Barn Tour: Motion eyes Preakness week, updates on 15

Coming out of a “good winter,” Graham Motion’s barn is gearing up for more activity this spring and summer.

Winning the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational with Test Score “was a huge help” over the winter, Motion said. “But I think we were a bit more active and a little more successful in Florida than we have been in years past. Usually we're pretty quiet down there. So yeah, I think we had a good winter.”

No Show Sammy Jo’s win Friday in the Sheepshead Bay (G3) might be a sign of more to come.

“Well, we do have quite a lot of horses that are just kind of getting ready to run that have been off over the winter, so we do have quite a bit we haven't run a lot,” Motion said from his Fair Hill base. “Preakness weekend's usually our first big weekend when we start running more horses.”

Motion provided updates on Test Score, No Show Sammy Jo and other talent in his stable for Horse Racing Nation’s Barn Tour series.

Test Score. The 4-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky passed the $2 million mark with his Pegasus Turf win and returned Saturday with an eighth-place finish in the Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs. “He never was able to save any ground and just was not his day,” Motion said. “It just didn't work out. Probably the first sort of sub-par race he's ever run, that was. So a little bit of a head scratcher. I freshened him up with that race in mind. He's on his way back to Fair Hill now, so we'll kind of regroup and come up with a plan for the summer.”

No Show Sammy Jo. The 6-year-old mare by Lope de Vega got her first graded win in the Sheepshead Bay, and it followed a close second in The Very One (G3) in February. “Sammy Jo ran great the other day, so glad to get her first graded-stakes win, which I think she was deserving of. And most likely will go to the Robert Dick (G3), I should think, at Delaware in June. Which is the same distance she ran over the other day (1 3/8 miles).”

One Stripe. In his two starts this year, the 5-year-old South Africa-bred by One World was runner-up in both the Pegasus Turf and the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1). He had his first start for Motion in September after starting his career in South Africa. “One Stripe, he had his first work back here at Fair Hill last week, actually over on the grass course, and he will go on Belmont day in the Manhattan (G1). … I thought his last two starts, he's been probably a little unlucky, actually, but run very well both times.”

Italian Soiree. The 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly returned from a six-month break with an optional-claiming allowance win at Laurel Park and then was ninth on Saturday in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs. “Italian Soiree, we took a shot this weekend, didn't work out. We stretched her out. She's also on her way back to Fair Hill, and I would imagine we'll keep her sprinting for the rest of the summer. The first race was very good sprinting. We ran it back, we took a shot, we ran it back a little quickly over a longer distance. I think her future is going to be sprinting.”

Cruise the Nile. This 4-year-old gelding by Cairo Prince has won four in a row for Motion on turf or synthetic after losing his debut on dirt. He most recently won his first stakes attempt in the listed Henry S. Clark at Laurel Park on April 18. He’s pointed to the Dinner Party (G3) on the Preakness undercard. “He hasn't done anything wrong, really, apart from his first start on the dirt, which obviously he didn't really care for. He always worked well on the dirt, so I thought he probably could do it, but no. We always liked him a lot. He just had issues as a 2-year-old. We really had to take our time, that's why he didn't get started till late last year.”

Laurelin. This 4-year-old filly by Zarak won her first five starts, including the Saratoga Oaks (G2), then was second in her last two starts last year. She returned Sunday with a third-place finish in the Beaugay (G3). “Laurelin was a little disappointing (Sunday). First start back, I think you could give her a chance. I don't know where we'll go with her. There's a Grade 1 in California at the end of May. Obviously there's going to be plenty of options starting up now. So I'm really not sure where. Maybe a race like the Beverly D (G2, Colonial Downs) might be a race that we'll kind of circle and point for and just find a race to sort of get her there.”

Roja. Since breaking her maiden last May, the 4-year-old Karakontie filly has two wins and a second, including a stakes victory at Monmouth Park. In her most recent start, she led gate to wire in a Churchill Downs allowance last Wednesday. “Roja, I guess there would be a chance she could show up Belmont weekend. And I thought she was very impressive the other day. I spoke to (jockey) Irad (Ortiz Jr.) on Saturday, and he was pretty happy with her. He was quite high on her. So I think there's a shot that we could run her Belmont weekend in the Intercontinental (G2), 5 1/2 on (the Thursday of Belmont week). … I’m not saying that's definitely what we're going to do, but I think that's definitely a race we'll consider. It's five weeks from now, it's great timing-wise, it's very good.”

Fondly. The 4-year-old filly was 2-for-2 heading into last year’s Kentucky Oaks (G1), where she finished 11th. She then won the Delaware Oaks (G3) and was second in the Monmouth Oaks (G3) in July. She came out of that last race with an injury and recently returned from a break. “She's just had two works since she came back to me. It's going to be July before we think about a race for her.”

Gimme a Nother. The 6-year-old, South Africa-bred mare hasn’t had a start since winning the John C. Mabee (G2) in September. “Gimme a Nother has just started breezing. She had a couple of setbacks over the winter, a couple of teeth issues, believe it or not. So she's had two breezes, a bit like Fondly. She'd be on a very similar schedule.”

Isivunguvungu. The 8-year-old South Africa-bred gelding was 0-for-4 last year and had his most recent start in a listed stakes at Colonial Downs in August. “He could run in the Jim McKay turf sprint on Preakness Day.”

Warming. The 4-year-old filly by Global Campaign picked up a graded-stakes win last year in the Autumn Miss (G3) and was third last out in the Latonia at Turfway Park. “She’ll run in the Gallorette (G3) on Preakness day.”

Ribaltagaia. The 5-year-old mare by Blame started her career in France and has had one start in each of the last three years for Motion, most recently finishing third in the Dahlia Stakes at Laurel Park on April 18. “She could possibly show up in the Gallorette on Preakness day or in a race in New Jersey.”

Proton. The 3-year-old gelding by Astern is looking for his first win of the year after finishing seventh in the Transylvania (G3) last out. “He could run in with Jim Murphy (G3) on Preakness Day.”

Sassari. The 4-year-old filly by Quality Road had her career debut April 12 and led at every call to win by 4 3/4 lengths. “She'll run on Preakness Day in an allowance race. I thought she was very impressive.”

Heading. This 3-year-old colt by Starspangledbanner broke his maiden at Keeneland last month in his fourth try. “Could show up in the entries this week at Churchill in an allowance race. I could nominate him also for the (James W.) Murphy (G3) on Preakness weekend.”