Twilight Eclipse, Flintshire Headline Sword Dancer
West Point Thoroughbred's Twilight Eclipse had the ostensible misfortune of meeting Main Sequence during his summer and fall sweep of top turf stakes, with Twilight Eclipse finishing no worse than 1 ¾ lengths behind the eventual champion in four consecutive Grade 1s last year.
The talented son of Purim should stand to benefit from the absence of Main Sequence in the 41st edition of the Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer, which immediately precedes the Grade 1 Travers on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. A Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" event, the Sword Dancer will be contested at 1 ½ miles on the inner turf course.
Main Sequence, who was retired earlier this year, had used his victory in last year's Sword Dancer to propel him to Breeders' Cup Turf glory and Eclipse Award honors as Champion Older Male Horse and Male Turf Horse.
Instead, Twilight Eclipse will square off against a contentious group of older turf contenders, led by Khalid Abdullah's globe-trotting Flintshire. A British-bred son of Dansili, Flintshire's trainer Andre Fabre had the colt pointed to the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Ascot in July but called an audible when rain softened the grass more than his connections' liking.
"With the very soft ground, we didn't run [in the King George]," said Annelie Ackermann, Flintshire's regular exercise rider and part of the horse's well-traveled entourage. "So last minute, the boss decided to come here. I didn't know [until] 10 days before we left that I was coming here."
Flintshire made his U.S. debut in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf following a second-place finish to European champion mare Treve in the Group 1 Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. Like Twilight Eclipse, Flintshire found himself at the mercy of Main Sequence, coming up a half-length short of the winner, but went on to close out the year with a victory in the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin. Now in his 5-year-old season, he has competed at four racetracks in as many starts in three different countries, including a runner-up finish in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.
Flintshire got a little closer to Treve in his most recent start in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in France, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by the winner but finishing 2 ½ lengths ahead of familiar rival Dolniya.
"He came out [of the Saint-Cloud] very well. It was even kind of unexpected, running against Treve and [Dolniya], who had beat him three times already," Ackermann said. "So we were very, very content with [his effort]."
In typical European training fashion, Flintshire had a final blowout for the Sword Dancer on Thursday morning, covering three furlongs under Ackermann in 35.78 seconds on the Oklahoma turf course.
"We don't really clock our works, we just do it in progression. So we start in a canter and let him come into his action," she explained. "It's a whole different race than in France; over there they wait until the last 200 meters - very tactical - over here you have to be awake, so that's what we're showing him. [The turns] are very short here, so he has to be ready [earlier]."
Installed as the 8-5 favorite, Flintshire is set to leave from post 2 with French native and champion jump jockey-turned-flat-course-
The international flavor of the Sword Dancer is further bolstered by a trio of foreign-born horses looking to join the mix. French-bred Guardini arrived at Saratoga alongside Flintshire to make his own bid in the Sword Dancer for new trainer Paul Harley. The lone 4-year-old in the field, Guardini has three wins from nine starts in France and Germany and will take on his elders from post 7, ridden by Martin Harley at program odds of 15-1.
Citing Twilight Eclipse's ultra-consistency even against the highest quality of competition, trainer Tom Albertrani is optimistic about his gelding's chances.
"Looking at the race on paper, I think we have a great shot to be there," said Albertrani. "I think we have a great chance to win it. So if he runs his race, we'll just need a little luck to get there.
"He's been training really good coming into the race," he added. "Last year, he just missed [against Main Sequence]. He runs his race every time. He's so consistent and he's been very close in all of his defeats. Running against Main Sequence all of last year, he was always a head, a neck, a half [behind], so he always puts up a good effort."
Twilight Eclipse will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post 5 as the second choice on the morning line at 7-2.
Joining Graham Motion's U.S. operation for the 2015 season is Messi, a 5-year-old son of New Approach. The gelding was two for 12 in his native Germany and has posted back-to-back wins against allowance company in his only attempts on American turf. At odds of 10-1, Messi will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez from post 6.
Todd Pletcher will send Red Rifle for Twin Creeks Racing Stables off a dominating score in the Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap at the Spa on August 1, earning him a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 107. The 5-year-old Giant's Causeway gelding has dabbled on turf, dirt and synthetic surfaces in his 19-race career, amassing graded stakes wins on all three surfaces.
Set at 4-1 on the morning line, Red Rifle will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 4.
Brazilian-bred Fixador will be making his third U.S. start for trainer Eduardo Caramori. Runner-up in the Grade 3 W. L. McKnight Handicap, Fixador is set at odds of 30-1 and will break from post 3 under Junior Alvarado. Hall of Fame trainers Shug McGaughey and Bill Mott will send out a pair of contenders in Imagining and War Dancer, respectively. A Phipps Stable homebred, Imagining, now 7, is installed at 8-1 and will break from the rail under by current leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. Grade 2 Bowling Green runner-up War Dancer is set at odds of 6-1 and will break from the outside post 8 under Jose Lezcano.
Source: NYRA Communications