Saratoga Race Course Notes 08/20

NYRA PRESS OFFICE —-

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Saratoga Race Course Notes

Scotland has final work for G1 Travers; Elite Power, Channel Maker breeze in company for G1 engagements
Randomized earns 98 BSF in G1 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales; G2 Lake Placid one-two finishers Aspray, Surge Capacity to G1 QEII Challenge Cup
New York Thunder a dream come true for emerging trainer Jorge Delgado
Wet Paint earns career-best 93 BSF for runner-up effort in G1 Alabama
Brightwork breezes for G1 Spinaway
Risk It to target G3 Iroquois following impressive debut

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – LNJ Foxwood’s Kentucky homebred Scotland logged his final breeze Sunday in preparation for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers, posting a bullet half-mile in 47.60 seconds over Saratoga’s Oklahoma dirt training track for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The son of Good Magic completed his exercise solo under Mott’s longtime assistant Neil Poznansky.

“It was a good, useful work. He galloped out well and seemed to have good energy and to be moving well. It was fast enough,” said Mott, with a laugh. “I think we’re fit enough.”

Scotland arrives at the Travers from a successful two-turn debut in the nine-furlong Curlin on July 21 at the Spa where he coasted home a 3 1/4-length winner in frontrunning fashion. The talented colt is 3-for-4 lifetime, including wins in a seven-furlong maiden on debut in March at Gulfstream Park and a one-turn mile allowance in June at Churchill Downs.

Mott also sent out Eclipse Award Champions Elite Power and Channel Maker to work a half-mile in company over the Oklahoma Sunday, the former covering the distance in 49.55 while the latter completed his exercise in 49.75. Both horses are being pointed to Grade 1 events on Saturday’s Travers undercard with Elite Power targeting the Grade 1, $500,000 Forego and Channel Maker eyeing the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer.

“They both looked good and it was normal for them,” said Mott.

Juddmonte’s Elite Power, the reigning Champion Male Sprinter, enters the Forego from a gutsy head score over Gunite in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on July 29 at the Spa and vies for his ninth consecutive victory.

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R.A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s evergreen 9-year-old Channel Maker, the 2020 Champion Turf Male, returned triumphantly to the winner’s circle with a frontrunning two-length score in the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 30. He will contest the Sword Dancer for a sixth time in his career and looks for his second victory in that event after taking the 2020 edition.

On Friday, Mott sent out Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Hunt Ball to finish second in his career debut behind runaway winner Risk It. The son of Into Mischief is a half-brother to the Mott-trained Cody’s Wish, a four-time Grade 1-victor and the defending Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner.

Mott said the effort was educational for Hunt Ball, who split rivals from off the pace at the top of the lane and ran on well to be defeated 4 1/2 lengths in the six-furlong maiden tilt.

“We’ll probably stretch him out a little bit and we found out he’s pretty game,” said Mott. “He was willing to run through horses and he didn’t seem intimidated by it.”

***

Randomized earns 98 BSF in G1 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales; G2 Lake Placid one-two finishers Aspray, Surge Capacity to G1 QEII Challenge Cup

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown expressed pride in the performance displayed by Klaravich Stables’ Randomized in Saturday’s Grade 1 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales at Saratoga Race Course, where she proved 10-furlong capabilities in gate-to-wire fashion.

“It was a big question mark going a mile and a quarter, I wasn’t sure,” Brown said. “But I’m so impressed that she was able to set strong fractions and kick on to get the distance. I was really blown away by the performance. My team did a good job in developing her. She ran her eyeballs out, so she’s getting some well-deserved rest right now.”

Randomized, by Nyquist, earned a career-high 98 Beyer Speed Figure from the four-length triumph over Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Wet Paint. She set the tempo under jockey Joel Rosario with Grade 1 Ashland victress Defining Purpose keeping close company to her outside in second. In the stretch drive, Randomized shook loose from the hard-trying Wet Paint and Defining Purpose and crossed the wire under a hand ride.

The win was the second straight for Randomized, who captured the restricted Wilton on July 14 at Saratoga following a distant sixth in the Grade 1 Acorn presented by Great Jones Distilling Co. on June 9 at Belmont Park. She also provided Brown and Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables with a sixth collaborative stakes victory this meet. In addition to Randomized’s pair of conquests, Brown and Klarman teamed up to win with Program Trading [Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational], Technical Analysis [De Le Rose], McKulick [Grade 2 Glens Falls] and Surge Capacity [Grade 3 Lake George].

Brown said the Grade 1 Cotillion on September 23 at Parx Racing or the Grade 1 Spinster on October 8 at Keeneland against older fillies and mares are both under consideration.

“Everything is in play, it depends on how much recovery time she needs and how she’s doing,” Brown said. “I’m going to enjoy this, but I have no plans yet.”

Bred in Kentucky by Cove Springs, Randomized is out of the unraced Elusive Quality mare French Passport – a half-sister to graded stakes-winning millionaire Smooth Air and Grade 2 winner Overdriven. She was a $420,000 purchase at the Keeneland September yearling Sale and is a direct descendant of Reine de Course mare Bold Irish.

Two races prior, Brown visited the winner’s circle with Ran Jan Racing’s Kentucky homebred Aspray, who captured the Grade 2 Lake Placid after finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 8.

The sophomore daughter of Quality Road earned a career-high 92 Beyer for the two-length triumph over stablemate Surge Capacity, where she stalked the pace from fourth under Flavien Prat before taking command inside the three-sixteenths pole to score her second stakes victory. Aspray won the one-mile Hilltop two starts back on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course.

Brown said both Aspray and Surge Capacity will target the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 14 at Keeneland.

“I’m going to train her right up to the QEII, and I’ll do the same thing with Surge Capacity,” said Brown.

Brown sent out a handful of his stable stars to the Oklahoma training turf on Sunday, including Juddmonte’s homebred Whitebeam, who clocked a half-mile in 49 seconds flat in her third work since winning the Grade 1 Diana on July 15. Also on the work tab for Brown was Peter Brant’s 2022 Diana winner In Italian, who worked a half-mile in 49.55 seconds.

Brown previously considered running Whitebeam in Thursday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Mohegan Sun Ballston Spa, but will train the daughter of Caravaggio up to the Grade 1 First Lady on October 7 at Keeneland.

“I decided to wait with her. Both her and In Italian will train right up to the First Lady,” Brown said.

Stone Age worked five furlongs in 1:01.85 over the Oklahoma training turf in preparation for the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer on August 26 at Saratoga – a “Win And You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf in November at Santa Anita.

The Irish-bred son of Galileo will make his debut for Brown in the Sword Dancer after being campaigned overseas by Aidan O’Brien. He made the trek across the pond three times last year, finishing a respective third and fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational and Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational. Following a pair of fifth-place efforts at Group 1 level, he came back to North America to finish second behind Rebel’s Romance in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland.

“Steady work tab,” Brown said of Stone Age. “He worked well this morning and I’m planning on entering in the Sword Dancer.”

***

New York Thunder a dream come true for emerging trainer Jorge Delgado

Trainer Jorge Delgado will hope to saddle his first Grade 1-winner when he sends out the lightning-quick New York Thunder for AMO Racing USA in Saturday’s $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.

The 33-year-old native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, got his start stateside at Gulfstream Park working for his uncle, Gustavo Delgado, the trainer of Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Mage – a top contender in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers.

Delgado went out on his own in 2017 at Gulfstream and picked up his first winner with Saturado that July as the first of five victories in his initial campaign.

“When I look back, I started with a $1,500 horse and a $500 horse at Gulfstream Park. I was my own groom for over eight months just to get started and now to be one of the favorites in a Grade 1, it means a lot,” Delgado said. “You don’t forget where you come from and you don’t forget all the adventures and the highs and the lows, but it’s all worth it when you’re in this position. Whatever happens, to be in this position and to have a horse racing on Travers Day that can compete at that high of a level means a lot to me as a trainer.”

Delgado, who has won 45 of 211 starts this year for purse earnings in excess of $1.9 million, has seen an increase in all of the key stats year-over-year from number of starters to wins, purse earnings and earnings per start. He credits a hard-working, cohesive team and improved stock – currently some 58 strong – with helping him thrive.

“Thankfully, I have more quality than quantity right now. We’re earning more money per start and running in bigger and better races,” Delgado said. “I’ve been lucky to win stake races in Gulfstream, Tampa, Delaware, Laurel, Pimlico, Saratoga, Monmouth, Woodbine, and Keeneland – pretty much every track we’re going in. I think we’re going under the radar, but I will let the horses speak for me.

“We have 22 people, two assistant trainers and pretty much we’ve been together for several years now,” he continued. “The main characters are the same and a few exercise riders have been with me for years. My assistant, Johan Aldana, has been with me since I started.”

New York Thunder is undefeated in four tries, announcing his talent with a pair of starts at Gulfstream this winter with a 6 1/2-length debut score in November over Tapeta followed by a 1 3/4-length turf score one month later.

The Nyquist colt shipped to Woodbine in April and won his stakes debut in the six-furlong Woodstock by 7 1/2-lengths over Tapeta and was then entered in the Grade 1, $400,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun on June 10 at Belmont Park but scratched due to a bruised foot.

He re-routed to the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Amsterdam on July 28 here and made every pole a winning one under Tyler Gaffalione, rocketing through splits of 21.48 seconds and 43.56 over the fast main track.

New York Thunder opened up by three lengths at the stretch call, putting away odds-on favorite Drew’s Gold and romped to the wire a 7 1/2-length winner in a final time of 1:14.65. His six-furlong split of 1:07.77 is faster than Saratoga’s six-furlong track record of 1:07.92 set by Imperial Hint in the 2019 Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, and the colt’s geared down final time was not far off of Quality Road’s track record of 1:13.74 set in the 2009 Amsterdam.

The victory marked the third graded win for Delgado and first at Saratoga in his fifth attempt – his best previous efforts here coming last year in third-place finishes with Willy Boi [G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap] and Super Chow [G2 Saratoga Special].

“It’s a feeling you will never forget. You imagine it and you dream about it, but it’s only when it happens that you can acknowledge that it happened and it exists,” Delgado said. “We had such high expectations for the race and you run all the scenarios in your mind of how the race will happen but, so far, that has been the most perfect race in my career. It was everything you want in a race in the same race – beating stakes-winning horses and winning in that fashion, it doesn’t happen every day.”

While New York Thunder worked multiple bullets at Monmouth Park heading into the Amsterdam, the speedy bay has provided just a pair of moderate maintenance works for the Allen Jerkens, including a half-mile effort in 52 flat Saturday.

“He’s doing good,” Delgado said. “He just ran 23 days ago and he came back to breeze after 15 days from the race, so I’m just using that race itself like a breeze for the race. I don’t think he needs way more than that. It’s just about keeping him healthy. He knows what he’s doing, by now.”

New York Thunder defeated a compact, but talented, field in the Amsterdam that included the multiple graded stakes-placed trio of Deer District, Drew’s Gold and Gilmore as well as the graded stakes-winner Ryvit, who stumbled badly at the break and never factored.

He will face a steeper challenge Saturday as he stretches out to seven furlongs for the first time while facing a top-flight field expected to include Grade 1-winner Arabian Lion and Grade 3-winner Fort Bragg for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Grade 3-winner Verifying for dual Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Brad Cox and Grade 2-winner Lord Miles for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. among others.

But Delgado said he is confident his horse is ready to take that next step.

“I like everything I see and every sign. We went over him today after the breeze and he’s as good as he can be,” Delgado said. “As long as my horse gets to the race 100 percent like he’s acting right now, I’m going to be happy.”

New York Thunder was purchased for $130,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Bred in Kentucky by Gatewood Bell and Forgotten Land, New York Thunder is out of the Midshipman mare Start Over, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-placed Degree of Risk. His third dam, Surf Club, produced 2012 Grade 1 Forego-winner Emcee.

***

Wet Paint earns career-best 93 BSF for runner-up effort in G1 Alabama

Though Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Wet Paint was unable to reel in runaway pacesetter Randomized in Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales, the daughter of Blame put in a career-best effort numbers wise when garnering a 93 Beyer Speed Figure for her runner-up effort in the 10-furlong test for sophomore fillies at Saratoga Race Course.

Wet Paint stalked as far back as 4 1/2 lengths under regular pilot Flavien Prat and made a bid along the inside exiting the final turn, but was left to chase home Randomized as she drew away to win by four lengths.

“She came back good and a little tired, but that’s expected going a mile and a quarter,” said her two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox. “I thought she got a great trip and was just second best yesterday. The figure was a good one and a lifetime best, so all-in-all I think she ran her best race, she just wasn’t quite good enough to get to the winner’s circle. I was proud of the effort.”

Wet Paint entered the Alabama from a determined neck victory over Sacred Wish in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 22 at the Spa, her first Grade 1 score that came two starts after finishing fourth as the favorite in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. The talented bay also boasts a trio of stakes coups at Oaklawn Park earlier this year when taking the Martha Washington, Grade 3 Honeybee and Grade 3 Fantasy.

Cox said he and Godolphin have not discussed a potential next start for Wet Paint, but one possibility, among others, could be the Grade 1 Spinster facing older rivals on October 8 at Keeneland with the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November at Santa Anita Park as the main objective.

“I’m not sure what we’re going to do moving forward, but we’ll talk with Godolphin and come up with a game plan,” said Cox. “This was our goal this summer and obviously the Breeders’ Cup is everyone’s year-end goal when you’ve got a Grade 1 horse. Maybe Keeneland, but we’ll see. There’s other options for her.”

Cox sent out Gary and Mary West’s Kentucky homebred Salute the Stars for a half-mile breeze Sunday over Saratoga’s Oklahoma turf training track. The son of Candy Ride, who covered the distance in 49.49 in rein to jockey Florent Geroux, is entered in Tuesday’s Grade 3 Smarty Jones at Parx, but will scratch from the 1 1/16-mile main track test in favor of a start on turf, according to Cox.

“He broke his maiden on the turf as a 2-year-old and I like him on the dirt – he’s a stakes winner on the dirt – but he could be a horse that’s dual-surface,” said Cox. “I just wanted to see what he looks like on the turf and it was just a solo maintenance work.”

Salute the Stars graduated at second asking on the Ellis Park turf last August and was last seen finishing a distant seventh in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 22 at Monmouth Park, a race he entered from a neck victory in the 1 1/16-mile Pegasus on June 17 at the Oceanport oval.

Cox said he has not pinned down an exact next start for Salute the Stars, but that the colt has been nominated to the Grade 3, $175,000 Saranac on September 1 at the Spa and will be nominated to Colonial Downs’ Grade 3 Virginia Derby on September 9, as well as an undetermined race at Kentucky Downs.

Salute the Stars is out of the Malibu Moon mare Star Sighting, a full-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Farrell, and a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner and sire Carpe Diem, and Grade 1-winner J. B.’s Thunder. He has banked $223,460 through a lifetime record of 5-3-1-0.

***

Brightwork breezes for G1 Spinaway

Trainer John Ortiz worked Grade 3 Adirondack winner Brightwork over the Saratoga Race Course main track at 6 a.m. Sunday in preparation for the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway on September 3 going seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course.

The WSS Racing-owned juvenile daughter of Outwork breezed a half-mile in 52.11 seconds under Irad Ortiz, Jr., but her trainer said the gallop out was the most important part of the move.

“We gave her an interval workout in preparation to stretch her out. She worked a half-mile but she galloped out another half mile,” Ortiz explained. “From the pole to the wire, they got her in about 52, but if you clocked from the quarter-pole and just follow her gallop out, she galloped out in 49 flat. So, she basically did two workouts.

“I told Irad I wanted her to go nice and easy, and get her to relax and let her listen to you,” added Ortiz. “When she got to the top of the stretch, I wanted her to stride out. I wanted him to let her gallop out as far as she wants and she took him all the way back to the half-mile pole. We basically went about seven furlongs and she stayed consistent on it.”

Brightwork is undefeated in three starts, which includes a debut win on April 26 going 4 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland as well as the six-furlong Debutante on July 2 at Ellis Park.

Ortiz said the workout gave him even more confidence that his talented filly can stretch out in distance following the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack.

“We use Equimetre to monitor her heart rate and stride length and I’m very, very in love with the data shown to me this morning. It looks like the further we go, the better with her,” Ortiz said.

Brightwork, a $95,000 weanling purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, is out of the Malibu Moon mare Clarendon Fancy and comes from the same family as two-turn graded stakes winners Girvin and Midnight Bourbon.

***

Risk It to target G3 Iroquois following impressive debut

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm’s Risk It earned a 79 Beyer Speed Figure for his dominant debut in the Saturday opener at Saratoga– a six-furlong maiden special weight for juveniles.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the son of Gun Runner broke sharply from his inside post and put two lengths on the field by the first point of call, maintaining his control en route to a 4 1/2-length stroll under jockey Tyler Gaffalione.

Asmussen spoke of how the $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase was highly touted during his pre-training at El Primero Training Center, which is operated by Asmussen’s parents Keith and Marilyn Asmussen.

“He’s a very impressive colt,” Asmussen said. “Obviously very attractive and commanded plenty of money as a yearling. He went through my parents’ program in Laredo and they always thought very highly of him. He’s been very professional and competitive.”

The winning effort could warrant a start in the Grade 3 Iroquois on September 16 going a one-turn mile at Churchill Downs.

“That’s what we were hoping for and we were thinking about it,” Asmussen said. “He’s trained like he’ll get a mile. Obviously with his pedigree and what he’s shown to this point, we’re going to continue to dream.”

Bred in Kentucky by Gun Runner Syndicate, De Sousa Stables & Cranford Bloodstock, Risk It is out of the Broken Vow mare Wedding Jitters.