Sunday, October 31, 2010
Contact: NYRA Press Office
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- Godolphin's Breeders' Cup quartet breezes over weekend at Belmont
- Tap for Luck looks to change her luck in G3 Tempted
- G2 Red Smith likely next start for Rescue Squad
- Fields coming together for Big A's opening weekend stakes
Godolphin's contenders for the Dirt Mile, Vineyard Haven and Gayego, turned in separate breezes on Sunday.
Gayego, who in his most recent start defeated yesterday's Grade 2 Fayette winner Successful Dan in the Presque Isle Mile on September 10, breezed four furlongs in 48.88.
"He finished up great and galloped out good, and he's another one we're real happy with," said Mettee. "That Presque Isle race looks pretty good now that Successful Dan has come back and won two starts. The one-turn mile should be perfect for him."
Vineyard Haven, most recently third in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga Race Course on September 24, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.42.
"He went in 1:01 2/5 and went out in 1:13 4/5," said Mettee. "Hopefully he can get outside draw. Like Gayego, he seems to like being outside horses a little more. You just have to hope that with a big field and a one-turn mile that they both get good draws and aren't tucked down along the inside because that field is loaded with horses like Tizway and Crown of Thorns and Here Comes Ben."
Breeders' Cup Sprint entrant Girolamo earned a bullet on Saturday for his 1:00.06 five-furlong breeze, his third official workout since winning the Grade 1 Vosburgh at
"Girolamo went really well – he went especially well yesterday," said Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. "After a big race like the Vosburgh, you never know how they'll handle it, but he seems to have thrived since then."
Sara Louise, who will be making her second start of 2010 when she competes in the Filly & Mare Sprint, turned in a 47.67 four-furlong breeze in the second quickest of 23 moves at the distance on Saturday.
"She went back to the track today and trotted, and we're real happy with the way she's coming up to the race," said Mettee. "We'd like to have another race in her, but we didn't have that luxury. At least we got a race into her, and she's healthy, sound, and fresh. She's run at Churchill before, and seven furlongs should be a good distance for her."
Mettee said all four horses will depart
"All of them have shipped before and
Mettee added that Tahitian Warrior exited his fourth-place finish in yesterday's Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap in good shape.
"He broke a little flat-footed and probably just got outrun by some hard-knocking older horses," said Mettee. "The real Bribon showed up yesterday, and there's no question Bribon is a better horse than Tahitian Warrior right now. He got beat by 2 ½ lengths, not bad for a 3-year-old making his seventh start, so at least we know he can run against good horses, and he still has a condition."
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Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Darley Stable's impressive maiden winner
A 5 ½-length debut winner at
"We worry a little about the distance, jumping up to a mile, but he's training very well, so we figure we'll give it a try and see how it goes," McLaughlin said. "He looks a lot like [Henny Hughes], powerfully built, and we worry about the distance with him because of that, but right now maybe we can get away with it."
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Tap for Luck's first foray into a graded stakes might not have resulted in victory, but her connections saw enough to bring her back for Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Tempted at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Last through the early going, the Tapit filly was swung to the outside approaching the three-eighths pole and improved her position to finish fifth going a mile behind A Z Warrior in the Grade 1 Frizette at
"She had a little bit of bad racing luck in the Frizette as she trailed the field and encountered a little bit of kickback," said Jonathan Thomas, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher. "She had a legitimate reason to pack it in, and didn't."
The gray filly, owned by Summit West Racing, was a 2 ¼-length winner of her debut at Saratoga Race course on August 20, coming from just off the pace to score in 57.59 for the five furlongs. She breezed a half-mile in 49.46 Sunday morning.
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Among those probable for next weekend's Grade 2, $150,000 Red Smith Handicap is Rescue Squad, who worked four furlongs on the
"If nothing changes, I think we'll run him in the stake," said Buzzy Tenney, longtime assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. "I think he'll like going further, so that will work to our advantage. He hasn't found the winner's circle very often, but he's competitive in his races. This will be his first time in blinkers, so we're hoping that might be the answer. He is doing well though."
A son of Dynaformer campaigned by Stuart Janney, III and Phipps Stable, Rescue Squad was most recently third in a one-mile Keeneland turf allowance on October 10.
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A pair of 2-year-old stakes and the final open graded stakes on the turf in
Among those expected for the Grade 2, $150,000 Red Smith at 1 3/8 miles on the turf is the Jimmy Toner-trained stakes winner Bold Hawk, who returned to racing after a three-year layoff on October 13 at Keeneland to finish fourth in a one-mile allowance. Also expected for the Red Smith, according to New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) stakes coordinator Andrew Byrnes, are Grassy, most recently third in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational; Simmard, Strike a Deal, and Jeune-Turc, third, fourth and fifth in the Grade 2 Bowling Green; Just as Well, fifth in the Grade 1 Manhattan in his last appearance at Belmont; Presious Passion, and Rescue Squad. Possible are Insider Tip, Lethal Combination, Solitaire, and Whatsthescript.
The Grade 2, $150,000
The Tony Dutrow-trained duo of Dixie City, five-length winner of an allowance at Parx Racing, and Pinch Pie, who broke her maiden at Delaware Park, head the probable starters for the Grade 3, $100,000 Tempted. Also being pointed to the one-mile race are Doing Great, 2-for-2 including the Maryland Million Lassie, and Tap for Luck. Alexandra Rylee and Full Moon Blues are possible.
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