Litfin's preview: House Rules faces far softer company
Class relief for House Rules
House Rules, who has campaigned exclusively in Grade 1 and Grade 2 stakes since a maiden win in her seasonal debut, drops to the preliminary allowance ranks against six rival 3-year-old fillies in race 4.
Freshened since checking early in the Mother Goose behind pacesetter Princess Violet, House Rules has been transferred from Allen Jerkens to his son Jimmy, who has had a terrific meet with 5 wins from his first 15 starters.
Alpha returns in Alydar Stakes
Alpha, whose only loss from five starts at Saratoga was a wide trip in last year’s Whitney Handicap, breaks from the rail in the $100,000 Alydar Stakes (race 9).
Alpha was a maiden winner as a 2-year-old here in 2011, and the following year splashed to a front-running score in the Jim Dandy before dead-heating with Golden Ticket in the Travers.
After suffering his first loss at the Spa when wide in last year’s Whitney, Alpha rebounded with blinkers on for a wire-to-wire upset of the Woodward over a sloppy track.
Alpha has run only once this year, when he rushed out to the early lead and faded late going 1 3/8 miles on turf at Gulfstream Park six months ago.
“We just freshened him up and pointed for up here, because he loves it up here,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who sent out Penwith to win at 1 1/8 miles off a similar layoff since Gulfstream. “We hope he can win again up here, because this will be his last go-around.”
Also returning from a layoff for McLaughlin is Farhaan, who captured two stakes on Aqueduct’s inner track before finishing fifth in the Ben Ali on Polytrack four months ago.
“If they go too fast early, he’ll come running,” said McLaughlin.
Easter Gift, a close second in the Alydar last year, makes his second start of the year for Chad Brown after a tough trip in the Monmouth Cup.
Twilight Eclipse back for another try in Sword Dancer
Twilight Eclipse, whose previous races at 1 1/2 miles on turf include a world record clocking of 2:22.63 in the 2013 Pan American, takes another crack at the Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational for West Point Thoroughbreds and Tom Albertrani.
Twilight Eclipse led in the stretch of last year’s Sword Dancer only to be run down in the final yards by Big Blue Kitten, and comes off another near-miss in a Grade 1 race when nailed at the wire by Main Sequence in the United Nations.
Those two square off again in the three-turn Sword Dancer and will be challenged by Amira’s Prince, Imagining, and War Dancer, a trio of graded stakes winners who figure close on their best efforts.
Horse to watch
BREAKIN THE FEVER
Trainer: Debra Breed
Last race: Aug. 15, 2nd
Finish: 3rd by 7
Beyer: 65
This shipper from Finger Lakes was fractious prior to the start, raced three- to four-wide throughout and finished willingly behind the first two betting choices in a promising debut.