Saratoga 2024: Appleby sends pair into Fourstardave

Reigning Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and Eclipse Award finalist Master of The Seas makes his long-anticipated Empire State debut as one of trainer Charlie Appleby’s two entrants in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave at Saratoga.

The one-mile, inner-turf handicap for 3-year-olds and up offers a win-and-you’re-in berth to the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

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Stabled at Saratoga’s Godolphin-owned Greentree since late spring, the dyed-in-the-wool miler is a 6-year-old gelded son of Irish 2,000 Guineas (G1) winner Dubawi and France 1,000 Guineas (G1) runner-up Firth of Lorne. He has made his last four starts in North America at the distance, including one-sided wins in September’s Woodbine Mile (G1) and April’s Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland in his lone start this year.

Training forwardly toward his relaunch to the second-half of the season, the Appleby pupil has tightened the screws slowly in the mornings, including a four-furlong breeze in 48.0 seconds that was ranked fourth of 75 moves July 26 over the Oklahoma training turf. The eight-time graded- and group-stakes winner and earner of $2,520,582 seeks to add to what already has been a prolific career when Flavien Prat rides from post 2 with a field-high 126 pounds. 

“We’re very happy with him, and he’s a horse who goes very well fresh,” Appleby’s assistant Chris Connett said. “Ever since he won the Maker’s Mark down at Keeneland, this was always the idea to come to the Fourstardave with a fresh horse. He’s been working nicely over the Oklahoma track. He’s just a lovely horse to be around who keeps it pretty simple for us.” 

The Godolphin team also will send in-form Ottoman Fleet to post fresh off a pair of Churchill Downs 1 1/16-mile stakes wins in June, including the Arlington (G3) and Wise Dan (G2). An easy winner of those runs, the $574,516 Tattersalls October 2020 purchase returns to top-level company for the first time since a runner-up effort to subsequent 2024 Manhattan (G1) winner Measured Time in Meydan’s Jebel Hatta in January. He will drop back to one mile for the first time in his career.

A winner of five graded and group stakes including Belmont Park’s Fort Marcy (G2) last year, the millionaire makes his 20th start, this time with Hall of Famer Joel Rosario in the saddle from post 6 with an assignment of 123 pounds.

“He’s a horse the team has always liked who’s been pretty consistent in Dubai and Europe,” Connett said. “This year he’s put together a pair of very nice wins cutting slowly back in trip. Last time Flavien got off him and said, ‘I think he’s getting quicker,’ which is a nice thing to have going into a big race like this. We have one horse at proven Group 1 level and another in really good form who deserves a chance.” 

One of the few New York turf Grade 1s to elude Chad Brown is the Fourstardave, but that could change Saturday, especially with eFive Racing Thoroughbreds’ Carl Spackler carrying the flag from post 4 with 122 pounds including Tyler Gaffalione.

A son of dual French classic winner Lope de Vega, the 4-year-old colt is 4-for-5 at one mile and 3-for-4 at Saratoga, including the course-and-distance Kelso (G3) on July 13. The emblazoned chestnut finished up his prep work with a best-of-six, five-furlong breeze in 1:01.55 on Friday.

“He breezed good,” Brown said. “It was a little maintenance work, and I was real pleased with it. It would be nice to secure him a Grade 1. When he’s on his game, he’s a top-level horse, and he seems to be rounding right back into form. He’s a very solid horse, and I do think he’s got another forward move in him at some point. I hope that’s in this race.” 

Victory Racing Partners’ Cherie DeVaux-trained Grade 3 winner More Than Looks, in post 7 with 120 pounds including Irad Ortiz Jr., makes his first start of the season in the Fourstardave, one week after being scratched from the rained-off Lure at The Spa. Sixth in Master of The Sea’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, he rallied to pass seven horses in the stretch and lose by two lengths.

“It is not an ideal plan B to come off such a long layoff into this spot,” DeVaux said. “Ultimately I think he obviously belongs with these horses, but it’s a tough spot to return to the races. I wouldn’t be opposed to running if the turf had a bit of give in it. We were going to run (Saturday) if it had stayed on the turf. 

“The goal is definitely to run him back in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. He ran exceptionally well in that race last year but just couldn’t get in a position to make his run. He came home in 22 and change after being last basically the whole race until the top of the stretch. He does belong with these horses, but he is coming back from a pretty significant tendon injury, so we are just hoping we can have him about 80-85 percent ready for this run.”

Striking while the proverbial iron is hot, Spendthrift Farm’s Major Dude in post 3 with 120 pounds including John Velázquez is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. He was an eye-catching winner in 1 1/8-mile, optional-claiming company at The Spa on July 20, quickly spurting clear in mid-stretch to win by two lengths. A triple graded-stakes winner over as many tracks, he cuts back to the same distance over which he won the Penn Mile (G2) in 2023.

Gary Barber and Kinsman Stable’s dual listed-stakes winner Strong Quality, post 1 with 119 pounds including Dylan Davis, has failed to hit the board in three Grade 1 tries and enters off a seventh in the Manhattan. He has finished fifth or better in all other stakes attempts. He represents connections who must be respected, including three-time Fourstardave-winning Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

“He loves it up here,” Casse assistant Shane Tripp said. “He’s put on some weight, and I’m looking forward to leading him over. With his speed I’m looking forward to running him a mile around those two turns. He’s such an honest horse. He shows up every time.” 

Jordan V Wycoff’s Money Supply, in post 5 with 119 pounds including Manny Franco, seeks his fourth victory of the season when he goes to post for trainer Joe Sharp.

Winner of last month’s listed Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial at Horseshoe Indianapolis, the son of Practical Joke steps up significantly in class in what will be his second start on turf. A Saratoga winner last year on dirt for his former trainer Brown, he was claimed out of that run for current connections and proceeded to win five straight races and six of his last eight.

The Fourstardave is slated as race 10 on Saturday’s 12-race card.