SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Phil Gleaves was hoping to find an allowance race for Miami Cat's second start of the Saratoga meet. Instead, the lightly raced 3-year-old bailed out his more accomplished entrymate Csaba and all his backers when he rallied to a neck victory over Film Shot in Thursday's $100,000 Equalize Stakes.
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Trainer Mike Harrington said the multiple stakes winner Creative Cause is only in light training, a status that has not changed through the Del Mar meeting.
Unraced since finishing third behind I’ll Have Another and Bodemeister in the Preakness Stakes in May, Creative Cause has won 4 of 10 starts and $1,039,000 for owner Heinz Steinmann.
“There is no plan right now,” Harrington said.
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Extra races on tap
DEL MAR, Calif. - Tilde swept the two stakes for California-bred 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar this summer, showing a different style in winning Wednesday’s $150,000 Generous Portion Stakes over six furlongs.
In the CTBA Stakes over 5 1/2 furlongs on July 20, Tilde led throughout. In the Generous Portion, she was third early, took the lead in early stretch and won by three-quarters of a length over 19-1 Awe’ Some Kitten.
Tilde ran six furlongs in 1:11.42. She has won 3 of 4 starts and $195,060.
Lucky Chappy, runner-up in the Grade 2 Virginia Derby earlier this summer, will break from the rail against nine other 3-year-old turf specialists in Sunday’s Grade 3 Saranac.
Lucky Chappy has yet to win a race since shipping to the United States during the summer of his 2-year-old campaign, but has been close on several occasions in major events, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and earlier this year when beaten a nose by Daddy Nose Best in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby.
Trainer Phil Serpe expected Weekend Hideaway to run well in Wednesday’s David Stakes for 2-year-old New York-breds. What he didn’t expect was to see the son of Speightstown run six furlongs in 1:09 and change and dominate the race by more than a half-dozen lengths. But that’s the way this summer has gone for Serpe, who has sent out seven winners from just 27 starters, equaling his total for 2011 with several days still left in the meet.
Swift Warrior, winless since taking the Rushaway Stakes in March 2011, returned to the winner’s circle Wednesday, taking the $100,000 Win Stakes by two lengths.
Swift Warrior, a son of First Samurai, hadn’t run since finishing sixth in the Grade 2 Mervin Muniz Handicap at Fair Grounds on April 1. That was his third race in two months after missing 11 months due to a condylar fracture training toward the Blue Grass in 2011.
“He’s been one of the barn favorites for a little while now,” trainer John Terranova said.
Archwarrior lived up to all the advance billing when he rallied to a very professional 3 1/4-length victory over fellow first-time starter Malachite in Thursday’s third race. Archwarrior, a son of Arch owned by Alto Racing Stable, opened at 1-9 in the wagering, never got higher than 1-4, and paid $2.50 after completing six furlongs in 1:10.07 with jockey John Velazquez aboard.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – They were two of the most impressive debut-winning juvenile fillies of the meet. They are both homebreds and named after family members.
In Sunday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway at Saratoga, Teen Pauline and Dreaming of Julia are entered to face each other. It remains to be seen if that actually happens. Teen Pauline is cross-entered in Sunday’s $100,000 Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park.
If they both run, the Stonestreet Stable entry of Teen Pauline and Dreaming of Julia figures to be a short-priced favorite in the Spinaway, run at seven furlongs.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Mister Marti Gras has lost all five of his starts this year but still appears to be coming into Saturday’s Washington Park Handicap at Arlington Park with a strong chance to win the race for the second year in a row.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Shug McGaughey scratched Data Link out of the Fourstardave Handicap three weeks ago because he knew the horse had a disdain for soft turf.
When it was suggested that scratching may have been prudent anyway given how well Wise Dan ran in winning the Fourstardave, McGaughey bristled.
“I think if it had been hard turf we’d been very competitive whether Wise Dan was in there or whoever was in there,” McGaughey said.
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