Morrissey attracts varied group

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Handicappers will have their hands full trying to sort out Thursday’s $100,000 John Morrissey at Saratoga, where a full field of a dozen New York-breds will go 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track.

Many in the field are familiar to horseplayers, with such division mainstays as Weekend Hideaway, Ostrolenka, Eye Luv Lulu, and Celtic Chaos in the lineup. There is also a host of interesting newer shooters to contend with, led by Grade 3 winner Fish Trappe Road, the red-hot Bustin It, and trainer Linda Rice’s formidable pair of Papa Shot and Gypsum Johnny.

Fish Trappe Road takes on statebreds for the first time since finishing second in the one-mile Sleepy Hollow in his 2-year-old finale during the fall of 2015. Fish Trappe Road won the Grade 3 Dwyer the following summer at Belmont Park but has gone winless in seven subsequent starts. He finished sixth in his only local appearance in the 2016 King’s Bishop and returns to New York off a fifth-place finish behind Limousine Liberal over a sloppy strip in the Kelly’s Landing Stakes at Churchill Downs.

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“We thought his 4-year-old year would be his best year, and it hasn’t really turned out that way so far,” said trainer Bret Calhoun.

Fish Trappe Road will put blinkers on for the Morrissey.

“He needs to focus better,” said Calhoun. “He hasn’t been putting in the effort lately we think he should be.”

Rice said Gypsum Johnny will start in the Morrissey, but Papa Shot could be rerouted to the Evan Shipman at 1 1/8 miles. Gypsum Johnny won a third-level allowance race that was taken off the turf in his last start. Papa Shot finished second behind the odds-on Diversify in the 1 1/16-mile Saginaw on July 2.

“Both ran well recently at a route of ground, and obviously shortening them up is a question, but there are limited opportunities for these New York-breds,” said Rice. “I wanted to see how much speed would show up for Papa Shot. He also really likes a wet track, so if it looks like there’ll be some pace and it comes up wet, then I’d likely run him, too.”

Weekend Hideaway finished fourth, beaten a length, as the favorite in the 2016 Morrissey. He went over the $1 million mark in career earnings on May 29, when he won the Commentator at Belmont for the second straight year, outlasting Diversify by a nose going a mile over a sloppy track.

Celtic Chaos has won two straight, including a last-to-first neck decision over Eye Luv Lulu in the six-furlong Affirmed Success at Belmont. He would be a major beneficiary of what should be an honest pace.

Bustin It figures to be part of that pace scenario while riding a four-race winning streak. Three of those victories came against $25,000 claiming opposition, and he won an optional claimer for statebreds in his last start. That was his first start for trainer Robert Falcone Jr., who claimed him two starts back.

Key Contenders

Fish Trappe Road, by Trappe Shot

Last 3 Beyers: 82-80-67

◗ He raced with blinkers just once before, at age 2 in his third career start. He finished a well-beaten fourth.

Papa Shot, by Distorted Humor

Last 3 Beyers: 96-104-84

◗ He was closer to the pace than Rice had hoped in the Saginaw. “He won’t be close in this race,” Rice said.

– additional reporting by David Grening