Holiday Star, Manchurian High Lead John's Call
A 5-year-old Harlan's Holiday gelding, Holiday Star picked his biggest score to date in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland last fall for Augustin Stable and trainer Graham Motion. Runner-up in last year's John's Call, the Pennsylvania-bred got back to the winner's circle in his last out with a half-length victory in the Cape Henlopen on July 11 at Delaware Park. Holiday Star will break from post 4 ridden by Edgar Prado.
Drawing the outside post, Manchurian High will be making his 37th career start for owner and trainer Lilli Kurtinecz. The Florida-bred son of The Daddy will look to repeat his performance in the Sunshine Millions Turf in January at Gulfstream Park, where he drew off to a 3 ¼-length victory to earn a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 100 in his first start as a 7-year-old. Luis Saez, who rode Manchurian High to a distant fourth in the Lure on August 8, has the return call.
Todd Pletcher will send Global Strike for Stonestreet Stables, ridden by Javier Castellano from the rail. The 4-year-old Smart Strike colt crossed the wire first in an optional claiming race at the Spa on July 31 before being disqualified to third for interference.
Rounding out the field for the John's Call are Sharp Omar, winner of a $35,000 claiming event on August 1, for John Toscano; Morning Calm, most recently fifth in the Grade 2 Bowling Green, for Michelle Nihei; Rum Tum Tugger, recent 2 ½-length optional claiming race winner, for Jonathan Sheppard; Da Big Hoss, second off a $50,000 claim for Mike Maker; and allowance winner Atherton for up-and-coming steeplechase trainer Elizabeth Voss.
Richard Migliore, the popular retired jockey, and veteran turf writers Dave Grening, Karen M. Johnson and Tim Wilkin and will be panelists for Talkin' Travers - And All Things Racing, a Travers Stakes preview event at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27 at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.
Co-sponsored by the library and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, the program in the H. Dutcher Community Room is free and open to the public.
Migliore rode 4,450 winners, including 362 stakes victories, between 1980 and 2010, when a serious spinal injury forced him to retire. He works as a racing analyst on the Jockey Club Tour on Fox series and has several roles at the New York Racing Association, including as a television analyst.
Grening, covers New York racing and major national races for the Daily Racing Form. He has been a turf writer for 24 years, 17 of them with the Form.
Johnson is a freelance writer and author of The Training Game, a book that provided an inside look at several high-profile trainers in North America. She is a regular contributor to The Blood-Horse and Thoroughbred Racing Commentary, was recognized for her work as a producer with HRTV and is a former writer and editor for the Form.
Wilkin has covered the Saratoga Race Course meet since 1980. He is in his 30th year with the Albany Times Union and is the paper's turf writer and columnist.
Entering Sunday's races tied atop the leaderboard with Todd Pletcher for most wins at the Saratoga meet with 22, trainer Chad Brown was modest about his stable's success through the first 26 days of the meet while looking forward to finish strong.
"We have a lot of nice hores and we're just trying to put them in the right spots and develop them," said Brown. "Looking at the big picture, thankfully we've had a good meet and racked up a lot of wins. I don't really focus on training titles too much, honestly. We're just trying to manage every horse individually the best we can. Luckily, it's an approach that has given us plenty of wins this meet."
With a trio of runners probable for next Saturday's Travers Day undercard in the Travers Day undercard, Brown could be in good shape to head back to the winner's circle again.
Working in company for the Ketel One Ballston Spa were Dacita, a 4-year-old filly from Chile, and the 4-year-old French filly Danza Cavallo, who went five furlongs in 1:01 on the Oklahoma turf course.
"[Dacita] seems to be coming along nice," said Brown. "She's a really good looking filly and a Group 1 winner back in Chile so we have high expectations for her. We're hoping we can run her out here and see what she can do."
Robert LaPenta's March, who worked a half in 48.75 on Saturday,remains possible for King's Bishop, according to Brown. The 3-year-old son of Blame, who in June won the Grade 2 Woody Stephens, will look to bounce back from a four-wide trip in the Grade 2 Amsterdam on August 1 where he tired in the stretch to finish sixth.
"He came into the Amsterdam training really well," said Brown. "Obviously, we were very disappointed with the result. He didn't exit the race with any clear excuse. We just kept him on schedule for the King's Bishop and he's come back with two really good works so we're going try him again and hopefully it works out. He seems to breeze well over the track so without another clear option that makes sense we'll give him another chance."