Caress matches Bubble Rock vs. Poppy Flower a third time

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Although Bubble Rock plays second fiddle in her division in trainer Brad Cox’s barn to 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel, she may still prove the one to beat turning back to 5 1/2 furlongs Saturday at Saratoga in the $200,000 Caress Stakes.

Despite the fact undisputed division leader Caravel is sitting this one out to await another meeting with the boys in the richer Troy Stakes two weeks down the road, the Caress surprisingly drew a field of only five starters, plus main-track-only entrant Bank On Anna. The lineup includes Poppy Flower, who ran down Bubble Rock in the final stride to capture the Grade 3 Intercontinental last month at Belmont Park along with her stablemate Wakanaka, the red-hot Canadian invader Our Flash Drive, and Roses for Debra.

Cox would love to win the Caress to help erase memories of last year’s renewal when Caravel finished last after breaking slowly and taking up sharply approaching the far turn, losing all chance as the 2-1 favorite.

“Talk about the highs and lows of racing in a matter of minutes,” Cox said. “I was sitting in the press conference at Monmouth Park after having won the Haskell [with Cyberknife] and looked up at the monitor just in time to see Caravel get checked near the three-eighths pole and eliminated in the Caress.”

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Cox admitted he was a little surprised to see Bubble Rock on the lead from the outset of the six-furlong Intercontinental, but was pleased a quarter-mile into the race. Bubble Rock projects to be the pacesetter again Saturday.

“When she made the lead the way she did, I was very happy,” Cox recalled. “She leaned out a little bit at the end, but I thought she ran great even though she just got nailed. I think shortening her up to 5 1/2 furlongs is really what she wants to do. I think that’s where she’s most comfortable, and might make the difference running back against that same filly [Poppy Flower] again Saturday.”

The Caress will be the rubber match between Bubble Rock and Poppy Flower, who in the Intercontinental avenged a narrow setback to Bubble Rock five weeks earlier in the License Fee. The Intercontinental was Poppy Flower’s first victory since capturing the Galway Stakes here at 5 1/2 furlongs last summer.

Poppy Flower is one of two horses trainer Bill Mott will send out in the Caress along with Wakanaka, who shortens up in distance off a third-place finish going one mile in the Grade 1 Just a Game on June 9 at Belmont Park. Although Wakanaka has kept a steady diet of races at a mile or longer since coming to the United States in early 2022, she does have wins at both five and 5 1/2 furlongs on her résumé during her 2-year-old campaign in Italy.

Our Flash Drive is perfect in three starts since trainer Mark Casse tried sprinting her for the first time in the Grade 2 Bessarabian at Woodbine in her 2022 finale. She has subsequently won a pair of graded stakes to start her current campaign, also at Woodbine, at distances of six and 6 1/2 furlongs.

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“It took me a while to figure out that she wanted to sprint,” Casse said. “She was supposed to be retired to stud last year but after she was so awesome winning that first sprint at Woodbine, I kind of talked Mrs. Webber [owner-breeder Charlotte Weber] into bringing her back this year and so far so good.

“Although I’m a little concerned 5 1/2 furlongs might be too short for her, I wanted to bring her back here to Saratoga where she’s already won a race on the turf, and this was the spot.”

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