Stable Mail Alert: 2yo Maiden Watch

--Steve Sherack

TDN’s Racing Editor Steve Sherack reveals a group of four well-bred 2-year-old maidens to keep an eye on this fall. You can follow Steve on Twitter at @SteveSherackTDN.

PRETENTIOUS (c, 2, Super Saver--Turkappeal {MSW & MGSP, $280,440}, by Turkoman) Lifetime Record: 1-0-0-1, $9,000. O-DP Racing LLC; B-Farfellow Farms Ltd. (KY); T-James Cassidy. *$200,000 2yo ‘14 OBSAPR. **1/2 to Pink Champagne (Awesome Again), GSW, $145,957; and Z Appeal (Ghostzapper), SW.
   Hailing from the first crop of red-hot leading freshman sire Super Saver, Pretentious stamped himself as a very promising prospect with an impressive stretch rally to finish third going 5 1/2 furlongs over the Del Mar Polytrack Sept. 3 (video). Not given much respect at the windows at 15-1 in his unveiling despite sporting a flashy win-early pedigree (mare was a 2yo stakes winner and has also produced two debut winners), Pretentious was outsprinted early in ninth through fractions of :22.14 and :45.37. Still with plenty to do as they straightened for home, the dark bay found another gear when finally switching over to his right lead in the stretch and finished like a rocket on the outside to come within five lengths of smart wire-to-wire winner All Indians (Latent Heat). The $200,000 OBSAPR graduate continued to run on impressively after the wire as well, galloping out past the top two finishers on the clubhouse turn. Pretentious returned to the worktab with an easy five-furlong move in 1:02 2/5 at Santa Anita Sept. 17 and has been entered in a 6 1/2-furlong dirt test in Arcadia Saturday. Would love to see him eventually stretch out over grass down the line.

PROVEN COMMODITY (c, 2, Bernardini--Sahara Gold {GSW, $248,742}, by Seeking the Gold) Lifetime Record: 1-0-0-0, $4,150. O/B-Darley (KY); T-Tom Albertrani. *1/2 to Better Lucky (Ghostzapper), MGISW, $1,018,950; 3/4 to Sahara Heat (A.P. Indy), GSW, $170,858.
   Overlooked at 28-1 in his Aug. 9 Saratoga debut (video), Proven Commodity certainly gave his backers a good run for their money. Flashing some decent early speed from third for a barn not known for cranking up its firsters, the Darley homebred was hung out four wide on the far turn and gave the well-meant firster Requite (Warrior’s Reward) (subsequently a well-beaten fourth in the GI Hopeful S.) a brief challenge in the stretch before tiring to finish fourth, beaten 7 1/2 lengths. Should move forwardly nicely with that one under his belt for his patient barn.

　
RED GUARD (c, 2, Bernardini--Rose of Summer, by El Prado {Ire}) Lifetime Record: 1-0-0-0, $3,750. O-Lane’s End Racing; B-Graceville Breeding (KY); T-Shug McGaughey. *1/2 to Laragh (Tapit), GISW, $581,877; and Summer Front (War Front), MGSW & MGISP, $874,140.
   The well-bred Red Guard--a half-brother to GI Hollywood Starlet heroine Laragh and classy turfer Summer Front--caught the eye with a debut fourth for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey going seven furlongs over the Belmont turf Sept. 13 (video). Void of any early speed, the 14-1 shot was out of the picture for most of the way through somewhat easy early fractions of :22.92 and :46.58 over the firm going. Swung out to the center of the course at the top of the lane, Red Guard finally got going in mid-stretch and finished up with huge strides while racing on his incorrect lead to come within 2 1/2 lengths of the winner. Red Guard has worked once since, firing a three-furlong bullet in :35.74 at Belmont Park Sept. 24. Couldn't be in better hands.

WAGING WAR (c, 2, War Front--Sidle, by Seeking the Gold) Lifetime Record: 2-0-0-0, $7,840. O-Columbine Stable LLC; B-Claiborne Farm (KY); T-Al Stall Jr. *$350,000 yrl ‘13 KEESEP.
    After making a flashy five-wide move on the far turn when a debut fourth at Saratoga Aug. 2 (video), Waging War certainly looked like he’d be on his way to graduating at second asking. The Aug. 23 (video) crowd at Saratoga agreed and he was well-backed as the 9-5 chalk, but he failed to deliver, reporting home a well-beaten fifth behind the GI Champagne S.-bound Bayerd (Speightstown) (he was already in deep water before altering course to avoid an ill-fated foe in the stretch). Produced by a winning half-sister to GI Woodford Reserve Turf Classic S. hero Stroll (Pulpit), a switch to grass should help this son of War Front reach his full potential. He’s been training up a storm over the Churchill Downs main track since, most recently firing a best-of-36 five-furlong bullet in 1:00 2/5 Sept. 22.

Stable Mail: A-Z (Part III)

TDN’s Racing Editor Steve Sherack takes a closer look at his stable mail account in this continuing series. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveSherackTDN.

PACIFIC (c, 3, Smart Strike): Steel-gray brought $1.8 million from Stonestreet Stables after posting a jaw-dropping bullet in :9 4/5 (video) at last year’s OBSMAR sale, but is yet to make it to the races. No works since five-furlong breeze at Palm Meadows in late November.

PLEASE EXPLAIN (f, 3, Curlin): Stamped herself as a serious filly with a powerful last-to-first six-length victory in Tampa’s Suncoast S. Feb. 1 (video) after breaking her maiden at fourth asking at Gulfstream Dec. 19. Another very promising runner for her red-hot sire.

REVOCATION (g, 4, Broken Vow): Posted a breakthrough wire-to-wire first-level allowance victory (100 Beyer) while making his first attempt for trainer Kelly Breen at Belmont last September (video), but failed to stretch his speed to two turns when a distant second in Delaware’s Barbaro S. most recently Oct. 9. Still awaiting his return to the worktab.

SCHOOLOFHARDROCKS (c, 3, Rock Hard Ten): Visually impressive come-from-behind debut winner going a mile over the Del Mar Polytrack Aug. 31 (video) continues to gear up for a return to the races at Santa Anita (worked 4f in :49 1/5 Feb. 2).  Subsequent GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hero New Year’s Day earned his diploma two races later while also covering the mile distance in 1:36 4/5. Amerman homebred from the David Hofmans barn was scratched from the GI FrontRunner S. at Santa Anita Sept. 28.

SCREEN GODDESS (f, 3, Giant’s Causeway): Well-bred George Krikorian homebred came from a mile out of it to post a very good-looking maiden win in her turf debut at Hollywood Dec. 21 (video). The long-striding half-sister to GISW Star Billing worked an easy five furlongs in 1:02 at Santa Anita Feb. 4.

SHADOW BANKING (c, 3, Harlan’s Holiday): Hailing from a very deep Dr. Chandler family, including grassy GISWs Dynaforce & Cetewayo, the $250k BESMAR graduate announced his presence with a jaw-dropping debut victory going long over the Belmont lawn Sept. 11 (video). He left himself with way too much to do in the GIII Pilgrim S. Oct. 6, and had to settle for a distant second behind stablemate Bobby’s Kitten. Nothing on the worktab since.

SHAKIN IT UP (c, 4, Midnight Lute): Will be the first to admit that I wasn’t a big fan of his during his abbreviated sophomore campaign, but he has certainly caught my attention following a pair of very good-looking victories in the seven-furlong GI Malibu S. Dec. 26 and the 1 1/16-mile GII Strub S. Jan. 18, respectively. Let’s see if he can keep it up as the distances continue to increase.

SHE’S A TIGER (f, 3, Tale of the Cat): Recently-crowned Eclipse champion is back with trainer Jeff Bonde’s So. California string after enjoying a well-deserved vacation at co-owner Mark Dedomenico’s Pegasus Training Center in Washington. Can’t wait to see her run again.

SILENTIO (h, 5, Silent Name {Jpn}): Very nice to see the strapping dark bay put it all together with a game tally over subsequent GII Ft. Lauderdale S. hero Summer Front in the GII Citation H. Nov. 29 (video) following a huge third-place finish at 31-1 in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile. The best is yet to come.

Stable Mail: A-Z (Part II)

TDN’s Racing Editor Steve Sherack takes a closer look at his stable mail account in this second installment of a continuing series. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveSherackTDN.

FAMOUS ALICE (f, 3, Kitten’s Joy): Punched home nicely to post a visually impressive debut win going six furlongs over the Hollywood grass Nov. 23, then reported home second-best as the chalk after mixing it up through hot fractions going down the hill in an optional claimer Jan. 19 (video). From the Tom Proctor barn.

FASCINATING (f, 3, Smart Strike): Hard to find a maiden with a better resume than her. Off since a rallying third while making her two-turn debut in the GI Chandelier S. at Santa Anita Sept. 28, Bodemeister’s little sister is yet to post a breeze for Baffert since Oct. 21.

FOOTSTEPSINBRONZE (IRE) (c, 3, Footstepsinthesand {GB}): Raced with a hot pace going down the hill in his Jan. 11 unveiling (video), and kept on battling in the stretch to come up only a half-length short. Promising runner for Simon Callaghan.

GAREN (c, 3, Street Cry {Ire}): Half-brother to Horse of the Year Invasor (Arg) took a major step forward in his second career attempt with blinkers added, doing all of the heavy lifting dueling on the front end through hot fractions and staying on nicely in the stretch to finish a respectable fourth in a salty maiden at Santa Anita Jan. 18 (video). In great hands with Peter Miller.

INDIANAPOLIS (c, 3, Medaglia d’Oro): Baffert trainee took the overland route to get it right with a good-looking come-from-behind win at first asking at Hollywood Nov. 24, then beat up on three rivals with a sharp performance in the six-furlong San Pedro S. Jan. 20 (video), good for a 97 Beyer. Finishes like he’ll handle more distance. Next stop: GII San Vicente S. Feb. 16.

INTERRUPTED (f, 3, Broken Vow): Half-sister to millionaire Alternation hasn’t exactly set the world on fire with her speed figures, but this Pin Oak homebred was certainly visually impressive in a pair of explosive come-from-behind tallies over the Laurel sod Sept. 27 & Oct. 25 (video) last term. In steady training at Palm Meadows with Graham Motion.

IRISH WHISPER (f, 4, Langfuhr): Promising NY-bred returned to the races in style with a razor sharp wire-to-wire allowance win at the Big A Jan. 26, her first start since a dismal grass attempt at Saratoga last summer. Awfully nice filly from the Jeremiah Englehart barn when she brings her best.

KID LIGHTNING (c, 4, Lemon Drop Kid): Half-brother to champion Stevie Wonderboy had some trips when under the care of Kiaran McLaughlin last term. Transferred to Chad Brown, the chestnut rallied smartly from far back into slow fractions to finish a close third at 11-1 in a grassy optional claimer at Gulfstream Jan. 11 (video), good for a career high 80 Beyer. Plenty of potential for this lightly raced 4-year-old.

LA MADRINA (f, 3, Tapit): Anxiously awaiting this well-bred half-sister to Verrazano (More Than Ready)’s career debut. Emory Hamilton homebred is in steady training with Shug at Payson.

LENT (c, 4, Pulpit): Fort Larned’s little bro stepped up with a smart maiden win at second asking with Lasix added when stretched to a mile in an 11-horse field at Churchill Downs last June (video). Trained by Ian Wilkes, the lightly raced 4-year-old is back in training at Palm Meadows.

MEAN SEASON (c, 4, Henny Hughes): Picked up by Jake Ballis for $150k at the KEENOV sale and transferred to Hall of Famer Bill Mott following a debut win at Laurel in September, the chestnut looked like an absolute steal, rolling to a jaw-dropping eight-length win in an optional claimer at the Big A Dec. 22 (video), good for a gaudy 105 Beyer. Forced to miss a Jan. 18 start with a fever.

OUR AMAZING ROSE (f, 3, Yes It’s True): Hard-pressed to find a more impressive debut winner at Saratoga last summer than her (video). The Repole/Pletcher runner ran five furlongs in :57.68, good for a 91 Beyer; her stablemate, subsequent GII Saratoga Special S. hero Corfu (Malibu Moon), covered the same trip in :58.27 two races earlier that day. Starting to gear up at Palm Meadows for her sophomore debut.

Click here for Part I of this series.

Stable Mail: A-Z

TDN’s Racing Editor Steve Sherack takes a closer look at his stable mail account (A-D) in this first installment of a continuing series. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveSherackTDN.

ABSTRACTION (c, 4, Pulpit): Lightly-raced My Meadowview Farm homebred disappeared following a troubled third (bumped start, checked clubhouse turn, wide move far turn, etc.) behind Code West in the GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill Downs last June (video). Was super impressive in his runaway Fair Grounds maiden win Mar. 13 and also overcame some adversity to annex the Federico Tesio S. as the heavy chalk at Pimlico Apr. 27; anxiously awaiting his return to the worktab.

ALL IN BLUE (c, 3, More Than Ready): Razor sharp debut winner at Belmont July 4 (video) failed to land a blow in either of his next two attempts in the GII Sanford S. July 21 or the GI Hopeful S. Sept. 2, both at the Spa. Starlight colorbearer may need a switch to grass to put it all together.

BAND OF JOY (h, 5, Bowman’s Band): Promising turf sprinter couldn’t have endured a worse trip before finishing up like a rocket (final eighth clocked in :10.84) when third in an optional claimer at Gulfstream Jan. 19 (video), his first attempt for Todd Pletcher after being purchased privately by Paul Pompa Jr. It would be an awfully quick turnaround, but he’s nominated for the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Feb. 1.

BARDSTOWN (r, 3, Stormy Atlantic): Highly-touted $400k KEEAPR graduate turned in a very promising rally to finish second in his six-furlong debut at Del Mar Aug. 25 (video) before hitting the sidelines. Looking forward to seeing this chestnut back in action as a sophomore; from the Bob Hess Jr. barn.

BEE BRAVE (GB) (f, 4, Rail Link {GB}): European invader stormed home powerfully from last off a lengthy layoff in her U.S. debut for trainer Simon Callaghan in a first-level Santa Anita allowance going a mile on the lawn Jan. 18 (video), her first attempt since posting a narrow debut win at Ayr back in August 2012. Stakes-quality runner.

CALISTOGA (f, 4, Speightstown): Couldn’t have been more impressive in a pair of powerful front-running tallies at Gulfstream last term Jan. 12 & Mar. 7. Slightly favored in a field of 13 in the GIII Eight Belles S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard (video), the chestnut was surprisingly placed toward the back of pack while racing on the outside after exiting from stall 13. She made a huge middle-move to reach contention while parked extremely wide on the far turn, and understandably ran out of gas late to finish a good fourth. Produced by a winning full-sister to GI Kentucky Derby hero Giacomo (Holy Bull) and a half-sister to MGISW Tiago (Pleasant Tap), the Donald Dizney colorbearer continues to train up a storm for Bill Mott at Payson Park.

CANDY BOY (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}): C R K Stable homebred finally put it all together at fourth asking with a powerful maiden win going two turns at Hollywood Nov. 22, then held on for runner-up honors behind champion Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) following a well-documented dramatic middle move in the GI CashCall Futurity Dec. 14 (video). Legit GI Kentucky Derby hopeful for John Sadler.

CANDY DANDY (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}): Immediately caught the eye with a jaw-dropping debut win over a salty group at Churchill Downs June 30 (video)--including subsequent GIII Sapling S. hero Dunkin Bend (Dunkirk) and recent GII Holy Bull S. runner-up Conquest Titan (Birdstone)--but failed to live up to the billing with a disappointing fifth as the even-money chalk in the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 11. Had a chip removed since and has been training steadily for SteveAsmussen at the Fair Grounds.

CAN’THELPBELIEVING (IRE) (c, 3, Duke of Marmalade {Ire}): Turned in a serious late rally (final eighth in :11.58) to get the money going long at third asking with blinkers/Lasix added at Gulfstream Jan. 11 (video). Very promising grass runner for the always dangerous Graham Motion barn.

COACH INGE (c, 3, Big Brown): Nothing seemed to go right after an early bobble for this Repole/Pletcher representative as the 7-5 chalk in his seven-furlong Gulfstream unveiling Dec. 19 (video). Made a menacing sweeping move on the far turn before running out of gas in the stretch to finish a well-beaten fourth; should move forward nicely with that one under his belt.

CONSTITUTION (c, 3, Tapit): Had every right to pack it in after rushing up into hot fractions after missing the break, but battled on gamely in the stretch to earn his diploma at first asking going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Jan. 11 (video). Produced by a stakes-placed half-sister to GI Forego S. hero Emcee (Unbridled’s Song), the $400k FTSAUG graduate tops a very long list of promising sophomores for Pletcher.

DANCE WITH FATE (c, 3, Two Step Salsa): Along with colleague Brian DiDonato, I’ve been a big fan/supporter of the 2009 G2 Godolphin Mile hero’s first crop of runners. Trained by Peter Eurton, Dance With Fate showcased his ability with a pair of runner-up finishes at the top level last term, and he recently took his game to another level with a switch to grass, closing smartly into slow early fractions in an $80k optional tagger at Santa Anita Jan. 24 (video).

DANZA (c, 3 Street Boss): An eye-catching rallying third from along the fence in his second career start when last seen in the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 11 (video), the Eclipse colorbearer is currently on the comeback trail at Palm Meadows.

Early Breeders' Cup Selections...

-Steve Sherack
  
We’re 18 days out from the Breeders’ Cup and Steve Sherack is already chomping at the bit to head to the windows. Here are some of his early selections for the two-day Championships at Santa Anita.

Classic: Flat Out
   Still going strong at the age of seven, the hard knocking Flat Out (Flatter) merits a very long look at a hefty price in the Classic. The bay’s third-place finish behind Fort Larned and Mucho Macho Man in last year’s renewal is much better than it looks on paper--finished third, beaten seven lengths, with a very wide trip over a speed favoring Santa Anita surface. He may’ve bounced a bit (finished a well-beaten third as the 5-2 favorite) when attempting a remarkable GI Jockey Club Gold Cup three-peat following a tough second to loose-on-the-lead winner Alpha in the Saratoga slop off a layoff in the GI Woodward S. Aug. 31. Flat Out’s run some awfully fast races this term--116 Beyer in GIII Westchester win; 107 Beyer in GII Suburban H. tally; and a 109 Beyer when beaten a head in the aforementioned Woodward--and it’s hard not to be looking for someone to pick up the pieces in a race that figures to produce a wicked early pace. More than capable of getting his picture taken if he’s on his game. Note: the last three winners of the Classic--Fort Larned, Drosselmeyer & Blame--all entered off in-the-money finishes in the Gold Cup.

Distaff: Authenticity
   Well into her 6-year-old season, Padua Stable’s Authenticity (Quiet American) remarkably continues to still show signs of improvement. The bay arguably ran a better race in defeat than victorious champion Beholder did over a speed-favoring strip in the GI Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita Sept. 28, coming from the back, and making a strong middle-move into slow fractions as that one was allowed a very easy early lead. Authenticity has never been better (earned a career high 104 Beyer in the Zenyatta), and she should get a much more level playing field with a faster pace very likely in the Distaff. She should fall well under the radar here, especially if the streaking sophomore Princess of Sylmar decides to make the trip to California. Extra sixteenth of a mile can’t exactly hurt her chances, either.

Juvenile: Strong Mandate
   Willing to give the impressive GI Hopeful S. winner Strong Mandate (Tiznow) another shot if the price is right (there’s no reason to believe that it won’t be, right?) in the Juvenile following his puzzling seventh in the GI Champagne S. at Belmont Oct. 5. The well-bred son of millionaire Clear Mandate (Deputy Minister) just never seemed interested from the git-go that day, and reported home 10 1/4 lengths adrift the unbeaten Havana. Expect the handsome bay to be a lot closer to the pace in his two-turn bow at Santa Anita with a likely rider change. If stablemates Will Take Charge, Oxbow, and Skyring have taught us anything this season, it’s that the Lukas runners are quite capable of bouncing back with big performances following well-beaten defeats. 

Juvenile Fillies: She’s a Tiger
   The distance is an obvious major concern, but if Hall of Famer Gary Stevens can save enough in the tank for the stretch, the speedy She’s a Tiger (Tale of the Cat) has the talent to see this thing out. The long-striding 3/4-sister to classy sprinter Smiling Tiger (Hold That Tiger) ran her heart out in a narrow defeat when negotiating two turns for the first time in the GI Chandelier S. over this course Sept. 28, and she should certainly move forward with that experience under her belt if her best-of-50 five-furlong bullet in :57.80 at Santa Anita Oct. 13 is any indication.

F/M Sprint: Book Review
   Gary and Mary West colorbearer Book Review (Giant’s Causeway), a very impressive heroine of the GII A Gleam H. at Hollywood in July, was really struggling with the track in the early going of the GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga Aug. 23, and she still came charging home to fall only a head short of Dance to Bristol. She’s done very little wrong in three prior tries at Santa Anita (3-1-2-0), including a narrow tally over Reneesgotzip and My Miss Aurelia in the 2012 GI La Brea S., and she figures to get plenty of pace to run into here. Produced by an unraced half-sister to GISW Irish Smoke, Book Review has been training up a storm for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert since returning home (six furlong bullet in 1:12.80 at SA Oct. 7), and has run some of her best races when fresh. Very hard to knock.

Second Chances...

-Steve Sherack

While Arnold Zetcher’s Spring Moon (f, 2, Zensational) stamped herself as an exciting prospect for the upcoming juvenile stakes races courtesy her powerful four-length debut win at Del Mar July 21 (video), several of the also-rans from that salty heat have plenty of potential as well.

Assigned the dreaded one hole, West Point firster Tacit Approval (Tapit) ran a good one to hold the second slot after chasing the winner throughout. Hustled by Victor Espinoza to keep up in second through an opening quarter in :22.89, the 5-1 chance was guided to the outside as she took a run at the leader on the turn for home, and while proving no match, Tacit Approval stayed on gamely to hold her position by a half-length despite switching to her left lead down the lane. Produced by the talented racemare Punch Appeal (Successful Appeal)--heroine of the Delta Princess S. and Pocahontas S.--the bay brought $320,000 at the Barretts March Sale. Tacit Approval is trained by Craig Dollase.

The well-bred Fascinating (Smart Strike), a $1.3-million KEESEP yearling purchase, also showed plenty of promise while finishing a close third in her unveiling. Sent off at 7-2, the half-sister to GI Arkansas Derby hero and GI Kentucky Derby/GI Preakness S. runner-up Bodemeister (Empire Maker) broke well from her outside draw and chased from third. Sent three-wide into the stretch, Fascinating was re-guided to the inside of Tacit Approval and ran on well to narrowly outkick 6-5 chalk Southern Sunshine (High Cotton) for show honors. The Bruce Lunsford and Hill ‘n’ Dale colorbearer is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

Richard Pell’s Southern Sunshine, meanwhile, should certainly benefit with that run under her belt. Conditioned by defending Del Mar leading trainer Peter Miller, the $340,000 OBSMAR graduate was bumped hard at the break and recovered nicely to settle in sixth. The half-sister to Den’s Legacy (Medaglia d’Oro), GSW & GISP, $405,600, began to make her move from the back as they straightened for home. With Joe Talamo aboard, Southern Sunshine swung wide into the stretch, and finished with interest to come within 4 3/4 lengths of the victress.

Satirical (Distorted Humor), produced by a half-sister to champion Funny Cide, was a late scratch after running off during the post parade. The $420,000 KEESEP yearling purchase is trained by Richard Mandella.

The final time for the 5 1/2-furlong contest over the Polytrack was 1:04.31. Spring Moon, also trained by Baffert, earned a 70 Beyer Speed Figure for the victory. She returned a generous $13.80 to win.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveSherackTDN

NY Watch List

TDN’s Racing Editor and handicapper Steve Sherack reveals his latest list of horses-to-watch on the NYRA circuit. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveSherackTDN

ANTONE SUAVEY: Finally broke through with a maiden win at ninth asking, and following a troubled start at $20k, outran his 19-1 odds with a very respectable fourth-place finish at $16k on quick notice. Hard to dismiss at a price versus a similar bunch of grass sprinters.

BALANCE THE BOOKS: Flashed plenty of potential on the grass as a juvenile--including a strong third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita--and just never looked comfortable in a pair of Triple Crown preps on the Poly earlier this spring. Got back on track on the lawn with a rallying third after being compromised by a slow early pace in the Solar Splendor S. at Belmont July 13. Loves the grass course at the Spa (won the GII With Anticipation S. as a maiden last term); GII National Museum of Racing Hall Of Fame S. Aug. 9 seems like a perfect fit.

BILL OF RIGHTS: Claimed by Steve Asmussen for $20k off Eoin Harty back in April, the full brother to Colonel John never fired in a $30k maiden claimer after a stumbling beginning in his first attempt for his new connections at Churchill June 16. Returned to $20k, the bay exploded with second-time Lasix, running away to an impressive front-running tally over the Belmont grass July 13, good for a career high 70 Beyer. Can handle a bump up the ladder for sharp barn.

MAGNIFICENT SHIRL: Continues to pile up excuses in each of her three starts since transferring to the Michelle Nihei barn. Up against it while trailing a field of six in the seven-furlong Diamondrella S. through easy fractions of :23.64 and :46.88, and veered in sharply once finally uncorking in the stretch. Ran much better than that fourth-place finish looks on paper.

MENTOR CANE: A debut second behind the talented Flashback (Tapit) at Hollywood in December, the son of Mizzen Mast fired fresh off the bench with a visually impressive five-length graduation at Belmont July 6, good for a 97 Beyer. Geared down late after flashing :44.66 speed to boot; very promising sophomore for the relocated Shirreffs barn.

SHARPANDWITTY: New York-bred needed 11 tries to exit the maiden ranks, but ran a big one against open company in her first attempt against winners after getting bumped at the break. Did all of the heavy lifting on the front end with company that day, and reported home a clear-cut second at 10-1. Has longshot appeal for low-profile connections.

SUPREME COMMANDER: Made a solid middle-move from the back of the pack while racing very wide in his unveiling behind the impressive Touchofstarquality at Belmont July 6. Son of the lawnmower Perfect Sting should move forward nicely with that well-beaten fourth-place finish under his belt for the very patient John Shirreffs.

YOU SO SMART: Not exactly Rosie Napravnik’s shining moment aboard this New York-bred last time. Making her grass/route debuts and receiving first-time Lasix for the dangerous Maker barn, the daughter of Jade Hunter was bumped at the break, and was hard-held in fifth through a very easy half mile in :50.96. The 8-1 shot remained all dressed up with nowhere to run throughout the stretch until finally finding some room late to finish fifth, beaten only 1 3/4 lengths. Will be very tough with a clean trip next time.

Click here to see who made the July 1 NY Watch List.

Salty Juvenile Maiden Loaded With Potential

-Steve Sherack

While Stop Smiling (f, 2, It’s No Joke)--a half-sister to MGISW Weemissfrankie (Sunriver)--stamped herself as one to watch with an impressive debut victory (video) for Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer on the Hollywood Gold Cup undercard (good for a 73 Beyer), several also-rans in that five-furlong contest should be kept on the radar screen as well.

Considering the deep field that day, it was quite surprising to see the runner-up, a first-time starter from the low-profile Art Sherman barn, take as much money as she did to go off as the 7-2 second choice. They knew, apparently, and Abide in Me (Tiz Wonderful), a $50k OBSAPR purchase, ran to the money and lived up to her morning works with a strong effort to finish 1 1/2 lengths adrift the victress after receiving a perfect stalking trip.

The third-place finisher, L T Reckless (Henny Hughes), also put on a pretty good showing. Sent off at 10-1, the $50k KEESEP yearling broke like a shot from post eight, zipped through fractions of :22.24 and :45.61, and just got a little bit leg weary late to get tagged for second by a neck. She is trained by Doug O’Neill.

Secret Compass (Discreet Cat), a $425k OBSMAR graduate, was favored at 9-5 from the mighty Bob Baffert barn after firing a four-furlong bullet in :47 1/5 at Santa Anita June 30. Outsprinted early, the Westrock Stables colorbearer had plenty to do as they entered the far turn, and really started to figure it out in deep stretch to finish a very promising fourth, beaten only 2 1/4 lengths.

Savings Account (Medaglia d’Oro), trained by Tom Proctor, also ran like a horse that should move forward with a race under her belt. The $310k KEESEP acquisition broke inward into a rival at the start, and was also checked slightly shortly thereafter. She saved ground throughout near the back of the pack, and showed mild late interest to report home a respectable fifth, beaten 3 1/2 lengths. Savings Account is the second foal from the stakes-winning and graded stakes placed Unbridled’s Song mare Wild Hoots.

Trainer Peter Miller is always dangerous with his youngsters, and he extended to $280k to land Spy Girl (Discreet Cat) on behalf of Richard Pell at this year’s OBSAPR sale. The bay took good money at 7-2--worked a bullet five furlongs in :59 2/5 at BHP June 28--and pressed the early leader from second for most of the way before tiring in the stretch to finish sixth. Expecting a much better effort from that speedy filly as well next time.

With the prestigious Del Mar meeting right around the corner, it should be fun to see how this group stacks up as the waters get deeper.

NY Watch List

TDN’s Racing Editor and handicapper Steve Sherack reveals his first horses-to-watch list for the upcoming action at Belmont and Saratoga this summer.

BOURBON TWIST: Visually impressive debut winner at Saratoga last summer has disappointed in a pair of paceless races since returning from the shelf in April, including a May 19 effort over a saturated Belmont turf course. New York-bred from the Chad Brown barn can get back on track with the proper set-up.

CAPO BASTONE: Unlike Pletcher stablemate Forty Tales, he was unable to overcome the speed-favoring strip on the GI Belmont S. undercard in the GII Woody Stephens S. Training well for a switch to grass--4f in :49.21 BEL (IT) June 23 and 4f in :49.20 BEL (IT) June 30--and certainly has the pedigree/proper running style [Street Boss half-brother to GIII Regret S. runner-up C J’s Leelee (Mizzen Mast)] to take to the green stuff. Best two races have come over the Del Mar Polytrack and Churchill main track, which both play kindly to grass types.

CAPTAIN GAUGHEN: His overall record isn’t pretty, but this son of Disco Rico has really stepped up his game since kicking off his sophomore campaign with a runaway maiden win at eighth asking against older horses May 24. Left himself a little bit too much to do after racing in 12th for most of the way in the New York Stallion Spectacular Bid S. June 30, and held his own with a strong second-place finish behind the back-classy West Hills Giant. Never been better.

FOREVER FOR ALWAYS: Frost Giant filly took a major step forward with a switch to grass to outrun her 19-1 odds with a solid third-place finish at the Big A Apr. 5. Can fire fresh off the bench versus state-breds for low-profile outfit.

GO ON MURT (IRE): Euro-import ran a big fifth after racing a bit headstrong early and enduring a wide trip in a key heat while making his U.S. bow at Belmont June 2, then flashed good speed and stayed on stubbornly in the stretch when just tagged for second on the turn back to seven furlongs June 27. Third try will be the charm versus a similar bunch of $35k beatens.

IRISH WHISPER: New York-bred looked like a future stakes horse while beating up on a big field in her unveiling at Belmont May 5, then had plenty of excuses (lunged at break/wide trip) when a well-beaten sixth after making a solid middle-move in her first attempt versus winners as the heavy favorite June 12. Langfuhr filly deserves another chance.

RED SUPREME: Made up some nice ground after getting a bit roughed up at the start in his grassy unveiling at Gulfstream for Tom Bush to finish a quietly good fourth at 63-1, then switched to the Mike Miceli barn to place a rallying fourth after receiving somewhat of a questionable ride most recently May 4. Waiting patiently for his return.

SUNLOVER: Needed six tries to exit the maiden ranks last term, but really turned it on nicely late in the year, capped by a solid third-place finish at 30-1 in the Super Mario S. at Belmont Nov. 23. Transferred to trainer Eddie Kenneally for his sophomore season, the GoldMark colorbearer never got a chance to run while a nightmare fifth--beaten only two lengths--going six furlongs on the Belmont lawn June 23. Should take a nice step forward with that one under his belt.

TOWN EXTENSION: Fipke homebred showed some promise at two, but has failed to take the next step forward with a pair of disappointing efforts over wet tracks this term. A switch to grass may be all that this son of Speightstown from the extended family of Warning Zone and We Can Seek (Chi) needs to finally put it all together.

YOUR LION EYES: From the dangerous Michael Mareina barn, this Lion Heart filly flashed some potential while making her debut in a grassy $25k maiden claimer. Last of 12 after missing the break, the 4-year-old came alive in the stretch to report home an educational sixth, beaten only 4 3/4 lengths. Looking good.

Battle at the Breeders' Cup: Saturday

 

DAY 1 RESULTS: SS: Got blanked on day one, but had some pretty decent runs for my money out of Marketing Mix, Include Me Out and Sweet Shirley Mae. A lot more confident in my picks today, but have already started working on DiDonato to wire me some money after his big score in the Juvenile Fillies Turf just in case. Wagered: $315. Returned: $0. Net: -$315.

BD: The day started off the way it usually does for me in these contests--with a scratch. Steve and I agreed that any scratched horse’s win bet would be divided among the day’s other picks without going over the max bet, so I had an extra $5 to win on Flotilla ($205 total) because of Super Ninety Nine. The Juvenile Fillies Turf helped make it a pretty successful day, but I couldn’t connect with much else. Steve’s got plenty of ammo left, so it figures to be an exciting Saturday. Wagered: $730. Returned: $2542. Net: +$1812. 

JUVENILE TURF - SS: Should get fair value on local hopeful Gervinho, who punched home nicely to secure course-and-distance Zuma Beach. Everything Gaines sends out is pretty live right now. Play: $50.

BD: Fantastic Moon reminds me a bit of Wrote from last year, and he's the type of Euro I look for--great late kick and has already gone a mile, plus it seems like he likes firm turf. He had a bit of an excuse in the Royal Lodge. Gervinho is also interesting. Play: $150.

F/M SPRINT - SS: With an aggressive ride by Leparoux, the rapidly improving Dust and Diamonds can be very dangerous if she stays out the seven furlongs. Impossible to knock deserving chalk Groupie Doll; Rumor is my wise-guy horse for underneath. Play: $200.

BD: Groupie Doll's just supposed to win this, so I'm not going to invest much trying to beat her, but Switch is probably the best value. Everyone knows she's a better sprinter and her last three works look very upbeat. Play: $10.

DIRT MILE - SS: Fed Biz looked like one of the more promising sophomores this winter before hitting the sidelines. Ran his eye-balls out in El Cajon win off the layoff, and may’ve still been feeling the effects of that when third as the chalk in the Indiana Derby. Rail Trip interests me a little at a price here, too. Play: $200.

BD: A pace collapse seems likely. Rail Trip turns back off a pair of wide journeys, and should sit in a good stalking spot. Play: $60.

TURF SPRINT - SS: Haven’t had much luck in this race since its inception, and have no choice but to back Corporate Jungle after chasing him in his last two. Hoping the turn back in distance does the trick. Expecting/hoping for a much better price than 6-1. Play: $50.

BD: I spent forever trying to come up with a solid opinion in this race, but had no such luck--it's just too hard. Going with Unbridled's Note before I change my mind again. Play: $30.

JUVENILE - SS: Thought Capo Bastone was the real deal after his visually impressive maiden win at Del Mar, and he’s had absolutely no luck in two subsequent attempts at the top level. Today is the day. Play: $100.

BD: I really liked He's Had Enough's debut, and don't think he's had a fair chance to run in his last two. Gets first dirt and has a bullet work over the surface--better than the 30-1+ he’ll be. Play: $30.

TURF - SS: No strong opinions here, and was very unimpressed with how morning-line favorite Point of Entry looked on the track the other morning. Small play on longshot Cogito, who has every right to move forward off disappointing fourth in U.S. debut off layoff. Play: $20.

BD: The Bris speed figure Trailblazer earned for his runner-up effort in the Arroyo Secco Mile makes him look very tough here at what's his preferred trip. Same trainer as Arc runner-up Orfevre, and might help soften the blow of that tough beat. Play: $140.

SPRINT - SS: Not much of a secret who I’ll be backing in this wide-open contest if you read today’s feature on The Lumber Guy. Wasn’t crazy about him on paper, but including Gantry if he’s a big enough price after watching him train Thursday. Play: $100.

BD: I'm not sure there's as much speed as you'd expect in a renewal of the BC Sprint, and Trinniberg's pace figures put him clearly on the lead--especially with the added blinkers. His best races are just about good enough to win this. Play: $115.

MILE - SS: Obviously loves the course and will be extremely hard to pass on an uncontested early lead. Come and catch me. Play: $200.

BD: Moonlight Cloud might have been better than Excelebration in the Marois, and she's been pointing to this race for a while--it's a pretty short turnaround for the latter. Play: $140.

CLASSIC - Fort Larned has run races quick enough to win this, and I’m willing to give him a pass for third-place finish in the Gold Cup. Reminds me a lot of 2010 Classic hero Blame. Play: $265.

BD: Game On Dude will take some beating, but as crazy as it might sound in his 18th start, I think Mucho Macho Man might have enough improvement left in him to pull off the upset. Play: $95.

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Battle at the Breeders' Cup: Friday

JUVENILE SPRINT SS: Just not sold on the two likely favorites in the opener. Sweet Shirley Mae has every right to stick it to the boys after a big second to the talented So Many Ways in the Spinaway after checking out of the race in the early going. Training like a monster since gate scratch in the Frizette. Play: $75.

BD: I'm kind of amazed this race didn't draw more horses--think about all the maiden winners out there who would look interesting in this spot. Super Ninety Nine might appreciate the one-furlong cutback and his stablemate who was behind him in their respective debuts was impressive last Saturday. Play: $20.

MARATHON - SS: Why is this a Breeders’ Cup race again? The versatile Juniper Pass sports a graded win going 1 1/2m in the Santa Anita slop, and has also delivered in a grassy graded stakes at this distance last April. Two decent performances since a freshening and lures Frankie to take the mount. Bombs away. Play: $15.

BD: There seems to be a direct inverse between talent and ability to win a marathon race, so I'm not sure how useful traditional handicapping techniques are. I think I watched a replay of Almudena's last dirt race, I think I was looking at the right horse and I think she had a little bit of trouble. Play: $10.

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF - SS: Like the majority of Friday’s Breeders’ Cup program, I’m just not in love with anything in this spot. Will swing for the fences with European invader The Gold Cheongsam, who is listed at 20-1 on the morning-line. Reeled off three straight in Britan before a luckless 11th in the prestigious Cheveley Park. Has a seasoning advantage over her rivals making her eighth start here, and stretches to a route for the first time off a decent third in the Tattersalls Millions Trophy. Far from impossible. Play: $25.

BD: Flotilla is my type of European import--a late runner who figures to take to a firmer U.S. style course. I love that both her dam and half-sister came here and won stakes races in their first stateside starts--her dam did it as a 2-year-old in the GIII Miesque S. at Hollywood. Nancy O's sneaky and I can't toss my old pal Summer of Fun for sanity's sake, but Flotilla offers the best value considering how likely a winner I think she is. Play: $200.

JUVENILE FILLIES - SS: Prefer Dreaming of Julia over Executiveprivilege in this East vs. West showdown, but what fun would that be touting a 5-2 shot in this thing? Spring in the Air has been visually impressive in her two wins over the synthetic, ran a bang-up second to her stablemate in her lone grass try in the Natalma, and can make some noise at a price if able to handle the transition to dirt. Play: $50.

BD: Isn't this race destined to completely collapse? Not crazy about the favorites here either, though wish there were more options to oppose them with. Dirt's a bit of a question for Spring in the Air, but it looks like she worked in company with Uncaptured at Churchill Oct. 20, and that colt romped in last Sunday's GIII Iroquois under the Twin Spires. She won't be 15-1, but she'll still offer some value. Play: $100.

F/M TURF - SS: I’ve been on the Marketing Mix train since day one, and I’m not getting off now. Another performance like her dominating win over the course-and-distance Rodeo Drive gets the money here. Play: $100.

BD: I had a hard time separating the European-trained runners, but landed on Nahrain. Her best Euro form from last year matches up with The Fugue's, and I'm inclined to expect some regression for Ridasiyna off her Prix de l'Opera romp. In my mind I seemed to remember that I'm a Dreamer had a tougher trip than Nahrain in the Flower Bowl, but upon further inspection, I think the ground loss Nahrain suffered was far more significant than the minimal traffic trouble I'm a Dreamer had. I'll spread pretty deeply here in the pick four, but Nahrain's my value play. Play: $100.

LADIES CLASSIC - SS: In what may go down as one of the greatest Breeders’ Cup fields ever assembled, I’m shooting for an upset. What’s wrong with Include Me Out at 15-1? The two-time Grade I winner absolutely loves Santa Anita (6-3-1-1), and had no chance of catching Love and Pride after those glacial early fractions over a speed-favoring surface in the Zenyatta. Will have more than enough pace to run at here and is classy enough to hang with the big girls, especially on her home court. Play: $50.

BD: Royal Delta is deserving chalk and one of my favorite horses ever, but she does occasionally run clunkers. Questing should be a clear second choice, but won't be. Her speed is super deadly and her narrow loss to My Miss Aurelia in the Cotillion was due to one of the most anti-speed biases I've ever seen. Play: $300.

Showdown at the Spa Wrap-up

 

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DiDonato: Monday - Draw Two put in a big late run to be a clear second-best in the first race--I still think he’ll be decent once he gets blinkers and more experience. Felt good that Pletcher was getting bet off the board in Steve’s race, but the money the Schettino runner took may have been more telling, and he dueled Stage Street into submission to protect my lead. Was ready to throw in the towel less than halfway into this thing, but glad Steve kept on firing and I was able to come up with a few winners at the right time for big bets. I think we complemented each other’s styles well. Of my winners, all were maidens and only two had ever run before--both were trying turf for the first time. Steve, meanwhile, did his best work with horses who had more established form. This could have easily gone either way, and I think it’s pretty impressive that we both ended up with a profit--it’s much harder than it looks without seeing odds and scratches and when you’re looking for horses who make for interesting write-ups. Great job, Steve. I look forward to our next showdown.

Sherack: Monday - Even if my top pick Stage Street kept on going after those torrid early fractions of :21.80 and :44.68, how unbearable would it have been to see him get DQ’d for wiping out nearly the entire field at the start? Kicking myself once again for not going with my first alternate, who easily defeated DiDonato’s top pick in the opener, but can only tip my cap at this point to my game rival for a job well done after trailing by nearly $800 through the first two weeks of action. Really tried to drop the hammer on him while I was up big, but I just couldn’t finish him off. I still turned a profit for the meet whichever way you crunch the numbers, and if not anything else, I hope we were at least entertaining, especially through our epic stretch duel during the final week. Showdown at the Inner Track, here we come! Hahaha...

 

Showdown at the Spa: Day 40

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We have given our two TDN crack handicappers, Brian DiDonato and Steve Sherack, a mythical $1000 bankroll and told them they can bet no more than 5% of that on any given day at Saratoga on a straight win bet. The winner, at the end of the meet, gets $100 in a TVG betting account, along with bragging rights until next July.

DiDonato: Sunday - Another lead change! How exciting has this been? Well-backed Cue the Moon overcame tons of adversity to score first out at a well-bet 4-1. Anybody want to give me odds on her for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies? She might be the real deal going longer. So it all comes down to this... Steve and I have been discussing our picks and bet sizes beforehand every day mostly so there’s no overlap, but for today, we’re doing it blind to keep things fair. It would be a lot easier for me to know what I should do to try to protect my small lead if I knew who he was picking, but that’s no fun. Hopefully I don’t do something stupid. Good luck, Steve. Either way, this has been really fun and I’m proud of how well we’ve both done.

Monday - Race 1 - Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT - #5 Draw Two (7-2)
   Draw Two was supposed to be the horse I took my big stand with when he was entered in a similar spot Aug. 11, but Steve and I were at the track that weekend, so rain inevitably forced things off the grass. I’ve been waiting to bet him back ever since, and this would be a fitting spot to do it. Here’s my analysis from last time--nothing has changed on that front obviously. What’s probably more important today is the logic behind the size of my bet and expected price of my pick--there’s some interesting game theory at work here. First off, obviously the correct amount to bet is the most possible without losing the lead if Steve scratches through all his picks somehow. He’s never going to bet a small enough amount or pick a short enough price that I’d be able to protect my lead by just betting $2 if he hits. My first inclination was that I needed to pick a bomb to protect against the possibility of Steve going for a big price, but he usually goes for horses in the 2-1 to 5-1 range, so I don’t really see him going for a double-digit runner this time--especially when it’s a must-win situation. I think Draw Two will go off at about 3-1 (I think he’s more like 2-1 or even 3-2 to win), so if he wins the first I’ll go up about $165. If Steve makes a max bet, he’ll need to hit a little higher than a 2.6-1 shot to take the lead. That’s at the lower end of his range, but I’d rather protect against the more likely winners. Play: $42 Win. Alternate 1: Race 8 - $42 Win on #4 Imperial Pippin (Turf Only). Alternate 2: Race 9 - $42 Win on #5 Majestic Hussar. Bankroll: $1,298.90 - Record: 36-5-4-6.      

Sherack: Sunday - Twigazuri Strait finally got a hot pace to run into, but still never fired at an underlayed 5-1 and finished sixth. Wish I had stayed loyal to a pair of my previous winners in this contest--Unbridled Command ($22.60) and So Many Ways ($9.80)--who both followed up in style with a graded stakes rolling double ($133). DiDonato’s pick somehow overcame a nightmare trip to get him back into the lead heading into the final day. It’s normal for a 33-year-old to be experiencing chest pains, right?

Monday - Race 6 - Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f - #1 Stage Street (5-2)
   Of all the tough beats that I’ve experienced this summer, Stage Street getting reeled in to finish second is one of a handful that has really stuck with me, even if he was only even-money. The Mike McCarty colorbearer took a hard bump at the start after exiting from the one hole that day, and Leparoux did a remarkable job just to stay aboard. Stage Street recovered nicely to chase a hot pace in third over a sloppy track, looked like he was home free after shooting through a huge opening along the inside at the top of the stretch, but just couldn’t fend off the Pletcher/Starlight firster Park City and came up a length short. Stage Street has been unfortunately drawn on the rail again, but has a huge experience edge on his rivals here, composed of all first-time starters (not including the AEs). With a clean break this time, Stage Street will be long gone. Play: $62 Win (All In). Alternate 1: Race 1 - $62 Win (Turf Only) on #1 Noble Tune. Alternate 2: Race 2 - $62 Win (Turf Only) on #5 Carson Hall. Bankroll: $1,256.30 - Record: 39-9-4-4.

Showdown at the Spa: Day 39

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We have given our two TDN crack handicappers, Brian DiDonato and Steve Sherack, a mythical $1000 bankroll and told them they can bet no more than 5% of that on any given day at Saratoga on a straight win bet. The winner, at the end of the meet, gets $100 in a TVG betting account, along with bragging rights until next July.

DiDonato: Saturday - Wow. This is really coming down to the wire. Was rooting like crazy for Emcee’s odds to come down so I could maintain the lead no matter what happened yesterday, but a late uptick on the Forego winner and then a too little, too late run from Cease put Steve Sherchalk back on top. You can cut the tension with a knife in the TDN’s Red Bank headquarters right now, and the mind games have begun. I think I’d rather be chasing than leading right now, as Mr. Sherack has some tough decisions to make. I’ll be laying a bit low today, but only to set up a big late push on closing day.

Sunday - Race 2 - Msw, 2yo, f, 7f - #1 Cue the Moon (6-1)   I said Thursday that Cue the Moon would be interesting if older workmate Run for Riches ran well. She didn’t--at all--but I still think Cue the Moon is pretty live. The $310,000 KEESEP yearling is a half to stakes-winning juvenile Red Hot Buddha from the family of GII Prioress S. winner and GI Ballerina S. runner-up Hurricane Bertie as well as MGSW and GI Alabama runner-up Allamerican Bertie. There’s some serious quality under the third dam as well, including GI Futurity S. winner Traitor, and GSW/GISPs Sun King and Ocean Drive. Trainer Jim Bond has a $4.19 ROI with 2-year-old firsters over the past five years according to DRF Formulator thanks to two bombs, but I’m more interested in his numbers when partnering with Ramon Dominguez. I rarely am even aware of who’s on my horse most of the time, as I think generally riders can only get horses beat with poor rides and it’s hard to predict when that will occur, but I can’t ignore the success of the Bond/Dominguez combo. They’ve hit at a 30% rate with a $3.42 ROI together since 2010, and an even more incredible 41% clip with a $5.18 ROI at the Spa. Those are some serious numbers, and support the notion that Cue the Moon will prove well-meant. Play: $10 Win. Alternate 1: Race 4 - $10 Win on #8 Twigazuri Straight (turf only). Alternate 2: Race 9 - $10 Win on #9 Spring to the Sky (turf only). Bankroll: $1,255.90 - Record: 34-4-4-6.

Sherack: Saturday - You seriously didn’t think that I’d let DiDonato come back and win this thing, did you? Emcee got pounded at the windows at 3-2 after the key early scratch of Shackleford in the Forego, but he thankfully still paid enough to vault me back into the lead with my $40-win ticket. DiDonato has already started talking to himself in the office Saturday night, and we’ve still got two days to go. Man, we couldn’t have scripted this any better!!

Sunday - Race 4 - Md 65000, 3yo, 1 1/16mT - #8 Twigazuri Strait (10-1)   Not in love with anything on Sunday’s card, but Twigazuri Strait is certainly playable at a nice number in the fourth. The son of English Channel looks to be as difficult to ride as his daddy was (Rosario really never looked comfortable on this guy in his first two attempts), so the rider change to Johnny V is really nice to see here. He’s finished with interest in a pair of paceless races thus far, including a sixth-place finish in a Aug. 3 Saratoga merry-go-round affair, and he figures to finally have the perfect set-up here. Will be running late for at least a piece. Play: $10 Win (Turf Only). Alternate 1: Race 11 - $10 Win (Turf Only) on #12 Simple Exchange. Alternate 2: Race 6 - $10 Win on #2 Harmony Hills. Bankroll: $1,266.30 - Record: 38-9-4-4.

Showdown at the Spa: Day 38

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We have given our two TDN crack handicappers, Brian DiDonato and Steve Sherack, a mythical $1000 bankroll and told them they can bet no more than 5% of that on any given day at Saratoga on a straight win bet. The winner, at the end of the meet, gets $100 in a TVG betting account, along with bragging rights until next July.

DiDonato: Friday - Noosh’s Tale was just atrocious. . . I should’ve known better. And how about that freaky performance by My Happy Face in the first? That’s at least the third horse I had as a top pick to come back and win.

Saturday - Race 10 - GI Woodward S., 3yo/up, 1 1/8m - Cease (10-1)
   It feels like there's enough tactical speed in here to soften up Mucho Macho Man, who's the most formidable of the favorites. After him, it's wide open. Cease has an excellent record at both the distance and Saratoga and figures to be charging late. He's three-for-three at The Spa, all at this trip, and took Sam Houston's Maxxam Gold Cup H. in his only other dirt run at 1 1/8 miles. The Claiborne/Dilschneider homebred's best career Beyer Speed Figure of 102 came in an emphatic graduation romp here a year ago, and he exits a visually impressive allowance tally July 25. Closing into a below-average early pace, Cease circled the field and powered home in the lane to a somewhat workmanlike, but decisive victory. He only earned a 95 Beyer last time, but since he's run faster before, it's not much of a concern and can only help his price. Play: $25 Win. Alternate 1: Race 8 - $25 Win on #4 Dominus. Alternate 2: Race 9 - $15 Win on #3 Isn't He Perfect. Bankroll: $1,280.90 - Record: 33-4-4-5.

Sherack: Friday - Ughhh. Not again. My alternate pick Conspiracy delivered at 5-1 in the seventh, but the top selection on the day Beer Is Good was anything but good in the finale, chasing the early leader before folding in the stretch. Looks like you still have the lead for now DiDonato, unless you’ve got some more hot Pat Kelly firsters up your sleeves?

Saturday - Race 9 - GI Forego S., 3yo/up, 7f - #6 Emcee (9-2)   I hope there’s still some room in the Godolphin/McLaughlin trophy case for one more Grade I win at the Spa this summer. I’ve been on the Emcee train the entire season, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets his paws on one of these. The lightly raced 4-year-old showed his class while making his third career start, dueling with the fleet Royal Currier throughout and collecting third in game fashion behind inner track specialist Calibrachoa and the classy Caleb’s Posse in the GIII Tom Fool H. over the Big A’s winterized surface Mar. 3. I was banking on the GI Carter H. to be Emcee’s shining moment, but it clearly wasn’t meant to be after he lost all chance badly missing the break en route to a disappointing fourth-place finish. Wisely given a shot to regain his composure in his next try at Belmont May 5, the son of Unbridled’s Song did exactly what he was supposed to do as the 1-2 chalk in a $50k optional claimer, stalking on the outside in third and pouncing in the stretch to post a smart 4 1/2-length victory at this distance, good for a gaudy 107 Beyer. Freshened following that score, he was drawn on the inside and forced to duel early through :21.99 and :44.61 in the six-furlong GI A.G. Vanderbilt Aug. 5, and ran his heart out to be a close third after doing all of the heavy lifting over a tiring and harrowed muddy strip. This race figures to set up much more like his aforementioned score downstate with him being drawn to the outside and the price will be right to make a nice score here. Play: $40 Win. Alternate 1: Race 2 - $25 Win (Turf Only) on #2 Knock Rock. Bankroll: $1,204.30 - Record: 37-8-4-4.

Showdown at the Spa: Day 37

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We have given our two TDN crack handicappers, Brian DiDonato and Steve Sherack, a mythical $1000 bankroll and told them they can bet no more than 5% of that on any given day at Saratoga on a straight win bet. The winner, at the end of the meet, gets $100 in a TVG betting account, along with bragging rights until next July.

DiDonato: Thursday - Wow. . . That’s hilarious. I picked Miami Cat last time when Leparoux absolutely butchered the ride and he finished a much-the-best fourth at 9-1. Sherack didn’t even like the horse today (who would’ve been 15-1 on his own and would’ve interested me)--he liked the other half of the entry--but he ended up benefitting from the rider change and our stupid decision to count both halves of an entry to make things very close going into the last four days of the meet. I’m not happy, Sherack. This means war. Oh ya--and my pick Run for Riches didn’t run for anything. I knew I should've made Archwarrior my top pick.

Friday - Msw, (S), 2yo, 5 1/2fT - Noosh's Tale (6-1)
   Goodtolook figures to be a big favorite trying the turf here, and while the Disco Rico on the grass angle is at play, I think you're supposed to look for regression and try to beat him. He was bet down to 7-5 favoritism when unveiled on the main track Aug. 22, but faded to fourth after setting a below-average pace (seven points below par early on the Moss Pace Figure scale). Trainer Gary Contessa must have had Goodtolook cranked up first out considering the money he took, and the conditioner's stats in similar spots to this leave a lot to be desired. According to DRF Formulator, Contessa's 0-for-15 over the past five seasons with maiden second timers trying turf in sprints. The trainer stats on Noosh's Tale aren't any better, but he's got a big-time pedigree for this. His dam Upper Noosh (Red Ransom) took the GIII Miss Grillo S. by five lengths as a juvenile over the Belmont sod, and she's produced five surface winners from six foals to race. Noosh's Tale's siblings include familiar MGSP turf sprinter Yield Bogey and Upper East Sider, a very impressive first-turf graduate at 12-1 in 2010. Trainer Pat Kelly did run third at 18-1 with another 2-year-old firster over this course and distance on the 17th, so there's reason to believe Noosh's Tale can be well-enough prepared to let her pedigree shine. Play: $20 Win (Turf Only). Alternate 1: Race 4 - $15 Win on #4 Ear D' Rhythm (Turf Only). Alternate 2: Race 4 - $15 Win on #2 Dancinginyourdreams. Bankroll: $1,300.90 - Record: 32-4-4-5.

Sherack: Thursday - Not quite the way I drew it up, but I'll certainly take it. The other part of the entry Miami Cat saved me big time with a powerful late surge to deliver in the Equalize. Extra sweet throwing a little salt in the wound cashing on DiDonato's trip horse from last time and getting right back within striking distance here. Feeling pretty good driving home from the Spa after this hit and run job.

Friday - Race 9 - Clm 35000B, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT - #1 Beer Is Good (12-1)
   Beer Is Good has a lot more going for himself besides having a great name. The Mid-Atlantic shipper proved he belonged in these parts with a strong second to Precious Metal (returned off the Jacobson claim to run a career-best 86 Beyer behind the in-form Mineswept at the Spa Aug. 20) after dueling throughout and leading in deep stretch in a $20k beaten tagger for conditioner Robert Bailes July 26. Claimed by Team Clear Star Stable and trainer Rick Schosberg out of that effort, the son of Bob and John returned on relatively short notice hiked up to this level Aug. 10, and just never showed up, flashing early speed and tiring to finish a well-beaten ninth at 5-1, but he does have some excuses to consider. The skies opened up in upstate New York while they were in the paddock for the opener that day, and the turf course turned into a complete swamp, clearly not to Beer Is Good’s liking after posting three straight big efforts on firm ground for his former connections. He’s now had the proper time to adjust to Schosberg’s program, has breezed twice since (he didn’t even get a work in prior to his last start), has smart speed, is drawn on the rail, and Johnny V taking over the reins from Lezcano is a major plus as well. This isn’t the easiest spot ever, but I think he can be dangerous at a nice number if able to kick clear on the turn for home if the course stays as firm as it’s been the past few weeks. Play: $30 Win (Turf Only). Alternate 1: Race 7 - $25 Win on #2 Conspiracy. Alternate 2: Race 8 - $25 Win on #2 Alaura Michele. Bankroll: $1,234.30 - Record: 36-8-4-4.

Showdown at the Spa: Day 36

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We have given our two TDN crack handicappers, Brian DiDonato and Steve Sherack, a mythical $1000 bankroll and told them they can bet no more than 5% of that on any given day at Saratoga on a straight win bet. The winner, at the end of the meet, gets $100 in a TVG betting account, along with bragging rights until next July.

DiDonato: Wednesday - Nine O Wonderful got a weak ride, failing to go through a wide-open seam at the top of the lane. When finally guided clear after being stymied on the inside, he flew home fastest of all (:22.96) to finish a close fifth. Probably would’ve been right there with better handing.

Thursday - Race 4 - Msw, f, 3yo/up, 7f - #6 Run for Riches (15-1)
   Steve and I were both going to pick Buleria, who had an awful trip last time and figures to get a ton of pace, in the fifth, but for the good of the contest, we agreed to stay away from her. There were some real tense cat-and-mouse moments there and I was trying to calculate the best amount to bet if we were both going to take her... I’m glad it didn’t come to that. Instead I’ll go with Run for Riches, who feels like she has to be better than she showed on debut. Bet a bit at 6-1 when unveiled going a mile at Aqueduct in November, the grey showed early interest before stopping badly. She’s worked very well in preparation for this return--apparently in company with well-bred expensive unraced 2-year-old Cue the Moon, who may be one to watch for depending on how Run for Riches does. More interesting is trainer James Bond’s past success when making this sort of move. He’s scored twice since 2009 with maiden second-timers turning back off the bench at Saratoga--both were 8-1 and had similarly uninspiring running lines first out. Play: $20 Win. Alternate 1: Race 9 - $20 Win on #7 Twilight Eclipse (turf only). Alternate 2: Race 3 - $2 Win on #3 Archwarrior. Bankroll: $1,320.90 - Record: 31-4-4-5.

Sherack: Wednesday - Da Mi Basia Mille had every chance in the P.G. Johnson, but just didn’t kick on in the stretch like she did in her debut to finish a disappointing fourth at 5-1... Of course my alternate pick Corinzia came charging in the nightcap to light up the tote board at $25.00... Hoping a day trip to the Spa turns my luck around today.

Thursday - Race 9 - Equalize S., 3yo, 1mT - #1 Csaba (3-1)
   Was convinced that I found a horse that could get me back in the lead in this thing with Buleria in the fifth, so you could only imagine my frustration when DiDonato confirmed via email Wednesday morning that he was on the Empire Maker filly as well. At least I can still bet plenty of real currency on her though. I couldn’t have been more impressed by Sonofasamurai’s maiden breaker Aug. 18 (you just don’t see 2-year-olds split horses the way he did in the stretch and continue to punch on home) and couldn’t wait to bet him back, but shouldn’t the man aboard that day, David Cohen, be even more impressed than the guy that was watching on a television screen 200+ miles away in Red Bank, NJ? Cohen is instead listed to ride stablemate He’s So Fine, and after still kicking myself for landing on the wrong McPeek horse in the Travers, I’m going to look elsewhere for my main play today. That leaves me with Csaba. Loved him on either surface for the GII Hall of Fame S. (click here for my Aug. 10 analysis), but had to swallow a much shorter price when the rains arrived. He still ran great that day, coming up only a nose short while delivering an ultra-game performance. Shorter distance will help, gets a favorable rider change to Castro and should be out there winging from his inside draw. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s coupled with Brian’s trip horse from Aug. 19 Miami Cat, either. Willing to take a shorter price than usual to help bridge the gap with DiDonato. Likely favorite Finale certainly looks vulnerable in this spot off the bench. Play: $50 Win (POE). Alternate 1: Race 10 - $25 Win (Turf Only) on #2B Sonofasamurai. Bankroll: $1,056.80 - Record: 35-7-4-4.

Showdown at the Spa: Day 35

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We have given our two TDN crack handicappers, Brian DiDonato and Steve Sherack, a mythical $1000 bankroll and told them they can bet no more than 5% of that on any given day at Saratoga on a straight win bet. The winner, at the end of the meet, gets $100 in a TVG betting account, along with bragging rights until next July.
 

DiDonato: Monday - Chief Gaga left himself with a bit too much to do and could only muster a mild bid to be fourth. He might be interesting stretching out on the turf next time.

Wednesday - Race 6 - Win S., 1mT, 3yo/up - #5 Nine O Wonderful (8-1)
   While speed figures are much less reliable on the turf due to the slow early pace of most grass races, come-home times can be very useful for uncovering runners who are better than they look on the figures. Nine O Wonderful is that type of horse--his 82 and 84 recent Beyers don't compare favorably with the 90+s of many in this field--but he absolutely flies home. Let go at 13-1 in a first-level allowance at Belmont May 13, the 4-year-old covered his final furlong in :22.03 to best decent French GSP runner and subsequent winner Barocci, who covered his last eighth in :22.64. Nine O Wonderful was dismissed at the same price in an optional claimer on opening day here, but looked like a winner at every point in the race and put in a final furlong in :21.83 to get up by a measured neck. Stakes-winning runner-up Followmyfootsteps was clocked in :22.47. Group 1-placed Salto, who had a bit of trouble, was the second-fastest closer in :22.03. I'm not sure the fields Nine O Wonderful exits were much weaker than this one, and I'm positive he's better than he looks on the Beyers. The projected early pace might not be as fast as I'd like, but I know who will be moving quickest in the lane. Play: $30 Win (turf only). Alternate 1: Race 8 - $25 Win on #6 Skyfall (turf only). Alternate 2: Race 5 - $10 Win on #9 (turf only). Bankroll: $1,350.90 - Record: 30-4-4-5.

Sherack: Monday - My Barclay Tagg firster Judy G took more money than expected at 4-1, but didn’t run to it, coming up empty in the stretch to finish sixth after briefly leading once the pacesetter bolted on the turn.

Wednesday - Race 8 - P.G. Johnson S., 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT - #5 Da Mi Basia Mille (6-1)

   The price is just going to be too nice to pass up on impressive debut winner Da Mi Basia Mille here. Overlooked at 8-1 while attempting this same distance in her unveiling over the Mellon course July 23, the gray bided her time toward the back through fractions of :22.55 and :46.99. With Jose Lezcano aboard, Da Mi Basia Mille crept up closer down the backstretch, hit the gas with an impressive wide move on the turn for home and exuded class while charging down the center of the course to win by a geared down 1 1/4 lengths, earning a respectable 71 Beyer in the process. Fifth-place finisher that day Broken Spell came back to earn her diploma Aug. 19, and returns on quick notice for this contest. Da Mi Basia Mille will have more than enough pace to run at with several sprinters stretching out here, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that she represents one of  the top barns in the country in the Christophe Clement stable. Nothing but respect for Pletcher’s big two of Top Tier Lass and Tara From the Cape, and the European invader Watsdachances (Ire) certainly merits attention as well, but just think that they will all be running for second in this one. Play: $40 Win (Turf Only). Alternate 1: Race 10 - $20 Win (Turf Only) on #9 Corinzia. Alternate 2: Race 9 - $10 Win on #2 Slamm’n Lou. Bankroll: $1,096.80 - Record: 34-7-4-4.