Damon's Mound to skip Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, trainer says

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Damon’s Mound, the 3 1/4-length winner of Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special, will not be returning to Saratoga for the Grade 1 Hopeful on Labor Day, and may not start again until the Grade 1, $600,000 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 8, trainer Michelle Lovell said Sunday.

“If you think you got a chance to go to the Breeders’ Cup, the best thing to do might be to run him at Keeneland where the Breeders’ Cup is being held this year,” Lovell said Sunday. “The timing is perfect.”

The Breeders’ Futurity is seven weeks from the Saratoga Special and four weeks to the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 4. The Saratoga Special came six weeks after Damon’s Mound won his maiden by 12 1/2 lengths at Churchill Downs on July 2.

Lovell, though stabled at Colonial Downs in Virginia in the summer, will be based at Churchill Downs this fall. Churchill does host the Iroquois Stakes on Sept. 17, which Lovell mentioned as a possible next race.

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Lovell said the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga would mean running back in three weeks and enduring another van ride from Colonial Downs in Virginia, where he is based.

“It’d be awesome to come back to Saratoga, but the best thing is to wait,” said Lovell, who made her Saratoga debut as a trainer in the Special. “He’s just a baby, give him a little more time, let him absorb what happened and get him home.”

In the Special, Damon’s Mound sat behind a three-ply speed duel, was swung wide by Gabriel Saez approaching the quarter pole, and ran by favored Gulfport turning for home. Gulfport was forced to steady when Super Chow, under Luis Saez, came out on him at the head of the lane.

Damon’s Mound, a son of Girvin owned and bred by Cliff and Michele Love, earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance.

Before heading back to Virginia herself Sunday morning, Lovell checked in on Damon’s Mound and said other than being a little tired, he was in good order.

“He had to run, the track was pretty tiring, he came back a little tired, but not too bad, he recovered quickly,” Lovell said. “He’s happy with himself today, had a good look in his eye, he’s a very happy horse.”

While Damon’s Mound may not be coming back to Saratoga, Lovell will be back next weekend to run Change of Control in Saturday’s $150,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes for female sprinters on turf at 5 1/2 furlongs.

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Change of Control made two trips to New York last year winning the Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes at Belmont and the Autumn Days at Aqueduct. This year, Change of Control took on males in the Grade 1 Jaipur on Belmont Stakes Day and finished fourth, three lengths behind Casa Creed. That result looks better after Casa Creed won Saturday’s Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap.

Change of Control, a 6-year-old daughter of Fed Biz, has won 10 of 37 starts and earned $923,725. She is coming off a victory in the Andy Guest Stakes at Colonial on July 18, her sixth stakes success.

*** Gulfport, the vanquished favorite in the Saratoga Special, came out of the race - his first defeat in three starts - in good order, trainer Steve Asmussen said.

"He came back good," Asmussen said. "The Hopeful is under consideration. Of course, we'll see how he trains, but all indications are very positive today."