Saratoga lover Cross Border wheeled back for Bowling Green

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Last summer, Cross Border won three races in six weeks at Saratoga. Last week, he made it 4 for 4 at the Spa with a dominant victory in the Lubash Stakes for New York-breds.

Looking to capitalize on his fondness for the Saratoga turf, trainer Mike Maker is wheeling Cross Border back in 10 days in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes going 1 3/8 miles at Saratoga.

“He did it pretty easily. I haven’t done much with him since the race, obviously,” Maker said about Cross Border returning on short rest. “He loves it here.”

Cross Border, a son of English Channel, is actually making his third start in four weeks in the Bowling Green. On July 4, Cross Border made all the pace in the Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park, but yielded late, finishing fifth, beaten one length.

Asked about running Cross Border so frequently, Maker said, “He’s just iron. He loves his job.”

Maker has two in the Bowling Green. He also sends out Marzo, who is making his first start 19 weeks. Marzo is 0 for 2 this year, with a seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 Mervin Muniz at 1 1/8 miles at Fair Grounds. Last year, Marzo won the Grade 3 Sycamore going 1 1/2 miles at Keeneland.

“I prefer a bit longer for him as well,” Maker said. “With firmer ground he’ll be fairly close to the pace.”

Maker said the break has helped Marzo “big time.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Marzo from the rail. Jose Ortiz rides Cross Border from post 2.

In 2018, Channel Maker dead-heated for the win with Glorious Empire in the Bowling Green. Channel Maker has been inconsistent, but appears to be his most effective being involved early in marathon races.

“Going that distance, I think that’s true,” trainer Bill Mott said. “Maker’s got two and both have speed. I think they’re the only other two [with speed], he’s going to use one of them.”

Sadler’s Joy is running in his fourth Bowling Green, seeking his first win. He has finished third in his last three starts, including the Grade 1 Manhattan, where he finished a neck in front of both Channel Maker and Cross Border.

Pillar Mountain won a three-turn allowance race over this course in the summer of 2019 and goes second off the layoff for trainer Todd Pletcher. Most recently, he finished sixth, 3 1/4 lengths behind Breaking the Rules, who came back to win convincingly here on Wednesday.

Dot Matrix, winner of the Grade 3 John B. Connally Stakes at Sam Houston in January, completes the field.

Competitive Caress

Trainer Al Stall Jr.’s day won’t be done after he runs Tom’s d’Etat in Saturday’s Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga. He’ll have to stay until the end of the day to saddle Dalika in the $200,000 Caress Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf. The Caress goes as the last of 12 races on the card.

Dalika finished second as the even-money favorite in the License Fee Stakes at Belmont on July 3. In a race run in a driving rainstorm, Dalika got stuck behind horses and had to wait for room. Once she got out, she came with a belated bid, finishing a half-length behind I’llhandalthecash, who she meets again Saturday.

“She quite possibly could have been the best horse,” Stall said. “It stormed as they were going to the starting gate, a weird set of circumstances.”

Last year, Dalika got beat a head in the Riskaverse Stakes going a mile here. This year, Stall has concentrated on sprinting the 4-year-old German-bred filly.

“We decided to sprint her this year to see if she had a better punch and she did,” Stall said.

Sensing she was getting “feisty,” Stall gave Dalika a sharp half-mile work over the Oklahoma turf course on July 24. She went in 46.20 seconds, the fastest of 31 works at that distance that day.

“I told the rider to do something to take the edge off her,” Stall said. “She could be strong on a day to day basis.”

Trainer Christophe Clement, the leading trainer at the meet though 11 days, sends out Cariba, who is coming off a first-level allowance win on June 28 at Belmont.

“She won impressively at Belmont,” Clement said. “This is a huge step up in class, but I think she deserves a shot.”

The Maryland-bred Introduced is 2 for 2 for Jorge Duarte. Jakarta has the speed to potentially wire this field under Luis Saez.