Caravel train to Breeders' Cup defense stops in Troy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For nearly a year, Caravel has risen to every challenge posed to her with aplomb. The reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner will attempt to keep streaking toward her defense of that race as she contests Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Troy Stakes on the Saratoga turf.

Making this race a particular challenge, Caravel is likely to find plenty of company on the front end in the 5 1/2-furlong race – including graded stakes winner Nobals, who is advantageously drawn outside her.

Caravel has won five straight races for Brad Cox, and six of her last seven dating to last August’s Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga. She is unbeaten in three starts this year, beginning with the Grade 2 Shakertown against males in April at Keeneland, her first start since the Breeders’ Cup five months prior. She then won the Unbridled Sidney against fillies and mares in May at Churchill Downs, and bested the boys again in the Grade 1 Jaipur on June 10 at Belmont Park. The Troy is her first start in eight weeks.

“She ran extremely well at Keeneland off the layoff,” Cox said, noting that he is trying to space the mare’s races with an eye toward the BC Turf Sprint this November in California. “If there’s something that makes sense [between the Troy and Breeders’ Cup] we can try it before Santa Anita.

:: DRF's 2023 Saratoga headquarters: Previews, past performances, picks, recaps, news, and more.

“She’s really good. Physically, she looks amazing. She’s happy,” Cox continued. “I don’t know if we need her to get any better, she just has to continue to be as good as she’s been the first half of the year. If we can duplicate that in the second half, we’ll be in great shape.”

Caravel, who has led in her races this year, is drawn in post 4 in the field of eight under Tyler Gaffalione. Nobals will break from post 7 under E.T. Baird.

Nobals, a multiple stakes winner, finished ninth in a Keeneland turf allowance in April after breaking poorly. That resulted in him being sent off as a longshot in the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill, where he led throughout for a win that returned $78.42.

“That day when he broke bad, he reared up in the gate,” trainer Larry Rivelli said. “I schooled him after that and he doesn’t move a muscle in the gate anymore. He broke last that day and that’s not his style. He needs to be on or near the lead.”

Nobals was entered in the Mighty Beau in June at Ellis Park, but was scratched when the race came off the turf. He was rerouted to the July 7 William Garrett Handicap at Indiana, which he won easily. The gelding was put on a collision course with Caravel when Rivelli elected to target stablemate One Timer at the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint on Sunday at Ellis Park.

“They’re pretty similar in style, so I had to split them up, and I think [Nobals is] the better of the two at this particular time,” Rivelli said. “So we’ll see if we can dethrone the queen over there.”

:: Get Saratoga Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day.

Ikigai and Remuda – the latter coming off an allowance-level win at Laurel Park with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure – have both shown speed, although neither has the graded stakes form of the two favorites. Cogburn, a speedy graded stakes-placed performer on dirt last year, has more recently reinvented himself as a rallying turf sprinter, winning back-to-back stakes at Lone Star. He could be picking up some pieces late.

Grooms All Bizness is coming off a win in the Get Serious at Monmouth Park, a race that has already produced three next-out winners. New York-bred stakes winner Thin White Duke was third in last year’s Troy, beaten just a neck by Golden Pal. Mister Mmmmm, making his first start off a claim for Jason Barkley, completes the field.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.