When Tawny Port crossed the wire first in Thursday's Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup at Saratoga Race Course, he earned a "Golden Ticket" automatic berth into the two-mile Group 1, AUD $10 million [USD $7.2 million] Lexus Melbourne Cup, "the race that stops a nation" on November 3 at Flemington Racecourse in Australia. Trainer Miguel Clement said it is an intriguing offer and will give the option great consideration as he plans the latter half of the 7-year-old dark bay's campaign.
"We are highly considering it at the moment," Clement said. "We've got plenty of more racing to do domestically, but the international race is definitely on our radar. I'm leaning towards going. I went there once when I was in the Flying Start program and it really is the race that stops a nation. It would be great to run. He handles the distance, he gets the automatic paid berth, and there's more pros than cons. You only live once."
Tawny Port last visited the winner's circle for the 2023 John's Call at the Spa, but placed in nine additional stakes races since. He found the winner's circle again on Thursday after an off-the-pace ride from Flavien Prat, who kept him along the inside in mid-pack before commencing his bid in the turn and kicking clear to the inside of Navy Seal for the 2 1/2-length score in a course-record time of 3:17.75.
Clement said it was satisfying to see the hard-trying son of Pioneerof the Nile finally earn a graded win over the grass after scoring two graded victories on dirt as a sophomore when in the care of trainer Brad Cox.
"He looks very well this morning. Excited, sound, clean-legged," Clement said. "It was incredibly satisfying to see him win because he deserves it. He's been very unlucky many times, and he's run second three times in million-dollar-plus races, so it's great he finally got the job done here. I'm very appreciative of the connections, and it's a great stable feat that we were able to get a 7-year-old to win another graded stake."
Clement added the 12-furlong Grade 1, $750,000 Christophe Clement Turf on August 15 here is, naturally, the next stateside target for Tawny Port. The prestigious turf test, previously named the Sword Dancer, is a "Win and You're In" for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf in October at Keeneland.
On Saturday, Clement stable star Deterministic will seek a repeat victory in the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan on the undercard for the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.
Campaigned by St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable, the 5-year-old Liam's Map dark bay is on a four-race win streak dating to last year's Grade 2 Fort Marcy, which was followed by Saratoga Grade 1 wins in the Manhattan and one-mile Fourstardave in August. He returned from a nine-month layoff to defend his title in the nine-furlong Fort Marcy, run as a Grade 3 this year.
"He's doing very good - he's going to run an 'A' race," Clement said.
On Sunday, Clement closes out his Belmont Stakes Racing Festival stakes action with Amo Racing USA and Resolute Racing's Ridari in the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker. The 4-year-old Churchill colt made his first eight outings in France for conditioner Mikel Delzangles, and was privately purchased in October at the Arqana Saint-Cloud Sale. He won the Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein by a nose in October at Longchamp in his final start before moving stateside.
Last out, Ridari landed an even third in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy, 5 1/2 lengths behind Deterministic. He added blinkers for a half-mile work in 48.48 seconds over the Oklahoma turf training track on May 29, and will wear them for the first time in the afternoon when he exits post 3-of-7 under Jaime Rodriguez on Sunday.
"He's got blinkers on cutting back to a mile, and I thought he worked well on the grass with a pair of blinkers," Clement said. "I'm looking forward to the race. It's a tough race, but welcome to Saratoga. I'm very fortunate the connections have been very patient, and they know he'll be better the more he matures."
Roja to point to Breeders' Cup
Trainer Graham Motion, who finished first and second in Thursday's Grade 2, $250,000 Intercontinental with Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables' Roja and Hit The Bid Racing Stable and CMNWLTH's Italian Soiree, was generally pleased with how his pair exited their efforts.
Setting a torrid pace, Roja stepped up in class with aplomb to go gate-to-wire to the tune of a 5 1/4-length victory to earn a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure. Meanwhile, Italian Soiree navigated through traffic before finishing strongly to pip Shoot It True for the silver medal. Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard the winner, while Dylan Davis guided the latter.
"They both look good, overall, but Italian Soiree did actually get pretty cut up during the race," Graham reported. "She got some cuts down the back of her legs, so I feel like she was actually kind of lucky. She went home [to Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland] today, so that we could get her in the saltwater spa.
"Roja looked well," he continued. "I haven't thought much about what's next, to be honest. I'm not in a hurry to run either one of them back. They both put a lot into their races, and I think Roja kind of thrives on a light schedule. If Irad feels she might be Breeders' Cup-worthy, I feel we need to kind of work our way back from there with one or two races, probably. There's not much of her, at all, and I went light on both of these fillies out of their last races. They only had one work. Roja especially seems to thrive on that."
Motion, who has Laurelin in today's Grade 1 New York, also has the Grade 1/Group 1-winning pair of Test Score and One Stripe ready to roll in Saturday's Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan. While Test Score seems to enjoy stalking and One Stripe one-run closing, both have shown their best when able to find cover and settle - a tactic that may prove vital in what appears a highly strategic renewal.
"They're here and galloped this morning; both doing well and good to go," Motion said. "It probably hurt Test Score last time that he wasn't able to get any cover and was always hung out and never got to get over. That's fair to say.
"One Stripe doesn't want to be rushed," he continued. "The Breeders' Cup was a disaster and that's why we have [South Africa-based jockey] Gavin [Lerena] coming to ride him, because he knows him so well. I think Test Score will be tucked in behind the leaders and I think One Stripe will be farther back."
Brown directs Directive to the G1 CCA Oaks
Trainer Chad Brown confirmed on Friday morning that impressive allowance winner Directive exited her efforts well and will likely keep stepping up the ladder after her second win from three starts.
Traversing the nine furlongs of Thursday afternoon's fourth race with plenty to spare under Flavien Prat, the bay daughter of Gun Runner was always in contention, despite going three-wide into the first turn. Stalking from second, she asserted herself, albeit greenly, at the top of the stretch, ultimately earning a one-length victory over Hall of Famer Mark Casse-trained Measure.
"The CCA Oaks is likely next," Brown confirmed.
Breaking her maiden one race prior gate-to-wire over one-mile at the Big A on April 30, the blue-blooded filly made up for a debut loss over 61/2 furlongs on the same surface 27 days prior. Out of the Brown-trained 2017 Grade 1 Just a Game winner Antonoe, she is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning Segesta, who hopes to emulate their mother on Saturday afternoon in the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game presented by Resolute Racing.
The Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks is slated for July 25 and will be over the same course and distance as Thursday's heat.
West End Kid, Rhetorical Plans
Mo Speed Racing's West End Kid won his third consecutive race with a successful stakes debut in Thursday's Grade 3, $300,000 Pennine Ridge, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for sophomores during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Will Walden, the son of Twirling Candy tracked the pace under regular rider Tyler Gaffalione, taking over rounding the second turn and holding off Blackmail by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:40.94. The performance earned a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure, his fourth straight improvement in as many starts, entering from a pair of wins at the same distance in Kentucky over the past two months.
"He came out of it good. He looked good [jogging] on the road this morning, sound, happy, bounced out of it well," Walden said. "We head back to Kentucky on Sunday, he'll go to WinStar for a few days, get turned out in a round pen paddock to get some sun on his back, he's had a few races grouped together. I'd say probably around Friday he'll ship back to his base at Churchill to resume training with us."
Walden indicated West End Kid could point to the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby at nine furlongs for sophomores on July 4 here or wait for the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby presented by Qatar Racing on August 8.
"We'll just see how the next couple weeks go. See how he breezes and decide if we want to come back in four weeks or wait for the Saratoga Derby," said Walden. "Tyler and I see the ball the same, we think he's just scratching the surface of what he's capable of. If there's an opportunity to get him a Grade 1 versus restricted company of age 3, we'd obviously like to capitalize on that, but our main focus is this horse as a 4-year-old. As much as he's matured from two to three, I think from three to four he'll take a big step forward, so we don't want to oversqueeze the lemon, so to speak."
Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable and Wachtel Stable's New York-bred Rhetorical is the 2-1 morning line favorite in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan, a 1 3/16-mile Mellon turf test for older horses, on Belmont Stakes Day.
The main question is that Rhetorical will be wearing an aluminum pad on his left hind foot after a fungal infection of the hoof last month.
"He's great, that was just one of those ticky-tack things, just annoying in between races, but he's good. He galloped great this morning, galloped great here all week," Walden said. "He's going to school today before the Bed o' Roses, that is a small field so we'll take him over here. Trying to tee up for a big effort tomorrow. It's nothing serious, just an annoying fungal deal, that happens... he's all good, he's a tough horse, he loves his job and we couldn't ask for any better with his weight."
The 5-year-old Not This Time gelding, bred by Mallory and Karen Mort, is a dual Grade 1-winner, including a pacesetting score last out in the Grade 1 Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Jersey Girl winner Goodall
Spendthrift Farm's Goodall emerged from her dominant victory in Thursday's $175,000 Jersey Girl at Saratoga Race Course in good order, confirming what Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and his team have thought of the up-and-coming 3-year-old filly all along.
Rebounding from the first poor effort of her fledgling career, finishing a well-beaten fifth in the Grade 2 Eight Belles on May 1 at Churchill Downs on the undercard of the Kentucky Oaks, Goodall registered a 2 3/4-length decision over stubborn pacesetter Carmel Coast. It was just her fifth start, third win and second in a stakes following the March 14 Purple Martin at Oaklawn Park.
"She ran really well. She ran the way we were expecting her to in her last race, so it was great to see," assistant trainer Darren Fleming said Friday. "There were some nice fillies in that race."
Goodall broke alertly under jockey Flavien Prat and sat off Carmel Coast in the six-furlong Jersey Girl before forging a short lead at the top of the stretch and drawing clear late despite jockey Flavien Prat, aboard in the Eight Belles, losing his whip turning for home.
"I thought Flavien gave her a great ride," Fleming said. "She broke so sharp and he led the other filly ride up on the inside and he just sat right off of her. Then she was there when he called on her."
Among the dirt sprint stakes for 3-year-old fillies during the Saratoga summer meet that begins July 4th weekend are the Grade 3, $225,000 Victory Ride going 6 1/2 furlongs on July 10 and Grade 1, $500,000 Test presented by Ticketmaster at seven furlongs on August 8.
"I don't know what's going to be next for her," Fleming said. "She's going to be a nice filly."
Team Asmussen will be represented by three horses during Saturday's spectacular 14-race program highlighted by the 158th running of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets - Obliteration and Stradale in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs, and Faust in the Grade 3, $400,000 True North for 4-year-olds and up going 6 1/2 furlongs.
William and Corinne Heiligbrodt's 4-year-old Faust was second by a neck in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint on May 16 at Laurel Park as part of the Preakness Stakes program, dueling with Faster Gator and Haileysfirstnotion and unable to hold off a late charge from Bring the Smoke. Faust had won his prior two starts at Oaklawn Park and was making his graded-stakes debut.
"[The last race] was a heartbreaker. The way he fought and fought and fought until the last little bit. He ran so well," Fleming said. "He just kind of came into himself this winter. He had some great runs at Oaklawn and just keeps improving with every race. He seems to be doing great. He settled in nice [and] worked great here."
Leland Ackerley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe and John Cilia's Obliteration returned from a runner-up finish in the Group 3 Saudi Derby on February 14 to score a popular 3 1/2-length triumph in the six-furlong Listed Chick Lang on Preakness Day. It was the fifth win and third in a stakes for the bay son of Violence, including last summer's Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga.
"He ran great last time. He ran very fast and came out of the race good," Fleming said. "[Coming back from the Middle East] you just let them tell you how they're doing, and obviously he was doing pretty good."
Stradale exits a neck loss as the favorite in the six-furlong Bachelor on May 1 at Oaklawn Park. Fleming feels the stretch-out will benefit Stradale, by the Asmussen-trained Yaupon, who won six of eight career starts with three of them coming at Saratoga topped by the 2021 Grade 1 Forego.
"He's coming off a tough beat, too, and he also came up here and settled in nicely," Fleming said. "We expect him to run hard."
Obliteration and Stradale are part of a stacked Woody Stephens field that includes undefeated Crude Velocity and graded-stakes placed Englishman, respectively 1-2 in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on May 2 at Churchill Downs; multiple stakes winners Solitude Dude and Taj Mahal, the latter exiting the Preakness; Grade 1-placed Civil Liberty, a maiden winner last out after finishing second by a neck to Crude Velocity in his prior start; and Dubai Group 3 winner Six Speed, most recently 13th in the Kentucky Derby.
"That's what everybody's talking about. It's a tough, tough race," Fleming said. "I like the distance for Stradale. We already know Obliteration can do it. It should be exciting."
Mi Bago possible for Kelso
Gary Barber's multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Mi Bago earned a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure for a powerful frontrunning score in Wednesday's $200,000 Kingston, a 1 1/16-mile route for New York-breds 3-years-old and up on Day One of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Mark Casse and piloted by Jose Ortiz, the 4-year-old Vekoma bay showed the way through splits of 23.89 seconds, 47.02, and 1:10.76 en route to a 4 1/2-length score over dual Grade 1-winner Spirit of St Louis in a final time of 1:39.69. Mi Bago went the last sixteenth in 5.85 seconds in an impressive performance.
Casse said the one-mile Grade 3, $225,000 Kelso on July 5 here is a possible next target for Mi Bago.
"When he's on his game, he's very good," Casse said. "Jose was very impressed with him, he said he exploded when he asked him - he went the last sixteenth in 5 4/5. That was a pretty tough New York-bred race, too."
Mi Bago, bred by Highclere, won the Listed Algonquin over good turf as a 2-year-old at Woodbine but excelled over firm footing in his sophomore campaign, taking the Listed Pulpit and Listed Colonel Liam at Gulfstream Park to go along with a win in the Dania Beach on synthetic there.
"When he was down at Gulfstream as a 3-year-old and the turf was really hard, he was just unbelievable and then everywhere I would take him and run him we'd get rain," Casse said, noting off-the-board efforts last year in the Grade 3 Transylvania [10th, good], Grade 1 American Turf [4th, good], Grade 3 Penn Mile [4th, yielding] and Grade 1 Franklin Simpson [11th, good].
Casse indicated that Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Harry Colburn's Corruption is in good order Friday morning after a bout of heat stroke and falling on the walk back to the barn following a fifth-place finish in Thursday's two-mile Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup.
"He's fine. He was jumping around this morning," Casse said. "He's trying to take everybody's arm off today."
Casse noted his other runners on Thursday's card all returned in good order.
The dual Hall of Famer will be represented in a pair of $500,0000 Grade 1s over the main track on Friday's card with Counting Stars [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr] in the DraftKings Acorn in Race 10 and Nitrogen [post 5, Jose Ortiz] in the Ogden Phipps presented by Ford in Race 12.
On Saturday, Casse will send out a solid pair in And One More Time [post 5, Javier Castellano] and Classic Q [post 1, John Velazquez] in the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game presented by Resolute Racing, a one-mile inner turf test for older fillies and mares.
"Both of them are doing very well and they both have speed, which is important," Casse said. "I don't think And One More Time has Classic Q speed, though, but speed has done well so far here."
Casse noted that My Boy Prince [post 10, Jose Ortiz], a stalking type, will have to work out a trip in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur. The 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf test for older horses offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in October at Keeneland.
"He's up against it," Casse said. "He's got a tough post, and he'll have to try and rally into a turf course that is not easy to close on. Sometimes when that happens, everyone goes for it [the lead] - so, we can hope. One thing about My Boy Prince is he comes with a big run every time."
Gratefully in good order
Adelphi Racing Club, Shelly Hume and Russell Hume's Gratefully endured a troubled trip as her perfect 5-for-5 record came to an end with an off-the-board effort in Thursday's Grade 2 Intercontinental on Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Robert Falcone, Jr., the 4-year-old Laoban dark bay utilized mostly prominent trips to win her first five starts, including a gate-to-wire score in the restricted Wishing Well in February at Santa Anita Park.
In the Intercontinental, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older fillies and mares, Gratefully stumbled out of post 6 under Hall of Famer John Velazuez but quickly recovered to press the pace of gate-to-wire winner Roja through a half-mile in 43.13 seconds. She understandably tired at the top of the lane and finished ninth.
"Johnny said she stumbled terribly, twice," Falcone, Jr. said. "She lost her front end and her shoulder and then lost her hind end. After that, she wanted to rush up there and she never relaxed. He said she held her breath the whole race.
"I'm amazed she didn't grab a quarter, it was such a bad stumble and then she stumbled again right after that," he added.
Falcone, Jr. said that Gratefully was in good order on Friday morning.
"She's sound and there's nothing physical wrong. She ate up all her feed last night and is bright eyed this morning," Falcone, Jr. said. "We'll give her a handful of days and then train on."
Falcone, Jr. hasn't picked out a target yet for Gratefully. The next local spot would be the Grade 2, $250,000 Caress at 5 1/2-furlongs for older fillies and mares on July 11.
"We'll see when she gets back to training," Falcone, Jr. said. "We'll keep moving forward and hope for better luck next time out of the gate."
The $155,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, out of the dual graded stakes-winning More than Ready mare Selflessly, has banked $218,875 via a 6-5-0-0 ledger.
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