Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Notes

NYRA PRESS OFFICE —-

Sunday, June 8, 2025

Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Notes

Sovereignty crowned with 109 BSF for G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets triumph
Journalism exits runner-up finish in G1 Belmont ‘doing fantastic’
Raging Torrent to target G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile following G1 Met Mile upset
She Feels Pretty eyes G1 Dunkin’ Diana after winning G1 New York presented by Rivers Casino
Sandman puts in easy work in preparation for G2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun as Casse’s contingent builds on brilliant BSRF
Ways and Means, Dynamic Pricing lead the way for Chad Brown’s successful BSRF
Dorth Vader captures G1 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford
Book’em Danno charges home to win G3 True North
GoFundMe organized for jockey Jackie Davis

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For many in horse racing, success is all in the family, whether it be the connections of the sport’s star athletes or the pedigrees of blue-blooded horses. For the trio of Godolphin, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, and jockey Junior Alvarado, “family” is the best way to describe the closely-knit connections of Saturday’s Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets-winner Sovereignty.

“I do my best for everybody, but you feel the power when you get those blue Godolphin silks on,” Alvarado said. “You know that it could be something special. If it’s a horse that’s never run, you always think this could be a good one.”

The trio have achieved success at the pinnacle of the sport with horses like Grade 1-winner Speaker’s Corner, three-time graded stakes-winner Caramel Swirl, and dual-Champion Cody’s Wish, who retired in 2023 after a career that featured back-to-back wins in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and a story that touched the nation as he ran in honor of the late Cody Dorman.

Cody’s Wish brought the venerable connections closer together than ever, and when the Curlin colt departed the Mott barn to take up stud duties at Darley’s Jonabell Farm, a question lingered about who the next great horse could be for the team. Enter Sovereignty, who debuted last summer at Saratoga Race Course and went on to piece together the next chapter in the great saga of Mott-trained and Alvarado-ridden Godolphin color-bearers.

“It’s been an amazing ride since Cody’s Wish,” Alvarado said. “When [Sovereignty] crossed the wire first in the Derby, I called my agent a couple weeks later and asked, ‘how many babies are we getting, are we looking any good…’ That’s the excitement: you keep looking for the next champion for next year. With Bill, there’s always a good chance – he’s a great horseman, and great horses keep coming into the barn.”

Sovereignty has solidified his status as one of the greats for Mott, adding a three-length triumph in Saturday’s 10-furlong Belmont Stakes to a similar 1 1/2-length annexing of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May. The Belmont victory, which came thanks to a close stalking trip engineered by Alvarado, was awarded a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure.

Mott said he was not surprised, but grateful to see the son of Into Mischief storm past Preakness winner Journalism in the stretch just as he did on the first Saturday in May.

“I’ve been doing this for over 50 years. I’ve had more than one disappointment over that time. There was no doubt,” Mott said. “It’s just if you have any experience at all, you ready yourself for anything that could happen. You never know. The horse could stumble out of the gate. He could get carried wide. I’ve seen enough 1-5 or 3-5 shots get beat. There’s no such thing as a sure thing. That’s why they run the race.

“He looked good [Sunday morning]. He was out early when I got here,” Mott added. “They got him cleaned up and walking. His wheels were good. He jogged good. He ate up everything. He has always been good. He’s a tough horse. He’s a hearty horse. He has a great appetite. He’s a trainer’s dream.”

Alvarado and Mott have proven to be one of racing’s most dynamic pairings in the past five years, teaming up on high-profile horses for other owners in Grade 1-winners Art Collector, War Like Goddess, Arthur’s Ride, Casa Creed and Olympiad, among others.

“It’s the way he works,” Alvarado said of the key to his prosperity with Mott. “The way he trains his horses is the same way I like to ride my horses. I like to let them run the race however they want to and I want them to feel comfortable, to do it the right way. That’s what Bill does. We’re not rushing any horses early on in the races and we don’t want to push them to make them do something they’re not ready to do. We’ll take our time if it takes three, four, five, six, seven, eight, ten races, we’ll take it race by race.”

That patience was key to Saturday’s victory for Sovereignty, who was pointed towards the Belmont immediately following the Derby instead of the traditional route a Derby winner takes to the Grade 1 Preakness two weeks later in Baltimore. Mott quickly returned the colt to his home base at Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track, where he made his preparations for his rematch with Journalism.

“He’s a horse who is pretty adaptable. This is a pretty good environment for both of us,” Mott said. “He’s here. He’s comfortable. He’s got a nice shade tree out here. He’s got some green grass to eat, and he’s got pretty good people who take care of him. Here is a good spot for him. I’m sure if we were somewhere else, I don’t know if it would change anything dramatically. Here, I think the good thing is, naturally, the environment that he lives in with the racetrack that he is able to train on, I think we feel pretty comfortable about training over this track.”

Luckily for the Sovereignty camp, some of the nation’s most prestigious events for sophomores take place right in their backyard again this summer during the Saratoga meet, led by the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 23, one of the only marquee events absent from Mott’s remarkable list of accolades. The traditional local prep for the Travers is the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun on July 26, a race Mott sees as a logical steppingstone.

“I think we are very lucky, if we are talking about the Travers, we’ll probably stay here until then. I think we would probably run in the Jim Dandy,” Mott said. “I think that’s a good possibility. Surely, it’s not set in stone. It’s here. This is all depending on him, what he’s doing, and what the next couple of months brings. If he was going to have a race before the Travers, it would be the Jim Dandy. I’m sure by the time the Jim Dandy rolls around, he’s probably going to be ready to do something.”

After Sovereignty napped in the deep straw of his stall overlooking the Oklahoma training track on Sunday morning and Mott finished chatting with reporters, Alvarado – along with his wife Kelly and their children Adrian, Adalyn and Axel – took time to visit with Sovereignty and feed him carrots beside longtime Mott employee Erma Scott, all members of not just the same racing team, but of a family forged over some of racing’s most celebrated horses.

For Mott, mornings like this are the most satisfying.

“I’m relieved. Sometimes, you get into a situation with a horse like this and probably there is a lot of expectations not only from me, but from everyone around him,” Mott said. “So, instead of a high, it’s a relief they showed up and did what you thought they should do or could do. He did it. Now, it’s like letting the air of the balloon. It’s over, at least for yesterday.”

***

Journalism exits runner-up finish in G1 Belmont ‘doing fantastic’

Watching his stable star being led on a leisurely stroll in front of Barn 61 on the Oklahoma training track, trainer Michael McCarthy continued to marvel at the condition and disposition of Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets runner-up Journalism Sunday morning.

“He looks very good. Everything about him is good. He ate up last night and is doing fantastic,” McCarthy said. “All is well. No complaints.”

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables 5 and the Coolmore partnership of Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Journalism was beaten three lengths by Sovereignty in Saturday’s 157th Belmont, held for the second straight year at Saratoga Race Course.

Journalism captured the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes May 17 at Pimlico Race Course after running second to Sovereignty in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby May 3, making him the only horse to compete this year in all three legs of the Triple Crown, contested over a space of five weeks.

“He’s a gorilla. He’s built for something like this, and I’ve thought that for some time,” McCarthy said. “I’m just glad that he showed up. I thought all three of his races were exemplary.”

In the Belmont, Journalism came away from the gate awkwardly and found himself out wide but in the clear rounding the clubhouse turn under regular rider Umberto Rispoli. Meanwhile, jockey Junior Alvarado rated Sovereignty along the inside before tipping out on the backstretch to move within one length of pacesetter Rodriguez. Rispoli made a bold move on the far turn to take a half-length lead into the homestretch, but Alvarado tracked intently and came with a steady run on Sovereignty to surge past inside the eighth pole and draw clear.

“He kind of bobbled a jump or two leaving there [and we] found ourselves a little bit wider than I’m sure we would have liked going into the first turn, but outside of that he kept his face clean, was in a good spot up the backside, and put in a decent run,” McCarthy said. “Sovereignty got a wonderful trip. Hats off to Junior Alvarado, I think he gave his horse two brilliant rides [in the Derby and Belmont]. We would have liked to have had the trip that he had yesterday.”

McCarthy said Journalism will return to his home base at Santa Anita Park in the next couple of days but did not rule out a return for the regular Saratoga summer meet for races like the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun July 26 and Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers August 23. The long-term goal is the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic November 1 at Del Mar.

“We’ll get him back to California, let him get his feet underneath him and see where we’re at in a couple weeks’ time,” McCarthy said. “I hope everybody stays healthy and we can all find ourselves in the starting gate for a Breeders’ Cup Classic type of thing, maybe back here for the Jim Dandy and Travers. There’s a lot of races in play. We’ll take it week by week with him now.”

***

Raging Torrent to target G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile following G1 Met Mile upset

Yuesheng Zhang and Craig Dado’s Raging Torrent exited his 2 1/2-length upset of Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga Race Course in good order and is scheduled to return to trainer Doug O’Neill’s base at Santa Anita Park early this week.

“He cleaned up his dinner and looked great this morning,” O’Neill said. “He heads back to California on Tuesday.”

Raging Torrent earned his third straight win, sixth in the last seven starts and seventh from 14 overall races in the Met Mile, pushing his career bankroll to $1.797 million. Winner of the seven-furlong Grade 1 Malibu December 26 at Del Mar to close his 2024 campaign, he opened 2025 with a 3 1/2-length score in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan Racecourse.

The 4-year-old son of Maximus Mischief led the Met Mile from start to finish, getting to the front from outermost post 5 and going on to defeat two of the top older horses in training, multiple Grade 1-winning millionaires Fierceness, the 3-4 favorite that finished second, and White Abarrio, who was fourth.

Heavy overnight rain that continued into the early part of Saturday had the Met Mile contested over a sloppy and sealed main track. Raging Torrent went off as the fourth choice in a field of five at 8-1.

“I was super impressed with his effort,” O’Neill said. “Coming off his Dubai win, and shipping again, and dealing with the rain, I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Raging Torrent earned an automatic berth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile November 1 at Del Mar, which O’Neill indicated would be the prime target looking ahead.

“Right now, the goal is the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile,” he said. “Not sure of where we’ll race in between.”

Dado hinted making a title defense in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien, where Raging Torrent beat The Chosen Vron by a neck in his first try against older horses, is a likely landing spot.

“We’re going to get him home and see how he’s doing, but the obvious race would be the Pat O’Brien at Del Mar,” Dado said. “I’m still trying to convince myself that [the Met Mile] actually happened.”

Dado likened the Met Mile to Raging Torrent’s effort in the 2024 Pat O’Brien, where he set the pace before giving up the lead entering the stretch only to dig in and edge the millionaire sprinter that owns 19 career wins, two in Grade 1 company.

“It was kind of the same situation. We weren’t crazy enough to think we were going to win that day, but we knew we’d have the lead turning for home and then the horse was going to have to get by him. Raging Torrent is proving that he doesn’t like to get passed. It’s crazy. I think Fierceness probably got by him a little bit and Raging Torrent looked him in the eye and said, ‘Not today.’ It was pretty exciting,” Dado said. “We were getting a few pounds and Fierceness may have had a little rough start, I understand all that, but I don’t know. Raging Torrent is tough to get by.”

The connections initially had Triple Crown race aspirations for Raging Torrent, but it was an 8 1/4-length allowance sprint victory on the 2024 Kentucky Derby undercard that ultimately began the bay son of Maximus Mischief on his current path.

“When was 2 we really thought he was a horse that could make the Derby, and he was in the right races. He was in the Best Pal, he was in the Futurity at Del Mar and he was running third and fourth. He was just not quite there, but a nice horse,” Dado said. “Then Doug decided to run him in an allowance race on Derby day, in the race right after the Derby, it was seven furlongs and he just freaked. That was the day that he kind of became what he is now.”

***

She Feels Pretty eyes G1 Dunkin’ Diana after winning G1 New York presented by Rivers Casino

Lael Stables’ She Feels Pretty stalked and pounced to win Friday’s Grade 1, $750,000 New York presented by Rivers Casino, a 1 3/16-mile Mellon turf test for older fillies and mares at Saratoga Race Course, and now eyes the Grade 1, $500,000 Dunkin’ Diana on July 12 at the Spa.

Trained by Cherie DeVaux, the 4-year-old Karakontie chestnut is 7-for-10 lifetime, with four consecutive wins, including her last-out half-length score over yielding turf in the New York and a 2 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Modesty in her May seasonal debut at Churchill Downs.

“She came out of the race in good order,” DeVaux reported Sunday morning. “The Diana is definitely what we are pointing towards.”

DeVaux added that She Feels Pretty may remain at the Spa to train up to the Diana, a nine-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares, which is the first Grade 1 of the Saratoga summer meet.

“That’s the tentative plan,” DeVaux said. “We need to discuss that with the Jacksons [Lael Stables] and just see. We were already planning on staying up here with everyone, so that is kind of the working plan.”

She Feels Pretty earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure in the New York, matching her career best when dominating the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October at Keeneland.

Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez said post-race that She Feels Pretty didn’t love the wet turf in the New York, and DeVaux agreed, but said her class was enough.

“That was kind of a workmanlike performance,” DeVaux said. “But she is a really talented filly and overcomes adversity. That’s what they should do at that level.”

DeVaux, trainer of last year’s Grade 1-winner Breeders’ Cup Mile-winner More Than Looks, said it is not too early to think She Feels Pretty could be a Champion-level horse.

“That’s what you hope for,” DeVaux said of the 10-7-1-2 mare with $1.7 million in earnings.

***

Sandman puts in easy work in preparation for G2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun as Casse’s contingent builds on brilliant BSRF

The final day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga on Sunday gave Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse a chance to reflect on both the success his outfit has achieved over the five-day racing celebration while also looking forward to what the summer meet at the Spa could offer.

Casse’s recent achievements include Tracy Famer’s homebred La Cara posting a front-running three-length win in the Grade 1, $500,000 DK Horse Acorn on Friday and training the exacta with winner Nitrogen and runner-up Irish-bred finisher Bessie Abott in the pared down Grade 2, $300,000 Wonder Again that was moved off the inner turf to the main track on Belmont Stakes Day Saturday. Both La Cara and Nitrogen secured millionaire status with their winning efforts.

Casse said all three came out of their races in good order and have been comfortable in the historic confines of Saratoga Race Course. But Sunday also marked a chance to look forward, with third-place Grade 1 Preakness-finisher Sandman breezing four furlongs in 50.90 seconds on the main track in preparation for the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun on July 26 in a nine-furlong contest for 3-year-olds that serves as the local prep for the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 23.

“We just let him stretch his legs a little today and we’ll get a little more serious soon,” Casse said. “I’m excited because he had a long campaign, and we’ve had some time to let him grow and strengthen up and be a better horse for the Jim Dandy.”

That respite came after a packed Triple Crown trail campaign that saw the Kentucky-bred Tapit colt win the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in March at Oaklawn Park that punched his ticket to the Kentucky Derby, where he finished seventh before Casse wheeled him back two weeks later in the Preakness, where he finished in the money, behind only Gosger and winner Journalism on May 17 at Pimlico.

Casse opted to rest him after Sandman competed in the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Owned by D.J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables, Sandman will look for continued success on the Saratoga dirt, returning to the venue where he posted a maiden-breaking victory in his second career start in August before being elevated to stakes company later in his juvenile year, culminating in a third-place effort in the Grade 3 Street Sense won by Belmont Stakes-winner Sovereignty in October at Churchill Downs.

“His performance last year here was tremendous as a maiden, and him and La Cara are similar that way in that they both broke their maiden here,” Casse said. “We already know he has a fondness for the racetrack, which never hurts anything.”

La Cara also has an affinity for the Spa, besting a six-horse field in the Acorn that included top contenders in the sophomore filly division such as Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks-winner Good Cheer, who entered 7-for-7 before finishing fifth. La Cara, who finished ninth in the Oaks over a wet Churchill track, handled Saratoga’s sloppy and sealed track with aplomb with jockey Dylan Davis aboard.

The now two-time Grade 1 winner, who also captured the Ashland in April at Keeneland, will stay up here in preparation for the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks going the same 1 1/8-mile distance as the Acorn. That race could potentially set up an appointment to the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales on August 16.

“She’s great, we’re going to come back for the Coaching Club next, and the plan is for the Alabama,” Casse said. “She loves Saratoga. She really struggled with the racetrack at Churchill. Dyan told me that this is a different type of mud at Saratoga than we had at Churchill, and he felt really confident that was she going to handle it just fine, and she did.”

La Cara’s victories in the Acorn, Ashland and Listed Suncoast in February at Tampa Bay Downs all were accomplished in leading every point of call and encompass wins on both muddy and fast tracks.

“She likes to be on the lead, but there’s a lot of versatility with her,” Casse said.

D.J. Stable’s Nitrogen wasn’t deterred when the Wonder Again was moved to one-mile on the main track instead of its original conditions of 1 1/16 miles on Saratoga’s inner turf course. The Medaglia d’Oro filly won her fifth consecutive race and is now a dual-surface graded stakes winner following a 17-length romp. She is 5-for-5 at five different tracks in her 3-year-old campaign, with turf wins in the Listed Ginger Brew, Grade 3 Florida Oaks, Grade 2 Appalachian and Grade 2 Edgewood.

As a juvenile, Casse sent Nitrogen to Woodbine to compete in the Grade 1 Natalma last September, which netted a third-place effort that set up a spot in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Del Mar to cap her 2-year-old year, where a strong third-place finish facilitated her successful sophomore efforts.

“Nitrogen is interesting because when we sent her to Woodbine to get her ready and we thought she was pretty good already,” Casse said. “She then ran a great race in the Breeders’ Cup and without a troubled trip, she would have given the winner [Lake Victoria] a run for her money.

“Then, we brought her back and breezed her on the dirt,” Casse added. “What made me run her yesterday was going through my records and watching the video of her works at Palm Meadows on the dirt, it was encouraging. We contacted the stewards and asked how long did we have to decide, and they said an hour before post. We didn’t make a decision until a little before that in talking with the [owners], they said ‘let’s go for it.’ So that always makes it easier, when you have understanding owners, and they were for it. I was on the fence with it since I didn’t want to damage her reputation, but it worked out well, and she may be as good on the dirt as she is on the turf.”

Team Valor International and Gary Barber’s Bessie Abott, making her stakes debut in just her third career start and second since shipping overseas from her native Ireland, picked up the runner-up honors in a race that mainly served to give the Kuroshio more experience. She had been entered in the Penn Oaks at Penn National Race Course that was postponed on May 30 to June 20.

“We were happy with Bessie; we think she’s pretty talented,” Casse said. “We had her in the Penn Oaks and we had her in yesterday. I’m sure her strength lies in turf, but any time you can pick up Saratoga black type, it means a lot.”

Casse said having willing owners and the confidence to try different things can help create new opportunities, and dynamic circumstances can serve as useful learning experiences in helping to craft future plans.

“Training horses is putting a puzzle together; you have to keep trying the pieces until you figure out how they go together,” Casse said. “I think too many times, there’s not enough pieces tried on a horse, and we get into a pattern and go one way and are afraid to try another piece. Well, we tried another piece yesterday, and it just worked out.”

Casse, who is enshrined in the Hall of Fame across the street from Saratoga Race Course and always has a strong presence at the summer meet here, praised the robust crowds at Saratoga and the atmosphere as the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival was held here for the second consecutive year as Belmont Park’s renovation continues.

“The crowds have been great and it’s so refreshing to see people who love horse racing come out,” Casse said. “The Belmont at Saratoga has created a great atmosphere.”

***

Ways and Means, Dynamic Pricing lead the way for Chad Brown’s successful BSRF

When you operate at the level trainer Chad Brown does, the stakes are always high, especially on arguably the biggest weekend of the year in New York racing. The five-time Champion trainer has learned to roll with the tide, putting into perspective the ebb and flow of elite-level competition on a weekend tugged by an undertow of wet weather.

Overall, the upstate New York native ran 27 horses in 17 races through the first four days of the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, winning five and placing with 10 others. Spirit of St Louis, in the rescheduled Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan, will be his final runner of the festival.

“When you run a lot of horses on a big-event weekend, whether it’s the Belmont, Kentucky Derby or the Breeders’ Cup—running that many high-quality horses in that many good entries, there’s certainly going to be some disappointments,” Brown explained. “I feel fortunate that we did a lot of good and our horses performed well in a lot of spots, but a few didn’t run to expectations and the weather really got us pretty good. Whether it was the sealed track that compromised a horse like Chancer McPatrick [seventh in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens as the 7/2 second choice] who was training great on a dry track or the [rained-off] grass races—our day really fell apart yesterday, but overall our weekend was a success.”

From a numeric standpoint, the standout was Ways and Means, who won her fifth race from 10 starts for owner-breeder Klaravich Stables in the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses, whistling home by 7 3/4-lengths to earn a 111 Beyer Speed Figure. The daughter of Brown-trained Practical Joke has won four of those at Saratoga and will be back for more. Flavien Prat has been aboard for all of those victories.

“She looks good,” Brown said. “She ran a hell of a number, I’m sure. I think the [Grade 1 Resorts World Casino] Ballerina [on Aug. 23] is the obvious spot for her. The [Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss on July 20] before then is a possibility.”

Klaravich doubled up on graded stakes on Friday with the Dylan Davis-piloted Dynamic Pricing in the Grade 1 Just a Game presented by Resolute Racing. The $204,442 Tattersalls purchase relished the cut in the ground, which was no surprise given her Night of Thunder over Dutch Art cross. Earning a career-high 100 Beyer, she backed up her victory in the Grade 3 Beaugay last month, winning for a fourth time from nine starts.

“She did well and came out of the race really well,” Brown said. “She really relished the off-going and got a really good trip, so there’s plenty to like about that race. She was a little closer in her race and wasn’t so far off the back, so it was a really brilliant ride by Dylan. She’s certainly better on the softer turf, but after that kind of performance, you still have to look at the [Grade 1 Dunkin’] Diana [on July 12]. That’s what we should be doing. I know that’s another step up and a tougher race, but given the number that she ran, especially if she caught some soft turf, she’d be tough, you’d have to think.

“She needs pace in front of her and, as you know, you risk losing the pace the longer you get,” Brown continued. “A mile and one [nine furlongs] is probably going to be her limit. Sometimes you get a paceless Diana and sometimes you get one with a bunch of pace. I’ve won it in the back, middle and front.”

Finishing second in the Just a Game was Resolute Racing’s 8/5 favorite Excellent Truth, a Group 3 winner in France who placed in her third consecutive Grade/Group 1, having also been a bridesmaid in Keeneland’s Jenny Wiley [April 12] and Deauville’s Prix Rothschild [July 28].

“She had a challenging trip,” Brown reflected. “She was steadied in the first turn and lost about two lengths in position. I wanted to see her ahead of the horse that got ahead of her—that may have been a difference-maker for her. Then, of course, she got pinched wide and my other horse, the winner, went inside of her.

“My gut feeling is that she will be better on firmer ground,” he continued. “If I had more experience with her, I’d say it with more certainty. I also feel that with a better draw, she could be very effective in the Diana at a mile and an eighth. She lacks a little bit of turn-of-foot, where the extra distance might equalize things by getting out a little farther in distance. The mile and an eighth is a little bit more of a balance between cruising speed and quality.”

The biggest race of the weekend was naturally the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, where Brown had Amo Racing’s Hill Road go to post at 14/1 and place fifth, beaten 9 1/2-lengths under Irad Ortiz, Jr. In previous stateside runs, including thirds in both the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, as well as a workmanlike victory in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at the Big A, the UK import had failed to change leads. Saturday’s effort saw him fix that issue, but still come up short.

“Irad did well to roll him over there [change leads] early in the stretch and then he kind of ran even there down the lane; didn’t quicken as much as I would have liked,” Brown said. “I loved my trip and Irad had a plan and it really worked out great. We were hoping that we could have Sovereignty just ahead of us and follow him. I felt extremely confident that he was the horse to beat and I don’t know how he wasn’t the favorite. Looking at the sheet line and that he won the Derby fair and square, he always seemed like the best of this crop, but that’s neither here nor there. I got the trip I wanted following him and for a moment there I got excited because I had envisioned, the way I had handicapped the race, the two of them running down the stretch together. Irad had a handful of horse and Hill Road was engaged in the bit much earlier in the race on his heels. Then I blinked and Sovereignty was three or four in front and my horse was off the bridle. I did love the trip—no excuse—we’ll just have to regroup with him and see where he goes.”

Undercard winners General Partner, owned by Klaravich, and Asbury Park, owned by Peter Brant and St. Elias Stable, impressed over the weekend, as well. Plans are yet to be decided for those, but Brown was pleased with their efforts—especially the latter, a son of the great Frankel who bolted up by 3 1/2-lengths in a turf maiden over rain-soaked ‘good’ ground. The dark bay sophomore is another he has sourced from Tattersalls’ October Sale, going to $318,576 in 2023.

“We really thought a lot of Asbury Park last year and he had exited his [August 17, 2024] debut with very sore shins, so that’s why we kept him away so long,” Brown said. “We finally got him back and he was training fabulous. He sure didn’t mind a little cut in the ground, so I think he’s on to bigger and better things. He loved that soft going and will always love it, so that gives us options. I don’t see why he wouldn’t be as effective on firm turf, but I sure wouldn’t mind if we caught soft turf on a big race this year. He’ll get more distance, as well.”

General Partner blitzed seven furlongs in 1:2.54 in allowance company, winning his third race from four starts at the Spa.

“General Partner ran very well and caught a sealed track yesterday,” Brown continued. “He does like Saratoga a little better, but I don’t know. I need to see where it takes us.”

Lastly and perhaps most indicative of Brown’s weekend thus far was Klaravich’s immensely promising 3-year-old Strategic Focus, who earned a 102 Beyer when running greenly to finish first in a nine-furlong allowance-optional claimer on Friday. The $500,000 Keeneland September purchase was demoted to second for interference, elevating 4-year-old stablemate Malarchuk to victory. By Gun Runner out of a Curlin mare, stamina and seasoning will be his friends.

“We will probably run him in the [Listed] Curlin [presented by Casamigos on July 24],” Brown concluded. “If he does well there, we may take a shot in the [Grade 1 DraftKings] Travers [on Aug. 23]. He’s a fresh horse who’s run good figures. I wish he didn’t get a blemish on his record, but he hit him right-handed and he ducked from the whip. He’s a very exciting horse.”

Dorth Vader captures G1 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford

John Ropes’ Florida homebred Dorth Vader captured Friday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford at Saratoga Race Course, securing a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November at Del Mar.

Trained by George Weaver, the 5-year-old Girvin dark bay stalked and pounced under Hall of Famer John Velazquez en route to a 4 3/4-length victory over Dazzling Move and the favored Raging Sea. Dorth Vader’s 1:49.10 final time for the nine furlongs over the sloppy and sealed main track returned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure, just one tick shy of her figure for a head runner-up to subsequent Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Pretty Mischievous in the 2023 Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park.

Weaver said Dorth Vader exited her first top-level triumph in good order and will look to make the most of her “Win and You’re In” berth later this year.

“She came out of the race well,” said Weaver. “We’re just glad to win. The filly is very talented and those are hard races to win. So, everybody is delighted. I think she proved she can handle the distance. We answered that question. So, we will look to get to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.”

Dorth Vader’s prep races for the Distaff are to be determined, with one eye towards the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign on August 23 here, as of right now.

“I don’t want to overrun her. We ran her three times so far this year, probably looking at two races in-between, maybe three, depending. The Personal Ensign looks kind of interesting, since it’s right here and she ran well over the track” Weaver said. “But we will just let the filly tell us what to do.”

Dorth Vader was 8-1 versus a field that included Grade 1 winners Raging Sea and Randomized for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. Weaver believed Dorth Vader was sitting on a big effort, but the talented field and rainy day raised some questions.

“She has been training well, but we just never know. It’s not like a maiden race when you think you might have an edge. You just hope to get a good trip and get it done,” Weaver said. “She’s pretty sure footed and luckily she dealt with the track well.”

Dorth Vader, who entered from a troubled fourth in the Grade 1 La Troienne in May at Churchill Downs, improved to 15-5-2-1 with $893,218 in earnings.

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Book’em Danno charges home to win G3 True North

Atlantic Six Racing’s Book’em Danno, the New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year for 2023-24, powered past Mullikin in the final 70 yards to win a strong renewal of Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 True North on Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Derek Ryan, the 4-year-old Bucchero gelding entered from a close fourth in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Churchill Downs where only a neck and two heads separated the victorious Mindframe and runner-ups Banishing and next-out graded winner Nysos.

On Saturday, Book’em Danno exited post 5-of-7 under Paco Lopez and tracked a close third as Concrete Glory marked the half-mile in 44.72 seconds over the sloppy and sealed footing. Mullikin, last year’s Grade 1 Forego-winner, was in front at the stretch call but Book’em Danno quickened on the outside and found his best stride late to reel in his foe and score by 1 1/4-lengths in a final time of 1:14.64.

“He rode him perfect. Paco has been riding in a zone,” Ryan said. “He’s been wonderful riding this horse. He knows him well. I don’t tell him how to ride. He said before the race, ‘I’m going to take back and get to the outside.’”

Ryan said he wasn’t too worried about his charge sitting a little more than a length off swift splits.

“A little bit, but at the same time, the track, with the slop, was still a little bit speed favoring. That type of rider knows what they’re doing,” Ryan said.

Ryan said the 6 1/2-furlong distance gave him confidence that Book’em Danno could overcome the speedy Mullikin, noting that the only one-turn speed horse he’s concerned about in North America is trainer Doug O’Neill’s Grade 1 Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap-winner Raging Torrent.

“I was afraid of him [Mullikin] at six [furlongs] but this horse worked so good last week that I really wasn’t worried,” Ryan said. “The only horse I’ve been worried about the last year is O’Neill’s horse – he’s a beast. He’s a serious horse. That’s the only horse I’m afraid of in the country. Other than him, I don’t know if there’s a better sprinter than mine.”

Ryan said Book’em Danno exited the True North in good order.

“Like he didn’t even run. He ate up everything last night and looked a million dollars this morning,” Ryan said.

Ryan said he’ll spend some time with his horse before weighing up options for a next start. A local spot could be the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Forego on August 23 which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar.

“Seven is his trip. He didn’t kick in until the sixteenth pole [yesterday], that’s when he got to rolling,” Ryan said. “We’ll get him home and assess the situation and go from there.”

Bred by Gregory Kilka and Bright View Farm, Book’em Danno, out of the Ghostzapper mare Adorabella, has banked in excess of $1.3 million via a 14-8-3-1 record.

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GoFundMe organized for jockey Jackie Davis

A GoFundMe has been organized to support jockey Jackie Davis, who was injured in a spill on June 1 at Finger Lakes Racetrack in Farmington, N.Y.

Davis, the sister of NYRA-based riders Dylan and Katie Davis and daughter of NYRA-based-trainer and former rider Robbie Davis, is currently hospitalized and undergoing treatment for serious injuries, including two fractured ribs, three additional displaced rib fractures, multiple abrasions, a lacerated liver, facial trauma and an air pocket near her lung.

Davis faces a long road to recovery and will likely be out of work for three months.

To support Davis in her recovery, friends and fans are asked to donate via GoFundMe at this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-aid-jackies-courageous-recovery

In addition, both Katie Davis and Dylan Davis will be bartending at King’s Tavern, located at 241 Union Avenue directly across the street from Saratoga Race Course, from 7-9 p.m. tonight with all proceeds being donated to Davis’ recovery.

Jackie Davis, a multiple stakes-winning jockey, has won 953 races from 9,050 starts.

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