Saratoga: Fields for Ballerina, Forego, Jerkens, Sword Dancer

Echo Zulu puts her unbeaten 4-year-old campaign and lifetime perfect record at Saratoga on the line in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina Handicap, a seven-furlong main-track sprint for fillies and mares, at Saratoga.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Echo Zulu enters from an impressive 7 1/4-length score in the six-furlong Honorable Miss (G2) on July 26.

Asmussen said the talented bay, whose only off-the-board effort came in the nine-furlong Kentucky Oaks (G1), is at her best around one turn.

“That’s who she is,” said Asmussen of the lofty speed figure garnered in the Honorable Miss. “We chased the Oaks with her a little bit last year, but when you back her up, she’s absolutely brilliant.”

Asmussen could also be represented by multiple graded stakes-winner Wicked Halo as she looks to protect 2-for-2 record at the spa.

The 4-year-old Gun Runner grey, who is cross-entered in Friday’s Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon at Charles Town, captured the Adirondack (G2) at Saratoga in August 2021 and added the Prioress (G2) to her ledger last summer. She finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in November and is 4: 2-2-0 this season, taking the Matron at Oaklawn Park and the Twin Bridges last out on July 23 at Ellis Park.

Goodnight Olive, trained by meet leader Chad Brown, won last year’s Ballerina before taking the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland with a 2 1/2-length score over Echo Zulu to secure honors as champion female sprinter.

“It’s a very strong division. Echo Zulu will be a tough horse to tackle. But our horse is fresh and doing well at the moment. I’m optimistic that she’ll run well,” said Brown.

After the Breeders’ Cup, Brown gave Goodnight Olive time off before her 5-year-old debut in April when she won the Madison (G1) going seven furlongs at Keeneland.

In the Ghostzapper mare’s next outing, she ran third in the Derby City Distaff (G1) in May at Churchill Downs, two lengths behind returning rival Matareya. It was- Goodnight Olive’s first defeat since her March 2021 debut at Gulfstream Park and only loss at seven furlongs.

Goodnight Olive rebounded nicely with a neck score last out on June 17 at Belmont in the Bed o’ Roses (G2), rallying to the lead late past Wicked Halo.

Rivals Elite Power, Gunite face off in Forego

Grade 1-winning millionaires Elite Power, the reigning champion male sprinter, and his worthy adversary Gunite, who were separated by a head during their epic battle four weeks ago, will meet for the second time this summer in Saturday’s seven-furlong Forego (G1).

Elite Power, a 5-year-old son of two-time horse of the year Curlin, enters the Forego on an eight-race win streak dating to a nine-length maiden triumph last June at Churchill Downs, his fourth career start. The closest he’s been to losing since came in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) on July 29 at Saratoga, trailing all but one horse early before coming with a steady drive over the sloppy and sealed track to nail Gunite at the wire.

“I was very impressed with him last time. I thought he showed a lot of courage,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. “He beat a good horse by a head. The same horse is in there again, so things have to go right. If you stub your toe, that horse is a good horse.”

Gunite will be looking to play spoiler again after nearly ending Elite Power’s streak in the Vanderbilt. By Gun Runner, who was also trained by Asmussen, 4-year-old Gunite had to settle for second, more than six lengths ahead of third-place finisher Dean Delivers.

“At the eighth pole I think a lot of people thought he was going to get home, but Elite Power is the champion and to be the champ you’ve got to beat the champ,” said David Fiske, racing manager for owner Winchell Thoroughbreds. “He’s not like some counterfeit horse. It wasn’t like we got beat by some surprise that shouldn’t have been there. It was like, ‘Oh, it’s the champion again.’ We’ll see how we can do on Saturday.”

It was a much shorter gap than the previous time Gunite met Elite Power in February in Saudi Arabia, beaten 3 1/4 lengths when second. From there, Gunite stayed in the Middle East and was third by a half-length in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) before winning the June 3 Aristides at Churchill.

Baffert sends 2 to Jerkens Memorial

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert sends out a formidable duo in Grade 1 winner Arabian Lion and Grade 3 winner Fort Bragg to combat the scintillating speed of undefeated New York Thunder in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1), a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores and a win-and-you’re-in for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Arabian Lion enters from a strong score in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens (G1) on June 10 at Belmont Park.

Arabian Lion also took the restricted 1 1/16-mile Sir Barton around two turns by four lengths over next-out allowance winner Tapit’s Conquest on the May 20 Preakness undercard at Pimlico.

Baffert said Arabian Lion’s versatility will give Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez plenty of options in a race expected to have swift splits.

“It all depends how fast they go early, pace makes the race,” Baffert said. “He showed the way around at Pimlico and his race in New York was impressive.”

Fort Bragg enters from a game nose score over Saudi Crown in the Dwyer (G3) traveling a one-turn mile on July 1 at Belmont.

The Tapit bay was initially targeting the Woody Stephens (G1) but re-routed to the Dwyer after spiking a temperature.

Fort Bragg added blinkers for the Dwyer and after stumbling at the break he recovered quickly to track from second and win by a nose over Saudi Crown.

“He shipped and handled everything well that day,” said Baffert, regarding the Dwyer effort. “He's maturing and getting better with age. He's working well. We just have to hope the horse shows up.”

New York Thunder missed the Woody Stephens with a bruised foot but was no worse for wear on his return with a powerful performance on July 28 in the 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam (G2).

Trainer Jorge Delgado said he is confident the talented bay will handle stretching out to seven furlongs for the first time.

“The riders that have been on him the last two times are experienced riders. Both Ricardo (Santana Jr.) and Tyler (Gaffalione) told me that he could definitely go to a distance. I believe the same,” Delgado said. “He works like he can get to a mile, but that remains to be seen. Right now, we're focusing on the seven-furlong race.”

9-year-old Channel Maker seeks 2nd Sword Dancer win

The evergreen 9-year-old Channel Maker will strive for a rare feat in Sword Dancer (G1) going 1 1/2 miles over the inner turf. The race is a qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“It’s surprising that any horse is a graded-stakes winner at 9, much less Channel Maker, and much less at Saratoga,” said his Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who saddled previous Sword Dancer winners Theatrical, Fraise and Broadway Flyer.

Channel Maker kicked off his career in July 2016 and has covered plenty of ground since, compiling a record of 54: 10-6-5 and lifetime earnings of $3,890,358 through a total of seven graded stakes victories. The Ontario-bred son of English Channel captured the 2020 Sword Dancer and will make his sixth straight appearance in the turf test.

Bolshoi Ballet arrives from Ballydoyle Training Center in Ireland in search of his first triumph since taking the 2021 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) before finishing fourth in the Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1) and Jockey Club Derby Invitational.

Bolshoi Ballet, an Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Galileo, enters from a distant sixth at triple-digit odds in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth II Diamond (G1) in July over good to soft ground at Ascot. The 5-year-old bay finished in the money in his other three starts this season.

O’Brien’s traveling assistant T.J. Comerford said Bolshoi Ballet would prefer firmer footing.

“He's arrived in good order, he's grand and fresh. We're hoping he's starting to pick it up now and he's back to somewhere near where he should be,” said Comerford. “You're not going to get your ground at home at the moment, it's been very wet. He's run in a few races this year and he's been stepping up all the time. His run at Newbury was a good run for him going a mile and a half.”