Grade II Bowling Green, GIII Amsterdam Race Previews

By Brian Bohl —-

Hi Happy looks to strike in Saturday’s G2 Bowling Green

– La Providencia’s Hi Happy will look to add a third graded stakes win in the current campaign when he makes his Saratoga Race Course debut Saturday, headlining a field of nine in the 60th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green for four-year-olds and up at 1 3/8 miles on the inner turf.

One of four graded stakes on a packed slate that includes the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy and the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, the Bowling Green is carded as Race 9 with an approximate 5:40 post time. Live coverage of Saratoga Live will air from 4-7 p.m. ET regionally on MSG+, FOX Sports Prime Ticket and FOX Sports San Diego with national coverage on FS2 from 6-7 p.m.

Hi Happy’s highest Beyer Speed Figures have all come in his 6-year-old campaign. The Argentinian bred earned a 106 for his 2 ¾-length win in the Grade 2 Pan American on March 31 at Gulfstream Park at 1 ½ miles and he followed with a half-length win in the Grade 1 Man o’ War at the Bowling Green distance on May 12 at Belmont.
“He’s just been a model of consistency,” Pletcher said. “He seems adaptable to multiple pace scenarios and multiple distances. He’s easy to train, very straight-forward and professional.”

Cutting back to 1 ¼ miles in the Grade 1 Manhattan last out, Hi Happy seized the lead late before finishing third in a blanket finish with fellow Bowling Green entrant Sadler’s Joy, who Hi Happy defeated in the Man o’ War, edging him by a neck for runner-up honors. Pletcher said stretching back out in distance can suit Hi Happy’s strengths, which included six wins in six starts in his native country in 2015 to start his career.

“I think he’s versatile,” Pletcher said. “His mile and an eighth race the first time we ran him was pretty solid, but I think a mile and three-eighths to a mile and a half is his forte. We felt early on that stretching him out would be the key to his success. Like a lot of South American imports, the longer they are in the northern hemisphere and get time to acclimate, the better they tend to do.”

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will pick up the mount, drawing post 7, with Pletcher adding that Hi Happy can be successful either near the speed or in a stalking position.

“Some of these races have come up a little on the slow pace side, so when that happens, he’s capable [being near the pace],” Pletcher said. “But if the race were to come up with some true speed, he might prefer to be further back.”

Woodslane Farm’s Sadler’s Joy is coming off consecutive close seconds in Grade 1 starts that earned him triple-digit Beyers. In both the Man o’ War and Manhattan, the 5-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy came from well off the pace to finish behind Hi Happy and Spring Quality, respectively.

Trainer Tom Albertrani said he was impressed with his effort in the Manhattan and thinks the added distance in the Bowling Green – a race Sadler’s Joy finished third in last year behind Bigger Picture and Hunter O’Riley – could be beneficial.

“I thought he ran really well in his last start, especially since we cut back to a mile and a quarter. I know he would prefer if it was a little further, but he ran a huge race there,” Albertraini said. “He’s trained forwardly since then. [This] is his preferred distance. As well as he ran last time, we feel pretty confident. He always tries. He’s very honest and very consistent.”

Rainfall, with more precipitation in the forecast leading into the race, could lead to a soft track over the weekend, but Albertrani said he didn’t think the weather would negatively impact Sadler’s Joy.

“He does well here in Saratoga,” Albertrani said. “He seems to enjoy it up here. A little cooler weather than downstate. He seems to appreciate that. We always felt that soft ground wasn’t his best but he seemed to handle it OK in a couple of races before, so we’re not really too concerned about it. It’s just been a bad week in general for training, but he looks really well.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will be in the irons from post 6.

Money Multiplier overcame a troubled trip to finish second to Funtastic by a half length in the Grade 1 United Nations on June 30 at Monmouth Park at the Bowling Green distance. The 6-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky won the Grade 2 Monmouth on May 26 in his first race since traveling more than 6,000 miles to start his 2018 year with a third-place finish in the Group 1 $1 million H.H The Emir’s Trophy on February 24 in Qatar.

Owned by Al Shahania Stud, Money Multiplier could be running at Saratoga for the first time since running second in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer last August, but only if the weather holds, trainer Chad Brown said.

“We’ll take a shot, it’s a tough race but the horse seems to be doing well and in good form right now,” Brown said. “We know he likes Saratoga. He’ll only run if the turf is firm.”

Should the conditions prove favorable, Money Multiplier will break from post 8 in tandem with Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Bigger Picture came in third in the United Nations last out, rebounding from a seventh-place finish in the Man o’ War. The Badge of Silver gelding will look to find the form that led to a win in the Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup on January 28 at Sam Houston Race Park.

Trained by Mike Maker, Bigger Picture will exit post 3 with Jose Ortiz.

Channel Maker got caught wide in an eighth-place effort in the Manhattan last out and will make his Spa debut seeking his first win in eight starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The 4-year-old English Channel gelding’s best finish this year was a rally for third in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 10 at Santa Anita. Joel Rosario will be in the irons from post 2.

Rounding out the field is Australian important Sarrasin, trained by Richard Freedman, from post 4; Manitoulin, saddled by Jimmy Toner, exiting post 9; Glorious Empire, conditioned by James Lawrence, II from post 5; and the Barclay Tagg-trained Highland Sky from post 1.

By Najja Thompson —-

Engage ready to take next step forward in G3 Amsterdam

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Set to make his fourth start of the year, Woodford Racing’s Engage will face a contentious group of foes in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Amsterdam for 3-year-olds going six and a half furlongs on at Saratoga Race Course.

One of four graded stakes races on the day, highlighted by the 55thrunning of the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy and the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, live coverage will be featured on Saratoga Live from 4-7 p.m. ET regionally on MSG+, FOX Sports Prime Ticket and Fox Sports San Diego with national coverage on FS2 from 6-7 p.m.

Capping his juvenile season with a win in the Grade 3 Futurity at Belmont Park in only his third career start, the Into Mischeif colt returned to finish a respectable second in the Grade 3 Bay Shore on April 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack. He subsequently, won the Gold Fever on May 13 at Belmont before running second in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun.

“He’s doing really well coming into this race,” said Brown “I thought he ran a great race in the Bay Shore. He got a beautiful trip, it’s just that the eventual winner got by him in the lane and went a little bit better. I was impressed with the winner but our horse ran his race. He’s been coming along well throughout the year and this looks like a good distance for him.”

With Jose Ortiz aboard, Engage will depart from post 3.

Looking to improve off a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Woody Stephens is Strike Power for Courtlandt Farm and trainer Mark Hennig. Winner of the Grade 3 Swale Stakes on February 3 at Gulfstream Park, Strike Power went on to finish second in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth before running eighth in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Cutting back in distance for the Woody Stephens, Hennig said he was puzzled as to why Strike Power didn’t fire that race, but reported the son of Speightstown has been training well in Saratoga, breezing four furlongs in 47.89 seconds from the gate on July 21 in his final preparation for this race.

“He’s doing everything right,” said Hennig. “He worked super here. I wanted to sharpen him a bit so I worked him out of the gate. He was doing so well going into the Woody Stephens, but Johnny [Velazquez] didn’t think he handled the track at Belmont very well.

“Interestingly enough, we trained all through the fall at Belmont and went down to Florida and he paid $20 to win so maybe he just doesn’t like Belmont a whole lot. There’s still a part of me that wonders if he isn’t going to be a nice miler one day. He’s acting great, training great so we’ll see what happens.”

With Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the irons, Strike Power will leave from post 5.

Owner Robert J. Baron and trainer Dale Romans will enter graded stakes winner Promises Fulfilled. Winner of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, Promises Fulfilled finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby, but cutback in distance to finish third in the Woody Stephens.

Promises Fulfilled will leave from post 2 with Luis Saez Aboard.

Rounding out the field are Barry Lee for Sagamore Farm and trainer Horacio DePaz; Old Time Revival, for trainer Kenneth Decker and owner Fred Brei; World of Trouble for trainer Jason Servis and owner Micheal Dubb;and Soutache for Goldmark Farm and trainer Ralph Nicks.