SARATOGA DAILY NOTEBOOK
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2006
by Bernard T. Moore
When FLEET INDIAN (Indian Charlie) was allowed to set up shop on the lead in
the Personal Ensign S. (G1), and run the first quarter-mile in a dawdling 25
3/5, they could have stopped the race right then and there and handed her the
winner’s trophy. And, after she ran the first half-mile in a pokey :50 3/5, her
connections probably started walking toward the winner’s circle for the trophy
presentation.
In all seriousness, you cannot give a quality mare such as Fleet Indian that
kind of an edge and expect to be running for anything but a minor award.
Balletto (UAE) (Timber Country), whose fortunes are dependent upon the type of
pace scenario she encounters, was at a distinct disadvantage. Javier Castellano
sent the chestnut miss into an early move around the far turn, hoping maybe to
catch jockey Jose Santos, who was aboard Fleet Indian, off guard. It didn’t
work.
Santos just moved his hands slightly to encourage the 3-5 favorite for more
run, and she responded willingly, hitting her best stride by the time she turned
into the stretch. Fleet Indian then went on to seize a commanding lead at the
eighth pole, and was merely hand-ridden to the wire as she scored by 4
1/4 widening lengths. Castellano aboard Balletto could do nothing but chase the
winner home, and was clearly second best. Soul Search (A.P. Indy) was a distant
and well-beaten third in an even effort. Yolanda B. Too (Two Punch) made a
half-hearted attempt to keep Fleet Indian somewhat honest on the front end down
the backstretch, but came up empty as the pace quickened around the far turn and
finished fourth. India Halo (Arg) (Halo Sunshine) rounded out the field.
The main track continues to remain honest. There was no path bias to report
on. Stalkers and closers still hold a slight edge on the grass.
Horses to Watch
5TH – BON MARIE (Bon Point [GB]) put forth a good third-place finish on the
drop, employing rating tactics in this spot. He was a bit rank chasing the early
pace racing down the backstretch before relaxing under jockey Cornelio
Velasquez. Managed to finish with good energy when called upon to reduce his
deficit in the stretch, just missing the place by a nose. Definitely fits best
in a basement level claimer and has the ability to sprint or route.
6TH – MR. HAMLEN (Devil His Due) gave a creditable showing off near a
four-month layoff for trainer James Jerkens, who is having an unusually tough
Saratoga meet. Mr. Hamlen was saddled with the task of chasing a loose,
wire-to-wire winner with a conditioning advantage. He held well until
midstretch, but yielded the place in the final yards to a fresh closer. Should
obviously be much fitter in his second start off the shelf, and probably will be
most effective up to 1 1/16 miles.
Outlook for Saturday, August 26
The weather forecast for Travers Day calls for partly cloudy skies with a
high around 72.
The big day has finally arrived. The eyes of the racing world will be cast
upon Saratoga Racecourse on Saturday as it presents its marquee race, the 137th
running of the Travers S. (G1).
Everyone is keenly aware of Saratoga’s well deserved reputation as the
“Graveyard of Favorites.” However, in my opinion, it is still extremely
difficult to look past BERNARDINI (A.P. Indy) in the Mid-Summer Derby. The
Darley Stable’s homebred runner has been literally unstoppable since tasting
defeat in his unveiling at Gulfstream Park this winter. A quick study,
Bernardini returned to trounce an overmatched field of straight maidens on March
4, and has never looked back. His eye-catching victory in the Preakness S. (G1)
was diminished somewhat by an untimely injury to Barbaro, but that effort
stamped him as a quality runner possessing virtually unlimited potential.
With the Travers as his ultimate goal, Bernardini was pointed toward the Jim
Dandy S. (G2) as his next assignment, therefore bypassing the Belmont S. (G1) in
June. It was like he never left, as Bernardini was ultra-impressive in victory
upon his return to competition. In the Jim Dandy, Bernardini was on cruise
control literally the entire way as he relished the sloppy going under jockey
Javier Castellano. What in actuality was a paid workout, his performance that
day should have set him up perfectly for a career-best effort. I might be
expecting a lot from Bernardini in the Travers, but I really feel he could be
something special.
Bernardini has been given mainly maintenance-type works since his awesome Jim
Dandy victory by trainer Tom Albertrani. He enjoys a recent winning effort over
the track, and his push-button speed should make him especially tough, if not
impossible, to defeat on Saturday.
BLUEGRASS CAT (Storm Cat) is expected to be the second choice in the wagering
in the Travers, and rightfully so. He confirmed that his second-place finishes
in the Kentucky Derby (G1), and Belmont were not flukes when he overwhelmed the
competition in the Haskell Invitational S. (G1) at Monmouth Park on August 6. The Todd Pletcher-trained three-year-old is afforded the best chance of defeating
Bernardini in the Travers. His pace-pressing tactics have served him well in the
past, and you usually stick with what works. Therefore, I believe that jockey
John Velazquez will keep the favorite squarely in his sights down the
backstretch as the Pletcher/Velazquez combination hopes to add another Saratoga
feature race victory to their ever-growing list.
At Saratoga this meet, Pletcher’s second string runners, so to speak, have
emerged victorious on occasion, and HIGH COTTON (Dixie Union) definitely
deserves consideration in the Travers. He shipped to Thistledown in July and
finished second, suffering a heartbreaking neck defeat, in the Ohio Derby (G2).
He has shown that he can either set or stalk the early pace, and reunites with
jockey Garrett Gomez for his sternest test to date.
HESANOLDSALT (Broad Brush), MINISTER’S BID (Deputy Minister), DR. PLEASURE
(Thunder Gulch) and KIP DEVILLE (Kipling) complete the Travers field.
The King’s Bishop S. (G1) features the 2006 New York debut of HENNY HUGHES
(Hennessy). He was a strong second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile S. (G1) at
Belmont Park last year, and has been brought along slowly by trainer Kiaran
McLaughlin this season. The winner of the Saratoga Special S. (G2) in 2005, Henny
Hughes tuned up for this race with a facile victory in the Jersey Shore
Breeders’ Cup S. (G3) by double-digit lengths on July 1 at Monmouth Park. He has
continued to train steadily since, and appears primed for a career-best effort
in his second start off a prolonged layoff. However, he has yet to win beyond
six furlongs, but hopes to remedy that situation in the King’s Bishop while
registering his initial Grade 1 victory as well.
Henny Hughes will not want for competition in the King’s Bishop, as 10 other
three-year-olds are scheduled to enter the starting gate alongside him.
Some notable runners include COURT FOLLY (Royal Academy), a shocking winner
of the Amsterdam S. (G2) last month. He undoubtedly benefited from a hot and
contentious pace battle in that contest, and is expected to benefit from a
similar scenario stretching out to seven furlongs. Calvin Borel is in for the
ride.
SONGSTER (Songandaprayer) was defeated as the 1-5 favorite in the Amsterdam
by Court Folly. In retrospect, it was a race he probably needed considering he
was coming back from a freshening while tracking very fast fractions. He should
definitely benefit from that outing, and I expect jockey Edgar Prado will sit a
bit farther off the pace in this contest. If Prado is able to ration his speed
more judiciously, Songster can most definitely make amends.
MACH RIDE (Pentelicus) was a strong second in the Carry Back S. (G2) in his
Calder finale. He held well setting a pressured pace that day, and was clearly
second best to Too Much Bling (Rubiano). The Florida shipper was victorious in
the Valid Video S. in his previous effort, and I expect he will revert to rating
once again shipping into Saratoga.
A field of 10 runners is scheduled to compete in the Bernard Baruch H.(G2) at
nine furlongs on grass, and this year’s renewal of the race is an extremely
contentious affair.
BADGE OF SILVER’s (Silver Deputy) turf experiment was an unqualified success
to begin the year, as he wired the field in the San Gabriel H. (G2) at Santa
Anita at this event’s nine-furlong distance. Unfortunately, he has been on the
sidelines since then with a variety of ailments. At any rate, Badge of Silver
has proven in the past that he can fire his “A race” off a layoff, and has been
training forwardly for Bobby Frankel. The 118-pound highweight in the field, he
projects to be part of the early pace scenario, but clearly doesn’t need the
lead to win. He will be ridden by jockey Edgar Prado for the first time.
ASHKAL WAY (Ire) (Ashkalani) is like the Energizer Bunny, he just keeps going
and going. He has not missed a beat since returning to the racing wars at
Belmont Park in May. He has run over three different turf courses since then,
and has three victories and a second-place finish to show for his efforts. He
ran well behind a modest pace in the Fourstardave H. (G2) in his Saratoga debut,
and appears well spotted once again. Garrett Gomez, who is unbeaten aboard the
Irish-bred runner, returns.
DREADNAUGHT (Lac Ouimet) will be re-equipped with blinkers for the Bernard
Baruch. He has but one victory to his credit in the last two years, the Laurel
Turf Cup H., but that winning effort did come with the hood on at 1 1/8 miles.
He draws an inside post and can sit a ground-saving trip under Cornelio
Velasquez, who deputizes for an injured Jean-Luc Samyn.
QUEST STAR (Broad Brush), now a seven-year-old, might not be as fast as he
once was, but can still step up on occasion. He was a fine third in the
Louisville H. (G3) at Churchill Downs at 11 furlongs on May 29, and will
certainly profit from the cutback in distance. Quest Star has fine tactical
speed and drops seven pounds from his most recent race. He reunites with jockey
Julien Leparoux, who was aboard for his victory in Kentucky this past spring.
The Travers Day undercard certainly does not lack quantity, or for that
matter quality, as the Ballston Spa (G2) will also be contested on Saturday. The
race features SWEET TALKER (Stormin Fever), who was just a head shy of capturing
her second Grade 1 victory in the Diana H. (G1). The 121-pound highweight fought
gamely between runners in deep stretch in the Diana, but the wire simply did not
appear soon enough to save her. She cuts back to 1 1/16 miles here, a distance
over which she is unbeaten in four starts. Sweet Talker has tractable speed in
addition to drawing a beneficial inside post. Ramon Dominguez makes the trip up
from Delaware to ride.
MY TYPHOON (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway) exits the Diana H. as well. She finished
a “close up” fourth in that race after setting a pressured pace along the
inside. She subsequently gave ground grudgingly in deep stretch, and is another
runner who will benefit from today’s shorter distance. Also, she might be one of
those runners who prefers a target to run at, and stalking tactics are a
definite possibility with an outside post and a rider switch to Garrett Gomez.
KAREN’S CAPER (War Chant) suffered a wide trip behind a pedestrian pace in
her 2006 debut effort at Saratoga. She has tons of room to improve off that
effort switching to jockey Edgar Prado for trainer Bobby Frankel. This
Kentucky homebred was only beaten a nose by Sweet Talker in her U.S. debut at Keeneland last fall, and may be ignored a bit in the wagering.
ASI SIEMPRE (El Prado [Ire]) also deserves a long look, as she was a
determined winner in the De La Rose S. on August 9. She certainly “classes up”
with this field, and has upset potential in her second start off a layoff for
trainer Patrick Biancone.
Saturday’s Plays
8TH – Asi Siempre closed gamely to win the De La Rose S. on August 9 at a
mile off a freshening, which is not really her best distance. Trainer Patrick
Biancone has immediately put her back into a graded stakes contest, but this time
over a middle distance of ground which appears to be a better fit for her. She
has the ability to sit closer to the front end drawing a good inside post. Asi
Siempre acquitted herself quite well vs. much tougher rivals earlier in the year
and should finally be ready to register her first graded stakes success outside
her own age group.
10TH – Despite the fact that Henny Hughes is a deserving favorite in the
King’s Bishop (G1), I think Songster has a real chance to defeat him, especially
when you consider he was a bit short off the layoff in the Amsterdam on July 31.
He sat extremely close to a hot early pace, and then had little left to repel
the challenge of a perfect trip closer in the stretch. I anticipate he will be
much fitter here, as two of his three career wins have come at seven furlongs.
Songster has worked extremely well of late, and should sit a perfect stalking
trip with Prado.