Low-profile trainers to watch closely
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It is a virtual certainty that Todd Pletcher will win his 11th consecutive training title at Saratoga. Chad Brown, Christophe Clement, David Jacobson, Kiaran McLaughlin, Linda Rice, and Steve Asmussen also figure to be frequent visitors to the newly widened Saratoga winner’s circle.
But there are several under-the-radar trainers who, while they may not be vying for top honors in the standings, bear watching, perhaps paying big dividends when their horses win.
We’ll call these trainers the unusual suspects.
David Cannizzo: Former assistant to Bruce Levine, Cannizzo went 2 for 16 at last year’s Saratoga meet, but he has high expectations for this summer.
“If I don’t win seven to 10 races I’d be upset,” said Cannizzo, who will split his 35-horse string between Saratoga and Belmont Park.
Cannizzo’s stable is buoyed by a plethora of 2-year-olds – both open company and New York-breds – that he hopes can do well here this summer.
Among Cannizzo’s juvenile prospects are Dannie’s Deceiver, a son of Quality Road out of a mare who is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Gone Astray; and Dark Moon, a son of Malibu Moon. The colts have been workmates and both were purchased for $140,000. Summer Dancer, a son of Pulpit, is out of the multiple graded-stakes-winning mare Summer Wind Dancer and is a half-brother to four winners. Elusive New Yorker, a half-brother to Naughty New Yorker, seemed a bit uneasy in the paddock in his debut Sunday in the Rockville Centre Stakes when beaten 30 lengths on closing day at Belmont Park. He figures to benefit from the experience.
Horvat Clan, who may have been ambitiously placed in last Saturday’s Grade 2 Bowling Green, could run in the listed John’s Call Stakes at 1 5/8 miles on Aug. 6. Non Stop won a starter allowance at Belmont on June 13 and figures to catch a similar spot at Saratoga.
Sol the Freud, who won his debut for Cannizzo at Saratoga last summer, is still eligible for a state-bred first-level allowance race, and River Dancer, injured when second in the Grade 2 With Anticipation last August, could return at the end of this meet.
This figures to be a memorable meet for Cannizzo personally as he is scheduled to get married on Sunday.
Tom Morley: A former assistant to Eddie Kenneally, Morley went 1 for 9 here in 2013, but his stable has grown significantly since then. He is coming off a solid Belmont meet, where he had a record of 6-6-5 from 24 starters. Morley is hopeful to keep the ball rolling at Saratoga, though he knows the level of competition increases dramatically.
“If I have three winners at this year’s meet I’ll be happy, but I think I’ve got enough horses with enough quality that I can win three races at the meet,” said Morley, who will have 15 horses stabled at Saratoga and 10 based at Belmont.
Morley said he believes Barnards Galaxy, a horse who won a New York-bred allowance race at Belmont, should be competitive in an open $35,000 claiming race going 1 1/2 miles on turf.
Morley is hoping Canal Six, his top New York-bred juvenile filly from 2013, will be back at the races at this meet. Handy Stan, a winner of 3 of 4 starts for Morley and owner Robert Murray off the claim, will be entered in a New York-bred allowance race on Saturday.
Noble Cornerstone, a winner of a New York-bred allowance race on June 19, is being pointed to a second-level allowance race on July 25. Other Morley runners to watch for include Copper Core, Media Kid, and La Majestique.
Jimmy Toner: Saratoga hasn’t been too kind to Toner in recent years. He has never won more than two races at any of the last nine meets. However, due in part to a new association with Kalarikkal Jayaraman –who campaigned 2009 Belmont and Travers winner Summer Bird – as well as Ninety Ninety Nine North Racing, Toner has more horses than in years past and believes he can have a decent summer.
Among the horses for Toner has for Jayaraman are Fabulous Kid, who will return to dirt after a turf experiment gone awry, and Heaven’s Runway, who seemed to show life when placed on turf last out. Toner has 2-year-old fillies Summer Cocktail and Summer Forever, both progeny of Summer Bird, who could debut at this meet.
Horatio and Keen Katana are both recent New York-bred winners who should fit race conditions here. Others who could do well for Toner at Saratoga are Sheldon, beaten only 4 1/2 lengths in the Belmont Derby who is coming off a maiden win; Marie Antoinette, a turf maiden; and Phoenix Park, a 2-year-old filly who won her debut at Parx and was purchased Monday at the Fasig-Tipton horses of all ages auction.
Gary Gullo : The trainer has averaged three winners the last four Saratoga meets and appears well stocked to equal if not surpass that number this summer. Gullo has been more active at the claim box as evidenced by his uncoupled entry of Golden Itiz (turf) and Dynamical (main track only) entered in Friday’s seventh race.
“I have more owners that are playing the game the right way,” Gullo said. “We have more action. We’ll get a little more aggressive. It’s a tough meet - everybody wants to win. … Timing-wise, I think we’re going into it right.”
Bird House, who had a win and a third in two starts here last summer, could be live in a New York-bred sprint. Peaceful Talk, Perfect Disco, and King Kettigan are others who figure to be competitive at this meet.
Giuseppe Iadisernia : Iadisernia has come to New York for the first time, going 1 for 6 at the Belmont meet, the win coming from Successful Runner, a 5-year-old ridgling who actually ran two good races at the meet.
“That horse is just beginning to learn how to run,” said former trainer Reynaldo Nobles, who has overseen Iadisernia’s Belmont string. “He got hurt so many times.”
Whitman’s Poetry was beaten only 4 1/4 lengths in a 1 1/4-mile turf race in his debut and should go better in his second start.
Iadisernia has shipped up several horses from Gulfstream that bear watching, including Angel’s South, beaten a length in a turf sprint stakes on April 20; Angel’s Glory, beaten two lengths by Munnings Sister in a sprint dirt stakes; and Banzai Charge, whose bid for a third straight win was snapped due to a poor start in a March 5 turf allowance.
Northwest’s Hope, off for a year, is working bullets at Belmont for her return. Miss Hollywood, a 2-year-old daughter of Grade 1 winners Medaglia d’Oro and Hollywood Story, could debut at this meet.
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Summer Bird won the 2010 Belmont and Travers stakes. He won those races in 2009.