Holiday Star gets second chance in John’s Call
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It’s been one year since Holiday Star just got beat by Tricky Hat in the 2014 John’s Call Stakes, but his trainer, Graham Motion, still cringes at the mere mention of that race.
“That was brutal – he got beat the dirtiest of noses that day,” said Motion. “And then he got beat a nose again in his next start, too.”
Holiday Star will try to give Motion something to smile about if ever the John’s Call gets brought up in the future when he returns for a second chance in the 1 5/8-mile turf race Wednesday at Saratoga.
Holiday Star won the Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware in his last start. He finished third in the 2014 Cape Henlopen behind Hardest Core, who went on to win the Arlington Million.
“Last year, I was kind of disappointed when he got beat in the race at Delaware until a short while later, when the horse that won the race came back to win the Arlington Million,” Motion said. “This horse kind of got off track a bit and lost his way this winter, but he seems to have come back to form. And this looks like a pretty good spot.”
Holiday Star will meet seven others in the race, written for horses who have not won a graded stakes on turf this year. Holiday Star is the lone graded stakes winner in the field, having won the Grade 3 Sycamore in 2014.
The conditions of the race also favor Morning Calm and Manchurian High, both of whom have won a stakes in 2015.
Key contenders
Holiday Star (Last 3 Beyers: 87-83-72)
◗ Jockey Edgar Prado rode Holiday Star to victory at Delaware and will fly up from his summer base at Gulfstream Park to retain the mount while looking for his first win from limited opportunities at the meet.
Morning Calm (Last 3 Beyers: 87-89-92)
◗ Receives significant class relief after finishing in midpack in both the Belmont Gold Cup and Grade 2 Bowling Green.
◗ He has shown major improvement since trainer Michelle Nihei first stretched him out around three turns earlier this year at Gulfstream.
Manchurian High (Last 3 Beyers: 76-79-78)
◗ He never threatened Holiday Star when the pair met in the Cape Henlopen last year, or Morning Calm when they squared off in the Belmont Gold Cup this year.
Global Strike (Last 3 Beyers: 94-91-89)
◗ He earned the best last-race Beyer Speed Figure in the field by finishing first (disqualified to third) under allowance conditions earlier in the meet.
◗ He may stand some catching as the controlling speed breaking from the rail for trainer Todd Pletcher.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Global Strike. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 30-3-7-1 with a $0.79 ROI over the past five years in turf routes of 12 furlongs and longer with fewer than 45 days since the previous race. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Da Big Hoss. Trainer Mike Maker is 75-22-6-8 with a $3.14 ROI over the past five years in turf routes in the second start following a claim. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan