Motion leaves Festival Preview options open

MIAMI - Trainer Graham Motion has had his share of success shipping into Calder for stakes races this decade, having registered victories in the 2006 and 2007 Tropical Turf Handicap with Ballast as well as the 2003 My Charmer Handicap with New Economy. Each of those wins, though, came late in the season during the Tropical at Calder session.

So it came as a bit of a surprise when Motion, who is based primarily at Fair Hill in Maryland, nominated four horses for next Saturday's Festival Preview card including three fillies to the $75,000 Judy's Red Shoes.

"I have a guy on my payroll whose job is to look around the country for stakes opportunities for our horses," Motion said from Fair Hill on Friday. "Although in this particular case I'm not sure if we're going to be sending anything down. If I do, it would likely be Saucey Evening for the Judy's Red Shoes. It would be a good spot for her. She ran into a couple of real good horses last time up at Woodbine, and I don't think she handled the soft ground very well. Of course, it's always hit-or-miss down there regarding the surface at this time of year."

Saucey Evening finished fifth in the Ontario Colleen on Aug. 30 to remain winless in four starts during a 3-year-old campaign that began auspiciously with a third place finish in Santa Anita's Grade 1 Las Virgenes back in February. Motion also nominated Bum Bum and Spring Party to the Judy's Red Shoes and is looking forward to running Bum Bum back again following her very promising U.S. debut, a third-place finish in an entry-level allowance race at Saratoga.

"You never know what you might catch even in an allowance race during the Saratoga meet," said Motion. "She finished third behind one horse, Miss World, who won a Grade 1 in her next start and a second, Ken McPeek's filly [Redreamit] who won a stakes at Monmouth Park in her next start. I doubt she'll come down there. In fact, the QE II could be her next option at Keeneland."

Motion is also hoping he will wind up back on the West Coast later this year for the Breeders' Cup with top candidates Bullsbay for the Classic and Dirt Mile hopeful Cherokee Artist. Bullsbay, winner of the Grade 1 Whitney, is coming off a third-place finish behind Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward.

"At the moment we're looking at the Goodwood for Bullsbay to see how he handles the Polytrack," said Motion. "He ran a bad race earlier in his career at Hollywood Park, but I don't think that's true Polytrack. Cherokee Artist has already run well at Santa Anita so we know he'll handle the track out there."

Cherokee Artist won last Sunday's Presque Isle Mile.

Motion said he will probably ship the first of his south Florida contingent down to Palm Meadows shortly after the conclusion of the Keeneland meet.

Icon Project's work plan changed

Trainer Marty Wolfson postponed a scheduled work for Personal Ensign winner Icon Project from Thursday until Sunday morning. Icon Project is slated to make her next start in the Grade 1 Beldame at Belmont on Oct. 2.

"I decided I want to just give her two more works before the Beldame, so she'll breeze Sunday and come back again the following weekend," said Wolfson.