Bowling Green next for Ascend

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Ascend, the upset winner of the Grade 1 Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes at Saratoga next Saturday, trainer Graham Motion said.

Motion had also been considering the Arlington Million for Ascend but thought that race would come up significantly tougher than the Bowling Green.

“You have Europeans coming for the Arlington Million, plus this gives us the opportunity to possibly run back in the Sword Dancer,” Motion said, referring to the Grade 1 stakes at 1 1/2 miles here on Aug. 26.

Though Ascend was 27-1 when he won the Manhattan, Motion said he wasn’t that surprised that he won.

“I definitely felt he was going to be competitive,” Motion said. “I guess you’re always surprised when they win a Grade 1. We did get a good break in the weights, which we won’t get this time.”

Motion said Ascend was scheduled to work Sunday at Fair Hill in Maryland. He will work in company with Irish War Cry, who is to make his next start in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth next Sunday.

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