Fourstardave on Ottoman Fleet's sonar
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Ottoman Fleet, who has won a pair of graded stakes at Churchill Downs this spring for Godolphin Racing, may join or substitute for Master of The Seas in the Grade 1 Fourstardave here on Aug. 10, trainer Charlie Appleby said Friday.
“He’s in such great form, he deserves to have a step up into Grade 1 company,” Appleby said Friday after watching eight of his charges put in workouts over the Oklahoma turf course.
Ottoman Fleet won the Grade 3 Arlington Stakes and the Grade 2 Wise Dan at Churchill, those wins following a neck defeat to Master Piece in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy at Aqueduct on May 4.
Ottoman Fleet worked a half-mile in 49.06 seconds, going in company with Nations Pride, according to Appleby. Nations Pride is targeting the Grade 1 Arlington Million at Colonial Downs on Aug. 10.
Appleby was originally pointing Master of The Seas, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and this year’s Maker’s Mark Mile winner, to the Fourstardave. Appleby said while that still hasn’t been ruled out, he could just point Master of The Seas to the Woodbine Mile on Sept. 14. Master of The Seas won last year’s Woodbine Mile, then got beat a nose in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland before winning the Breeders’ Cup.
“Obviously, Master of The Seas is going to have top weight,” Appleby said, referring to the Fourstardave. “His options are possibly Canada or the Shadwell. If he’s [hanging] off the rafters, we’ll run him [in Fourstardave]. It’ll map itself out.”
Appleby said Master of The Seas was expected to work Saturday morning over the main track.
Naval Power, runner-up to Program Trading in the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill and to Master of The Seas in the Maker’s Mark Mile, worked a half-mile in 49.95 seconds Friday morning in company with the 3-year-old filly Beautiful Love.
It was Naval Power’s first work since the Turf Classic, owing to a foot injury that forced him out of training for a few weeks. Naval Power is training toward the Woodbine Mile.
“He’s a horse that runs well fresh, so we’ll go straight to Canada,” Appleby said.
Star of Mystery, who beat boys in the Grade 3 Quick Call, worked an easy half-mile in 53.22 seconds Friday morning in preparation for the $150,000 Galway Stakes on Aug. 10.
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