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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Bernardini took control of Saturday's $1 million Travers entering the first turn and moments later seized control of the 3-year-old division with a dominating performance in the midsummer derby before a crowd of 40,785. Outsprinting High Cotton going into the first turn, Bernardini set all the early fractions and simply ran away from Bluegrass Cat and the rest of the field to score a most emphatic 7 1/2-length victory - the largest margin of victory in the Travers since General Assembly in 1979. Bluegrass Cat, who stalked Bernardini from the outset and tried to make several runs at him, had to settle for second, 6 1/4 lengths ahead of Dr. Pleasure. Hesanoldsalt, High Cotton, and Minister's Bid completed the order of finish. It was the fifth consecutive victory for Bernardini, who added the Travers to previous stakes wins in the Jim Dandy, Preakness, and Withers. Bernardini became the seventh horse to win both the Jim Dandy and Travers. More importantly, the victory may have propelled Bernardini past injured Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro for championship honors in the 3-year-old division. Bernardini, owned by Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum's Darley Stable, will get a chance to take on older horses in the fall in such races as the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders' Cup Classic. "I think right now whatever he did today, I don't think any horse can beat this horse right now," said winning rider Javier Castellano, who began celebrating his victory at the sixteenth pole. Winning trainer Tom Albertrani said: "This horse gets better every race. I think he'll be a very tough horse later in the season against the older horses." As he did in the Jim Dandy, Bernardini took control of the race entering the first turn. With nobody seemingly wanting the lead, Castellano was not going to allow his rivals to put him in a jackpot. "Today he was pretty sharp," Castellano said. "He wanted to go." Bernardini cleared High Cotton going into the first turn, running an opening quarter-mile in 23.53 seconds. John Velazquez had Bluegrass Cat right off Bernardini's flank and continued to stalk him through splits of 48.17, 1:12.72, and 1:36.83. Velazquez took another run at Bernardini at the quarter pole, but Bernardini was way too much horse in the stretch. Bernardini covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.60 and returned $2.70 to win, making him the shortest-priced Travers winner since Arts and Letters in 1969. The victory capped a fabulous day for the Maktoum family. Earlier on the card, Ashkal Way, owned by Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin Racing, won the Bernard Baruch, and Henny Hughes, owned by Sheikh Mohammed's son, Sheikh Rajid, won the Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes. * The all-stakes pick-four returned $29.50 for a $1 wager. The New York Racing Association guaranteed a pool of $1 million, and the total pool was $1,466,611. * The grand slam wager, which had a record pool of $154,078, returned $12.90 for a $1 wager. NYRA guaranteed a pool of $100,000. - additional reporting by Mike Welsch The 2005 Whitney:
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| Invasor wins the Whitney Handicap by a nose as Sun King falls just short. Next stop for Invasor is the Woodward or Jockey Club Gold Cup. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - When Kiaran McLaughlin first received Invasor into his stable, he wasn't sure what type of horse he was getting. Being a champion in Uruguay doesn't guarantee anything in North America.
But now there is no doubt how good Invasor is. And he took a big step toward becoming a North American champion on Saturday with a thrilling nose victory over Sun King in the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga. The crowd of 29,918 included Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney, who made her first public appearance since suffering a stroke in May. She presented the trophy to the winning connections.
Invasor added the Whitney to a résumé that includes victories in the Pimlico Special and Suburban Handicap. He is now 8 for 9 lifetime, his only loss coming to Discreet Cat in the United Arab Emirates Derby in March.
"He's gone from Uruguay Horse of the Year to Horse of the Year in America," McLaughlin said.
And he did it in thrilling fashion.
Jockey Fernando Jara kept Invasor in midpack inside of Flower Alley while Siphon City set the pace with Wanderin Boy stalking from the outside and Premium Tap chasing from the inside.
Siphon City, under Elvis Trujillo, set fractions of 23.07 seconds, 47.21, and 1:11.38 before Wanderin Boy took the lead at the five-sixteenths pole. Invasor and Flower Alley, under John Velazquez, launched their bids at the same time, and the two brushed turning for home.
Invasor continued his sustained run and hit the front outside the eighth pole while Flower Alley tired. Sun King, under Rafael Bejarano, came with a flying finish and fell just a nose short. It was the second tough beat from three starts for Sun King, who was beaten a head by Silver Train in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap in May. Last year, Sun King's connections, owner Tracy Farmer and trainer Nick Zito, won the Whitney by a neck over Saint Liam.
Sun King finished 5 3/4 lengths ahead of West Virginia, who was followed in the order of finish by We Can Seek, Premium Tap, Wanderin Boy, Flower Alley, Siphon City and Survivalist.
Invasor, a son of Candy Stripes owned by Shadwell Stable, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.06 and returned $5.50 as the second choice.
"This is a special horse," McLaughlin said. "I was a little worried for Fernando, being 18-years-old, and this being the first time he really had a bull's-eye on his back," said McLaughlin, who teamed with Jara to win the Belmont Stakes with Jazil. "People didn't really respect Jazil or this horse before today. Today, they were looking at him, and they knew he was the horse to beat. I was worried they might trap him down on the inside. Fernando did a great job. When you have horse under you, it makes it easier."
McLaughlin said Invasor would run next in either the Woodward Stakes here on Sept. 2 or the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 7 at Belmont Park.
- additional reporting by Mike Welsch
The 2005 Hopeful:
Circular Quay flies in stretch
By DAVID GRENING
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - At the half-mile pole of Monday's Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga, trainer Todd Pletcher wasn't sure where Circular Quay was going to finish in the race. In the next eighth of a mile, Pletcher was pretty sure he knew exactly where Circular Quay was going to finish.
"At the three-eighths pole I thought he'd win,'' Pletcher said. "You could see him revving up and you knew what everybody else was going to do.''
After showing a lack of interest for the first four furlongs of the race, Circular Quay put in a sensational three-furlong run that carried him past his four speedy rivals and into the winner's circle by 4 1/4 lengths over stablemate Scat Daddy. It was one length back to Unbridled Express in third. Pegasus Wind and Irish Ace completed the order of finish.
It was the third victory in as many starts for Circular Quay, who established himself as the East Coast's top 2-year-old prospect for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Under Garrett Gomez, Circular Quay broke slowly and raced about 13 lengths off the pace as Pegasus Wind and Irish Ace set fractions of 22.36 seconds and 44.88 for the opening half-mile. Unbridled Express and Scat Daddy, who stumbled badly at the start, were racing right behind that tandem.
Around the turn, Unbridled Express and Scat Daddy joined the leaders and Scat Daddy was jostled trying to squeeze between horses in the stretch. Meanwhile, Gomez yanked Circular Quay to the far outside and the colt kicked home smartly for the victory. Circular Quay ($3.60), a son of Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch and Spinaway winner Circle of Life, covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.00.
"I was very, very, very surprised the way he left the gate,'' Gomez said. "He left there nonchalant like he was going to go two miles. I sent him and I tried to get him up on his feet and I couldn't get him up on his feet. So I went to plan B. I waited on him, I kept waiting on him, finally at the three-eighths pole I said 'I'm tired of waiting on you, it's time to go.' He picked them up and at the quarter pole I thought I had a good chance of running by them. I moved him out and he motored on down.''
The victory gave Pletcher his meet-best 24th win and ninth in a graded stakes. Pletcher, who captured his fifth straight Saratoga training title, won four of the six juvenile stakes run at the meet and ran second in the other two.
Scat Daddy, who won the Sanford on the second day of the meet, was inhibited by a bad start in which jockey John Velazquez said "he fell and then threw himself forward. The front end went one way, the back end went anther way.''
"I thought Scat Daddy ran huge,'' Pletcher said. "He's the one horse that battled on early that held on for second. That was after stumbling at the start, having to steady down the backside.''
Pletcher said he is more likely to run Circular Quay and Scat Daddy in stakes that are four weeks out from the Breeders' Cup as opposed to the Champagne at Belmont, a race just three weeks before the Juvenile.
Glens Falls: Noble Stella best
After stalking the pacesetting Sabellina through a mile in 1:38.97, Noble Stella engaged that rival outside the quarter pole, then shot past her inside the final furlong to win the Grade 3, $112,100 Glens Falls Handicap by two lengths.
Latice rallied for second, 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Louve Royale, who nosed out Wait It Out.
Mike Smith rode Nobel Stella for owner Gary Tanaka and trainer Roger Attfield. It was the third graded stakes win of the year for Noble Stella, who won the Grade 2 New York BC Handicap at Belmont in June and the Grade 3 Bewitch at Keeneland in April.
Noble Stella covered the 1 3/8 miles in 2:16.02 over a good inner turf course and returned $10.40.
The 2005 Travers:
Flower Alley gives Pletcher first Travers
By DAVID GRENING
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| Flower Alley and jockey John Velazquez cross the wire first in the Grade 1 Travers, 2 1/2 lengths in front of second-place finisher Bellamy Road. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Todd Pletcher can now cross "Winning the Travers" off his Things To Do List.
Flower Alley validated his powerful Jim Dandy performance last month by overtaking Bellamy Road in upper stretch and edging clear to a 2 1/2-length victory in the $1 million Travers on Saturday at Saratoga before a crowd of 42,841.
Bellamy Road, making his first start in 112 days, held second by 2 3/4 lengths over Roman Ruler, who was a slight 2-1 favorite. He was followed in the order of finish by Don't Get Mad, Andromeda's Hero, Reverberate, and Chekhov, who was eased.
Flower Alley became the sixth horse to win the Jim Dandy and the Travers in the same year. Arts and Letters, Willow Hour, Carr de Naskra, Thunder Rumble, and Medaglia d'Oro were the others.
Flower Alley gave Pletcher his first Travers victory in five tries. The last two years, Pletcher came to the Travers with horses coming off victories in the Jim Dandy. But neither Strong Hope (2003) nor Purge (2004) could get the job done.
"It's huge," Pletcher said of the Travers victory. "It ranks right up there with the two Breeders' Cup wins last year."
Pletcher won the Distaff with Ashado and the Sprint with Speightstown in 2004.
Flower Alley, who had finished ninth in the Kentucky Derby, came into the Travers in peak form. After skipping the Preakness and Belmont, he ran second in the Dwyer and won the Jim Dandy by 5 1/4 emphatic lengths.
The Travers set up as expected with Bellamy Road, under Javier Castellano, getting out to an early lead. He set fractions of 23.54 seconds, 47.43, and 1:10.92 while John Velazquez had Flower Alley in second, only a couple of lengths off the pace.
Velazquez moved Flower Alley right off Bellamy Road's flank at the six-furlong marker, prompting Castellano to open Bellamy Road upsome.
Velazquez made his second move around the turn, and assumed the lead inside the three-sixteenths pole. Despite a valiant effort from Bellamy Road, Flower Alley drew clear late. Flower Alley, a son of Distorted Humor owned by Eugene Melnyk, covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.76 and returned $8 as the third betting choice.
"He's an awesome horse," Velazquez said. "I didn't want to be head and head with [Bellamy Road] early, but I wanted to put a little pressure on him.
Once I got to the backside, I didn't want to let him go easily down the backstretch. Once I didn't see anyone coming to me down the backside I said, 'Let's go after him.' "
Said Pletcher: "The key was Johnny making all the right moves. I thought at the three-quarter pole when he decided to put a little pressure on him that was the difference."
Despite his defeat, Bellamy Road ran a terrific race. He had not run since finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby, a race in which he suffered an injury.
"He ran an unbelievable race," Zito said. "He hasn't run in four months.
Javier did a great job. I salute the winner, but I also salute Bellamy Road.
What a great horse I've got. He just came up a tad short."
* The all-stakes pick four returned $31.25 for $1. The combination of 6-2-3-7 consisted of Leroidesanimaux ($3.40), First Samurai ($6.10), Lost in the Fog ($2.60), and Flower Alley ($8). The pool was $1,659,766.
- additional reporting by Mike Welsch
The 2005 Whitney:
Commentator just edges Saint Liam
By DAVID GRENING
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| Commentator and Gary Stevens (right) hold off Saint Liam to win the Whitney and turn around what had been a rough day for Nick Zito. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A disappointing Saturday turned delightful for trainer Nick Zito in a little over 108 seconds as Commentator went gate-to-wire and held off favored Saint Liam by a neck to win the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga.
It was nine lengths back to Sir Shackleton, also trained by Zito, in third. Swingforthefences, Limehouse, Eurosilver, Wiggins, and Pollard's Vision completed the order of finish.
It was the first Whitney victory for Zito, and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time. Monday, Zito will be inducted into racing's Hall of Fame. Before the Whitney, however, Saturday was not going to be among the highlights of his career.
Noble Causeway, one of Zito's highly touted 3-year-olds, was pulled up and vanned off the track in a second-level allowance race. A week earlier, jockey Jerry Bailey had scratched Noble Causeway out of the Jim Dandy. Also Saturday, Zito had to settle for second and third in the Grade 1 Test Stakes with Hide and Chic and In the Gold, who was compromised by a poor start. In the fifth race he sent out Superfly, a 2-year-old making his debut, who hung late and finished third.
"Up and down game, huh?" Zito said. "You just got to keep fighting. . . . This is probably the most important victory of my life because of going into the Hall of Fame Monday."
Commentator, a 4-year-old New York-bred gelded son of Distorted Humor, was 6 for 6 around one turn, but had gotten injured in his only start around two turns, the Grade 3 Hal's Hope at Gulfstream in January. Zito thought it was worth trying two turns again.
Jockey Gary Stevens let Commentator roll out of the gate, and he set fractions of 23.56 seconds, 46.41, and 1:09.76 for the opening three-quarters of a mile while opening a 5 1/2-length lead. Edgar Prado had hustled Saint Liam out of the gate to get position and put him to the outside and in second down the backside.
Saint Liam, who at 122 pounds was conceding six pounds to Commentator, gradually cut into Commentator's lead in the stretch, but fell a neck short at the wire. Commentator, owned by Tracy Farmer, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.33 and returned $8.40.
"I thought we had him the whole way around there," said Richard Dutrow Jr., trainer of Saint Liam. "Just disappointed he didn't win, but he ran a big race."
Commentator and Saint Liam are likely to meet again in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward at Belmont Park on Sept. 10.
- Saturday's ontrack handle of $5,573,304 was a track record for a non-Travers Day.
The 2005 Hopeful:
First Samurai dominates Hopeful
By DAVID GRENING
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| First Samurai draws clear to a 4 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - First Samurai came to Saratoga as simply a maiden winner. He leaves as arguably the top 2-year-old in the country.
First Samurai dominated Saturday's Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes, taking over from pacesetting Too Much Bling turning for home and drawing clear to a 4 1/4-length victory over the previously undefeated Henny Hughes. It was one length back to Too Much Bling in third.
It was the third victory in as many starts for First Samurai, a son of Giant's Causeway owned by Bruce Lunsford and Lansdon Robbins and trained by Frank Brothers. It was the first defeat for Henny Hughes, who had won his first three starts, including the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, by a combined 24 3/4 lengths.
Under Jerry Bailey, First Samurai broke sharply and raced outside of Too Much Bling, who under Javier Castellano set fractions of 22.22 seconds and 44.81. Henny Hughes, meanwhile, was sitting in third and appeared to be going comfortably under Gary Stevens.
Around the turn, Bailey sent First Samurai after Too Much Bling and collared him at the top of the stretch. Henny Hughes tried to move with First Samurai but he never got close enough to make it interesting.
First Samurai ($6.10) covered seven furlongs in 1:23.25, getting his last eighth of a mile in a mediocre 14 seconds.
"My horse was off the bridle and going easy, I didn't ask my horse until we left the three-eighths pole,'' said Bailey, who won his sixth Hopeful. "I glanced back and saw Henny Hughes and I just wanted to get first run on him. I didn't want him to have a head of steam coming by me and get eyeball to eyeball.''
Earlier in the week, Brothers said he felt his horse would be better going longer. After the race, Brothers said he wasn't totally surprised his colt could beat Henny Hughes going seven furlongs.
"That's why they line up; maybe the next time Henny Hughes breaks sharp and has things his way,'' Brothers said. "It's the time of year when all the good 2-year-olds come out. Our horse has come out swinging and he's doing well.''
Brothers said he would consider running First Samurai in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne at Belmont on Oct. 8.
Stevens didn't have any real excuse for why Henny Hughes came up flat.
"He was in a good spot, I was where I wanted to be and he came up empty down the lane,'' Stevens said. `` "He didn't give me any kind of second run today for whatever reason. I knew I was done by the five-sixteenths pole. I was running for second money.''
The 2004 Travers:
Birdstone quiets doubters
By DAVID GRENING
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| Birdstone, with Edgar Prado aboard, wins the Travers, finishing 2 1/2 lengths ahead of stablemate The Cliff's Edge. Eddington ran third. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Nick Zito's resume is complete.
Completing a quest that began 24 years ago, Zito finally won his first Travers on Saturday when Birdstone - the Belmont Stakes winner owned by Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney and her husband John Hendrickson - blew past Purge turning for home and rolled to 2 1/2-length victory over stablemate The Cliff's Edge before a crowd of 48,894.
It was 3 1/2 lengths back to Eddington in third. Purge, Sir Shackleton, Suave, and Lion Heart, the 5-2 favorite who gave it up after getting away with a soft early pace, completed the order of finish. Trainer Patrick Biancone said later that Lion Heart, the Haskell Invitational winner, came out of the race lame in his right foreleg.
Zito, 56, had gone winless in 10 previous Travers Stakes attempts with 11 horses. He ran his first Travers horse in 1980 when Little Lenny finished fifth. When Zito won his first Belmont Stakes earlier this year, Zito had also gone winless with 11 prior starters.
Zito brought a loaded gun to the Travers, saddling three of the seven starters in the $1 million race, including The Cliff's Edge and West Virginia Derby winner Sir Shackleton. Many considered Birdstone to be his least likely winner because he was coming off an 84-day layoff.
Zito had been preaching all summer that the lightly made Birdstone's best chance to win the Travers was if he didn't run in a prep race.
"When we brought him back to Saratoga I noticed a change in him," Zito said. "I told John and Marylou let's forget about some prep race, let's go for the big one because I have a feeling he's going to fire. He's got such a big heart. If he's going to fire, let him fire on the right day, at the right time, and that's what he did."
The Travers was run over a fast track but under adverse weather conditions as a hot, sunny day quickly deteriorated into the scene from the Wizard of Oz just before Dorothy's house is uprooted from Kansas. Black clouds, thunder and lightning, and eventually rain prompted the stewards to move post time up three minutes.
As expected, Lion Heart, under Joe Bravo, broke on top with Purge off his flank early. Bravo was able to slow the pace down to 24.48 seconds, 49.15, and 1:12.82 for six furlongs while Purge settled in second, under John Velazquez.
Jockey Edgar Prado had Birdstone in sixth position early, but once they turned up the backside Birdstone was dragging Prado out of the saddle as he moved into fourth place at the half-mile pole. Birdstone moved into third entering the far turn, and swept past Purge at the quarter pole. Purge had taken the lead from Lion Heart, who stopped at that point.
"He broke okay, he dropped back, in three jumps down the backside he was right there," said Prado, who won five races on the card including the Grade 1 King's Bishop. "When Johnny started riding his horse at the three-eighths pole, and he didn't open up, I knew I had a good chance to win the race."
Birdstone cruised to the front turning for home and easily held The Cliff's Edge at bay through the stretch. Birdstone, a son of Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone, covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.45 and returned $11.60 to win.
* The pick four, which had a pool of $1,479,908, returned $1,314. The winning combination of 3-2-3-5 included Smokey Glacken ($7.50), Nothing to Lose ($5.80), Pomeroy ($11.40), and Birdstone ($11.60).
The 2004 Whitney:
Roses in May perfect
By DAVID GRENING
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| Perfect Drift (left) briefly led in the stretch of the Whitney, but Roses in May fought back to win by a nose. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Roses in May didn't make it to the race his connections had in mind when they named him. But, on Saturday, Roses in May demonstrated the potential that owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey thought he had by turning back a challenge from the Grade 1 winner Perfect Drift to win the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap by a nose before a crowd of 33,776 at Saratoga.
The victory was the fourth in as many starts this year for Roses in May and his sixth from nine career starts. Saturday's first-place purse of $450,000 was more than he had earned in his eight prior outings.
After stalking the hot early pace - six furlongs in 1:08.92 - established by Yessirgeneralsir, Roses in May took the lead approaching the eighth pole. Perfect Drift, who had weaved his way through horses under Pat Day to gain contention turning for home, hooked Roses in May at the eighth pole. Perfect Drift stuck a head in front at one point in deep stretch, but Roses in May, under left-handed urging from Edgar Prado, battled back to win a head bob.
It was 2 1/4 lengths back to Bowman's Band, who nosed out Sarava for third. Gygistar, Peace Rules, Newfoundland, Yessirgener-alsir, and Seattle Fitz completed the order of finish.
Roses in May, trained by Dale Romans, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.51 over a fast track and returned $16.80 to win.
Roses in May had been on the lead at every call in all five of his prior victories. In the Whitney, Romans was content to let Yessirgeneralsir have the lead.
"I wanted us to pretend he wasn't in the race, and just try to be in front of everybody else and just not get trapped behind him," Romans said. "I knew my horse wasn't going to quit."
For Prado, it was his third Grade 1 win of the meet. Last Saturday, he won both the Diana and the Test.
Day, who had ridden Roses in May on five previous occasions, said he may have cost Perfect Drift the race by moving when he did.
"I had a choice to make, to sit and wait or go on with him, and I chose to go on with him, and I think it cost us the race," Day said. "As soon as he makes the lead he thinks the race is over, and if you look at the rerun 40 yards out, he makes the lead, his ears went straight forward, and he quit running. He just goes limp underneath you."
* The pick six was hit on Saturday, returning $26,862. There was a two-day carryover of $207,278 entering the card. The pick-six pool exceeded $1 million. The winning combination was 8-11-7-4-2-11.
The 2004 Hopeful:
Afleet Alex zig-zags way to victory
By DAVID GRENING
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - At the eighth pole of Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Hopeful Stakes, as Afleet Alex was getting out from jockey Jeremy Rose's left-handed whip and Devils Disciple was pulling clear of Flamenco, even the staunchest supporters of Afleet Alex had a hard time keeping the faith.
That included Rose himself and trainer Tim Ritchey.
"I didn't think he could make that kind of surge in that short a period of time to still win the race," Ritchey said.
Somehow, Afleet Alex did it. Straightened out by Rose inside the sixteenth pole, Afleet Alex lengthened his stride and nailed Devil Disciple by a neck to take the Grade 1, $250,000 Hopeful Stakes at sloppy Saratoga. It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Flamenco in third.
It was 11 more lengths back to Consolidator, who was followed by Storm Surge, Wild Nature and Winning Expression.
The Hopeful was the fourth win from as many starts for Afleet Alex, who earlier in the meet dominated 10 rivals while setting a stakes record in the Grade 2 Sanford. The win cemented his status as the East Coast's top 2-year-old colt.
Rose said Afleet Alex didn't care for the mud hitting him in the face as he raced in fourth position along the inside down the backstretch. Winning Expression, Flamenco, and a slow-starting Devils Disciple dueled through four furlongs in 44.79 seconds.
Rose guided Afleet Alex into third turning for home as Devils Disciple and Flamenco took their battle into the stretch. In an effort to get Afleet Alex away from the mud, Rose socked him left-handed and Afleet Alex drifted out badly. Rose actually hit Afleet Alex four times left-handed.
"It worried me because when he hit him left-handed it kind of shocked him a little bit and he ducked out, and right away they lose all their momentum, which you can't lose within an eighth of a mile of the finish line," Ritchey said.
But, Rose went back to the right-handed whip twice approaching the sixteenth pole, and Afleet Alex responded to get the job done. Afleet Alex, a son of Northern Afleet, covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.58. He returned $3.40 as the 7-10 favorite.
"When I hit him left-handed and he drifted outside on us, I said I'm going to run second here," Rose said. "And I hit him right-handed, and that's when he took off. I said now he's got a shot, I'm going to keep hitting him and he just got there.''
Ritchey said he is "90-percent" certain Afleet Alex would make his next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne at Belmont Park on Oct. 9.
The 2003 Travers:
Like father, like son
By DAVID GRENING
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| Ten Most Wanted, under Pat Day, wins the Travers Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths at Saratoga on Saturday. Peace Rules finished second and Strong Hope third. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - History repeated itself in the most glorious way Saturday for trainer Wally Dollase and Horizon Stable as Ten Most Wanted rolled to a 4 1/2-length victory over Peace Rules in the $1 million Travers Stakes.
The victory came six years to the day of Deputy Commander's victory in the Travers. Deputy Commander is the sire of Ten Most Wanted. Deputy Commander was owned by Horizon Stable and trained by Dollase, who is also the managing partner of the stable.
Thus, Dollase becomes the first trainer since Winbert Mulholland to have trained a horse to win the Travers and then trained that horse's son to also win the Travers. Mulholland did it with Eighty Thirty (1939) and Lights Up (1950).
Pat Day rode Ten Most Wanted to victory, giving him his fourth Travers win.
Though the Travers lost its two star attractions on Friday when Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide and Belmont winner Empire Maker were both scratched due to illness, a Travers record crowd of 66,122 was on hand on a gorgeous summer day at Saratoga.
As he did with Deputy Commander six years ago, Dollase made an equipment change on Ten Most Wanted. While he removed blinkers from Deputy Commander, Dollase added them to Ten Most Wanted on Saturday. The goal was to help Ten Most Wanted focus when his rider called upon him, and he certainly did that in the Travers.
Day had Ten Most Wanted in fourth position down the backstretch, inside of Sky Mesa, while Strong Hope, the Jim Dandy winner, and Peace Rules, the Haskell winner, hooked up and set a torrid pace. That duo ran neck and neck through an opening quarter in 23.55 seconds, a half-mile in 46.36, and 1:09.98 for three-quarters. The three-quarter-mile fraction was the second-fastest in Travers history.
At the half-mile pole, Sky Mesa began to back up and Day sent Ten Most Wanted three wide and after the leaders. He made the lead outside of Peace Rules turning for home and with three cracks of Day's right-handed stick, Ten Most Wanted drew clear to victory. He covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.14. Ten Most Wanted returned $7.50 as the third choice.
"I was concerned about him getting to the lead too early like he did in the Swaps, but he kept going today," said Dollase.
Peace Rules, who only ran after stablemate Empire Maker was withdrawn due to illness, did well to hold second, 10 lengths ahead of Strong Hope. Wild and Wicked, Congrats, and Sky Mesa completed the order of finish.
* A North American record $1,488,479 was wagered in the pick-four pool. The 3-5-2-4 winning combination of Stylish ($19.40), Trademark ($7.80), Valid Video ($17.60) and Ten Most Wanted ($7.50) returned $3,606.
- additional reporting by Karen M. Johnson
The 2003 Whitney:
Medaglia d'Oro answers back
By DAVID GRENING
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Bobby Frankel, the trainer of Medaglia d'Oro, felt Phil Johnson, the trainer of Volponi, disrespected his horse with comments he made prior to the running of Saturday's Grade 1 Whitney Handicap. But instead of firing back verbally, Frankel elected to let his horse do the talking.
Saturday, Medaglia d'Oro made an emphatic statement by coming off a 119-day layoff and turning back a challenge from Volponi in upper stretch to win the $750,000 Whitney Handicap by one length. Volponi, who got off a step slow, finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Evening Attire.
Puzzlement, Northern Rock, Saarland and Proud Citizen completed the order of finish. As expected, Harlan's Holiday was scratched to await the Saratoga Breeders' Cup on Aug. 16.
In winning the Whitney, Medaglia d'Oro became just the eighth horse to win both the Travers and Whitney - Saratoga's two marquee races for males.
The victory capped a five-win day for Jerry Bailey, who has a meet-leading 20 victories.
Volponi had defeated Medaglia d'Oro in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic. Johnson said he didn't think Medaglia d'Oro was the horse to beat then and he didn't think he was the horse to beat in the Whitney. Frankel took it to heart.
"The horse is a good horse, everybody knows he's a good horse except for one guy who didn't think he was a good horse; that was the guy who finished second,'' Frankel said. "I've learned that winning is the best revenge.''
Medaglia d'Oro had won the Strub and Oaklawn Park Handicap to begin his 4-year-old season. A foot injury sidelined Medaglia d'Oro for the rest of the spring. He showed no ill effects from the layoff on Saturday.
Northern Rock, under Richard Migliore set the early pace, tracked by Medaglia d'Oro through fractions of 23.53 seconds, 46.81, and 1:10.47. Medaglia d'Oro tackled Northern Rock approaching the quarter pole and shook free of him in upper stretch. Volponi, who quickly attained good position after breaking slowly under Jose Santos, loomed on the outside, but did not have the kick to run with Medaglia d'Oro.
Medaglia d'Oro, who pushed his career earnings to $3,254,720, covered the nine furlongs in 1:47.69 over a fast track and returned $3.60 as the odds-on favorite.
"Bobby told me he was fit and ready and when he tells you that you just go ride with confidence,'' Bailey said. "He was kicking on pretty good in the stretch but I saw Volponi and I thought if he has his usual kick I'm going to have a dogfight here. Medaglia reached down and gave me something extra.''
Santos said the slow start did not cost Volponi the race. Volponi has finished second in all four starts this year. Volponi also went over the $3 million mark in earnings.
"It looked like turning for home I was going to go by and the other horse just held him off,'' Santos said. ```"He was second best again.''
Amsterdam: Zavata romps
Zavata, who rose and then fell from grace during the 2002 Saratoga meeting, made a triumphant return to the Spa, registering an emphatic 5 1/4-length victory over Great Notion in the $150,000 Amsterdam Stakes. Posse, the even-money favorite, finished fourth in a field of seven 3-year-olds.
Zavata moved to the top of the 2 year-old division with a 7 1/4-length victory here last summer in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special. But his stock quickly plummeted 17 days later when he finished a disappointing third behind Sky Mesa as the 1-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Hopeful.
Zavata ($8.30) was reunited with jockey Jerry Bailey for the six-furlong Amsterdam. He forced the pace from the outset, stalking the early leader, Trust N Luck, through fractions of 22.00 and 44.79 seconds while saving ground over a racetrack upgraded from muddy to fast as the afternoon progressed.
Zavata readily disposed of Trust N Luck once he settled into the stretch, then steadily increased his advantage while kept under pressure through the final furlong.
Zavata had defeated a modest field of optional claiming and allowance horses at Monmouth Park in his previous start. His final time of 1:08.64 set a stakes record, breaking the old mark of 1:09 established by Distorted Humor in 1996.
"He didn't like the slop and pulled himself up at Belmont two starts back and if the racetrack had remained wet, I would have scratched him today," said Patrick Biancone, who trains Zavat.
"His last start at Monmouth was a confidence-builder and perfect setup for this race," Biancone said. "Right now the main goal is to get him ready for the Breeders' Cup Sprint. He's trained at Santa Anita and he loves that track."
- additional reporting by Mike Welsch
The 2003 Hopeful:
Silver Wagon upsets Hopeful
By DAVID GRENING
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| Horsephotos |
| Silver Wagon draws clear under Jerry Bailey to win the Hopeful by four lengths. He will not be pointed to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, however. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - As fast as Silver Wagon established himself as one of the better 2-year-olds of the year was as fast as trainer Ralph Ziadie plans to put him away.
Splitting horses under Jerry Bailey in midstretch, Silver Wagon came home a four-length winner over heavily favored Chapel Royal in Saturday's Grade 1, $200,000 Hopeful before 23,137 at Saratoga. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to longshot Notorious Rogue in third. Birdstone, an impressive maiden winner earlier in the meet, finished fourth.
While the Hopeful is considered a big step on the road to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Ziadie said he has no plans to send the horse to that $1 million race on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita.
"The big boys are next year,'' said Ziadie, who trains Silver Wagon for Mahmoud Fustok's Buckram Oak Farm. "I don't want to go to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.''
If Silver Wagon runs again this year, it would most likely be in the $100,000 What a Pleasure Stakes at Calder on Dec. 13.
The way Silver Wagon ran Saturday, plus his breeding - he's a son of Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Wagon Limit - suggests that Silver Wagon could be a major player in the Kentucky Derby picture next year.
Silver Wagon raced between horses in the second flight behind a four-pronged fight for the lead. With Bailey poised to go inside or outside in the stretch, he chose inside when Chapel Royal, who raced four wide and on the pace down the backside, drifted out a step. Silver Wagon bounded home an easy winner.
Silver Wagon covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.47 over a fast track. He returned $27 to win.
"He put himself into the race," said Bailey, who won his fifth Hopeful. "I didn't have anywhere to go so there was no sense in trying to go anywhere. I was biding my time until there was an opening and to see if I had enough horse to go through it. He didn't burst through, he waited for me to call on him and it took him a little bit to get his momentum going, which would suggest he'd go on with no problem.''
Chapel Royal suffered his first defeat after winning his first three career races, including the Grade 2 Sanford. Jockey John Velazquez said the horse felt weak behind to him. "`But I don't want to make any excuses, he just didn't punch,'' Velazquez said.
The 2002 Travers:
Medaglia holds off Repent
By DAVID GRENING
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| Horsephotos |
| Medaglia d'Oro (right) and Repent battle to the wire in Saturday's Travers Stakes over a sloppy track. Their stretch duel helped brighten a day that was darkened by rain. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Medaglia d'Oro overcame the only obstacle his trainer felt he had by handling a sloppy track, then he turned back the late run of Repent to win Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes by a half-length on a raw, rainy day at Saratoga.
Repent, making his first start off a 140-day layoff, ran a strong race to be second, 7 1/2 lengths ahead of Nothing Flat. Like a Hero, Puzzlement, Quest, Gold Dollar, Saint Marden, and Shah Jehan completed the order of finish.
Mother Nature turned the main track into a quagmire and turned Travers Day into a miserable afternoon for the 43,153 fans who attended. All five races scheduled for the turf - including the $200,000 Ballston Spa Breeders' Cup and the $200,000 Fourstardave Handicap - were moved to the main track. Of the 126 horses entered, 39 scratched, and the Ballston Spa was reduced to three runners.
In the days leading up to the Travers, trainer Bobby Frankel said the only thing that scared him was the prospect of an off-track. The rain began falling at 7 a.m. Saturday and the track was sloppy all day.
Under Jerry Bailey, Medaglia d'Oro raced close to the pace, in between Shah Jehan and Saint Marden entering the first turn. Medaglia d'Oro brushed with Repent coming out of the gate, and received cuts on both of his hind legs. Trainer Bobby Frankel said Medaglia d'Oro may have grabbed his quarter.
Straightening away down the backside, Medaglia d'Oro was stalking Shah Jehan, who ran a half-mile under John Velazquez in a strong 46.82 seconds.
At the half-mile pole, Bailey put Medaglia d'Oro into the lead and he came into the stretch with a clear advantage. Repent, who was receiving a ground-saving trip under Edgar Prado set sail after Medaglia d'Oro, but came up just short. Medaglia d'Oro covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.53 and returned $3.50 to win.
"All day long horses that had pressure on them during the early part of the race or the middle part of the race never held up,' said Bailey, who won his third Travers. "So, you got to give this horse a lot of credit for doing what he did.'
Frankel also gave a lot of credit to Repent, who surprised him by running so well off a 15-week layoff.
Ken McPeek, the trainer of Repent, was not surprised his horse ran so well. He was surprised he didn't catch Medgalia d'Oro.
"I thought we owned him at the eighth pole,' McPeek said. "I was surprised that horse held on'
Medaglia d'Oro, who was installed as a 2-5 morning-line favorite, actually went off at 3-5 and returned $3.50 to win. Medaglia d'Oro, owned by Edmund A. Gann, became just the fifth Jim Dandy winner to come back and take the Travers.
* Bettors wagered more than $1.3 million on the all-stakes pick four, which the New York Racing Association had guaranteed the pool to be $1 million. The pick four, which consisted of Surya ($3.70), Capsized ($8.80), Gygistar ($4.90), and Medaglia d'Oro ($3.50) returned $135.
- additional reporting by Karen M. Johnson
The 2002 Whitney:
Tough field, tougher Left Bank
By DAVID GRENING
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| Horsephotos |
| Left Bank beats even-money favorite Street Cry by 1 1/4 lengths in Saturday's Whitney at Saratoga. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Left Bank left no doubt about his ability to get a distance of ground by whipping the best field of handicap horses assembled this year in Saturday's $750,000, Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga.
Taking over from pacesetting Saint Verre turning for home, Left Bank rolled to a 1 1/4-length victory over even-money favorite Street Cry, who nosed out defending Whitney winner Lido Palace for second. Macho Uno, Unshaded, and Saint Verre completed the order of finish.
Left Bank, a son of French Deputy, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.04 equaling the track record set by Tri Jet when he won the Whitney in 1974. In his previous race, the Tom Fool Handicap, Left Bank set the Belmont Park track record by running seven furlongs in 1:20.17.
In winning for the 14th time in 24 starts, Left Bank pushed his career earnings to $1,402,806. Left Bank returned $9.20 as the second choice.
Most of the week, rival trainers feared Left Bank because it looked like he would be the lone speed in the race. On entry day, Allen Jerkens put in the speedy Saint Verre, giving the other trainers a false sense of security.
In reality, the presence of Saint Verre probably helped Left Bank, who is a better stalker than front-runner.
When Jean-Luc Samyn gunned Saint Verre out of the gate, John Velazquez let him go and guided Left Bank to his outside entering the first turn. Saint Verre set fractions of
23 seconds, 45:94, and 1:09.36. Around the turn, Left Bank got closer to Saint Verre and blew past him straightening for home.
Street Cry and Lido Palace, who were well back down the backside, made belated bids in the stretch, but had no chance to catch the winner.
"Down the backside, I pulled him out and I put my hands down and he was relaxing so good I kept them there until I got close the other horse," Velazquez said. "When I asked him to run, he was there for me."
Though Left Bank had won the nine-furlong Discovery Handicap as a 3-year-old, this was a much tougher field.
"I was concerned about the distance against this quality of horse," said Todd Pletcher, who trains Left Bank for Michael Tabor. "This is the best group of horses put together all year."
The 2002 Hopeful:
Sky Mesa takes Hopeful
By MIKE WELSCH
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Sky Mesa may have established himself as the early favorite for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with an impressive 1 3/4-length victory over Pretty Wild in Saturday's $250,000 Hopeful at Saratoga. Zavata, the 1-5 favorite, finished third after encountering trouble during the early stages of the Grade 1 event.
Sky Mesa, a son of Pulpit out of Caress, paid $9.80. He covered seven furlongs in 1:23.08 over a fast track under leading rider Edgar Prado. Sky Mesa is owned by John Oxley and trained by John Ward Jr.
Sky Mesa, who was an easy winner of his career debut earlier in the meet, broke alertly and then was taken in hand to track the early pace of Roaring Fever and Pretty Wild. He joined the leaders three-wide into the stretch, then gradually edged clear from Pretty Wild through the final sixteenth of a mile. Pretty Wild had gained a short advantage nearing the eighth pole but proved no match for the winner.
Zavata, who had easily won his last three starts, including the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, checked back to last after being squeezed between horses shortly after the break. He recovered to race within easy striking distance along the rail, lacked room behind the leaders around the turn, and was fanned wide entering the stretch. But after making a brief bid near midstretch, he weakened in the final furlong to finish 3 3/4 lengths behind Sky Mesa.
Sky Mesa's performance was all the more impressive considering he contracted a virus shortly after his first start, spiking a fever of 105 degrees according to Ward's wife, Donna.
"We missed four or five days of training, but Donna was a little soft on him in his next two works," said Ward, who won the 2001 Kentucky Derby for Oxley with Monarchos. "Edgar did a heady job easing him back off the pace down the backside, then let him use his strength and stride down the stretch."
Ward said Sky Mesa would make his next start "in a two-turn race" possibly Keeneland's Breeders' Futurity on Oct. 5 .
"He had a little too much to overcome," said Zavata's trainer, Patrick Biancone. "It's just the hard luck of racing."
"The only real trouble we had was leaving the gate," said Zavata's rider, Jerry Bailey. "I tucked him in, angled out turning for home, had dead aim on the leaders, and he just lost ground from there."
The 2001 Travers:
King of the hill
By DAVID GRENING
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| Horsephotos |
| Point Given, ridden by Gary Stevens, wins the Travers by 3 1/2 lengths over E Dubai. The victory follows wins in the Preakness, Belmont, and Haskell. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - He is owned by a prince, and Point Given proved Saturday that he is the king of the Thoroughbred world.
Before a crowd of 60,486 - the largest ever to witness the Travers Stakes - Point Given blew past E Dubai approaching the furlong marker and rolled to a 3 1/2-length victory. E Dubai, who dueled with Free of Love early, held second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Dollar Bill.
Completing the order of finish were A P Valentine, Free of Love, Scorpion, Volponi, Hadrian's Wall, and Harrisand.
The victory in the $1 million race enabled Point Given to duplicate the feat of his sire, Thunder Gulch, who won this race in 1995. Like his father, Point Given was a 3-5 favorite. He returned $3.30 to win.
Point Given is owned by Prince Ahmed Salman's The Thoroughbred Corporation. Salman dedicated the win to his brother, Prince Fahd Salman, who died suddenly last month.
"I wanted to win this race and dedicate it to him," said Salman, a member of the ruling family of Saudi Arabia. "I'm sure he's watching in heaven. This is the best race I ever won."
It was the fourth consecutive victory for Point Given, who added the Travers to a resume that includes the Preakness, Belmont and Haskell Invitational.
"I know he's definitely the best horse I've ever been around," said trainer Bob Baffert, who won his first Travers. "He just shows us more every time he runs."
Point Given looked like a winner every jump. After a breaking a step slowly and a little sideways, Point Given settled into stride entering the first turn and raced three wide outside of A P Valentine and Scorpion, but within striking distance of Free of Love and E Dubai.
With a relatively soft pace of 23.73 seconds and 47.70, Point Given moved into third position down the backside while E Dubai and Free of Love continued to battle. E Dubai put away Free of Love around the turn, and Point Given challenged E Dubai at the quarter pole.
Turning for home, Stevens went to work on Point Given and after Point Given lugged in a step he straightened away nicely and drew clear. He covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.40.
"Jerry [Bailey] took a look behind and did a double take," Stevens said of E Dubai's rider. "'Yup, I'm here already.' "
E Dubai, who had not raced since winning the Dwyer on July 8, did well to hold second in his first attempt at 1 1/4 miles.
The 2001 Whitney:
Lido Palace upsets Albert the Great
By DAVID GRENING
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| Horsephotos |
| Lido Palace, Jerry Bailey up, crosses the wire two lengths ahead of Albert the Great in Saturday's Whitney Stakes. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Albert the Great's shortcomings in Grade 1 races and at Saratoga continued Saturday as Lido Palace rallied past him in midstretch and went on to a two-length victory in the $750,000, Grade 1 Whitney Handicap.
Albert the Great, the 4-5 favorite, held second, a neck in front of Gander. Perfect Cat, Elite Mercedes, Unshaded, and Pleasant Breeze completed the order of finish.
The result was the reverse of the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap on July 1, when Albert the Great defeated Lido Palace by 2 1/4 lengths. But that was at Belmont Park, where Albert the Great is nearly unbeatable, winning six of seven starts.
Away from Belmont entering the Whitney, Albert the Great was 2 for 11 and winless in two starts at Saratoga. In Grade 1 races, Albert the Great is now 1 for 6.
In the Suburban - and the June 10 Brooklyn - Albert the Great was able to dictate the pace under Jorge Chavez. Saturday, Chavez found himself laying fourth entering the first turn as Elite Mercedes opened up a two-length lead while being chased by Gander and Pleasant Breeze.
Jerry Bailey kept Lido Palace in fifth position, just off of Albert the Great's flank. When Chavez moved Albert the Great entering the far turn, Bailey moved Lido Palace.
Albert the Great moved past Elite Mercedes turning for home and Bailey, who came wide into the stretch, set sail after him. Lido Palace collared Albert the Great inside the eighth pole and, despite pulling himself up, got to the wire first. He covered the nine furlongs in 1:47.94 and returned $7.90 as the second choice.
"What I didn't anticipate was my horse easing himself so much as he did when he made the lead," said Bailey, who won his fourth Whitney. "I hit him on both sides trying to refocus him; it didn't seem to work. I guess a horse running at him seemed to have done it. The wire came in time."
Trainer Nick Zito and Chavez both said the nine-pound weight concession to Lido Palace was the difference. By finishing second, Albert the Great won the inaugural NTRA Champions Series and earned a $160,000 bonus in addition to his $150,000 share of the Whitney purse.
"The horse ran gallant, he just had to spot this horse nine pounds," Zito said. "I thought he would get by Elite Mercedes sooner, but he didn't. Maybe if he could he would have been able to hold them off."
Bobby Frankel, who trains Lido Palace for Jerome and John Amerman, watched the race from California where he saddled Skimming in the San Diego Handicap. He took over the training of Lido Palace this spring after he ran third in the UAE Derby in Dubai.
Albert the Great and Lido Palace may meet again in the Woodward Stakes, a weight-for-age race, at Belmont on Sept. 8.
The 2001 Hopeful:
Cross-country trip pays off
By DAVID GRENING
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| NYRA/ Adam Coglianese |
| Came Home, who shipped to Saratoga from the West Coast, wins Saturday's Hopeful under Chris McCarron. |
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - He may be the second-best juvenile colt in the West, but Came Home proved tops in the East Saturday, whipping six rivals to win the Grade 1, $200,000 Hopeful by two lengths before 19,532 at Saratoga.
Mayakovsky, who established a track record for 5 1/2 furlongs here opening day, finished second, 6 3/4 lengths ahead of longshot Thunder Days. Completing the order of finish were Roman Dancer, Jump Start, Proud Citizen, and Deputy Connor. Sent off the favorite, Came Home returned $4.30 to win.
Came Home's final time of 1:21.94 established a stakes record for the seven-furlong distance. The Hopeful was first run at seven furlongs in 1994.
It was the third victory in as many starts for Came Home, a son of Gone West out of the Clever Trick mare Nice Assay. In 1992, Nice Assay won the inaugural running of the Honorable Miss in 1:08.80, which remains that stakes record.
"I had a really good feeling about this race today," said Trudy McCaffrey, who owns Came Home with John Toffan. They shipped Came Home here in part to avoid facing Officer in Wednesday's Del Mar Futurity. "This is especially nice because he is a homebred and his mother was very special to us. This colt is just a very precocious, very special young horse."
In June, Came Home won his maiden at Hollywood Park by eight lengths and then six weeks later returned to win the Hollywood Juvenile Championship by four lengths. According to trainer Paco Gonzalez, Came Home came out of that race a little sick.
Under Chris McCarron, Came Home broke in a step at the start of the Hopeful, quickly recovered and dueled early with fellow Californian Roman Dancer. Came Home then backed off before rallying again around the turn and poking a head in front leaving the three-eighths pole. After putting away Roman Dancer, Came Home had a fresh challenge from Mayakovsky. But, with one right-handed and two-left handed cracks of McCarron's whip, Came Home drew clear late.
Toffan said Came Home would probably fly back to California and would run in either the Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 29 or return to New York for the Champagne at Belmont on Oct. 6.
By winning the Hopeful, Came Home now would earn a $250,000 bonus as part of the Bessemer Trust Two-Year-Old Challenge if he wins the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Oct. 27 at Belmont Park.
The 2000 Travers:
Unshaded unstoppable in Travers
By DAVID GRENING
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (Aug. 26, 2000) - Trainer Carl Nafzger got to paint the canoe and the 3-year-old division has a new contender for the division title.
Unshaded, the gelded son of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled, rallied powerfully under jockey Shane Sellers to run down Albert the Great in the final two jumps to win Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes by a head. It was another 6 1/2 lengths back to Commendable. Dixie Union, the 5-2 favorite, finished fourth.
The crowd of 55,116 set a Travers Day record for attendance, eclipsing last year's record of 51,371.
Since the day Unshaded was excluded from the Kentucky Derby because he wasn't Triple Crown-nominated, Nafzger thought of nothing but winning the Travers. Over and over again he talked about "painting the canoe," the tradition of the winning owner's silks being painted on the canoe located in the lake in the middle of the Saratoga infield. The canoe will be painted the yellow and blue silks of owner Jim Tafel.
"He's like Unbridled, he lets me stick my foot in my mouth and then he lets me pull it out," said Nafzger, who also trained Unbridled.
In the stretch, Nafzger's heart was pretty close to being in his mouth. Unshaded was about eight lengths back in the early stages as Commendable, under Pat Day, set a leisurely pace of 24.20 and 48.43seconds, with Albert the Great, under Jorge Chavez, stalking in second.
Unshaded made steady progress down the backside and was only three lengths off the lead at the half-mile pole when Albert the Great poked a head in front. Unshaded split horses around the turn and crept toward the outside of Albert the Great turning for home.
Albert the Great maintained a half-length advantage at the furlong marker and from that point to the sixteenth pole, it looked like he was going to hang on. But Unshaded ($8.90) was able to surge past Albert the Great in the last two jumps to get the win. He covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.59.
"Between the eighth and the sixteenth I thought we both were going to maintain and he'd probably beat us," Nafzger said. "At the sixteenth pole, he had a short neck on us and I could see we were getting there with every stride and we were going to get there."
According to trainer Dick Mandella, Dixie Union lost his left front shoe during the race.
Nafzger said he would consider running Unshaded in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 14 at Belmont Park, a race that has also been targeted by Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus and leading handicap horse Lemon Drop Kid.
The 2000 Whitney:
Lemon Drop Kid prevails in Whitney
By DAVID GRENING
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (Aug. 6, 2000) - Trainer Scotty Schulhofer has been saying it for months. Now, there's no choice but to believe him. Lemon Drop Kid is the best handicap horse in the country.
Thanks to heady move down the backside by jockey Edgar Prado, Lemon Drop Kid was able to avoid potential trouble and go on to beat the best field of older horses in the country, taking Sunday's $750,000, Grade 1 Whitney Handicap by 1 3/4 lengths over Cat Thief. It was another 4 1/4 lengths back to Behrens. Running Stag, Golden Missile, and David completed the order of finish.
It was the third straight victory for Lemon Drop Kid, who also secured the "Champions on Fox" series title with 26 points. In addition to the $450,000 first-place purse, Lemon Drop Kid earned $230,000 in bonus money.
"To me, he proved just what I always thought," Schulhofer said. "He's the best horse in America, best horse I ever trained."
Lemon Drop Kid, the 1999 Belmont Stakes and Travers victor, was sent off a slight 2-1 favorite over Behrens and Golden Missile and returned $6.10 to win. He covered the nine furlongs in 1:48.30 over a track downgraded to good after an hour of steady showers. A crowd of 44,303 attended the race.
The key to victory may have been an early move down the backside made by Prado. In a reverse scenario from the Suburban, Behrens, under Jerry Bailey, appeared to have Lemon Drop Kid boxed in down inside. Instead of allowing that to happen, Prado made his move leaving the 4 1/2-furlong pole and ranged four-wide on the turn.
"I was kind of concerned," said Prado, who won his first Grade 1 since the 1992 Iselin with Jolie's Halo. "I saw a chance to shoot my horse through and I took it right away, even if I had to make my move a little early. I didn't want to be second-guessed."
At the half-mile pole, Cat Thief, under Jorge Chavez, had taken the lead from pace-setting David. Golden Missile, under Kent Desormeaux, was backing up, and Lemon Drop Kid was advancing four-wide toward the front.
Lemon Drop Kid seized the lead approaching the quarter pole and drew clear with a few taps of Prado's right-handed whip in the stretch. Cat Thief, who was moved to the outside by Chavez leaving the eighth pole, chased Lemon Drop Kid home to no avail.
Bailey tried to move Behrens with the winner, but he had nothing left. Behrens had stumbled going into the first turn, clipping heels with Golden Missile. Bailey then had to guide Behrens four-wide around the turn to gain third position down the backside.
"I didn't have enough horse to stay with him," Bailey said. "Maybe the early part took its toll on him. Down around the half-mile pole, he was struggling to hold what he had. When they cut loose he didn't have quite what they had."
Kent Desormeaux said the heel-clipping incident was just one thing that hindered Golden Missile, who beat Lemon Drop Kid by two lengths in the Pimlico Special.
"I had a perfect spot sitting four wide and Behrens tried to steal my spot and he really broad-sided him pretty good," Desormeaux said. "That could have knocked him in the gut and took the wind out of him."
Schulhofer said he would point Lemon Drop Kid to the Woodward on Sept. 16 at Belmont Park.
"He looks to me like he's improving," Schulhofer said. "From now on it is equal weights; we don't have to give away weight. He looks like he's on the top of his game and all we got to do is keep him healthy and strong and he'll keep doing the same thing."
The 2000 Hopeful:
Dead-heat in the Hopeful
By DAVID GRENING
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (Sept. 2, 2000) - City Zip found a way to make history and D. Wayne Lukas found a way to salvage a disappointing meeting in Saturday's Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at stormy Saratoga.
Despite dropping back several lengths on the turn and having to rally five wide in the stretch, City Zip managed to dead heat with the Lukas-trained Yonaguska in the $200,000 Hopeful before a crowd of 18,373. Macho Uno finished third, beaten two necks.
The story lines were abundant in the Hopeful. By winning, City Zip became the fourth horse - joining Regret (1914), Campfire (1916), and Dehere (1993) - to sweep the Sanford, Saratoga Special, and Hopeful. Native Dancer won four stakes here in 1952, but not the Sanford, while Secretariat (1973) and El Chico (1938) also won three stakes here in one year.
Meanwhile, D. Wayne Lukas won his 28th juvenile stakes at Saratoga - his fifth Hopeful - and salvaged a meet in which he won just three races from 48 starters.
Neither Yonaguska nor City Zip had an ideal trip. Yonaguska, breaking from post 2 under Jerry Bailey, was fourth early, about a length behind pacesetter T P Louie through a first quarter run in 22.72 seconds.
Bailey wanted to keep the horse off the pace, but his saddle slipped and when Yonaguska went up to take the lead entering the far turn, Bailey said, "I had no leverage."
Yonaguska opened up a clear lead turning for home and was 1 1/2 lengths in front at the furlong marker.
City Zip was within a head of Yonaguska through the opening quarter but dropped back suddenly entering the far turn. Approaching the three-eighths pole, Jose Santos spun City Zip five wide and he launched his bid. At the eighth pole, it seemed like City Zip would have to settle for second, but he responded to Santos's urging and got to the wire on even terms with Yonaguska.
The two covered seven furlongs in 1:24.52. City Zip, sent off the 7-5 favorite, returned $2.90, while Yonaguska, who went off the 7-2 second choice, returned $3.70.
"I thought something might be wrong," trainer Linda Rice said when she saw City Zip drop back.
Santos said City Zip was spooked by the lightning that hit the area while the horses were in the paddock and forced track management to eliminate the post parade. The lightning, thunder, and rain continued during the running of the race.
Said Bailey: "If the saddle doesn't slip we win. Considering what he went through he ran a great race."
Lukas, who celebrated his 65th birthday by winning two races on the card after he had won just once entering the day, said: "I would have liked to have traded post positions with City Zip."
Earlier on the card, Lukas snapped an 0-for-35 skid dating back to Aug. 2 when Regent Gold won a seven-furlong maiden race. Despite winning 11 fewer races than a year ago, Lukas's horses earned $711,405 this year compared with $690,186 in 1999.
The 2000 Diana:
Perfect Stings stays perfect in 2000
By MIKE WELSCH
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. (Sept. 4, 2000) - Perfect Sting continued her flair for the dramatic on Monday, closing out the 2000 Saratoga meeting with another heart-stopping victory by wearing down a game License Fee in the final sixteenth of a mile to post a three-quarters of a length decision in the $500,000 Diana Handicap.
The victory kept Perfect Sting perfect on the season, and solidified her position as leader of the filly and mare turf division. It also gave leading rider Jerry Bailey his record-setting 50th win of the meet.
As had been the case in each of her three previous wins this year, which all had come by margins of a half-length or less, Perfect Sting and Bailey had to work hard before finally asserting their superiority in late stretch of the Diana. Bailey took back a bit and they came inside the wide-running Colstar leaving the backstretch and around the second turn, before splitting rivals and running down License Fee inside the sixteenth pole.
"This was one of my better efforts and one of her better efforts," said Bailey. "I had to force the pace a little more than I'd have liked or they would have walked us to death. Then I tucked her back and came inside to give her a chance to win into the stretch."
Said Perfect Sting's trainer, Joe Orseno: "Going down the backside I was a little concerned because it appeared [Alberto Delgado on Colstar] was more concerned about riding my horse than his. Jerry had to take back off that horse and then force his way through, and I was worried the hole might close when he did."
Perfect Sting, who is owned by the Stronach Stable, paid $3.50 and covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.01 under high weight of 123 pounds.
Orseno said her next start will come in either the Flower Bowl Handicap at Belmont Park Oct. 7 or the Galaxy Stakes Oct. 13 at Keeneland, depending on the weights.
License Fee, second to Perfect Sting in the Beaugay Handicap earlier this year, made the early pace in the Diana, and while no match for the winner held second by a half-length over Hello Soso.
"She ran well," said trainer Elliott Walden of License Fee. "She got beat by a champion."
Personal Ensign's Whitney:
Hirsch on Personal Ensign's Whitney
By JOE HIRSCH
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (Aug. 6, 1988) - Since Kentucky bet the highly regarded Tipperary in the first Travers of 1864, Saratoga has been synonymous with fine racing, exemplified once again last weekend by the victories of Ogden Phipps' Personal Ensign in the Grade I $270,500 Whitney Handicap and James Phillips' Brian's Time in the Grade II $183,3000 Jim Dandy for 3-year-olds.
Personal Ensign's victory on Saturday was something special, and many in the crowd of 28,756 were moved by a tremendous performance. The 4-year-old filly by Private Account drew gasps with an explosive acceleration leaving the backstretch as she drew even with the pacesetting Gulch in a sixteenth of a mile. The two were still head-and-head at the furlong pole, but from that point Personal Ensign cruised ahead to register a conclusive victory by a length and a half. Under Randy Romero, she stepped nine furlongs in 1:47 4/5 on a sloppy track that caused her interests some concerns all day.
This wasn't a casual achievement. Gulch, a winner of $2,541,417, loves this track and came up to the Whitney in excellent order. He was able to set his own pace and the first half-mile in :47 2/5 was comfortably fashioned. He was conceding two pounds on the scale to the filly but it wasn't the weight that was the difference. It was simply that Personal Ensign is a lot of horse.
How much? There are still races to be won and stories to be told, and in due course we'll find out how good she really is. For the moment it is enough that she is the most exciting horse in training, and the proud possessor of a perfect record at 10-for-10. The only major horse of the century to go undefeated was Colin, who went 15-for-15 before he went wrong. Man o' War was 20-for-21 and Native Dancer was 21-for-22. They came close, as did some others, but for the moment it is Colin and Personal Ensign who are perfect.
"I was very pleased with the public reaction to her victory," trainer Shug McGaughey said at trackside. "They seemed to appreciate what was happening and were with her all the way. She came out of it in very good order and her next appearance is likely to be the $200,000 Ruffian on September 25 at Belmont Park. After that we'll choose between Keeneland's $250,000 Spinster on Oct. 15 or Belmont's $300,000 Beldame on October 16, and then it's the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs on November 5. It isn't likely she'll run against colts again, though, I want to leave the door ajar on that just a little in the case of the Breeders' Cup."
Affirmed-Alydar Travers:
This round goes to Alydar
By JOE HIRSCH
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (Aug. 21, 1978) - It was trainer John Veitch's strategy for Saturday's 109th running of the $104,800 Travers Stakes for three-year-olds to have Calumet Farm's Alydar win it in the same fashion he won last fall's Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park. In the Champagne, Alydar stormed past Affirmed in the stretch and held his advantage to the wire, winning by a length and a quarter. Veitch wanted a sudden burst from Alydar Saturday, to take his opponent by surprise if possible and to build a lead which might prove insurmountable.
Midway down the backstretch, with the 20-1 Shake Shake Shake in the middle of the track and the 7-10 Affirmed immediately outside of him, Jorge Velasquez saw his opportunity. Riding Alydar behind these two, and waiting to see whether he would make his move on the outside or the inside, the answer became obvious. With the rail wide open, that was the place to be.
With Veitch's instructions fresh in his mind, Velasquez gunned Alydar for the rail. Meanwhile, Shake Shake Shake, who appeared outclassed in a race of this kind, was beginning to drop back, permitting Laffit Pincay Jr. lateral movement with Affirmed. Pincay promptly began to direct Affirmed to the inside.
Actually, Pincay had a choice of action regardless of Shake Shake Shake. On pounds the best horse, he could have outrun the latter then dropped in. But perhaps he wanted to save his horse as much as possible for the formidable challenge he knew Alydar would post at some point in the race.
Driving for the rail, Alydar reached there first and was preparing to slip inside of Affirmed when Pincay brought the latter in against the Calumet colt. It was a moment of high peril, and Velasquez reacted in the only way possible. He snatched Alydar up and outside Affirmed, thereby avoiding a nasty collision with the inside rail, but costing Alydar all chance. Once safe on the outside, Velasquez quickly got Alydar into gear again and pursued Affirmed to the wire. That he finished within a length and three-quarters of Affirmed underlines Alydar's courage.
There was no question the disqualification was justified. But some rules are interpreted differently in different areas of the country, and so on Sunday we conferred by phone with the stewards at Del Mar for their interpretation. On the basis of what as shown on television, Alfred Shelhamer, Hubert Jones and Peter Pedersen, two of them former jockeys, were in unanimous agreement they, too, would have ruled for a disqualification.
There is some question if Pincay, riding slightly ahead of Alydar, saw the Calumet colt preparing to come through on the inside. If he did see him, then the foul was patently flagrant and merits the most serious punishment. If he didn't see him, then this veteran of 15 seasons of riding is guilty of grossly careless riding. One of the cardinal rules of riding is that one looks before one changes lanes, if only to protect one's fellow riders.
By his actions, whether through negligence or momentary lack of poise, Pincay ruined what should have been, and was going to be, one of the most glorious afternoons in the long history of American racing. No one could have predicted the outcome of the Travers at the point of the foul.
Alydar, who had trained and raced brilliantly here at the Spa, was moving purposefully when stopped. It is conceivable that trainer Veitch's strategy might have carried the day. Affirmed's magnificent record speaks for itself. He is one of the greatest colts to race in America this century.
Surely the finish of the Travers would have been as dramatic as the Belmont, and the prospect of such denouement is what attracted the largest crowd in the 115-year history of Saratoga - 50,122, who wagered a record $3,897,017. Angel Cordero Jr. must share some blame for the unseemly episode. He did not appear to ride his own race aboard Shake Shake Shake, but instead seemed more interested in keeping Affirmed wide of the rail down the backstretch. If he was riding his race, it is likely Shake Shake Shake would have been on the rail down the backstretch. There seemed little purpose for him to be in the middle of the track, losing ground he needed desperately to save.
Cordero and agent Tony Matos have made no secret of the fact they have been displeased with the their situation vis a vis Affirmed since Cordero lost a coin toss with Pincay for the ride on Affirmed in the Santa Anita Derby last spring. Actually, Cordero had the mount on Affirmed originally, but gave it up here last summer when agent Matos recommended the mount on Darby Creek Road in the Hopeful. Both have condemned trainer Laz Barerra in he interim, publicly and vehemently, for selecting Pincay for the Travers, rather than Cordero, who is riding here.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but when that opinion is coupled with action of a suspicious nature, then others will inevitably draw their own conclusions. Many have concluded, rightly or wrongly, that Cordero was more interested in doing what he could to interfere with Affirmed's progress than getting the maximum out of his own mount, Shake Shake Shake. For a rider of Cordero's superb talents, that is a great shame.
The incident leaving the half-mile pole almost cost Alydar his career. When we visited the barn this morning, Veitch showed us his colt's right foreleg, with a visible cut running horizontally across the tendon. A quarter of an inch deeper and the tendon would surely would have been severed. Veitch will have to miss a week of work with Alydar, but expects him to be fit and ready for the $300,000 Marlboro Cup at Belmont Park on September 16.
Affirmed came out of the Travers in good physical condition, but Barerra is as disturbed as Veitch over the fact that the Travers failed to settle the issue of supremacy in the race. Barerra has selected three stakes for Affirmed's fall campaign, including the Marlboro Cup, the Woodward on September 30, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup on October 14. He said this morning that Affirmed is being pointed to the Marlboro (and another confrontation with Alydar), but will run only if the handicap weights parallel those of the scale of weights. Otherwise, Affirmed will miss the Marlboro and await the Woodward, which is contested under weight-for-age conditions.
So the Travers is history. It was a page that left everyone dissatisfied, but nevertheless it was another eventful tableau in the rich tapestry of this storied feature. Never since it inaugural in 1864, have as many people seen or been as interested in its outcome, and that is very much to the credit and the health of the sport.
This has been a milestone meeting for Saratoga from the outset, and now trustees of the New York Racing Association must seriously consider expanded facilities for future years. Good racing is good business, and the racing and the business have been sensational all month. More of the same can be expected in the years to come.
Secretariat's Whitney loss:
Onion upsets Secretariat in '73 Whitney
By TEDDY COX
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (Aug. 4, 1973) - Hobeau Farm's talented Onion stripped Meadow Stable's 1-10 Secretariat of his cloak of invincibility when he engaged the champion in a stride-for-stride battle until near the finish, where he drew clear to capture the 46th running of the Whitney Stakes before a record-breaking gathering of 30,119 here this delightful afternoon.
In an astounding performance that reminded oldtimers of Jim Dandy's great upset of another era, the four-year-old son of Third Martini-With a Flair by Beau Gar finished a length in front and was much the stronger of the pair at the end of their grueling mile and one-eighth.
Only half a length farther away came Marcel Walder's Rule by Reason. Darby Dan Farm's True Knight was fourth and Oxford Stable's West Coast Scout last in the field of five.
Set Track Record Last Time
Onion, who only last Tuesday qualified with a rousing track-record victory in a 6 1/2-furlong spin over this strip, had never before won a stakes, but was brought up for this one in magnificent condition by the master horseman H. Allen Jerkens, who could hardly talk after the victory as tears streamed profusely down his cheeks.
The homebred colt was clocked over a fast but spotty track in 1:49 1/5, slower than the time displayed by Secretariat in a work while he was being eased up a week ago Friday.
Onion paid $13.20 and earned $32,310 for his stirring conquest.
There were also tears in Secretariat's camp - and for a good reason. The colt showed a rather dull race earlier in the year in the Wood Memorial and this effort was somewhat similar. If there were any valid excuses evident, they could be traced to the fact that the big red stallion was guided to the rail after the field entered the backstretch. Earlier, he had made the first turn on the outside, in good position, clear of possible trouble and in the best footing.
During the early races, most of the jockeys elected to avoid the deeper footing on the rail and often went out to the middle of the track to make their runs. The track was in muddled condition this morning and, although fast, was what could be called a "drying-out" strip this afternoon.
Ron Turcotte was at a loss to explain Secretariat's effort: "I really can't explain what happened to him," he said. "Maybe the fact that he tried to break through the gate and hit the gate with his head just before the break affected him. He seemed to be running all right and the track appeared to be to his liking. The pace was slow and we were only a head off the lead, but when I set him down in the stretch he just wasn't the same horse."
Jacinto Vasquez, who was astride Angle Light when that colt whipped Secretariat in the Wood, did a magnificent job in controlling a slow early pace, along with maneuvering Secretariat toward the rail, where he kept him for the last three-eighths of a mile. He rode his favored adversary so close that Turcotte did not have room to hit his horse from the right side. Ronnie, however, struck Secretariat a total of 11 times in the stretch from his port side.
Vasquez said after the race:
"We did not go out there just to beat Secretariat," he said. "We wanted to beat them all. My horse was fit and ready and he held his ground all the way. In the stretch it was close and we were head-and-head, but my horse had a little extra and he gave it to me."
Jerkens added that he told Vasquez to slow down the pace as much as possible so he'd have something left.
"He did that and the fractions showed it," cried the happy trainer.
Secretariat appeared dull and listless when he returned to be unsaddled.
The defeat of the champion tossed a veritable monkey wrench into his impending $250,000 match race against his stablemate, Riva Ridge. They are scheduled to meet at Belmont Park on September 15. Riva Ridge, however, was beaten when he tried the grass for the second time earlier in the week.
One of the Greatest Upsets
This historic course has long been known as the "Graveyard of Champions," but this was one of the greatest upsets ever.
After the field was loaded, Secretariat made a lunge that caused the gates to open before him, but he did not break through. However, as Turcotte stated, it is possible that the impact might have jolted the colt.
They broke in a line, but before they had gone far Onion had a lead he never relinquished.
Secretariat appeared to be in a wonderful position, but once the field settled on the backstretch Turcotte made a most surprising, quick thrust by shooting Secretariat through an opening along the rail while under a furious hand ride. Onion, on the other hand, was simply lookin' and cookin' with Vasquez having a tight hold on the reins.
With about five-eighths of a mile to go, the battle between Onion and Secretariat began and both gave their all until the line. Secretariat remained in the deeper going along the rail and Vasquez wasn't fixing to have it any other way. He kept his mount lapped and on one occasion in the stretch he possibly touched Secretariat, but then quickly took off in an extremely alert maneuver.
Secretariat appeared in fine fettle during the saddling ceremonies, held on the turf course in the infield. Only True Knight was saddled in the enclosed paddock in back of the stands.
Hatton on Jerkens's upset:
Hatton on 'The Giant Killer'
By CHARLES HATTON
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. (Aug. 6) - Mrs. Penny Tweedy may say again "no horse is invincible."
Heartiest congratulations to Allen Jerkens, the scourge of champions and idol of the iconoclasts, who is making a career of proving this point.
He is not only a conscientious trainer around the clock. He has an uncanny instinct for combining special circumstances with his special gifts to defeat the sport's favorites at the height of their popularity. Jerkens saddled Beau Purple to down Kelso, diabolically, three times, which is hardly coincidence. He saddled Handsome Boy to thwart Buckpasser in his quest of the Handicap Triple Crown.
Now, he has plucked a feather from the wings of Pegasus himself, saddling Onion to negotiate Secretariat's defeat in the Whitney.
This was at great expense to those who made the Triple Crown winner 1-10, and excruciating expense of the spirit to the largest sports crowd ever assembled in this area. But this is horse racing. And "Secretariat is only human," as a lady concluded leaving this course.
The result was so shocking only a few of the 30,000 recovered in time to have the exquisite manners to applaud Onion. A majority were studying Secretariat, who pulled up draped in gloom and melancholy, seeking some answers.
But it was in vain, for none was apparent. He was and is sound.
An elderly couple who drove from Butte, Mont., to see him, and hundreds like them, were quite bemused all weekend.
"I wish I could find an excuse for him," Lucien Laurin said sadly. "Always before it was necessary to put a Chiffney bit on him to walk him. But not after his race Saturday. He did not run within 20 lengths of his true form. But he never missed an oat."
The trainer said Secretariat's Travers status depends upon how he gets over the Whitney.
Some find it difficult to reconcile his Whitney work, an unprecedented mile in 1:34 in the slop under 130, pulling up nine furlongs in 1:47 and change, with his inability to get cracking in Saturday's much slower race. Indeed, many leaped to a conclusion he left his race in the work. On the contrary we should say. That was eight days ago. Horses fill up fast in this resort.
If anybody cares to know, it is the theory here he would have benefited from a race over the track, and that the next time he will make an omelet of Onion, if there is a next time.
Ron Turcotte concurs in Laurin's estimate Secretariat is 20 lengths better than the Whitney chart might suggest.
Records live, opinions die. Future historians, perusing the Triple Crown record-breaker's career, are bound to be struck by the sharp contrast in his Whitney form. Since he did not run his race, it makes investigating the race for an explanation rather specious.
But handicappers analyzing it on its face value will note Onion did not give the favorite a seven pounds beating. Actually, Secretariat was six lengths the best, on the basis of weights and margins.
None of which is offered as an excuse, apology, nor rationale. In this sport you win some and you lose some. It makes philosophers of us all.
This observer had the distinct impression Turcotte sensed his mount did not have it Saturday when he ducked for the rail as West Coast Scout went out a trifle on the first turn.
"Ordinarily, I shouldn't have minded if we were on the outside fence," the rider said. "My horse got very tired in the last part of it.
"I think commenting on the TV rerun of the race with that lump in my throat was the toughest job in all my riding experience."
The winner, who hit True Knight at the break, was inclined to bear in through the early stretch, but his recent race stood him in good stead through the final yards.
Kelso's '65 Whitney win:
Kelso wins the 1965 Whitney by a nose
By CHARLES HATTON
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (Aug. 7, 1965) - Kelso is still the greatest.
Ask any of the 23,360 sweltering fans who saw Mrs. Richard C. duPont's five-time Horse of the Year carry top weight of 130 pounds and drop his nose down before Greentree's pacemaking Malicious with a mighty bound in the last stride of the $54,400 Whitney here today. Mrs. Ada L. Rice's Pia Star was six lengths away in third.
Ask any of the score of riders who watched the race from the innerfield and gave Kelso and jockey Milo Valenzuela a spontaneous burst of applause as they returned to the scale.
Ask any of the thousands of fans who missed the fifth race to await the ageless gelding's appearance in the paddock, crowding about so densely it required three Pinkertons and a rope barrier to enable Carl Hanford to saddle him.
Creates $659 minus pool
Finally ask the investors who collected at the rate of $4.40 for $2 and created a minus show pool of $659.80.
This was Kelso's third victory under 130 pounds in the Whitney and it added $35,360 to his unprecedented bank account, bringing his total to $1,954,144, so that he now is a measly $45,856 away from becoming a $2 million winner.
He is the only millionaire with 32 holes in his shoes.
The Whitney was run in :23 2/5, :47 1/5, 1:11 1/5, 1:36 4/5 and 1:49 4/5, just four ticks behind Middle Brother's track record.
Kelso beat his four rivals in such a way their apologists will have to sit up nights thinking of a visible or valid excuse.
Following the running, C.V. Whitney, grandson of the W. C. Whitney for whom the stake is named, appeared in the disputed enclosure of the winners' enclosure and presented a trophy to Mrs. duPont, when she could tear herself away from patting Kelso's soft brown muzzle.
The gelding was the least excited of those in the tableau in the ring, hardly blowing at all, looking calmly up into the stands as winners and losers alike roared their approval.
He is infallibly a good show and today staged a dramatic pulse-pounding stretch run, yolking Malicious in the last eighth then gathering himself and winning with one tremendous bound right on the wire.
His adversary, in receipt of 16 pounds, fought back bravely but finished with his tongue hanging out of his mouth and his eyes bulging like a crab's.
Hardly anyone in the throng noticed Pia Star finishing third, six lengths back of the first two and a neck in front of Crewman. The other entrant, Choker, brought up the rear, where he had been all along.
Upon dismounting Ismael "Milo" Valenzuela said:
"He was running easy on the backstretch but he didn't seem to pick it up when I first asked him about the half-mile pole. He started to answer me at about the three furlongs and at the 3/16ths he was really on the move.
Valenzuela Goes to the Whip
"I had to shake him up a bit about the sixtenth pole when he started to go in. I showed Malicious to him and he got to Malicious just a couple of jumps from the wire."
Trainer Hanford ad-libbed:
"All things being equal, and if he is okay, I guess we could say the Aqueduct (September 6 at the Big A) will probably be his next start."
Bobby Ussery slid from Malicious to estimate: "This was the one of the best horse races I ever rode in. Both horses ran really big races. I thought at the eighth pole I might hold Kelly off but he was just too much."
Manny Ycaza dismounted from Pia Star and said tersely: "No excuses. My horse got off well and ran as well as he could. I watched Milo and at the three-eighths pole I tried to move up with him, but we couldn't keep up."
John Rotz thought "Crewman had no excuses. He ran well."
Woodhouse said with a wry smile he " . . . had a view of Kelly from Choker's back. That is a real powerhouse."
Kelso and all the others in this Whitney came over to the leafy paddock posed with no show of nerves. It was 92 degrees and the humidiy was oppressive. There had been intermittent mountain squalls during the early races, with no adverse effect on the going. The only one of the quintet who broke out excessively was the heavy bodied Pia Star.
Kelso drew a prolonged round of applause when he appeared on parade. He and Pia Star walked along proudly, like kings Richard of England and Philip of France going to the Crusades, bitter rivals but to whom the restraints of the occasion prevented its expression until the starting bell rang.
The start was excellent and Crewman actually got on stide nimblest, but Malicious was on the rail and outran him as they belted to the clubhouse turn. Pia Star was angling over to these two leaders from the outside and Kelso had only Choker beaten leaving the gate.
Around the first turn Malicious was saving all possible ground and led Crewman by a half-length, with Pia Star a length or so away on the outside and Kelso dropping to the inside to economize some real estate and bide his time.
Up the backstretch, Malicious continued to run along about a half-length in front of Crewman and now Ycaza had gone over to the rail with Pia Star. He was standing up on his mount, trying to induce the strapping four-year-old to rate himself. Still Kelly slogged along about three lengths off them, taking not the slightest interest in proceedings.
Crewman turned Malicious loose on the last bend and now Kelso was hauled outside and Valenzuela was brushing him threateningly left handed with his whip. He had been trying to induce the favorite to get up on the bit for fully a furlong before the old trouper decided the time had come.
Straightening for the run home, Pia Star was trying hopelessly to reach contention and move with Kelso. Coming to the furlong pole, the champion was breathing fire and running hard at the leading Malicious. It was a desperate struggle all the last sixteenth and Kelso just made it.
He was giving Crewman 19 pounds, Pia Star three, Malicious 16 and Choker 20. There could be no question he was keener today than the horse Pia Star beat, with an 11-pound weight advantage, in the recent Brooklyn. Back of his saddle today there were three corners where a mound of fat showed Brooklyn day.
In the hallowed words of Joe Humphrey, he was the "the winnah, and still champeen!"
The Jaipur-Ridan Travers:
Jaipur beats Ridan in the 1962 Travers
By BOB HORWOOD
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (August 18, 1962) - Equalling the track record of 2:01 3/5 set by George D. Widener's Lucky Draw in 1946, The Jockey Club Chairman's Jaipur outfinished Mrs. Moody Jolley's Ridan by inches at the end of one the most thrilling duels in Saratoga history in today's 93rd running of the $82,650 Travers Stales. The two three-year-olds were never more than a neck apart from start to finish of the 1 1/4 miles.
Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords' outsider, Military Plume, was only a length back after being almost knocked down by Cicada at the start and again bothered when Cyane bolted out at the furlong pole.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lunger's Smart was less than a length farther back after also being bothered by Cyane, his stablemate, who crossed in front of him.
Jockeys Ride to Perfection
Willie Shoemaker rode Jaipur, while Manny Ycaza was on Ridan and both boys rode to perfection. Ridan was glorious in defeat, refusing to quit and only beaten inches when Jaipur thrust his head forward in a last, desperate lunge at the wire. Heavily favored by the huge throng, Jaipur paid $3.30, $2.30 and $2.20 across the board.
The prospect of the most significant Travers Stakes since 1930 and pleasant weather attracted a throng of 26,183 to the ancient course. This was the fourth-largest crowd in Saratoga history and the largest since 27,173 turned out to see Gallant Man win the Travers in 1957. Saratoga's record crowd was the 28,260 that came out to see Native Dancer win the nation' oldest three-year-old fixture in 1953.
Jaipur is a remarkably handsome dark bay son of Nasrullah-Rare Perfume by Eight Thirty, who virtually clinched three-year-old honors by his victory today. His time today clipped a fifth from Man o' War's stakes record, set in the Travers in 1920. Lucky Draw, who has been called his best horse by Widener, was a five-year-old carrying 121 pounds when he set his record on a pasteboard track. Jaipur carried 126 today, the same burden as Ridan.
The $53,722.50 Jaipur earned today brought his yearly earnings to $360,937, tops for all divisions, while his lifetime earnings are now $575,596. F. Skiddy Von Stade, former president of the Saratoga Association, presented the trophy to Widener, jockey Shoemaker and trainer Bert Mulholland in the winner's circle.
The Travers was Jaipur's fourth straight victory, preceded by the Jersey Derby, Belmont Stakes and Choice Stakes, while he started the season with victories in the Gotham and Withers. His only poor race was in the Preakness, in which he sulked after being bumped at the first turn. Greek Money won that race by inches over Ridan.
Cyane Ducks Out
After the race Shoemaker said: "I felt I had him right on the wire, but it sure was close. I had a hold on him early but he didn't rate as kindly as he has before and when I took a tighter hold to ease off the pace he raised his head so I had to let him go on a light hold. Ridan was trying to bear out a bit in the stretch but it didn't bother us." Trainer Bert Mulholland said: 'Next start? Well, I guess the Jerome (Sept. 1 at Aqueduct). This colt ran a fine race and remember the track record he equalled was held by Lucky Draw and that was one of our horses, too."
Widener, who was still thrilled in a patrician sort of way, said: "I thought I'd lost it by a nose. That was a terrific race and what a wonderful one to win. The Jerome? Maybe, but we'll talk it over with Bert later."
Comparatively philosophic after his hairline defeat, Ycaza said: "I really didn't know who won it. I was busy riding him out. It was a good, tough race for both horses. No excuses."
John Sellers, who rode Military Plume, said: "I thought we had a shot at the eighth pole but some horse (Cyane) ducked out at about the eighth pole and although he didn't hit us, it took the run out of my horse."
Ycaza sent Ridan to the front from his inside post at the start, while Shoemaker sent Jaipur right with him and the pair raced head-and-head as they ripped off the quarter :23 4/5, half in :47 2/5 and six furlongs in 1:11. Cyane was a couple of lengths back of the leaders at the far turn, while Shoemaker was seen to try to rate Jaipur at some point, then abandon the attempt. Cicada moved briefly into contention, being only a half-length behind Cyane in fourth place at the end of six furlongs, but she began to weaken steadily and eventually finished last, being unplaced for the first time in her career of 29 races.
As Shoemaker let Jaipur run, he took a slight lead over Ridan leaving he backstretch, but the son of Nantallah stayed right there with him and was only a head behind at the end of a mile in 1:35 2/5.
As Jaipur and Ridan fought it out, Cyane moved up steadily on the rail, while Smart was also going strongly right behind and just outside of his stablemate. As they straightened away for the run home, Military Plume was almost seven lengths back in last place, but suddenly began to move with a furious rush on the outside. Ridan appeared to draw level with Jaipur at the eighth pole and it was anybody's race, with Cyane coming strongly on the rail and Smart and Military Plume also closing fast. Cyane suddenly bolted to his right, just as he seemed most dangerous, cutting in front of Smart and just missing hitting Military Plume, who had made up almost five lengths in the upper stretch.
That left Jaipur and Ridan to fight it out, and battle they did, right down to the wire in as thrilling a finish as has ever been seen since this track opened in 1864.
Hatton on the '62 Travers:
Jaipur-Ridan: A tremendous show
By CHARLES HATTON
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (Aug. 20, 1962) - The Travers had its fastest and mot exciting and least conclusive running in 93 years here Saturday. It was tremendous.
From the instant the gates opened, it was a dramatic head-and-head match race between the East's Jaipur and the West's Ridan. They were the topweights under 126 pounds, nevertheless they left the others struggling behind them in the first furlong. Mr. Fitz has always contended, as a purist "the only way to tell who is the better of two horses is to let them run head-and-head until one cracks." Ridan and Jaipur went at each other's throats like two dead game pit bulldogs every stride of the 1 1/4 miles and neither cracked.
On the wire, it was Jaipur by a nose. One jump before the wire and one jump beyond the wire, it was Ridan. As a matter of fact, everyone in the clubhouse section, where we stood, circled Ridan's name before the "photo" was flashed. Even owner George Widener of Jaipur thought his colt had lost. It was that close.
This hair-raising race has had hair-raising results. There is a rage in Horse Haven. The Jaipur loyalists and the partisans of Ridan have been re-running the race, each to his own satisfaction, ever since these two fine colts hit the line in 2:01 3/5, time faster than Man 'o War's and tying the older Lucky Draw's track record.
Probably it will be debated long as horses run in this uplands resort.
Immediately after the Travers was run, this properly thrilled observer made his way through the 26,183 present in bland, blue weather to the paddock, to see the first two walk off. Sometimes one can learn more about a horse after a race than during it. En route, knots of horsemen were analyzing the classic renewal of this classical race. An overheard colloquy between one Jaipur fan and his Ridan vis-a-vis went as follows:
Jaipur fan: "After all, Jaipur raced outside Ridan around both turns, didn't he?"
Ridan fan: "He certainly did. He had Ridan down there on the inside all the way and he picked the best going for himself."
Jaipur fan: "Jaipur's number went up, didn't it?"
Ridan fan: "Only because Ridan's head was in the air, and Jaipur's was on the ground. As I figure it, Ridan was half a stride in front of Jaipur, actually, while Jaipur was completing a stride."
A few yards farther along the walk to the paddock, we chanced upon Charley Cushman and Dr. Gilman. Asked our opinion, we replied, "They are both good colts."
"That's the truth," Cushman agreed.
"Closely matched as they were, you might switch post positions and easily get a different result," Gilman said. Hirsch Jacobs came up and nodded assent to this theory.
It was a beautifully ridden race, by both Shoemaker and Ycaza. Shoemaker could not locate the winning post with Gallant Man in a Kentucky Derby, but he certainly has been finding it with telling split-second accuracy astride Jaipur.
Up the backstretch, "Shoe" and Yacca Zacca were paying no mind to their horses, looking intently over to one another, alert to match the slightest change of the other hands. At one point, in midstretch, Jaipur appeared about to draw away from Ridan. Then Ridan went into overtime, as he had from the eighth pole home in the Preakness. His muzzle stole along Jaipur's again. At the line they were closer than the paint on the fence. In fight circles it would have been a draw in any judge's scoring. But the finish camera works these things out to the last decibel of recorded and hairbreadth margins undreamed by Pythagoras.
This observer picked the winner in prerace calculations, along with several million others. But that 3-5 on Jaipur, who was meeting the enemy in his own domain, was not justified. Even after the running, we are not at all sure we picked the best horse.
The fractions for the race, in case you are curious, were :23 4/5, :23 3/5, :24 2/5 and :26 1/5. The others were in a secondary contest. Cyane "intimidated" Military Plume, the third horse, ducking out at about the eighth pole. Feminine little Cicada collided with a colt leaving the gate, which knocked the breath out of her.
Immediately after Jaipur pulled up, Bert Mulholland supposed he may start again for the Jerome. His colt, who has shown the Phalaris sulkiness in the spring, could not have run more genrously if he were fed Miltowns. But he did wear blinkers. Ridan never sported "the rogue's badge." As Ridan was in the saliva box, LeRoy Jolley (Ridan's trainer) agreed "this was his best race."
Never to our knowledge has Jaipur run better.
In the paddock, Jaipur and Ridan presented contrasting types. Jaipur, the proven stayer of the two, is constructed along more ample lines. "He fools one," his groom said, "in that he is so quick for so large a colt."
They measured his stride at Arlington Park. It came to 28 feet. He runs on everybody's race track and is holding up well in a campaign that began last winter in Florida. There is an exciting prospect that Ridan and Jaipur will meet again, perhaps several times during the autumn season
Long Island. Ridan is remaining East. While the partisans of Jaipur and Ridan quibbled, this bi-partisan observer is interested that F. Skiddy Von Stade (former president of the Saratoga Association) considers their Travers duel the greatest contest in his 50 years of experience. If Man o'War won his Travers easily, giving Andy Schuttinger an armchair ride, he was running over a faster Saratoga surface. At the same meeting, in 1920, Sir Barton won the 1 1/4-mile Saratoga Handicap under 129 pounds in 2:01 4/5 as we recall. Two years before, Roamer had set his American mile mark of 1:34 4/5. Saratoga was perhaps the sharpest race track in the nation in those days.
The weekend's Travers may be quoted along with Man o' War's Dwyer, the KJC Stakes between Equipoise and Twenty Grand, and last fall's mile-and-one-half between Kelso and T. V. Lark (in the Washington D.C. International, won by T. V. Lark) as one of the most marvelous horse races of all time. Actually it was closer, at all stages, than any of those epic encounters.
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