Gargan off to a fast start at Saratoga
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Riding the momentum from a strong spring-summer meet at Belmont Park, where he finished in the top 10 with 12 wins along with nearly $640,000 in purse earnings, trainer Danny Gargan has gotten off to a fast start at Saratoga.
Gargan has won with three of his first six starters thus far, matching his entire win total from 16 starters in 2015 and just two shy of 2016, when he ran 22 horses.
"We had a really big Belmont, and we always do really well at Aqueduct. Last year at the end of this meet we ended up pretty good. We were [23] percent, which is always impressive," Gargan said. "This year we came in and we have some younger horses that are doing really well. We enter to win, and a couple things just fell into place. We expected to win the same number of races we did last year, just the [condition] book worked out better in the beginning this year."
The first winner for Gargan came July 23 with Phi Beta Express, a 3-year-old Afleet Express colt bred and owned by Martin Cherry. He broke his maiden July 4 at Belmont and came back to take a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance by eight lengths in 1:17.01.
Gargan said he would consider the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, formerly the King's Bishop, at seven furlongs August 26 for Phi Beta Express' next start.
"It's straight 3-year-olds and he's just so fast. Mr. Cherry will decide on that," Gargan said. "He's a really nice horse. He had run three times and I really don't understand why he didn't run any good before. We ran him at Belmont and he ran really fast and then here the other day he just tore the track up. He's really fast. His numbers are really impressive."
Midwest Thoroughbreds' 2-year-old filly Trouble for Skylar, a $225,000 yearling purchase last summer at Saratoga, captured her unveiling by eight lengths going 5 ½ furlongs on Wednesday. Gargan said she could wind up in the $200,000 Seeking the Ante against fellow New York-breds August 25 at the Spa.
"There's a stake coming back here and there's a stake at Finger Lakes. We'll probably consider both of them and see which one's our best option," Gargan said. "She's a pretty smart filly so shipping won't be a problem if we go to Finger Lakes. The race here is $200,000 so we'll weigh the options and see which one she fits in. She's a nice filly."
Gargan is also high on Corms Racing Stable's Divine Miss Grey, a winner of her last three starts who is expected to make her stakes debut in the Grade 1 Test at seven furlongs. The chestnut daughter of Divine Park may have her second local work over the main track Saturday morning.
Divine Miss Grey was claimed for $16,000 out of a March 15 win at Gulfstream Park and has won three of four starts for her new connections, scoring at 6 ½ and seven furlongs and one mile in her last three, the latest coming June 30 at Belmont.
"We're going to look at the Test. She's a pretty nice filly," Gargan said. "She's 3, she's won three in a row, and her numbers are going in the right direction. She's training really well. She's probably going to work tomorrow first after the break. She'll get a nice half and we'll evaluate it from there and see if we belong in the race."
Gargan has won with three of his first six starters thus far, matching his entire win total from 16 starters in 2015 and just two shy of 2016, when he ran 22 horses.
"We had a really big Belmont, and we always do really well at Aqueduct. Last year at the end of this meet we ended up pretty good. We were [23] percent, which is always impressive," Gargan said. "This year we came in and we have some younger horses that are doing really well. We enter to win, and a couple things just fell into place. We expected to win the same number of races we did last year, just the [condition] book worked out better in the beginning this year."
The first winner for Gargan came July 23 with Phi Beta Express, a 3-year-old Afleet Express colt bred and owned by Martin Cherry. He broke his maiden July 4 at Belmont and came back to take a 6 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance by eight lengths in 1:17.01.
Gargan said he would consider the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, formerly the King's Bishop, at seven furlongs August 26 for Phi Beta Express' next start.
"It's straight 3-year-olds and he's just so fast. Mr. Cherry will decide on that," Gargan said. "He's a really nice horse. He had run three times and I really don't understand why he didn't run any good before. We ran him at Belmont and he ran really fast and then here the other day he just tore the track up. He's really fast. His numbers are really impressive."
Midwest Thoroughbreds' 2-year-old filly Trouble for Skylar, a $225,000 yearling purchase last summer at Saratoga, captured her unveiling by eight lengths going 5 ½ furlongs on Wednesday. Gargan said she could wind up in the $200,000 Seeking the Ante against fellow New York-breds August 25 at the Spa.
"There's a stake coming back here and there's a stake at Finger Lakes. We'll probably consider both of them and see which one's our best option," Gargan said. "She's a pretty smart filly so shipping won't be a problem if we go to Finger Lakes. The race here is $200,000 so we'll weigh the options and see which one she fits in. She's a nice filly."
Gargan is also high on Corms Racing Stable's Divine Miss Grey, a winner of her last three starts who is expected to make her stakes debut in the Grade 1 Test at seven furlongs. The chestnut daughter of Divine Park may have her second local work over the main track Saturday morning.
Divine Miss Grey was claimed for $16,000 out of a March 15 win at Gulfstream Park and has won three of four starts for her new connections, scoring at 6 ½ and seven furlongs and one mile in her last three, the latest coming June 30 at Belmont.
"We're going to look at the Test. She's a pretty nice filly," Gargan said. "She's 3, she's won three in a row, and her numbers are going in the right direction. She's training really well. She's probably going to work tomorrow first after the break. She'll get a nice half and we'll evaluate it from there and see if we belong in the race."
* * *
George Yager's Sly Roxy ended an 0-for-18 start to the meet for Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse on Thursday, pressing the early pace before taking command and drawing away to a 5 ½-length triumph in her unveiling.
A bay daughter of Speightstown out of the Indian Charlie mare Roxy Gap, Sly Roxy bested her stablemate Gio Game, who overcame a rough start to earn the place by 2 ¼ lengths.
"Sly Roxy is a nice horse," Casse said. "I really liked the filly that was second, too. She got away bad and came through horses. I think both fillies are better than average fillies. I was just happy to win a race. It's been rough."
Casse, who also has three seconds and two thirds at the meet, said he will look at the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack August 12 for Sly Roxy.
"We'll see how it is. She's nice," Casse said. "I trained her mom, and she made about $900,000. I never met him when George called me up and said, 'You trained her mom, would you be interested in training her?' and I said sure. We took her to our training center in Ocala and George said to take her wherever she needs to be, and after a little while I told him I think she needs to be at Saratoga. It worked out really well."
Casse has four horses entered Saturday including Casses Story, a 3-year-old colt owned by Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation. A maiden winner at Saratoga last September in her fourth and final start at 2, Casses Story has run twice this year finishing third last out June 23 at Churchill Downs.
A son of champion Bernardini, Casses Story is a sentimental horse for the trainer. He got his name following the death of Casse's father, well-respected horseman Norman Casse, Sr., at age 79 last March.
"He's named after my father," Casse said. "Mrs. Weber came to the memorial for my dad and I told some stories about my dad, and that's how it came about."
* * *
As part of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) Day Across America, Saratoga Race Course will unite with racetracks across the country on Saturday to help raise money and promote awareness of the needs of permanently disabled jockeys.
The day's events will kick off with a special autograph session from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in front of the jockey silks room porch, featuring top riders from the Saratoga jockey colony.
For a suggested donation of $10 a throw, fans will have the opportunity to support the PDJF by soaking some of their favorite jockeys, plus NYRA racing television analyst Andy Serling. The dunk tank will be located in the backyard outside the Clubhouse near Dunkin' Donuts and the Spectrum News Gazebo from 1-3 p.m.
The Community Outreach Booth on track will also host the PDJF. Fans are encouraged to visit the booth located near the jockey silks room porch to learn more about the not-for-profit organization's mission to provide financial assistance to former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries.
* * *
$100,000 Birdstone - Thursday, August 3
Probable: Archanova (Ian Wilkes); Hard Study (Todd Pletcher); Rich Daddy (Eddie Kenneally); Rum Tum Tugger (Jonathan Sheppard)
Possible: Scuba (Brendan Walsh); Sea Raven (Kelly Rubley); Tu Brutus (Gary Contessa)
Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame - Friday, August 4
Probable: Big Handsome (Tony Dutrow); Bricks and Mortar (Chad Brown); Parlor (Kenneally); Secretary At War (Jimmy Jerkens); Snap Decision (Shug McGaughey); Yoshida (Bill Mott)
Possible: Just Howard (Graham Motion); Makarios (Nick Zito)
Grade 1, $1,200,000 Whitney Handicap - Saturday, August 5
Probable: Breaking Lucky (Reade Baker); Cautious Giant (Anthony Quartarolo); Gun Runner (Steve Asmussen); Keen Ice (Pletcher); War Story (Jorge Navarro)
Possible: Discreet Lover (Uriah St. Lewis); Tu Brutus (Contessa); Watershed (Kiaran McLaughlin)
Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test - Saturday, August 5
Probable: American Gal (Simon Callaghan); Chalon (Peter Miller); Chanel's Legacy (Chad Summers); Cursor (Mark Hennig); Divine Miss Grey (Danny Gargan); Jamyson 'n Ginger (C. Brown); Minnie Blip (Al Stall); Tequilita (Michael Matz); Verical Oak (Asmussen); Your Love (C. Brown)
Grade 3, $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya - Saturday, August 5
Probable: Achnaha (George Weaver); Apple Betty (McGaughey); Daring Duchess (Mike Maker); Estrechada (Mike Puype); Evidently (Roy Lerman); Gone Away (Matz); Guilty Twelve (Motion); Lottie (Motion); Suffused (Mott); Summersault (Hennig)
$100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose - Saturday, August 5
Probable: Elysea's World (C. Brown); Josdesanimaux (Ralph Nicks); Light In Paris (C. Brown); Off Limits (C. Brown); On Leave (McGaughey)
Possible: Boreale (Motion); Sassy Little Lila (Cox); Thundering Sky (Weaver)
$100,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure - Saturday, August 5
Probable: Aubenas (Stall); Fire Away (McGaughey); Our Way (Jimmy Bond); Ring Weekend (Motion); Sir Dudley Digges (Maker); Zennor (McLaughlin)
Possible: Diversify (Rick Violette); Get Jets (Dutrow)
$100,000 Alydar - Sunday, August 6
Probable: Conquest Windycity (B. Walsh); Mo Tom (Tom Amoss); Rally Cry (Pletcher)
Possible: Ocean Knight (McLaughlin)
$150,000 Troy
Probable: Bold Thunder (Patricia Farro); Conquest Panthera (Mark Casse); Dowse's Beach (Brad Cox); Green Mask (Brad Cox); Holding Gold (Casse); Mongolian Saturday (Enebish Ganbat); Pure Sensation (Christophe Clement)
Possible: Rainbow Heir (Jason Servis)
Source: NYRA Communications
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