Saratoga Race Course Week #6 Discussion.....

Play2win

Play2win

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Fields are taking shape for the six graded stakes, five of them Grade 1 events, that support the Grade 1 Travers on August 29.

The Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer for 3-year-olds and up going 1 ½ miles on turf will have a European flair, with Flintshire, Guardini and Messi all pointing to the race. A winner of more than $5 million lifetime, multiple Group 1 winner Flintshire has run once previously in North America, finishing second to Main Sequence in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Turf. A Group 2 winner in Germany and Group 3 winner in France, Guardini will be making his U.S. debut for trainer Paul Harley, while German stakes winner Messi is 2-for-2 in the U.S. including an optional claiming allowance score at Saratoga August 6. Fixador, a two-time Brazilian Group 1 winner, Grade 1 winners Imagining and Twilight Eclipse and multiple graded winners Red Rifle and War Dancer are also expected.

Ron Winchell homebred Untapable, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2014, returns to Saratoga in the Grade 1, $750,000 Personal Ensign for females 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles. Second in the Grade 3 Shuvee Handicap August 2, she will face Shuvee winnerStopchargingmaria and Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Got Lucky, along with Grade 1 Delaware Oaks winner Sheer Drama and Grade 2 winner Tiz Windy. America, Call Pat, House Rules, Kiss to Remember and Yahilwa are possible.

Already a Grade 1 winner at Aqueduct and Belmont Park, Good Friends Stable's Private Zonehopes to add Saratoga to the list in the Grade 1, $700,000 Priority One Jets Forego for sprinters 3 and up at seven furlongs, a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" challenge race in the Sprint division. The 6-year-old gelding posted his seventh consecutive triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure winning the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint July 4. Among the competition will be fellow Grade 1 winner The Big Beast and multiple graded/group stakes winners Race Day,Salutos Amigos, Wildcat Red and Tamarkuz, along with Bourbon Courage, Viva Majorca and possibly Falling Sky.

Grade 2 Amsterdam hero Holy Boss takes a four-race win streak into the Grade 1, $500,000 King's Bishop for 3-year-old sprinters at seven furlongs. Holy Boss ran a career-high 102 Beyer in the 6 ½-furlong Amsterdam August 1, his graded stakes debut. Set to challenge areCompetitive Edge, winner of the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga last summer; multiple graded stakes winner March; Grade 3 winner Grand Bili; Ohio Derby winner Mr. Z; Classy Class,Commute, Limousine Liberal, Loose on the Town and Runhappy. Far Right is possible.

Undefeated in four starts at seven furlongs, Bobby Flay's Dame Dorothy looks to keep her perfect record intact in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina for females 3 and up, a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" challenge race in the Filly & Mare Sprint division. Fifth in last year's Ballerina, La Verdad enters this year's edition having won four straight races, most recently the Grade 2 Honorable Miss July 29. Graded stakes winners Merry Meadow, Sarah Sis andStreet Story, multiple Grade 1-placed Unbridled Forever and Room for Me are also expected.Classic Point, Kiss to Remember and Leigh Court are possible.

Grade 1 winner Coffee Clique and Dacita, a multiple Group 1 winner in her native Chile making her North American debut for trainer Chad Brown, headline the Grade 2, $400,000 Ketel One Ballston Spa for females 3 and up going 1 1/16 miles on the grass. Tepin, who had her three-race win streak snapped when second by a nose in the Grade 1 Diana July 25, will contend along with graded winners My Miss Sophia and Solid Appeal, De La Rose winner Recepta and New Providence, an English Group 3 winner also in her U.S. debut
 
Returning to Saratoga for the third straight summer, Harold Queen's homebred Sheer Dramawill be facing her most challenging assignment yet in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Personal Ensign.

The 5-year-old mare arrived mid-morning on August 22 following a 23-hour van ride from Gulfstream Park, where she is based with trainer David Fawkes. His daughter, Natalie, who exercises some of his horses, also made the trip.

"We stop for fuel for the horse, fuel for the people, fuel for the truck and carry on," Fawkes said. "The ship was excellent; no problems at all. She's loose in the trailer so she can walk around. She sticks her head out the back and watches the cars go by. It's really pretty uneventful."

Sheer Drama broke her maiden at Saratoga on August 19, 2013 for previous trainer Tony Dutrow, then was runner-up in a second-level allowance last August in her first start for Fawkes. Both races were at the Personal Ensign distance of 1 1/8 miles.

A Florida-bred daughter of multiple graded stakes winner Burning Roma, Sheer Drama is in the best form of her life, with two wins and four seconds in six starts this year. Most recently, she shipped to Delaware Park for a two-length victory in the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap.

"It was very important to Mr. Queen as far as breeding goes, but for her career, too," Fawkes said. "For me, it was a big step forward. She ran a 4 ½ on the sheets, and she had been running sevens. We were very happy with the race."

Just as important, Fawkes said, was exposing Sheer Drama to the travel and giving her a sense of the big-race atmosphere she hadn't previously encountered.

"It wasn't as busy as it's going to be here, but she got in a busy environment and you learn a little bit about them and see how they react and what you need to do, if you need to make any changes. She did everything right," he said. "She got to ship, it was busy, it was a long walk; a lot of similarities to what shes' going to have to deal with here. She handled it all really well."

Fawkes will school Sheer Drama in the paddock this week for the Personal Ensign, which is also expected to attract Untapable, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2014;Stopchargingmaria, who swept the Grade 1 CCA Oaks and Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga last summer; Grade 2 winner Tiz Windy, multiple stakes winner Got Lucky and possibly America,Call Pat, House Rules, Kiss to Remember and Yahilwa.

"I think she fits in the race really well," Fawkes said.
 
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert andAmerican Pharoah were both in high spirits Monday morning, one day after the Triple Crown champion punched his ticket to Saturday's Grade 1, $1.6 million Travers with a sharp seven-furlong work.

Baffert said the Triple Crown champion was doing well and showing good energy this morning after breezing in 1:23.20 over Del Mar's main track Sunday.

"He looks great today," Baffert said by cell phone from California. "He was happy and he came out of it really well. He got new shoes today. He's got his new Nikes on, so he's ready."

American Pharoah is scheduled to arrive at Saratoga on Wednesday. Post positions for the 146th Travers will be drawn Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Druthers Brewing Company on Broadway.

"We're getting real excited about it. It's going to be fun," Baffert said. "He's doing well, and we just loved the way he worked. It's pretty amazing the way he's just held his form, and he looks great."

American Pharoah will be the fourth of 12 Triple Crown winners to run in the Travers. Gallant Fox was second in 1930, Whirlaway won in 1941 and Affirmed finished first in 1978 but was disqualified to second beyond his arch-rival, Alydar.

No horse has been able to rival American Pharoah dating back to last fall, when he broke his maiden winning the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity by 4 ¾ lengths. He has won eight consecutive races including a sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, and followed with a geared-down 2 ¼-length triumph in the Grade 1 Haskell August 2, where he posted a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 109.

Baffert has one Travers victory to his credit, with Point Given in 2001. Despite training 11 horses to 15 year-end championships, earning three Eclipse Awards as top trainer, and winning 12 Triple Crown races - four in the Derby, six in the Preakness and two in the Belmont - he continues to be amazed by his latest, and greatest, star.

"It's been very exciting for all of us," he said. "He's brought the Zayat family and us to just a different level. I never thought I'd get to this level of racing. You're always hoping. I was always hoping for a horse like this in a lifetime, so I'm just very fortunate that he came along, and we have him."

* * *

Late Monday morning, trainer John Terranova looked out at the row of several tall oak trees that split the courtyard in front of his barn, enjoying the serenity.

It won't be that way for long.

Triple Crown champion American Pharoah is expected to arrive at Saratoga Race Course Wednesday for Saturday's Grade 1 Travers following a cross-country flight from California. As he did before making history in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, he will take up residence with Terranova.

"We're ready," Terranova said. "We're thrilled he's coming. It's going to be a lot of fun and, hopefully, everything goes well, he ships in healthy and safe and we get another chance at seeing the super horse around us."

Assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes will travel with American Pharoah, later to be joined by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and owner Ahmed Zayat. Baffert has traditionally stabled his horses with Terranova when they race in New York.

"They're going to come in and fluff things up a bit and kind of secure different spots around the barn, just for everybody's safety, horses and people," Terranova said. "Hopefully, it'll all go smooth. He's a very intelligent horse; we've seen that already from him. It'll be fun. It's special for us just to be around a horse like that.

"We've seen a lot of good ones and Bob's had a lot of good ones that we've been real close to, but never got to see something like this," he said. "A horse like him, what he's accomplished and just his whole nature and everything about him, it's pretty unique."

Baffert has praised Terranova and his wife, Tonja, for their hospitality and help in the days leading up to his history-making run in the Belmont. Terranova first met Baffert when he moved to California to train in 1991. He has housed Baffert's horses, and vice versa, since moving back to New York two years later.

"He's got a great group of people around him; they're fantastic. They've got him ready on their end, and we'll do our part of help out," Terranova said. "Whatever we need to do to make things go as smooth as they can be here, we'll do. We'll get to see him and enjoy him again and, hopefully, he gets it done. It'd be amazing. It looks like he's ready."

* * *

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will be aboard Arnold Zetcher's Curlin Stakes winnerSmart Transition in the Grade 1 Travers, trainer John Shirreffs said Monday morning.

Velazquez, 43, replaces Junior Alvarado on the 3-year-old Smart Strike colt. Alvarado has breezed Smart Transition in each of his four works at Saratoga this summer and been up in the past three starts, including the Curlin.

"We're glad to have Johnny. I think it's great," Shirreffs said. "Johnny's a fabulous rider, a Hall of Fame rider, so we're very happy."

Velazquez has one victory from 14 Travers mounts, with Flower Alley in 2005. Third in the Saratoga rider standings with 31 wins entering Monday, he is Smart Transition's fourth rider in seven starts.

"Like in the last race, we're just looking to have a nice trip," Shirreffs said. "If he can find a place where the horse gets a good trip, I think we're in good shape."

Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito has secured the services of jockey Jose Ortiz for Mossarosa's Grade 2-placed Frammento in the Travers. In his only other Travers mount, the 21-year-old Ortiz was second by a nose to Will Take Charge with Moreno in 2013.

Ortiz ranked fourth with 23 wins at the current stand, 20 behind his older brother and meet leader, Irad Ortiz Jr.

"He's an energetic young rider, a terrific young rider, and we like him," Zito said. "We've had so much success with him. I think he's an up-and-coming rider that makes a good impression on me."

Two-time Travers-winning trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday that multiple Grade 2 winner Madefromlucky would bypass the Travers rather than face Triple Crown champion American Pharoah and instead point to the Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby September 19 at Parx.

"I don't think it's any secret that the Pennsylvania Derby is going to be an easier race," Pletcher said. "He's the kind of horse that will probably benefit from a lively pace, and I'm not sure the Travers is going to be a real hot pace."
 
Arnold Zetcher's Smart Transition put in his final breeze for Saturday's Grade 1 Travers, flying through five furlongs in 58.55 seconds on the main track, the fastest of 42 horses.

"He worked really well," trainer John Shirreffs said. "We were hoping he'd work a little bit between a minute and 1:01, somewhere around there. He went a little faster than expected, but that's all right. He's been training well right along."

As he has been for each of four Saratoga works, as well as Smart Transition's last three races, jockey Junior Alvarado was aboard for the breeze. Shirreffs is still waiting to confirm a rider for the Travers.

The 146th Travers will have its purse boosted from $1.25 million to $1.6 million if Triple Crown champion American Pharoah runs. The connections for American Pharoah announced following his work Sunday morning at Del Mar that he is scheduled to make his next start in the Travers, if all goes well over the next few days.

"If American Pharoah [runs], we're going to have to step up quite a bit," Shirreffs said. "I think it's good. It's good for racing. We're feeling good about being in the Travers."

Unraced at 2, Smart Transition picked up his first stakes victory July 21 at Saratoga in the 1 1/8-mile Curlin, rolling by 4 ¾ lengths. His only other win was a maiden triumph in April at Santa Anita, where he beat older horses.

"You never know exactly where a horse is going to go, but he's been a horse that's been very impressive since his 2-year-old year," Shirreffs said. "He stood out among the 2-year-olds that we had. In some of his races he was very unfortunate; he didn't get the ride or the trip he needed. In the Curlin, he got the perfect trip. It couldn't have gone any better for him and he showed what he was capable of. If we get another good trip, I think he should run very well."
 
[h=4]This list updated as of 08/24/15![/h][TABLE="class: dxgvTable, width: 1"]
<tbody style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">[TR="bgcolor: #000000"]
[TH]“HORSES”[/TH]
[TH]“TRAINERS”[/TH]
[TH]“LAST RACE” AND “REPLAY”[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dxgvDataRow"]
[TD="class: dxgv"]American Pharoah[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]B. Baffert[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]GI Haskell – 1st[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dxgvDataRow"]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Frosted[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Kiaran P. McLaughlin[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]GII Jim Dandy – 2nd[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dxgvDataRow"]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Japan/ out with injury[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]William I. Mott[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]GII Jim Dandy – 3rd[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dxgvDataRow"]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Keen Ice[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Dale L. Romans[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]GI Haskell – 2nd[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dxgvDataRow"]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Madefromlucky/OUT[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Todd A. Pletcher[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]GII WestVirginia Derby – 1st[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dxgvDataRow"]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Smart Transition[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]John A. Shirreffs[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Curlin Stakes – 1st[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dxgvDataRow"]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Tale Of Verve[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Dallas Stewart[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]GII WestVirginia Derby – 6th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dxgvDataRow"]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Texas Red[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]J. Keith Desormeaux[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]GII Jim Dandy – 1st[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: dxgvDataRow"]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Upstart[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]Richard A. Violette, Jr.[/TD]
[TD="class: dxgv"]GI Haskell – 3rd[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
 
Replay of Beholder in Pacific Classic for those that missed it


[video=youtube_share;GuVqRmUtZEE]https://youtu.be/GuVqRmUtZEE[/video]
 
[h=3]LEADERBOARD[/h]
[h=4]Jockeys[/h]

  • irad-ortiz-icon-2.png

    [*=right]1. Ortiz, Jr.46

    [*=right]2. Castellano37
    [*=right]3. Velazquez33
    [*=right]4. Ortiz24


View All[h=4]Trainers[/h]



View All
[h=4]Owners[/h][TABLE="class: blandTable, width: 225"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TH]Stable Name[/TH]
[TH="align: center"]Wins[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: row, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]
[TD]Michael Dubb[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]8[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alternate, bgcolor: #ECE9E1"]
[TD]Klaravich Stables[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: row, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]
[TD]Patricia A. Generazio[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alternate, bgcolor: #ECE9E1"]
[TD]Godolphin Stable[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: row, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]
[TD]Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alternate, bgcolor: #ECE9E1"]
[TD]Matthew Schera[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: row, bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]
[TD]David Jacobson[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alternate, bgcolor: #ECE9E1"]
[TD]Stonestreet Stables[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]4[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
View All
 
Frosted won the Wood, 4th in Kentucky Derby, 2nd in Belmont, 2nd in Jim Dandy
 
On vaca this week in OCMD but will punch a few tickets at Ocean City Downs when I get a chance.

Wednesday late Pick 4, two tickets
1,9 / 3,4 / 3,4,8 / 5,8
1,9 / 3,4 / 8 / 5,8,11,12
 
Thursdays card looks solid, I see some decent opportunities and some trip horses as well as live shippers
 
Have a pretty good jump on the Fri card, time to work on Travers card. I'll post some Fri thoughts in a bit.
 
Bummer no one around, finally got some time this evening to horse up

DEL R5

1WP
1/2/7 EXB
1/2/6/7 TRB

not been good at this track
 
Long week, hell long couple months

Just finally closing on a file that opened in early June so I'm in a bit of party mode today

Tri hit at least
 
Just a fyi, I plan on doing work rest of Spa meet. ..still not very lucky but seeing it much better
 
I've been playing all meet and getting my dick kicked in

Will go somewhere on Sat for Travers but beware I'll be wearing my AP jersey and don't expect to make much in that one, just want to enjoy the ride

I do like Texas Red but don't think he takes down AP unless there's a natural disaster
 
Been a difficult meet, tons of wide open races, much cheaper races clm/MD clm etc, and other funky shit going on
 
kjohnson109 said:
I've been playing all meet and getting my dick kicked in

Will go somewhere on Sat for Travers but beware I'll be wearing my AP jersey and don't expect to make much in that one, just want to enjoy the ride

I do like Texas Red but don't think he takes down AP unless there's a natural disaster
Click to expand...
AP is the real deal...as a fan I always want him, but as a gambler I always want to beat him
 
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