Friday, July 13, 2012
Contact: NYRA Press Office
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- O’Brien, trainer of Treasure Beach, looking to become seventh trainer to win Man o’ War in consecutive years
- It’s Tricky likely to make next start at Saratoga; Crossbow, Questing eye opening weekend stakes at Spa; Alpha possible for G2 Jim Dandy
- Sailmate to step up, stretch out for Evan Shipman
- G1 winner Jackson Bend among probably for Opening Day’s Grade 3 James Marvin; as many as nine fillies targeting G3 Schuylerville
- Fields coming together for G1 TVG Coaching Club American Oaks, G2 Sanford and Evan Shipman
ELMONT, N.Y. – In 53 runnings, the Grade 1 Man o’ War has been won by the same trainer in consecutive years six times, most recently by Christophe Clement in 2009 and 2010 with Gio Ponti. On Saturday, trainer Aidan O’Brien will attempt to become the first foreign-based trainer to achieve the feat when he sends out 4-year-old Treasure Beach in the 1 3/8-mile turf race.
Last year, O’Brien sent Group 1 Irish Derby winner Cape Blanco from his Ballydoyle training base in
“
In 2011,
“He was drawn very wide in Sha Tin, which certainly didn’t help, and, although he won the Secretariat Stakes on yielding ground, I have no doubt that he’s better on a faster surface,” said O’Brien.
While O’Brien did not rule out the possibility of
“What
In addition to Clement, the other trainers who have won back-to-back editions of the Man o’ War are Elliott Burch (1970,
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Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said this morning that multiple Grade 1 winner It’s Tricky will most likely make her next start at Saratoga Race Course, either in the Grade 1 Ballerina on August 24 or the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on August 26.
“She’ll work tomorrow morning but my gut feeling is that she’ll skip the Delaware Handicap,” said McLaughlin of It’s Tricky, winner of the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps last time out. “It’s 1 1/4 miles, the track is tiring, and she doesn’t ship all that well. So that’s doubtful, and we’ll look at the seven-furlong [Ballerina] or the 1 1/8-mile [Personal Ensign].”
Last year at
Opening weekend at the Spa could be a busy one for McLaughlin, who is looking at Friday’s Grade 3 James Marvin for Crossbow and Saturday’s Grade 1 TVG Coaching Club American Oaks as a possibility for Questing.
Fifth in the Grade 2 True North Handicap on June 9 in his most recent start off a 3 ½-month layoff, Crossbow worked four furlongs in a brisk 47.23 this morning at the Greentree training center in
“He’s doing great,” said McLaughlin of the 4-year-old Bernardini colt, who won his first two starts this year, both in optional claimers, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Questing, who was fourth and fifth in two turf starts for McLaughlin at Gulfstream Park, returned to the dirt at Belmont on June 24 and was an impressive 3 ¾-length winner in a one-mile optional claimer.
“She ran huge that day,” said McLaughlin of Questing, who began her career in
McLaughlin said the Hard Spun filly would work tomorrow morning, after which a decision would be made.
The trainer added that Grade 3 Withers winner Alpha, unraced since finishing 12th in the Kentucky Derby, would likely make his next start in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 28.
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Sailmate, unbeaten in a pair of sprints at
A 4-year-old son of
“The horse really hasn’t done anything wrong,” said Kimmel, who trains the colt for Sugar Maple Farm. “I think he’ll enjoy the trip going a mile and an eighth [in the Shipman]. It’s just a matter of who he’s running against and if he’s good enough.”
Sailmate has made one previous stakes start, finishing fourth against state-bred 3-year-olds in
“He was nursing a sore shin, and after the race he had shown a radiographic crack,” said Kimmel. “That’s why he got the time off. He didn’t run that badly, but he’s a much sounder, better horse now than he was back then.”
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Jackson Bend, who used last year’s James Marvin as a stepping stone to his victory in the Grade 1 Forego, will be looking for a repeat as he heads the list of probable starters for the Grade 3, $100,000 race on Friday, July 20, Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito, the 5-year-old son of Hear No Evil this year added the Grade 1 Carter Handicap and the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope to his resume, and most recently finished fifth in the Grade 1 Met Mile.
Also targeting the seven-furlong James Marvin, according to NYRA stakes coordinator
Sharing the card with the James Marvin is the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies, expected to attract Baby J, Brown Eyes Blue, Can’t Explain, Fully Living, Mr Hall’s Opus, Scammony, So Many Ways, Sweet Shirley Mae, and Vitameta.
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Grade 1 Mother Goose heroine Zo Impressive is among the probable starters for the first Grade 1 of the meet, the $300,000 TVG Coaching Club American Oaks on Saturday, July 21. Proable to line up against the Live Oak Plantation filly are Grade 2 Demoiselle winner Disposablepleasure, runner-up in the Mother Goose; In Lingerie, winner of the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan last time out; Questing, and Yara. Amie’s Dini, Funny Proposition, and Hearts of Red are questionable.
Among the 2-year-olds likely for the Grade 2, $200,000 Sanford on Sunday, July 22, are Bern Identity, Brave Dave, Good Tickled, John Gordon, Onetwentyeight, Rose Junction, and Special Jo, with I’m Boundtoscore questionable.
New York-breds aiming to the $100,000 Evan Shipman on Monday include Green Monster, Johnannesburg Smile, and Sailmate, with Lunar Victory and This Hard Land questionable.
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