Handicapper's Diary

The Handicapper's Diary feature from DRF Simulcast Daily will be posted every Thursday during the Saratoga meet.

Monday, August 27, 2007 (Saratoga)

Five weeks down, one to go. Cornelio Velasquez tacked on two more wins, with late-rallying sprinters Rizzi's Twist (6th, $6.80) and Cherokee Jewel (9th, $8.70), and padded his lead to 41-33 over Kent Desormeaux. Cherokee Jewel, scratched from Sunday's Grade 1 Ballerina to await this easier spot, sat off a three-way pace battle among Fast Deal, Cuaba and Sugar Swirl, and wore down the latter in deep stretch of the $82,500 Classy Mirage Stakes. Sugar Swirl was the lone pace survivor, and ran huge in defeat. Edgar Prado was the riding star of the day, sweeping an early pick four ($80.50) that included overnight stakes wins by two Rick Dutrow-trained fillies - Ice Cool Kitty (3rd, $3.90) in the $81,500 Saratoga Dew Stakes, and Expect the End (4th, $6.70) in the $82,500 Jena Jena Stakes. Ice Cool Kitty was winning for the fifth time in seven starts since adding Lasix for her first start of the year, and easily handled a stretch-out to 1 1/8 miles while shouldering 124 pounds. Expect the End was claimed for $30,000 out of her debut win in the mud, and had finished second in a sloppy Colleen Stakes second time out; she proved effective on a fast track as well, after overpowering favored pacesetter Myakka and widening to a 13 1/2-length score under a hand ride.

Sunday, August 26, 2007 (Saratoga)

Maryfield (9th, $35.00) was the fifth straight winner to pay a double-digit mutuel, and did her share to produce a pick six carryover of $81,616 after nosing out Baroness Thatcher in the final stride of the Ballerina. Maryfield, winner of the Distaff at Aqueduct in the spring, notched her first Grade 1 victory; like La Traviata, winner of Saturday's Victory Ride, she will probably not race again until the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. "I don't think Doug (O'Neill, trainer) has anything else planned for her," said winning owner Mark Gorman. War Pass (3rd, $4.70) improved to 2 for 2 for Nick Zito, with a wire-to-wire score in a first-level allowance under leading rider Cornelio Velasquez. Fidelio lugged in greenly in the stretch and outfinished Pyro for second.

Saturday, August 25, 2007 (Saratoga)

Stifling heat and humidity were in place for the Travers day card. The main track was sealed for races 11 &12, and played much slower than when it was harrowed. Street Sense (9th, $2.70) became the first hose in history to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Kentucky Derby and Travers, and the first 2-year-old champion to win the Travers since Rhythm (1990), after wearing down Grasshopper through a stretch-long drive; it was more than 10 lengths back to rank outsider Helsinki, who nipped Sightseeing for third. "My colt started messing around a little bit, but he did what he had to do," said winning rider Calvin Borel. Hard Spun (8th, $4.60), runner-up to Street Sense in the Ky. Derby, got his first Grade 1 victory after digging down to repel First Defence through the final yards of the King's Bishop. "This is a very important race for making stallions, and that was one reason we looked at it," said trainer Larry Jones. "He's just as game as he is fast." Shakis (7th, $12.60) benefited from a hedge-hugging trip under Alan Garcia to win the Bernard Baruch over late-rallying longshot Big Prairie, and ran the 1 1/8 miles on the Melllon turf in 1:45.33 to break Tentam's 34-year-old course record. La Traviata (10th, $3.70) stumbled at the start, but recovered quickly to domintate the Victory Ride by 9 1/4 lengths under a hand ride. She is 3 for 3 by a combined 27 1/2 lengths, and a bona-fide freak.

Friday, August 24, 2007 (Saratoga)

Beaten a combined 28 3/4 lengths in her last four starts, Miss Shop (9th, $11.40) rallied from last to win the Grade 1, $400,000 Personal Ensign decisively over 8-5 favorite Unbridled Belle. "She is good on firm turf or dirt," said winning trainer Allen Jerkens. "I was disappointed in some of her grass races; when she won the Sunshine Millions, it looked like she would be a good grass filly. You have to think about the Breeders' Cup Distaff. They say Monmouth Park doesn't suit come-from-behind horses, I guarantee someone will come from behind some day." Altesse (3rd, $3.80) stalked a slow pace set by second choice True Pussycat, and drew clear in the final furlong to win the $80,000 Heavenly Prize, as the field of four finished in post position and pari-mutuel order. Cornelio Velasquez rode four winners - Cardiff Road (1st, $8.30), Cato Major (2nd, $39.60), Auto City (8th, $9.80) and Champchu (10th, $10.80) - and regained the meet lead, 35-31, over Kent Desormeaux. Mike Luzzi finally got his first win at the meet after 60 straight defeats, when second-time starter Philharmonic (5th, $16.40) wired a $75,000 maiden-claiming sprint.

Thursday, August 23, 2007 (Saratoga)

It took a while, but Wait a While (8th, $8.00) returned to top form to win the Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa Handicap,and avenge two straight defeats to My Typhoon in the Jenny Wiley and the Just A Game. Wait a While, the 3-ear-old filly champion of 2006, swept to the lead four wide into the stretch and drew off from a troubled-trip Vacare. The time of 1:40 flat was only .08 seconds off Leroidesanimeaux's course record for 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf. My Typhoon, coming off three straight wins, capped by the Grade 1 Diana on opening weekend, took a bad step on the far turn and faded to sixth as the 7-5 choice. "My Typhoon has been a better mare this year, and we let her get away with a :25 opening quarter in the (Just A Game)," said winning trainer Todd Pletcher, who halted a 30-race losing streak. "After that race, she went to California, but got sick. Things haven't gone exactly right with her until today. She showed today that she is as good as she has ever been." Big Truck (2nd, $3.30) was an impressive debut winner of a 6 1/2-furlong maiden sprint for Barclay Tagg. Good Law, an unraced colt from Rick Dutrow Jr., was second choice when he became fractious in the gate and had to be extricated by the assistant starters, which necessitated an eight-minute delay before he was removed and scratched.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007 (Saratoga)

Following a big-figure placing in her debut, Syriana's Song (2nd, $5.60) was 8-5 on the morning line, but opened at 4-1 before being bet late in a field containing five first-time starters; she ran back to her first race, and outdueled Tazarine after five furlongs in a sharp 57.48 seconds. Armonk was off slowest after breaking in the air, and finished well for third. Tejida (3rd, $9.20) won maiden and first-level allowance races at Delaware Park, and the late bloomer improved to 3 for 3 as a 4-year-old after wiring a second-level allowance on the inner turf. Wingspan was 1-2 on the strength of a fast allowance win in her U.S. debut, and in-the-money finishes in group stakes overseas, but came up flat and was outfinished for the place by Omeya; Wingspan's loss continued Todd Pletcher's losing streak, which reached 26 straight starters after The Ag (9th) faded to finish off the board at 2-1. Jazzy (7th, $16.40) was off slow and widest on the turn, but rallied determinedly to edge Stormy Kiss and Smart and Fancy in the 5 1/2-furlong Capades Stakes. Jazzy was bred in Argentina, began her career in South Africa, and was coming off a nose loss at Monmouth Park in her U.S. and 5-year-old debut. Stunt Man (8th, $9.40) rolled to a convincing score in the Albany Stakes, as Chief's Lake came up short attempting to sweep the OTB Big Apple Triple and the $250K bonus that goes with it. "We'll give him a break and then maybe run in the Empire Classic (Oct. 20)," said winning trainer Gary Contessa, who also saddled maiden winner Beam of Love (4th, $12.80), and moved into sole possession of second place in the standings

Monday, August 20, 2007 (Saratoga)

At one point during week #4, Cornelio Velasquez enjoyed a seven-win lead atop the jockey standings, but Kent Desormeaux's 11-win blitz the past three days has thrust him back to the lead (31-29). Desormeaux had four winners on the Monday card, including Savasana (5th, $5.50) via the disqualification of Victory for Sierra, and also leads the pack with a 21.6% win percentage. Edgar Prado (20 wins), Javier Castellano (18) and Garrett Gomez (18) round out the top five. Among Desormeaux's winners were two on turf for Bill Mott - Mine Or Who's (2nd, $6.70) and War Monger (7th, $3.50). The latter, a 3-year-old War Chant colt, was much the best beating first-level allowance routers for his second win in four starts, and appears stakes bound. Mott has twice as many wins (18) as his closest pursuers - Gary Contessa (9-102), Todd Pletcher (9-78) and Rick Dutrow Jr. (9-33). Tom Bush is fifth with a sparking 8-for-31 record, Karakorum Starlet (8th, $9.00) capped off the day for Desormeaux with a front-running tally in the $80,000, six-furlong Union Avenue Stakes for New York-bred fillies. She repelled an early challenge from Baby Gray, and had enough left to turn back Scatkey in deep stretch. "I thought she could probably go six furlongs, but her best distances are from seven-eighths to a mile," said winning trainer Jeff Odintz. "She was out there all by herself and I had a hot jock on her today. What's better than that?"

Sunday, August 19, 2007 (Saratoga)

Cornelio Velasquez rode back-to-back grass winners Grasberg (5th, $10.00) for Mike Hushion, and False I.D. (6th, $10.200 for Barclay Tagg, and at the end of day #23 had a 29-27 lead over Kent Desormeaux, who won the $80,000 John's Call Stakes with Revved Up (9th, $4.00). A 9-year-old gelding, Revved Up was confidently handled through the stretch, and won for the 18th time in 39 lifetime starts. "He's been with us for seven years," said winning trainer Christophe Clement. "He's got three screws in his right-front leg, and his will to win is still right there." There was a $100,595 pick six carryover from Alabama day, and Revved Up was the lone winner in the sequence that did not pay a double-digit mutuel. Nevertheless, one bettor (off-track) was prescient enough to navigate through Again and Again (7th, $23.60) and Brushed Prince (10th, $35.20), and scooped up $388,514.

Saturday, August 18, 2007 (Saratoga)

Lady Joanne (9th, $11.00) rallied to the lead three wide on the far turn under Calvin Borel, came in a bit through midstretch tightening things up on Octave, came out a bit at the wire bumping Lear's Princess, and survived an inquiry to prevail in the $600,000 Alabama, in which the last quarter went in a laborious 26.75 seconds. "Calvin just rode an unbelieveable race," said Carl Nafzger. "Last time he ran against Octave, she had us inside, this time we had her inside. I'll probably run her in the Spinster (Oct. 7)." Octave finished third - her first non-exacta finish from 11 career starts. "Obviously it got very tight, she was on the rail, literally," said Todd Pletcher. "'It was just getting tighter and tighter, and the filly said that was enough." The John Hertler-trained Latitude Forty (8th, $48.00), beaten less than a length at 34-1 in a Saratoga turf stake last year, overtook pacesetter Factual Contender in midstretch and edged clear to upset the $100,000 Yaddo. "I felt one got away from me when I rode her here last year," said Kent Desormeaux, who rode three winners on the card to close within 27-26 of Cornelio Velasquez for the meet lead. "The pace quickened dramatically after the half; she had to fight for her position at the quarter pole."

Friday, August 17, 2007 (Saratoga)

Bill Mott and Kent Desormeaux teamed up for three wins, all turf routes, with first-time starter Prussian (4th, $5.90) in a 2-year-old maiden race; Stormy West (5th, $21.20) in a first-level allowance; and Sharp Susan (8th, $7.30) in the Grade 2 Lake Placid for 3-year-old fillies. Prussian, a colt by Danzig, quickly garnered a clear lead and rated professionally setting measured fractions, before drawing off at will in the lane with a last 1/16th of a mile in :05.95 seconds; wow. Stormy West had lost four previous starts in allowance company, but kicked in strongly to overtake Milk Town late. Bees found her best stride belatedly and galloped out strongly. Sharp Susan had rallied from 10 lengths behind to be beaten narrowly in the Lake George opening week, but seized control of the early lead this time, in much the same way she wired the Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream in March. "We took the blinkers off two races ago, and she settled better," said Mott, who expanded to a 16-9 lead over Todd Pletcher. "I've got to give Kent a lot of credit - he's got a good set of hands, and she rated well for him. As I said before, I think he understands pace." You don't often see juveniles debut at 5 1/2 furlongs with a seven-furlong workout as their final prep, but Cave's Valley (2nd, $14.40) did exactly that for Delaware-based trainer Michael Trombetta. in race 7, Trombetta's Georgian led to deep stretch before getting nailed by Subtitles; Ramon Dominguez rode Cave's Valley and Georgian.