** For video of trainer Todd Pletcher discussing the matchup between Devil May Care and Blind Luck in Saturday's Grade 1 Betfair TVG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFZq0mRBc6c **
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Contact: NYRA Press Office
(518) 584-6200, ext. 4237
- Devil May Care breezes for Betfair TVG
- Havre de Grace works at Delaware Park, ships Monday for Alabama
- Connie and Michael to gallop up to Alabama
- Weaver looks to knock out of the park in Alabama with Tizahit
- Travers Watch: A Little Warm, Super Saver, First Dude, Afleet Express emerge from works in good order
- Admiral Alex to work Friday for Travers
- Zito trio to breeze this week
- Trappe Shot set for Saturday workout
- Telling OK following second straight Sword Dancer victory
- Bulldogger remains possible for King's Bishop
- Notable works Sunday: Rightly So, Discreetly Mine, Malibu Prayer, Convocation, Life At Ten
On track shortly after 6 a.m., the bay Malibu Moon filly covered a half-mile in 48.34, the sixth-fastest of 55 at the distance.
"She had an easy breeze last week, and we wanted to do a little more with her today, so we put her in company," said trainer Todd Pletcher of Devil May Care, winner of three of her five starts this year. "She was full of run throughout."
Coming off consecutive victories in the Grade 1 Betfair TVG Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga and the Grade 1 Mother Goose at Belmont Park, Devil May Care will be facing her toughest competition since the Kentucky Derby in Blind Luck, who has amassed more than $1.5 million with a record of 8-2-2 from 12 starts that includes four Grade 1 wins.
It's a challenge Pletcher is keenly anticipating.
"We're looking forward to the matchup," said the trainer. "It's not a two-horse race, but you are putting the two most accomplished fillies on the racetrack and ultimately that's what everyone wants to see – the two best meeting each other. There's no better barometer than a head-to-head matchup.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Blind Luck," added the trainer. "She's got that extra something special you like to see in a racehorse – that desire to win. She keeps finding a way to get there."
Pletcher said Devil May Care emerged from her victory in the Coaching Club on July 24 very well, and said he is pleased with the way she is maturing as she moves toward the 1 ¼ mile Alabama, where he feels strategy will be a key factor.
"I do feel she is getting more professional and she's learning to polish her races off a little bit," he said. "She's had that tendency to make the lead and wait. That's why you have to be careful in a situation like [the
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At Delaware Park, Havre de Grace, who was nosed out at the wire by Blind Luck in the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks, worked six furlongs in 1:15 3/5, according to trainer Tony Dutrow, and will be shipped to Saratoga Monday morning.
"We're anxious to get her on the racetrack [Saturday] and see what happens," said the trainer. "We'll see what the 1 ¼ miles and those two fillies up there have in store for her."
A daughter of Saint Liam owned by Fox Hill Farm, Havre de Grace is 2-2-1 from five lifetime starts. In the Delaware Oaks, her first graded stakes, she got the lead late and was caught right at the wire by Blind Luck.
"We're hoping for the best," said Dutrow. "She's a lightly raced filly that's improving, and we can't help believing we have a top filly."
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Trainer Dominick Schettino said this morning that he will likely gallop Grade 1 Mother Goose runner-up Connie and Michael into Saturday's Betfair TVG Alabama.
"I'm probably not going to work her," said Schettino, "She's a little light. She doesn't keep a lot of weight. She gallops 2 to 2 ½ miles a day over the
Schettino said that Connie and Michael, who came to his barn 18 days before the Mother Goose, will be back on the training track tomorrow morning around 9:15 a.m.
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Saturday's Betfair TVG Alabama is expected to draw a formidable field that includes Blind Luck and Devil May Care, but that hasn't deterred George Weaver from taking a shot with Tizahit.
"It's a very tough race, but she's training well," said Weaver. "I think she'll appreciate a mile and an eighth and longer distances. She's a big, scopey filly and the
Tizahit has raced twice since winning the Grade 2 Demoiselle last November, finishing fifth in a
"She won the Demoiselle, so winning an allowance wouldn't do much for her," said Weaver of the decision to send her to the
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Grade 2 Jim Dandy winner A Little Warm (1:03.06), Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver (1:02.56), Preakness runner-up First Dude (1:01.40 at Churchill Downs), and Jim Dandy third-place finisher Afleet Express (1:01.00 over the Oklahoma training track) all emerged from their Saturday works for the 141st running of the Grade 1, $1 million Travers in good order, according to their connections.
"He came out of it well," said A Little Warm's trainer Tony Dutrow, a sentiment that was precisely echoed by Todd Pletcher (Super Saver), Dale Romans (First Dude) and Jimmy Jerkens (Afleet Express).
Romans, who traveled to Kentucky for First Dude's work, added that while he would return to Saratoga on Tuesday, travel plans for First Dude have not yet been finalized for the 1 ¼ mile race on Saturday, August 28.
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Owner and trainer Leon Blusiewicz said this morning that Admiral Alex will have one more workout – a six-furlong breeze with jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard Friday morning about 5:30 a.m. – as part of his preparation for the Travers.
"Everything is well with him right now; he's on schedule," said Blusiewicz, 79. "He will continue to gallop every morning around 5:30."
Admiral Alex will be coming into the Travers based on one race – a maiden win at 1 1/8th
miles here on July 31.
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Nick Zito has yet to decide which of his three contenders for the Travers will compete in the August 28 event, but has determined when they'll post their final workouts in the lead up to the centerpiece of the
"We want to see who is running and who is not running before we decide," said the Hall of Fame trainer. "We'll work Ice Box on Friday, and Miner's Reserve might work Friday, too. Fly Down will work Saturday. We like to work him closer to the race. Hopefully we'll get it all out of the way, weather permitting."
All three colts posted four-furlong workouts on Friday.
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Trappe Shot – who breezed four furlongs Saturday in preparation for either the Travers or the Grade 1 King's Bishop, both scheduled for August 28 – will have his next workout early next Saturday.
"We'll send him out at 6:00 a.m. with the first set," said McLaughlin.
The son of Tapit will head out early so his regular rider Alan Garcia, who will leave
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Trainer Steve Hobby said Telling, who yesterday won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational for the second straight year, exited his victory in good order.
The conditioner said he is considering several options for the 6-year-old, including the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at
"What we were going to do next depended on how he did yesterday," said Hobby. "If he hadn't run well, we would have found an easier spot, but because he won we can think about running him in more big races."
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Bulldogger, who shipped in from California to win an allowance by 4 ¾ lengths yesterday in his first start in five months, will stay in New York and remains under consideration for the Grade 1 King's Bishop on August 28.
"He's going to be here a while," said Tonja Terranova, who oversees Bob Baffert's horses in
A 6 ½-length debut winner at the Spa last year, Bulldogger entered yesterday's event off a third-place finish over Santa Anita's artificial surface in March. The sophomore would have two weeks between starts if he competes in the King's Bishop, but his connections believe he is capable of making the turnaround.
"He won pretty easily," said Terranova.
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Grade 3 Bed o'Roses winner Rightly So went a half-mile in 48.56 in preparation for the Grade 1 Ballerina at seven furlongs on Travers Day, Saturday, August 28 … Grade 2 Amsterdam winner Discreetly Mine worked a half in 51.88 for the Grade 1 King's Bishop on Travers Day … Grade 1 Ruffian winner Malibu Prayer breezed a half-mile in 48.44 … Convocation, winner of an optional claimer here on August 4, went a half in 48.40 for the Grade 1 Woodward on Saturday, September 4 … Life At Ten, who owns a six-race win streak that includes the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps and the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap in her most recent start, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.98 for her highly anticipated matchup with reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on August 29.
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Wednesday's $70,000 Troy Stakes, a 5 ½-furlong turf dash for 3-year-olds and up, has attracted a large, competitive field which includes Silver Timber, who has yet to finish outside the exacta in four starts this year.
Winner of the Grade 3 Shakertown and Grade 3 Turf Sprint in
Linda Rice, winner of the 2009 training title at
Yield Bogey, who has placed in three stakes on the turf, will aim for a breakthrough victory in Wednesday's feature. The Fox Ridge Farm homebred was most recently second in the Grade 3 Jaipur on closing weekend at
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