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- Brown, Pletcher in battle for early lead among trainers
- Nordic Truce works for Hall of Fame stakes start
- Contessa aims Grand Rapport to Hall of Fame
- Banrock looking toward West Point
- Pletcher poised to strike with Interactif, Take the Points, and Position Limit
- Nina Fever, Silvislip confirmed for Adirondack
- Convocation eyes Woodward following allowance win
"It's going to take every bit of my depth chart to keep running," said Brown, who won the second race with Fiscal Stimulus, the third with Kid Kate and the ninth with first-time starter Silver Medallion. "I'm going to keep on entering in spots I plan to run in, regardless of where we are. If I get a couple of repeat winners, I can win more races. With the meet being longer, there are a couple of more options."
Brown, who grew up in nearby
"I was very impressed with that horse," Brown said. "He acted very nervous in the paddock. I saw him get nervous around people. He has been a high-strung colt. I knew we could win this race on talent alone."
Brown, 31, who won the inaugural Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with Maram in 2008, his first year of training, has the Juvenile Turf in mind for the Badge of Silver colt, a $150,000 purchase at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale.
"I'd be more inclined to wait for the Pilgrim at
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Nordic Truce, last seen yielding grudgingly to Krypton in the Grade 3 Hill Prince at Belmont Park on June 4, will likely return to the races next Friday in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, trainer Christophe Clement said Thursday.
The 3-year-old son of Yes It's True worked a half-mile over the
"He was a touch unlucky in the Hill Prince," Clement said. "He worked well yesterday and I'm not sure we'll work him back before the race, we'll see."
Prior to his defeat in the Hill Prince, Nordic Truce followed his maiden victory with two straight stakes wins, including the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland on April 2.
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Also among those being pointed to the $150,000 Hall of Fame is Earle Mack's Grand Rapport, last-to-first winner in his turf debut at
It was the first start this year for the 3-year-old gelded son of Grand Reward, who was given 7 ½ months off over the winter and spring after being injured.
"He's a big, good-looking horse with a tremendous turf family," said trainer Gary Contessa. "When we brought him back he was about 70 percent, which is exactly what I wanted. He came from dead-last to win at 1 1/8th miles, which is perfect, and earned an 8 on the Ragozin sheets."
Last year, Grand Rapport broke his maiden in an off-the-turf event going seven furlongs at
"It's nice when you have an owner like Earle Mack, who is so patient," said the trainer. "If I needed another two months with the horse, he would have been fine with it. We're excited about running him."
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New York-bred turf standout Banrock turned in a five-furlong work over the
"He worked great, really well," said Tom Bush, who trains the 7-year-old son of Go for Gin for Nyala Farm. "He just loves it up here, he always has, and he thrives in this environment."
Banrock is pointing toward the 1 1/8th-mile
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Todd Pletcher, who entered today's card trailing Chad Brown by one victory in the trainer standings, could be difficult to hold off in the upcoming weeks as he will send out three leading contenders in graded stakes between August 13 and August 15.
Wertheimer and Frere's Interactif, seventh in the 1 ½-mile, Grade 1 Belmont Stakes June 5 and second in the 1 1/8th-mile, Grade 2 Virginia Derby July 17, will cut back an additional furlong in the Hall of Fame Stakes.
"We're backing him up a little," said Pletcher. "He's a versatile colt that runs well at different distances. I think he's at his best on the turf, although he's had decent races on dirt and pretty good races on synthetic."
Take the Points will attempt to pick up his first Grade 1 victory against older horses when he competes in the Sword Dancer Invitational August 14.
Fourth in the Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap over 1 ¼ miles at Belmont June 5 and second in the Grade 1 United Nations over 1 3/8th miles at Monmouth Park July 3, the Starlight Partners colorbearer will try 1 ½ miles for the first time when he goes postward in the Sword Dancer.
"We thought he ran a good race in the United Nations," said Pletcher. "It was his first trip around three turns, and he seemed to handle a mile and three-eighths. A mile and a half seems to be in his range."
Position Limit, a 6 ¾-length debut winner in a 5 ½-furlong maiden event at
"I thought that with the way she broke her maiden that she could handle stakes competition," said Pletcher of Position Limit, who also races for Starlight Partners. "She's a big, scopey filly, and she'll prefer the added distance."
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Nina Fever, fifth in the Grade 3 Kentucky Juvenile April 30, will have another shot against stakes competition in the
The daughter of the 2005 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Borrego was a dominant eight-length winner on debut at Keeneland April 3. Off as the 5-2 second choice against males in the Grade 3 Kentucky Juvenile at Churchill Downs, she contested the early pace before she faded in the stretch to finish last.
"Her debut race was great because she really isn't bred to do that," said trainer Wesley Ward, who owns Nina Fever in partnership with Gatewood Bell. "She sort of had a bad trip in the race at Churchill. She broke like a rocket and Robby Albarado sent her over to the rail after he saw that the favorite [Lou Brissie] didn't break well. But then [Lou Brissie] rushed up and kept us in a pocket."
Ward sent Nina Fever to Saratoga following the Kentucky Juvenile, and a pair of solid workouts over the Saratoga main track – a 36.14 breeze in the mud July 25 and a 46.90 move August 1 – gave him reason to believe the filly would fit well in the Adirondack.
"I wasn't set on running, but then she had a good workout," said Ward. "Then she worked sensationally."
Also probable for the Adirondack is Gold Mark Farm's Silvislip, a 1 ¼-length first-out winner in the slop at
"She was always quick from the gate and when I breezed her with other fillies," said her trainer, John Kimmel. "The track was sloppy that day, and that can help speed horses because they can avoid the kick back. But she doesn't need a sloppy racetrack to run well."
Kimmel said Silvislip will work this weekend, most likely on Sunday.
"With a little improvement, hopefully we'll be in position to be competitive," said Kimmel.
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Following his hard-fought allowance victory on Wednesday, Convocation is now being pointed to the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward on Saturday, September 4.
Racing wide throughout as the 3-10 favorite, Convocation dueled with pacesetter
"He's a little funny," Jerkens said about Convocation. "He's not going to do more than what he has to. As soon as [the other horse] pulled up next to him, right up close to him, he surged again."
Convocation had been among those invited to Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney, where he would have met Quality Road, Blame, Haynesfield, Mine That Bird, Musket Man and Jardim.
"We were toying with running in the Whitney, but it looks like the best he could have done is run the race of his life and finish third, and he's tired of that," Jerkens said. "That's what he had been doing the last couple of times. We hoped he'd get a race like this under his belt and get a little boost in his confidence, and then run him back in the Woodward."
Convocation is still seeking his first stakes win after five previous attempts. His best stakes finishes were a second to Kensei in the Grade 2 Dwyer last year, and a second to Le Grand Cru in the Grade 3 Westchester and a second to Haynesfield in the Grade 2 Suburban this year.
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