Bowling Green a real crapshoot

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Bill Mott wasn’t all that keen on running Channel Maker in last month’s Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes, with the Hall of Fame trainer preferring to focus on the two turf stakes at Saratoga in which his horse ran so well last summer.

After running a respectable fourth in the Manhattan – beaten 2 3/4 lengths by turf male division leader Bricks and Mortar – Channel Maker looks for a repeat victory in Saturday’s wildly competitive renewal of the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowing Green Stakes at Saratoga.

A year ago, Channel Maker came out of an eighth-place finish – though beaten only 1 1/2 lengths – in the Manhattan to dead-heat for win in the Bowling Green with Glorious Empire. Channel Maker then finished second to that same horse in the Sword Dancer.

Since then, Channel Maker has won two Grade 1 stakes – the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic last fall and the Man o’ War this spring, both at Belmont Park.

In the Manhattan, Channel Maker was in contention turning for home, but he just couldn’t quicken with the likes of Bricks and Mortar, Robert Bruce, and Raging Bull, the one-two-three finishers, all from the Chad Brown barn. None of those three is in the Bowling Green.

“They had a little bit better turn of foot,” Mott said. “We weren’t beaten badly, a good fourth and a good payday. I think with the top-level horses, he’s a little better at the 1 3/8-miles and 1 1/2-miles distance.”

Channel Maker, the 7-2 favorite on David Aragona’s morning line, is 2 for 3 at the Bowling Green distance of 1 3/8 miles. Channel Maker also prefers firm ground, a condition that should be in play Saturday. Joel Rosario rides Channel Maker from post 5.

Trainer Mike Maker sends out the uncoupled entry of Zulu Alpha and Bigger Picture. Zulu Alpha won the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at 1 3/8 miles in March at Gulfstream before running third behind Bigger Picture at 1 1/2 miles in the Grade 2 Elkhorn at Keeneland. He threw in a rare clunker in the Man o’ War but bounced back with a neck loss to Hunter O’Riley, the 2017 Bowling Green winner, in the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth.

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Maker said he had “no excuse” for Zulu Alpha in the United Nations. “It was just one of those races,” Maker added. “He’s well now, back to his old self.”

Zulu Alpha breaks from post 8 under Jose Lezcano.

Bigger Picture has run in the last two Bowling Greens. He was beaten a neck in 2017 and a length in 2018. Maker felt he didn’t have the best of trips from the rail in the United Nations when he finished fourth. Saturday, he will have to navigate a trip from the outside post in this 13-horse field under Tyler Gaffalione.

While Brown is pointing his Manhattan trio to the Arlington Million, he has a different trio for the Bowling Green. In Ya Primo, he has the wild card of the race, a Group 1 winner in Chile who is making his U.S. debut.

“We’re really excited about this horse’s campaign,” Brown said. “Distance should be no problem. His works have been impressive and he acts like a horse with a lot of class. I really like this horse.”

Jose Ortiz rides Ya Primo from post 3.

Brown’s other two horses, Olympico and Focus Group, drew posts 11 and 12, respectively. Olympico won the Grade 3 For Marcy over soft turf at Belmont in May. He finished seventh, beaten 4 3/4 lengths, over firm ground in the Manhattan.

“Yes, he would prefer a little give in the ground it looks like, but I want to try him in this three-turn race and see how he handles that,” Brown said. “He gives me a feeling he’ll be okay going long.”

Focus Group is 3 for 5 at Saratoga and won the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream earlier this year. He is coming off a fifth-place finish in the United Nations.

Sadler’s Joy, third in the last two runnings of the Bowling Green, makes his 6-year-old debut for trainer Tom Albertrani. He has not run since finishing third behind Enable and Magical – two European-based females – in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“He’s training as good as I’ve seen him train into a race,” Albertrani said. “We were trying to get him ready for the Manhattan but we had a few minor things that got us to where we are today.”

Arklow, beaten a neck by Channel Maker in the Man o’ War and a neck by Amade in the Belmont Gold Cup, will break from the rail under Florent Geroux.

Catcho En Die, Highland Sky, Argonne, and Red Knight complete the field.