Saratoga Stakes Fields Taking Shape
Fields are beginning to take shape for the fourth week of the Saratoga Race Course meet.
Winning Cause is likely to headline the 1 5/8-mile, $100,000 John's Call on Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course.
Winning Cause, trained by Todd Pletcher for Alto Racing, enters the turf marathon off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1, 1 3/8-mile United Nations at Monmouth Park. The 4-year-old son of Giant's Causeway was beaten only 1 ¼ lengths in the United Nations, which marked his Grade 1 debut.
In four prior starts this year, Winning Cause has two second-place finishes and a third, including a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Red Bank at Monmouth. Two starts ago, the chestnut colt finished third in the Grade 2 Monmouth behind impressive winner Speaking of Which and next-out winner Hangover Kid.
Trainer Shug McGaughey is likely to be represented by Tricky Hat in the John's Call. Tricky Hat is winless thus far in 2014, with a second-place finish in an allowance race and a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2, 1 ½-mile Elkhorn to his credit.
The improving Holiday Star is probable for trainer Graham Motion. The 4-year-old gelding finished a late-closing third in the 1 ½-mile Cape Henlopen at Delaware Park in his most recent outing.
Also probable for the race are Bohemian Dance, Ducks Dock, and Horvat Clan, while Manacor, Manchurian High, and Seton Hall are possible.
Marathoners will gather Thursday for the $100,000 Birdstone at 1 ¾ miles, headed by Repole Stable's Micromanage, who missed by a neck when second in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap at 1 ½ miles. The Birdstone is also expected to attract the veteran gelding Don Dulce, who would be making his 38th career start; Shadwell Stable's Irsaal, who will be making his first stakes appearance since finishing third in the Easy Goer last June at Belmont, and More Hundred Acre, making his stakes debut. Peyton and Seton Hall are questionable.
Friday's Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame will likely see Bashart, who broke his maiden and won the Grade 2 With Anticipation last summer at the Spa; Bobby's Kitten, winner of the Penn Mile on May 31; Can'thelpbelieving, who beat older horses in allowance on Opening Day; the Irish-bred Craftsman, who took the Nick Shuk Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park last time out; Long On Value and So Lonesome, most recently second and third, respectively, in the Manila at Belmont Park; and Smooth Daddy, making his graded stakes debut.
Multiple graded stakes winner Silver Max, who is rapidly closing in on the $2 million mark in earnings, makes his second start of 2014 in Saturday's Grade 2, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap at a mile on the inner turf. Trained by Dale Romans, the 5-year-old son of Badge of Silver was a front-running victor in the Grade 2 Firecracker on June 28 at Churchill Downs; in his only appearance at the Spa he took the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch over a yielding course last summer.
The Fourstardave also is expected to attract Jack Milton and Big Screen, who were first and second, respectively, in the Grade 3 Poker on May 26 at Belmont; GrandArch, no worse than third in 14 career starts and winner of the Grade 2 King Edward at Woodbine last time out; Sayaad, who stretched his winning streak to three with a lifetime-best Beyer Speed Figure of 103 in the Forbidden Apple on July 4 at Belmont Park, and Seek Again, who in three American appearances won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in December 2013, finished second in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic in May at Churchill Downs, and checked in third in the Grade 1 Knob Creek Manhattan on June 7 at Belmont.
A trio of sensational debut winners at Belmont Park are likely to contest the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack for 2-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs next Sunday at Saratoga.
Leading the charge is the Leah Gyarmati-trained Wonder Gal, who was unveiled in the Lynbrook for New York-breds at six furlongs. After lagging behind the early pace, Wonder Gal made a powerful move around the far turn and drew off in the stretch to win by 14 ½ lengths.
Cavorting won by a similarly large margin in her debut for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. The bay filly broke sharply and went straight to the front, leading the field gate to wire en route to an 11-length score in a six-furlong maiden race.
Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out the third, Angela Renee, to a 2 ½-length debut win on June 27 in a five-furlong dash. Angela Renee, owned by Siena Farm, is a half-sister to 2012 Grade 1 Woodward victor To Honor and Serve.
Also probable for the race are Take Charge Brandi, runner-up in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on Opening Day at the Spa, Vivian Da Bling, winner of the TTA Sale Futurity in her latest outing, and Phoenix Park, who debuted a winner in a 4 ½-furlong sprint on June 9 at Parx.
Coco's Wildcat and Empressive Humor are possible.
Tough-luck loser of the Sanford, Mr. Z, and 8-5 favorite in the Sanford, Nonna's Boy, are likely to meet each other again in the Grade 2, $200,000 Toyota Saratoga Special for 2-year-olds at 6 ½ furlongs on Sunday.
Mr. Z, trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, missed by a neck in the Sanford despite a rough stretch run, while Nonna's Boy moved early into a quick pace and tired to finish fourth, beaten two lengths.
Texas-bred W V Jetsetter is probable to join the Sanford pair for trainer Bret Calhoun. W V Jetsetter is coming off consecutive victories at Lone Star Park, including a 1 ½-length score in the TTA Sales Futurity.
In addition to Nonna's Boy, trainer Todd Pletcher is likely to send out Blame Jim, who broke his maiden impressively for owner Mike Repole on July 19 at Saratoga, and Stanford, who enters the Sanford off a maiden win on June 29 at Monmouth Park.
Others probable for the Sanford are Cleveland Sound, I Spent It, Rod McLeod and Tizcano. Lord Tyrion is possible.