Saratoga Race Course Notes 7/9

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Saratoga Race Course Notes

Cathedral to ship in for G1 Dunkin’ Diana
Joseph, Jr. well represented in weekend stakes at Saratoga
Sippin Pretty, A Fine Chardonnay try G3 Victory Ride
Hen Party likely for G3 Coronation Cup

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – AMO Racing Limited’s Group 2-placed Cathedral is targeting the Grade 1, $500,000 Dunkin’ Diana, a nine-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares on July 18, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Kevin Philippart de Foy, a native of Belgium based in Newmarket, England, Cathedral finished a 1 3/4-length fourth at odds of 90-1 to the victorious Gezora in the 11-furlong Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar.

There, she tracked in fourth position under regular rider David Egan and advanced into third late in the turn with Gezora kicking into gear to her outside. Gezora overhauled the prominent She Feels Pretty to secure the win with Diamond Rain arriving late for show honors by a half-length over Cathedral, who stayed on gamely down the lane to stave off the onrushing Bedtime Story. Cathedral earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for her first stateside try.

“We were delighted. We were hoping for a run like that,” Philippart de Foy said. “I think she stayed the 11 [furlongs] really well and she loves fast ground. It was a great run. She outran her odds, but we were not surprised.”

Cathedral made her first five starts for trainer Ralph Beckett, including a first-out win on synthetic in September 2024 at Lingfield and Group 3 placings in the seven-furlong Oh So Sharp on the straight that October at Newmarket and the one-mile Prix Chloe last July at Chantilly.

She landed a 1 3/4-length fourth on debut for Philippart de Foy in the one-mile Group 1 Matron in September at Leopardstown two starts prior to her Breeders’ Cup try.

Cathedral is by Too Darn Hot, the European Champion 2-Year-Old Colt in 2018 and the European Champion 3-Year-Old Colt in 2019, who is also the sire of Title Role, winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 Belmont Derby for trainers Simon and Ed Crisford.

Philippart de Foy said Cathedral has shown improved form in three starts as a 4-year-old, topped by a prominent second in the Group 2 Dahlia at a straight nine-furlongs on May 3 at Newmarket. She arrives from a seventh-place effort in the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge at a straight mile on June 17 at Royal Ascot.

“Last time, the race wasn’t run to suit her, and she wasn’t in her comfort zone. So, we’ll just draw a line through that. We know she’s better than that,” Philippart de Foy said. “She hasn’t won a stakes race yet, but she’s been in the top-three a couple of times. If we can get her in the first three in a Grade 1 that would be fantastic.”

Egan is expected to retain the mount on Cathedral, who will ship to Saratoga this weekend.

Philippart de Foy is the son of Brigitte Jacques, a former jockey who spent 30 years in the saddle. He worked with a number of top trainers, including John Oxx, Criquette Head, James Fanshawe and the late Christophe Clement before going out on his own just over five years ago.

During his stint with Clement from late 2014 through early 2016, he was able to work with such stable stars as 2014 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes-winner Tonalist – who added NYRA circuit Grade 1 scores in 2015 in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Cigar Mile Handicap – and the talented Canadian-bred millionaire Hard Not to Like, who bested future Hall of Famer Tepin by a nose in the 2015 Diana.

“I remember working with a filly called Hard Not to Like, who won the Diana when I was there, so I’ve always had this race in mind,” Philippart de Foy said. “We had Tonalist then as well, so it was a good year for Christophe that year.”

Philippart de Foy indicated he could be back to the Spa later this summer with AMO Racing Limited’s Group 2-winner and dual Group 1-placed Ghostwriter for the Grade 1, $750,000 Christophe Clement Turf on August 15. The 12-furlong marathon for 3-year-olds and up, formerly the Sword Dancer, offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf in October at Keeneland.

“I was working for Christophe for a few years, and I learned quite a lot. It would be great for us to win that race,” Philippart de Foy said.

Ghostwriter, a 5-year-old Invincible Spirit bay, was trained through his first 11 starts by Clive Cox, capturing the Group 2 Royal Lodge at a straight mile in September 2023 at Newmarket to close out his 2-year-old campaign. He was winless in five sophomore starts, but never worse than fourth, including Grade 1-placings when third to the victorious City of Troy in the Coral Eclipse and Juddmonte International.

Last year, Ghostwriter made three starts topped by a 3 1/4-length third to the victorious Rebel’s Romance in the Group 2 Hardwicke last June at Ascot, while making his first start for AMO Racing Limited, who had recently purchased him for more than $2.7 million from the Goffs London Sale.

He was subsequently moved to the Philippart de Foy barn for his current campaign and last seen finishing off-the-board in the Wolferton on June 16 at Royal Ascot, while racing from nearly a one-year layoff.

“He had a long break and a decent run at Ascot, but he needed the run. He should improve from the run,” Philippart de Foy said. “He’s running at York in two weeks’ time in a Grade 2 [10-furlong York] and then the plan is to take him to the U.S. He has very good form against City of Troy and Calandagan earlier in his career. He’s had a couple of niggles but seems to be coming back to himself.”

Ghostwriter, out of the 2016 Listed Cheshire Oaks runner-up Moorside, has made $833,336 through a 12-3-0-3 ledger. His second dam, Marching West, is a full-sister to multiple Group 1-winner Zafonic – the 1992 Champion European 2-Year-Old Colt and winner of the following year’s Group 1 2,000 Guineas.

The Belgium native will have also have a keen eye on his national soccer team, who face Spain in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals on Friday after knocking out co-host USA on Monday.

“I don’t think I’m very welcome in the U.S. right now,” said Philippart de Foy, with a laugh. “We face a very tough task ahead of us. If we beat Spain, we could go on and be recommended for the win. Spain is a short enough price, and they deserve to be. There have been surprises, so perhaps we can create another one.”

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Michelob Ultra, the official beer sponsor of FIFA World Cup 26™, is hosting a series of FIFA World Cup 26™ Viewing Parties in partnership with Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service at Saratoga Race Course on Thursday, July 9 – Saturday, July 11; and Championship Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, July 18-19.

For more information about FIFA World Cup 26™ Viewing Parties, presented by Michelob Ultra and Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service, visit NYRA.com/soccer.

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Joseph, Jr. well represented in weekend stakes at Saratoga

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. will send out contenders in two of the three stakes this weekend at Saratoga Race Course, led by the pair of In Our Time and Movin’ On Up in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Caress, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older fillies and mares.

Resolute Racing and Miller Racing’s In Our Time is already a graded stakes-winner over this distance, taking the Grade 2 Giant’s Causeway two starts back under returning rider Flavien Prat on April 12 at Keeneland. The five-time winner enters from a fifth in the Grade 2 Intercontinental on June 4 over Saturday’s course and distance, running one-paced after stumbling at the start and rushing up to track in third, coming up three lengths shy of the victorious Roja. In Our Time earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“In Our Time stumbled out of the gate a little bit last time, and that kind of rattled her a bit to be rushed up to get to that spot,” Joseph, Jr. said. “She ran even, but from a Beyer perspective, it was pretty decent. From a visual standpoint, you’d say it was below her best.”

In Our Time won the both the Giant’s Causeway and her six-furlong debut in March 2024 at Gulfstream Park from off the pace, but each of her other wins have come with pace-setting and pace-pressing trips. Joseph, Jr. said the Keeneland effort gives him confidence that In Our Time can successfully adjust her running style if needed.

“She’s adaptable, and Keeneland was big because it was the first time she really showed that versatility,” Joseph, Jr. “We found out that’s a good asset to have, and it worked there that day, but it’s probably not her best angle and she still has to get better to do that consistently.”

In Our Time, who earned a Grade 1 placing when a pacesetting second to Segesta in Del Mar’s Matriarch in November, has banked $936,492 in total purse earnings through an 18-5-6-2 record. She will be guided from the outermost post 6 by Prat as the 5-2 morning line second choice.

The Not This Time 5-year-old will be joined in the starting gate by Kenneth Ramsey’s Movin’ On Up, who cuts back off a last-out fourth in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

A five-time winner from 19 tries, the 5-year-old Accelerate gray landed third in the Giant’s Causeway 3 1/4 lengths back of her stablemate in her first effort at less than one mile since her juvenile campaign in 2023. She ventured to the Spa last year to run a three-quarter-length third in one of two divisions of the restricted Listed De La Rose going one mile, and looks to add a second stakes win to her ledger after taking the Listed Sand Springs last March at Gulfstream.

“Her race at Keeneland was decent and then her last race at a mile was very good form wise,” Joseph, Jr. said, alluding to the top two finishers Classic Q and Portfolio Duration exiting that race to win respective Grade 1s in the Just a Game presented by Resolute Racing and the New York during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival here. “It was either the Caress or the De La Rose – this is graded and she’s already a stakes winner. You’d like to win either one, but this one would enhance her more. It’s a short field and we’re giving it a shot.”

Joseph, Jr. said he is interested to see Movin’ On Up sprint again.

“She handled it OK at Keeneland, and this has less horses and less traffic here, so hopefully it works out for her,” Joseph, Jr. said. “She’s very consistent, but she needs to break through and it’s possible she could this week.”

Tyler Gaffalione rides from post 2 [9-2ML].

On Friday, Joseph, Jr. has an outside chance in the Grade 3, $225,000 Victory Ride with Tessellate, who is 20-1 on the morning line in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies.

The Florida-bred daughter of McKinzie has raced once at this distance, resulting in a 13-length trouncing of the Juvenile Fillies Sprint in November at Gulfstream for her first stakes win. She followed with a win in the Gasparilla in January at Tampa Bay Downs ahead of a misfire in the Grade 3 Forward Gal at Gulfstream and a return to the winner’s circle in the state-bred Sophomore Fillies in March at Tampa.

Tessellate enters the Victory Ride from a 1 1/2-length second to returning rival Peach Tie in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 15 at Laurel Park. There, she tracked in third through the first half-mile and took a 1 1/2-length lead at the stretch call before being passed in the late stages.

Joseph, Jr. said the filly’s success at this distance is her best asset as she takes on a field that includes Grade 1 winners Tommy Jo and Iron Orchard, and impressive local Jersey Girl-winner Goodall.

“It’s a tough race – I didn’t expect it to have this much depth to it, but we’re going to give it a try,” Joseph, Jr. said. “She’s training well and acts happy, but she’ll need to step up big time to be competitive in this spot. Six and a half is a very good distance for her, and that’s one of the reasons we’re going to try it. Her numbers are behind, but this is her best distance so why not give it a try?”

Tessellate is campaigned by Magic Cap Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch, Castle Glen Farm, BAG Racing Stables, Jonathan Reinhardt and Thoroughbred Acquisition Group.

Dylan Davis rides from post 8.

Joseph, Jr. also provided an update on stable star White Abarrio, who was last seen finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster over nine furlongs of Churchill Downs’ sloppy and sealed main track. He entered that effort from a two-length victory over reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap in April.

Joseph, Jr. said the wet track was to blame for the flat effort, and that the 7-year-old son of Race Day is targeting the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 8 here, which is currently expected to host a star-studded field that includes Sovereignty, Grade 1 Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap-winner Nysos, Grade 1-winner Baeza and multiple Grade 1-winning filly Nitrogen, among others.

“Last race was obviously not the effort you want,” Joseph, Jr. said. “The track wasn’t our preference, but how do you scratch out of that kind of race? You disappoint everyone. We thought about scratching, but he was doing so good, so we said let’s find out. We know he’s not good on that kind of track, and he’ll never run on a sloppy track again, no matter what, because that’s three times now that he has not run good on it.

“It was an enormous amount of time from then to [the Whitney] if we had scratched, so no regrets about running,” he added. “We learned, he bounced out of the race well, and hopefully he’ll rebound and show his Oaklawn performance again.”

White Abarrio won the 2023 Whitney when trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr. en route to a triumph in that year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park. Campaigned by C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable, the evergreen gray has compiled a 27-11-3-3 record with more than $8.5 million in total purse earnings.

A new addition to the barn is debut maiden winner Caroline’s Girl, who was reportedly scouted by Mark Cornett of C2 Racing Stable for the ownership group of BAG Racing Stables, The White House Stables, WSS Racing and initial owner Blick Stables following her 8 1/4-length romp in a June 14 maiden at Lone Star Park when trained by George Bryant. She earned a 62 Beyer for the effort.

Joseph, Jr. said the daughter of Maximus Mischief is pointing to the Grade 3, $225,000 Adirondack for juvenile fillies sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on August 2.

“Caroline’s Girl was bought out of Texas. Mark Cornett found her for the ownership group and I thought she was very impressive when she won,” Joseph, Jr. said. “She got a fast Ragozin figure, so that was the emphasis on taking a shot on her. She’s just been galloping and we’ll work her soon and go from there.”

Out of the winning Untuttable mare Tut’s Treasure, Caroline’s Girl is a half-sister to multiple stakes-placed Mr. Kisses.

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Sippin Pretty, A Fine Chardonnay try G3 Victory Ride

Trainer Ian Wilkes will send out Sippin Pretty and A Fine Chardonnay in Friday’s Grade 3, $225,000 Victory Ride, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

Randall Bloch, Six Column Stables, Mike Davis and Gene Rice’s Sippin Pretty [post 1, Ricardo Santana, Jr., 20-1 ML] was a last-out sixth in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Eight Belles on May 1 at Churchill Downs. The Yaupon dark bay entered that spot from a second-out graduation in March at Gulfstream Park and a dominant 5 3/4-length optional claiming score in April at Keeneland. Both wins were at six furlongs, and Sippin Pretty was forwardly placed in each.

“She’s got to step up from her last race,” Wilkes said. “She didn’t perform too good in the Eight Belles. This is no easy spot, but we’ll get back going with her.”

Sippin Pretty, a $75,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, is a half-sister to stakes-placed Mr Bob out of the multiple stakes-winning Tizway mare Tiz Imaginary.

Philip Griesinger’s A Fine Chardonnay [post 9, Brian Hernandez, Jr., 12-1 ML] won the seven-furlong Grade 2 Beaumont two starts back in April at Keeneland, rallying to defeat returning foe Sneaky Good by three-quarter-lengths.

A Fine Chardonnay exited to finish fifth in the Listed Leslie’s Lady in June at Churchill Downs, which was her first off-the-board finish in her sixth career start. The Maclean’s Music bay won Keeneland’s Myrtlewood in October, and followed it up with stakes thirds in Churchill’s Fern Creek and Gulfstream’s Any Limit, the latter behind reopposing Mythical.

“She was just a little flat in her last race,” said Wilkes, who confirmed he plans to run both. “She’s bounced out of it well and she’s done really good since. They are both all good. They are coming into this race well.”

A Fine Chardonnay, an $85,000 purchase at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, is out of the winning Bernardini mare Andele, a half-sister to Grade 3-winner Northern Causeway.

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Hen Party likely for G3 Coronation Cup

Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Hen Party is likely for next Saturday’s Grade 3, $225,000 Coronation Cup, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Eoin Harty, the Into Mischief bay breezed a half-mile in 49.40 seconds on Tuesday over the Turfway Park synthetic in preparation for this race.

“This race is a very strong possibility, absolutely,” Harty said. “She worked on her own. She’s had a pretty steady campaign and she is not a lazy work horse. I try to keep her on her own so she doesn’t do too much. She worked very well and I’m just very happy with her.”

Hen Party was a last-out rallying 2 3/4-length second to the prominent Slay the Day in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly over course and distance on June 7. She previously was third to possible returning rival Cy Fair in the 5 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Mamzelle in April at Churchill Downs after winning the six-furlong Serena’s Song in March at Turfway.

“Hopefully, it is only a matter of time, please God, before she wins one of these,” Harty said. “It’d be nice if she could do it at Saratoga.”

Hen Party is out of the Harty-trained Grade 1-winning Street Boss mare Fair Maiden, who produced First Resort, winner of the 2024 Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club for these same connections.

Harty added that Grade 3-placed Golden Sunshine, a fellow Kentucky homebred for Godolphin, is possible for Saratoga’s Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls, for older fillies and mares going 12-furlongs over the turf on July 30 here.