What’s next for Saturday’s Saratoga stakes winners

Arcangelo moved to the top of the 3-year-old male division with his win in Saturday’s Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga.

Arcangelo appears ready to give serious challenge to older competition this fall in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Santa Anita Park. For now, trainer Jena Antonucci will retain her usual level-headedness, and allow Arcangelo the time and patience he needs before committing to the year-end championship event.

“He came back well and is full of himself today,” Antonucci said Sunday. “Of course the Breeders’ Cup is on the radar, but horses don’t care about schedules or spreadsheets. We’ll do what we’ve been doing and give him his space. We’ll let him pave the way.”

Antonucci said Arcangelo’s off-the-pace effort with Javier Castellano aboard “was a patient ride and wasn’t a perfect trip, but this horse had some rough trips early on (in his career) that helped him yesterday. I think more than anything, Javier has gotten so confident on the horse and believes in this horse, and (Arcangelo) just feeds off of that in a really cool way.”

Another start is likely for Gunite ahead of Breeders’ Cup

Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen teamed up for two wins over reigning champions on Saturday.

Gunite turned the tables on Elite Power in winning the Forego (G1), and Echo Zulu defeated Goodnight Olive in the Ballerina (G1).

Fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland, Gunite will target this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Park and likely will have one more start beforehand.

“He’s just such a cool horse. He always shows up, he’s always dependable,” said Winchell racing director David Fiske. “He’s like the new Bankit. You can always depend on him. So far, he’s never let us down. To see him get another Grade 1, one as a 2-year-old, one as a 4-year-old, and head to the Breeders’ Cup for the second year in a row is satisfying and gratifying. He’s so cool, and I was so glad to watch him get it done.”

The Vosburgh (G2) on Sept. 30 at Belmont at the Big A and the Phoenix (G2) on Oct. 6 at Keeneland, both win-and-you’re-in events for the Sprint, are both logical next targets for Gunite, but Fiske did not rule out the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) on September 30 as a possible next start.

“We haven’t talked about it, but that could be a possibility,” Fiske said. “I know that Steve has a habit of shipping early, whether it’s to California for the Breeders’ Cup or Dubai for the World Cup. Curlin went to Dubai about two months before and even got a race in over there beforehand. It’s not out of the realm of possibility.”

Echo Zulu is likely to train up to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint after she secured a berth with her Ballerina win, where she scored a 112 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Obviously, we all knew she was fast. A 112 Beyer is the fastest number anyone has run this year, and she did it two times in a row. To do that a second time, that was pretty impressive,” Fiske said Sunday. “She’s a little bit different than Gunite. Steve said Gunite would probably run again before the Breeders’ Cup. Echo seems to run well when fresh, and yesterday was kind of a third race in a cycle. Steve may just wait and train her up to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Elite Power will train to Breeders’ Cup Sprint

Elite Power likely will train up to his Breeders’ Cup Sprint title defense after a runner-up effort in the Forego, trainer Bill Mott said.

Elite Power probably will not target the Vosburgh (G2) on Sept. 30 at Belmont at the Big A, a race he won last year en route to his Breeders’ Cup accolade.

“He seemed fine” after the Forego, Mott said. “He’ll more than likely go straight to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Bolshoi Ballet returns to Ireland but will be back in U.S.

Bolshoi Ballet’s win in the Sword Dance (G1) earned him a sport in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

T.J. Comerford, assistant to trainer Aidan O’Brien, said Bolshoi Ballet was scheduled to fly back to Ireland Sunday evening with a return trip for the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) on Sept. 30 at Belmont at the Big A under consideration as a springboard to the Breeders’ Cup.

Cox weighs options for Idiomatic

Idiomatic, winner of the Personal Ensign (G1) on Friday could be pointed to the Spinster (G1) on Oct. 8 at Keeneland, trainer Brad Cox said, but he will meet with her owners to make solid plans in the near future. Other potential races for the Juddmonte homebred include the nine-furlong Beldame (G2) on the same day at Belmont at the Big A.

“She’s got a nice little win streak going and she came back well,” Cox said. “We’ll talk with Prince Khalid and family and come up with a game plan, but I would say the Spinster is probably the top spot on the radar given the fact it’s a Grade 1 and Juddmonte sponsors the race. The Beldame would be plan B because there’s not a lot of options. Obviously, the Breeders’ Cup is the target to end the year, and we’ll need another race between now and then.”

Cox said he likely will pursue the Breeders’ Cup for Matareya, third in the Ballerina, and that Verifying, second in the H. Allen Jerkens (G1) could target the Malibu (G1) in December at Santa Anita as a year-end goal.

No decision on Forte or Tapit Trice

Trainer Todd Pletcher said no decision has been made on his two Travers runners, Tapit Trice, who finished third, and Forte, who was fourth.

Both came out of the race well, he said.

“Not yet,” he said of a decision on their next starts. “We’ll give it a few days to see how they are and come up with a game plan.”

Nest, third in the Personal Ensign, will be pointed to either the Beldame (G2) during the Belmont at the Big A fall meet or the Spinster (G1) at Keeneland, Pletcher said. Both 1 1/8-mile races are Oct. 8.