Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Contact: NYRA Press Office
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- Regal Ransom wins Wednesday allowance, targets Grade 2 Kelso; Sara Louise back on the worktab
- Wine Police breezes for Hopeful
- "Boys" completes preparations for Three Chimneys Hopeful, others wrap up as well
- Pletcher to start four as he tries for fourth Spinaway win
- McLaughlin points Lethal Combination to Saranac
- Sheppard, Pape, seek steeplechase sweep
- Six entered in Friday's
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Godolphin Stable's Regal Ransom is likely to return to graded stakes competition after winning Wednesday's fourth race, an optional claimer at 1 1/8th miles on the main track, by 3 ¼ lengths in gate-to-wire fashion.
A winner of the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby and Grade 2 Super Derby in 2009, Regal Ransom went to the shelf after finishing eighth in the Breeders' Cup Classic and was fourth in his return effort, the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap at
"We thought the comeback spot was a good place to run, but the one turn mile and an eighth clearly makes it tough on a horse like him," said Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. "In a race like [today's], you can steal away a length or two just on the turn."
Mettee was pleased with the way the way Regal Ransom settled on the lead in today's race and added that the colt could make his next start in the Grade 2 Kelso on the main track at
"He had his ears pricked out of the gate, and I thought he relaxed a lot better than he did first time out," said Mettee. "He's a fast little horse, so he's always going to take a little bit of a pull. It was good that he was able to get in a small field without a lot of pace in there because he's been in some tough spots, so it's good for him to win a race again."
Godolphin's Sara Louise, who missed the Grade 2 Honorable Miss on August 8 with a minor injury, is aiming for the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at
"She bruised her foot while training earlier in the meet, causing her to miss the Honorable Miss," said Mettee. "That was her first breeze back, and we thought the synthetic would be easier for her. We'll probably give her another breeze or two at Greentree before we send her to
* * *
Wine Police breezed four furlongs on the Oklahoma Training Track in 50.50 seconds Wednesday morning, his final major workout in the lead up to Monday's Grade 1 Three Chimneys Hopeful.
"It was smooth as glass," trainer Steve Asmussen said of the workout. "All systems are go."
The Hopeful will be Wine Police's second start, having drawn off to break his maiden by 7 ¾ lengths at
Another promising 2-year-old from the Asmussen barn, Kantharos, was retired after suffering a bone fracture in his left foreleg on Monday but is in stable condition, according to Asmussen.
* * *
Boys At Tosconova, expected to be to the favorite in Monday's Three Chimneys Hopeful, also completed his preparations for the seven-furlong race this morning, going an easy five furlongs in 1:05.99.
"He's all set," said trainer Rick Dutrow of the Officer colt, who earned a 102 Beyer speed figure in winning a maiden race at
Along with Wine Police, among the others expected in the Hopeful are Stay Thirsty, a 5 ½-length winner here on August 14, who worked five furlongs in 1:00.87 on Tuesday; Settle for Medal, a maiden winner here on July 31, who went a half-mile in 48.23 on Tuesday, and Sovereign Default, who beat Stay Thirsty at Belmont Park on July 15, and who zipped three furlongs in 36.55, also on Tuesday.
* * *
Trainer Todd Pletcher has nine 2-year-old fillies nominated to Sunday's Grade 1 Spinaway, but is likely to start "only" four – Valiant Passion, Sky Hosoya, Stopspendingmaria and R Heat Lightning.
"I would be surprised if Sky Hosoya were not the pacesetter," said Pletcher of the Bluegrass Cat filly, a 9 ¾ length maiden winner at the Spa on July 29. "With Stopspendingmaria, in her last race [Grade 3 Schuylerville] she had to gun from the rail over a sloppy track, we'll look to let her settle into a rhythm."
Pletcher, who has saddled three Spinaway winners in Adieu (2005), Ashado (2003) and Circle of Life (1999) said that Javier Castellano would be aboard Sky Hosoya, John Velazquez on Stopspendingmaria, Julien Leparoux on Valiant Passion, and Garrett Gomez on R Heat Lightning.
The trainer said that Summer Laugh, who had been under consideration for the seven-furlong race, would instead await an overnight stakes at
* * *
Lethal Combination, who rallied from far back to finish fourth, beaten a length, in the Quick Call here on July 29, will return to graded stakes company in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Saranac at 1 3/16 miles on the turf, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.
The 3-year-old gelded son of Broken Vow, owned by Namcook Stables, was campaigned in
"He's doing very well," said McLaughlin. "I thought his last race was very good; he came running going a mile and was going strong at the end. I don't think 1 3/16 miles is going to be a concern. The timing of the race is right."
Among those Lethal Combination is likely to face in the Saranac are Citrus Kid, Devon Rock, Fantastico Roberto, Mystic, and Turf Melody.
* * *
Lead Us Not, winner of an allowance-optional claiming race on August 12, will attempt to give owner Bill Pape and trainer Jonathan Sheppard an unprecedented sweep of Saratoga Race Course's steeplechase races when he starts in a $53,000 allowance-optional claimer on Thursday.
The 2 3/8-mile race over National Fences will conclude the 2010 schedule of jump racing at the historic upstate
Brian Crowley, who rode Lead Us Not to a three-quarter-length victory in the earlier allowance-optional claimer at 2 1/16 miles, will again be in the saddle. The 8-year-old Royal Anthem gelding, bred by Pape and Sheppard, was entered for a $30,000 claiming price and most likely will be favored when he lines up against nine opponents.
Also entered for a $30,000 tag was Irvin Naylor's Dr. Bloomer, who finished second in the Grade 3, $50,000 David L. "Zeke" Ferguson Memorial at Colonial Downs on July 11 and then was seventh behind Pape's Divine Fortune in Saratoga's Grade 2, $75,000 A. P. Smithwick Memorial on August 5. Darren Nagle will ride the 9-year-old Fantastic Fellow gelding for trainer Desmond Fogarty.
* * *
Six New York-bred fillies and mares have drawn in for Friday's seventh running of the $70,000 Saratoga Dew.
Edward Cox, Jr.'s Banker's Buy has been made the 2-1 morning-line favorite and will leave from post 3 with Jose Lezcano. Trained by Nick Zito, the 4-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor has won two of four starts this year, most recently taking a 1 1/16th-mile allowance optional claimer at
Second-choice on the morning line is Akindale Farms' My Dinah, who was third in last year's renewal of the race. Winner of the seven-furlong Fleet Indian Stakes at the Spa on July 30, she finished 11th on the grass in the Yaddo on August 20.
Completing the field are Don't Forget Gil, seventh in the William B. Fasig Stakes; Landlash, sixth in the Lake Luzerne; Wicked Diva, fifth in an allowance optional claimer on August 23 and Big Brownie, who was second in that race.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Don't Forget Gil (NY) | J Castellano | 124 | M A Hennig | 3-1 |
| 2 | Landlash (NY) | J R Velazquez | 114 | L Gyarmati | 10-1 |
| 3 | Banker's Buy (NY) | J Lezcano | 118 | N P Zito | 2-1 |
| 4 | My Dinah (NY) | J L Espinoza | 122 | K M Feron | 5-2 |
| 5 | Wicked Diva (NY) | R A Dominguez | 118 | M | 4-1 |
| 6 | Big Brownie (NY) | C Hill | 118 | P D Pugh | 15-1 |
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