Saratoga's Bowling Green next target for Admission Office

Amerman Racing's Admission Office could be bound for New York after winning his first graded stakes last out. Trainer Brian Lynch said the 5-year-old son of Point of Entry came out his victory in the Grade 3 Louisville on June 13 at Churchill Downs in good order.

Admission Office registered a triple digit Beyer Speed Figure for the second time in three starts, earning a 100 number after edging Arklow by a head in the 1 ½-mile turf route last month. The Kentucky homebred could now target the $250,000 Bowling Green (G2) on Aug. 1, Whitney Day, at Saratoga. Contested at 1 3/8 miles on the Spa's turf, the Bowling Green is the first flat turf graded stakes for 4-years-old and up on the Saratoga schedule.

The $400,000 Manhattan (G1) on Saturday at Belmont Park was initially a possibility for Admission Office. But the 1¼-mile trek on the inner turf was passed over as Lynch didn't want to wheel him back after just three weeks following his hard-fought effort against a 12-horse field.

"I was thinking about the Manhattan, but Admission Office just won the Louisville down here and ran very, very hard, and it just taxed him a little," Lynch said. "I didn't want to get too ambitious and bring him back too quick because the good racing is just starting to open up."

Lynch said the rescheduled Turf Classic (G1), set for September at Churchill, remains a possibility as well for Admission Office.

As a 4-year-old, Admission Office earned black type in four graded stakes, posting runner-up efforts in the Dixie (G2) in May 2019 at Pimlico and the Ft. Lauderdale (G2) in December at Gulfstream to cap his campaign. He also finished third in the Wise Dan (G2) in June at Churchill and in the River City Handicap (G3) in November at the same track. In all, he had finished second or third in six total stakes before breaking through in the Louisville over firm turf.

The Manhattan will still see a Lynch trainee, as Terry Hamilton's Spooky Channel will be going for his second graded stakes win of the year following a win by a neck over Cross Broder in the W.L. McKnight (G3) in January at Gulfstream Park.

Spooky Channel, 8-2-0 in 15 career starts, drew the outermost post 8 in the Manhattan. Listed as 15-1 on the morning line, he will have the services of jockey Julien Leparoux.