last of nine. Palace, a 5-year-old son of City Zip, ran 7 furlongs on a fast track in 1:21.95 under Cornelio Velazquez. Since October of last year, he has posted six wins, three seconds and a fourth from 13 starts while moving up from optional claimers to the Group 1 level.
Trainer Linda Rice said Palace is “talented” but added, “when he is good I need to use him because on several occasions I’ve needed to stop on him, turn him out, and give him a break. When a horse is doing as well as he is, I don’t know how long I can keep him that good.”
She said she will try to keep him good enough to try the Grade I Vosburgh at Belmont, which is a traditional prep for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Jockey Jose Lezcano said Clearly Now “never got involved in the race. I don’t know what was going on, that’s all I can say.”
Filly & Mare Sprint
Stonetastic led from the start in Satuday’s $300,000, Grade II Prioress Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga and left her seven rivals well in her wake through the stretch, winning by 8 1/2 lengths and missing the track record by just 0.88 second. The favorite, Miss Behaviour, finished second, just a neck in front of Southern Honey. Tea Time was fourth. Stonetastic is a gray Mizzen Mast filly. She was rested from January until late in July, when she rewarded trainer Kelly Breen with a 6 3/4-lengths victory in an optional claimer at Monmouth Park. Miss Behaviour was coming off a good second to Sweet Reason in the Grade I Test Stakes over the Spa strip.
“She was running fine (before the layoff) but she was very immature,” said Terri Burch, racing manager for Stonetastic’s owner, Stoneway Farm. “We sent her home to grow up. She raced really hard for us in the fall, but she didn’t grow. And then we put her back in training, she had a giant growth spurt, so we had to wait and go slow on her and wait for her to come around.”
Burch said the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint now is in the picture for Stonetastic.
Dirt Mile
Jojo Warrior went straight to the lead in Sunday’s $100,000, Grade III Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and went on to win by 3/4 length over Tiz Kissable. Thegirlinthatsong finished third, just 1/2 length farther back. Jojo Warrior, a Pioneerof the Nile filly, ran 1 mile on the all-weather track in 1:37.10 with Martin Garcia in the irons.
Two races earlier, older distaffers tackled the same distance in the $120,000 Tranquility Lake Stakes with Broken Sword dominating. After opening up a commanding lead, the 4-year-old Broken Vow filly coasted home first by 5 1/4 lengths, trailed by Oscar Party and Scooter Bird. With Rafael Bejarano up, Broken Sword finished in 1:36.18.
2-year-olds
Souper Colossal is starting to look like the real thing after a commanding win in Sunday’s $100,000 Sapling Stakes at Monmouth Park. With Paco Lopez riding, the War Front colt dictated the pace, then accelerated smoothly into the stretch and went on to win by 5 1/2 lengths. Wild Zambezi finished second and Pride of Stride was third. Souper Colossal ran 1 mile on a fast track in 1:38.44. He now is three-for-three with all the starts coming at Monmouth.
“We knew this horse would run well today,” said trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. “That was exactly what we were hoping for and he certainly showed up today. We’ll talk it over with the owner and see where we’ll go from here, but he sure showed that he’s a classy horse with a bright future.”
El Kabeir, wheeling back from a third-place debut effort just two weeks ago, blasted away to a 10 3/4-lengths eye-opener in a rich maiden special weight event early on Saturday’s Saratoga card. The Scat Daddy colt, out of an Unbridled’s Song mare, is trained by John Terranova for Zyatt Stables.
“He made me enter him. The horse did it,” said Terranova, referring to the way El Kabeir was training. He said he will look at the $500,000, Grade I Champagne at Belmont on Oct. 4 and “some other races. “I’m a New Yorker,” the trainer said, “If I can stay in New York, I’ll stay home.”
Waha Wild rallied from far back in Saturday’s $100,000 Evangeline Downs Star to catch the front-running pair and win by 3/4 length. The favorite, Gotta Get Paid, held second, a neck in front of Temple of Glass and another nose better than Four Leaf Chief. Waha Wild, an Oklahoma-bred gelding by Offlee Wild, ran 6 furlongs on a sloppy, sealed track in 1:12.79 under Coby Bourque.
2-year-old fillies
Condo Commando was in command all the way in Sunday’s $350,000, Grade I Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga, overcoming a tangled start to draw off at the end to a 13 1/4-lengths victory. By the Moon was second, 6 lengths ahead of the favorite, Angela Renee. Condo Commando, a Tiz Wonderful filly, finished 7 furlongs on a sloppy, sealed track in 1:24.68 with Joe Bravo up. She now is two-for-two after having won at first asking earlier in the Saratoga meeting by 12 lengths.
“When I saw the slop, I thought we were in trouble from the No. 1 hole, and she didn’t break good,” said winning trainer Rudy Rodriguez. “She did it easy, though. She wasn’t 100 percent fit for her debut, but she was much better today. I just hope she comes back good. She’s a nice filly.”
Chalk up Sunset Glow as the cream of this crop out west. The Exchange Rate filly, out of a Dynaformer mare, battled for the final furlong with Her Emmynency in Saturday’s $300,000, Grade I Del Mar Debutante before prevailing by a neck. Conquest Eclipse made a late move to take third. Sunset Glow, with Victor Espinoza up, ran 7 furlongs on the all-weather track in 1:23.12. She now has three wins and two seconds from five starts. One of those seconds came in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot in England, which in retrospect looks like a substantial race. The only question mark on her resume is that she has yet to compete on a dirt track.
Concealedwithakiss led from the first jumps in Sunday’s $100,000 Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park and wasn’t caught, winning by 2 lengths over the favorite, Coco’s Wildcat. Comforter was a neck farther back in third. Concealedwithakiss, a Political Force filly, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.41 under Angel Serpa. She now has two wins from as many starts after taking her career opener, also at Monmouth, by 11 1/4 lengths.
“I know there was a lot of other speed in the race,” Serpa said. “But my filly showed me so much last time. She showed so much speed going 5 furlongs and today going 6 I knew as long as she broke well I’d let her run. She’s a really good filly, really fast.”
Forest Lake dueled her way to the lead in Saturday’s $100,000 Evangeline Downs Starlett and scooted clear in the lane to post a 32-1 upset win. Golden Barbara finished 2 lengths in arrears in second, a neck in front of Lady Emily Sage. The favorite, Joy of the Saints, will need the confessional after finishing a sinful seventh. Forest Lake, a Forestry filly, ran 6 sloppy furlongs in 1:12.54 with Hector Santiago up.
Elsewhere:
Gulfstream Park
Atreides did a Secretariat impression in Saturday’s $90,000 Monarchos Stakes for 3-year-olds, kicking clear to win by 17 1/2 lengths, well in hand. General Sham’mah was the best of the rest, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Tiz Marvelous. Atreides, a Medaglia d’Oro colt out of the Wild Rush mare Dream Rush, ran 1 miles on a fast track in 1:36.47 with Edgard Zayas up and remains undefeated and unchallenged in three starts. The colt won his first start on July 12 by 5 1/4 lengths in a hand ride. A month later, he won by 3 lengths, going away.
“It’s fun,” said trainer Marty Wolfson. “I’ve never had a 3-year-old this good.”
He said he will consult with the owners, Stonestreet Stables, before deciding how to proceed.
Del Mar
Blue Tone had to fight for the lead in Saturday’s $90,000 Harry F. Brubaker Stakes, finally edged clear in mid-stretch and then held off a second effort by Big Bane Theory to score by a head. Calm Pacific came from last to finish third and the enigmatic Drill disappointed again, finishing fifth after a bad start. Blue Tone, a 5-year-old Birdstone gelding, ran 1 mile on the all-weather track in 1:36.03 with Kent Desormeaux up.
Red Outlaw set a reasonable pace in Friday’s $100,000 El Cajon Stakes for 3-year-olds and extended the advantage down the stretch to win by 3 3/4 lengths. Toowindytohaulrox rallied from last of seven to finish second, 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Conquest Two Step. Red Outlaw, a Tribal Rule gelding, ran 1 mile on the all-weather course in 1:36.38 for Edwin Maldonado.
Saratoga
Miss Frost had a chilling effect, indeed, on seven rivals in Friday’s $100,000 Riskaverse Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, leading all the way to a 4 3/4-lengths victory. Fashion Fund was best of the rest with Granny Mc’s Kitten third as the favorite. Miss Frost, a Curlin filly, negotiated 1 mile of firm turf in 1:34.58 with Edgar Prado riding.
News and notes
Adios, job well done and you’ll be missed to Tom Durkin, who hung up his binoculars and microphone as NYRA’s racecaller after Sunday’s Grade I Spinaway. Durkin provided too many highlights for any reel and deserves a happy and leisurely retirement. Here’s betting, though, it won’t be long before some smart broadcasting team taps him as an expert analyst for the big races.
Frank Gabriel is headed back to Dubai. The highly respected racing official returned to New York this spring to serve as racing secretary for NYRA after nine years as CEO of the Dubai Racing Club. NYRA Friday announced Dan Eidson, who worked with Gabriel during his brief tenure, will take over as interim racing secretary.
“We are grateful for all of his expertise and contributions during our highly successful meets at Belmont Park and Saratoga this spring and summer, and wish him well in Dubai,” said Martin Panza, NYRA senior vice president of racing operations.
Gabriel told Daily Racing Form he and his wife, Christine, “enjoyed and missed the wonderful environment and relationships I had at Meydan and the Dubai Racing Club,” Gabriel said. “I look forward to returning to Meydan. Even though I briefly departed, the passion and energy of rejoining that team is stronger than ever.”
