Saratoga Race Course Notes 07/27

NYRA PRESS OFFICE —-

Saratoga Race Course Notes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – WinStar Farm and Siena Farm’s World Record ran his rivals off their feet in Thursday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.

World Record and Flavien Prat broke on top and never looked back, quickly opening two lengths on their rivals and romping home a 6 3/4-length winner over the Junior Alvarado-piloted favorite Jefferson Street. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, the lightly raced Gun Runner colt improved his record to 4-2-0-2 and earned a new lifetime best Beyer Speed Figure of 101.

“It looks like he came out OK. I got a little video of him jogging this morning and he looked good. Cleaned the feed tub up last night and this morning,” Brisset said via phone from Kentucky.

World Record came into his graded stakes debut off a third-place effort in the Listed Maxfield on June 30 at Churchill Downs. Prior to that effort, he broke his maiden at the Louisville oval under a similar trip to Thursday’s frontrunning score, crossing the line 6 1/4-lengths in front.

“He will be back home to Keeneland tomorrow morning. My plan is to give him a couple of days and then map out a campaign. Nothing set in stone yet, we will see what happens in the next couple of weeks,” Brisset said.

Brisset said he was thrilled to win his first stakes race at Saratoga.

“It is always fun to win in Saratoga,” Brisset said. “It was fun to be able to win a graded stakes there with the whole ownership group there. It is always a huge win for a small barn and a young barn to get one at Saratoga.”

Brisset also trains Mullikin, a 4-year-old son of Violence, for WinStar Farm and Siena Farm. He was last seen winning the Grade 2 John A. Nerud on July 6 at Belmont at the Big A. The colt has enjoyed a perfect 2024 winning all three of his starts, while earning a career best 102 Beyer for his Nerud win.

“Mullikin will have his first breeze back since the Nerud tomorrow,” Brisset said.

Brisset indicated he may have a return trip to New York with the two colts, who now eye Grade 1 assignments at Saratoga. Mullikin will look to keep his perfect season going in the seven-furlong $500,000 Forego for older horses on August 24.

“We picked the Nerud because we thought the timing was right for the Forego,” Brisset said. “There are seven weeks between the two races, so we should have a pattern of four works and we’ve got to build up and build up and be ready to fire a good one on the big weekend.”

World Record could be seen next on the same card in the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial for sophomores going seven furlongs. Brisset mentioned that the same ownership group also has Grade 1 Champagne-winner Timberlake committed to that spot, so it will be up to the group to decide if they want to enter both.

“We will see what the team wants to do and talk it over. Right now, I am just happy with yesterday’s win,” Brisset said.

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Bright Future works for G1 Whitney

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables’ Grade 1-winner Bright Future posted his final work in preparation for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Whitney when covering a half-mile in 48.75 seconds Saturday over the Saratoga Race Course main track.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 5-year-old son of Curlin went in company with dual graded stakes-winner and Whitney possible Charge It over the fast footing.

“He worked well and I’m happy with him,” said Pletcher. “Charge It also went well. I think Bright Future is training great and his works have all been solid. He’s enthusiastic in his gallops.”

Bright Future is in search of his second Grade 1 coup at the Spa after taking last year’s 10-furlong Jockey Club Gold Cup by a nose over Proxy. He completed his campaign with an off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park but returned to the winner’s circle in his first start this year in Monmouth Park’s Grade 3 Salvator Mile on June 15.

Pletcher could also be represented in the Whitney by Crupi for the same ownership. Another son of Curlin, the 4-year-old colt made the grade two starts back with a strong victory in the Grade 2 Suburban going 10 furlongs over the Spa main track on June 8 and followed with a runner-up effort to Next – the marathon division’s clear leader – in the 1 3/8-mile Grade 2 Brooklyn on July 5 at Belmont at the Big A.

Pletcher said a decision has not yet been made about the chestnut’s status for the Whitney, which will see its entries taken tomorrow.

“We’re leaning towards running, but we haven’t committed yet,” said Pletcher. “I’ll talk to the owners, and we’ll see if we take a shot with him.”

Crupi was a dual listed stakes-winner this winter at Aqueduct going the Whitney distance in the Discovery and Queens County ahead of a game third-place effort in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park. He ventured to Dubai to finish off-the-board in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in March but returned stateside to capture the Suburban next out.

Pletcher could have as many as four Whitney hopefuls with multiple graded stakes-placed Dreamlike, who worked a half-mile in 50.88 this morning over the main track, also under consideration.

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G1 Whitney possible Skippylongstocking works in company

Daniel Alonso’s multiple graded stakes-winner Skippylongstocking worked a half-mile in company in 49.97 seconds Saturday over the Saratoga Race Course main track in preparation for a possible start in next Saturday’s nine-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Whitney.

The Saffie Joseph, Jr. trainee tracked maiden Ramesses in the easy breeze, traveling up the rail to the inside of his company in the stretch run with regular pilot Jose Ortiz aboard.

“It was a good breeze. We had him sit off his workmate a little bit and just come up inside him and finish up together,” Joseph, Jr. said. “We let him go out a little bit on his own and we got that – just a chance to build his confidence and let him blow some air.”

The 5-year-old Exaggerator horse, a good third in the 2022 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, was recently third in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 29 at Churchill Downs where he re-rallied to earn show honors after appearing to be all but out of contention.

Skippylongstocking, a six-time graded stakes-winner, has banked in excess of $2.3 million through a 24-8-2-5 record. Entries for the Whitney will be taken on Sunday.

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Il Miracolo breezes for G1 Whitney

Alexandres’ dual Grade 3-winner Il Miracolo breezed five furlongs in 1:02 flat, according to NYRA clockers, Saturday over the fast main track, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trainer Antonio Sano confirmed the 4-year-old Gun Runner chestnut for next Saturday’s nine-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Whitney, after the solo breeze under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

“Yes,” Sano said regarding entering the Whitney tomorrow. “I hope the horse is good in the Whitney. No easy race, but our horse has a very good chance and I’ll try.”

Sano said he was pleased with today’s move, completed around 9:15 a.m. in a set of blinkers, which he has sported for his last 12 starts.

“I liked the gallop out,” said Sano. “John Velazquez rode the horse very easy and let him loose in the last two furlongs.”

Il Miracolo has worked three times over the Spa main track including five-eighths in 1:03.69 last Saturday.

Velazquez was aboard for Il Miracolo’s last two races, both 1 1/16-mile events, including a neck-victory in the Grade 3 Ghostzapper over probable returning foe Tumbarumba in March at Gulfstream Park ahead of a last-out third in the Grade 2 Alysheba in May at Churchill Downs, where he finished four lengths back of Whitney-hopeful First Mission.

Regarding Il Miracolo facing some familiar faces and other Grade 1-company, in which his best finish in three attempts was a third in the nine-furlong Pennsylvania Derby in September at Parx Racing, Sano said he has a clear plan.

“I’ll try to run for the close,” said Sano. “The [other] horses show speed in the race.”

In his lone local effort, Il Miracolo was second to Scotland in last year’s Listed Curlin traveling the Whitney distance. Elsewhere on the NYRA-circuit, he finished off-the-board in the 12-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Stakes won by Arcangelo last June at Belmont Park.

Il Miracolo, out of the graded stakes-placed Tapit mare Tapit’s World, was a $70,000 purchase at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

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