SARATOGA DAILY NOTEBOOK
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2006
by Bernard T. Moore
The rail, as we all know in Thoroughbred racing, is the shortest way home.
Profiting from a ground-saving ride by jockey Mario Pino, WILDCAT BETTIE B (Meadowlake)
found that to be the case as well as she rallied from last to run down G City
Gal (Elusive Quality) in deep stretch to triumph in the Victory Ride S. (G3).
With a plethora of early speed signed on for the Victory Ride, the race figured to flatter a closer. And it did. G City Gal was immediately sent to the
front breaking from the rail, and then was joined on the lead by Original Spin
(Distorted Humor) shortly thereafter. The two pacesetters quickly opened up
daylight on the field, with Misty Rosette (Stormin Fever) giving chase in third.
The leaders maintained their positions until the top of the stretch, when G
City Gal was finally able to put away her pace nemesis and secure a clear
advantage. By this time, Wildcat Bettie B had found her best stride and saved a
ton of ground as she rallied around the inside on the far turn, staying along
the rail while entering the stretch. Cherokee Jewel (Cherokee Run) had leveled
off as well and was closing alongside the winner. Once maneuvered off the rail
by Pino, Wildcat Bettie B really took off, collaring the leader in deep stretch
to win drawing clear by a length.
G City Gal held on gamely to finish second, with Khalila (Elusive Quality)
closing belatedly to get the show by a neck over Cherokee Jewel, who failed to
continue her bid. Misty Rosette tired to finish fifth, with Original Spin
faltering and finishing seventh. Any Limit (Limit Out) broke sluggishly from the
gate and was steadied shortly afterward. She made a good run around the far
turn, but flattened out badly to finish last.
The main track continued to play evenly. Once again, there was no discernible
path bias. Off-the-pace runners were advantaged on grass.
Horses to Watch
5TH – KEEN SPIRIT (River Keen [Ire]) stole away to a huge daylight lead down
the backstretch while stretching back out to a distance of ground. Maintained
the lead into the stretch, but lacked a response when called upon over a course
favoring closers. Has the look of a late-running sprinter, and she should
benefit with a cutback in distance.
7TH – GREAT INTENTIONS (Cat Thief) was a bust returning from the layoff in
this grass experiment. After flashing speed behind the early pacesetters, she
was then floated wide around the far turn. Subsequently lacked a rally in the
stretch in a race she obviously needed, and was not abused late when hopelessly
beaten. A Grade 2 winner over the Belmont Park main track, she’s expected to
return to the dirt in subsequent starts.
Outlook for Friday, August 25
Periods of sunshine and clouds predicted with a shower in the area. The high
will be in the upper 60s.
All eyes in the Personal Ensign H. (G1) will in all likelihood be fixed upon
FLEET INDIAN (Indian Charlie), who has been transformed into a veritable win
machine by trainer Todd Pletcher.
This five-year-old mare has been on a roll of late, winning seven of her last
eight starts, which includes a run of six consecutive victories. Fleet Indian
was a dominant winner of the Delaware H. (G2) at Delaware Park on July 16,
making short work of an overmatched field as the 2-5 favorite. In her Saratoga
return, she appears poised to add to her already impressive record, as she
enjoys what seems to be a pronounced tactical advantage over the competition.
Her ability to either set or stalk what figures to be modest fractions should
serve her well, as she strives to annex her initial Grade 1 victory. Jockey Jose
Santos will be aboard the New York-bred once again.
Hoping to put an end to Fleet Indian’s winning streak is BALLETTO (UAE)
(Timber Country), who suffered a heartbreaking nose defeat in the Go for Wand H.
(G1) earlier in the meet at Saratoga. Balletto relished her return to the Spa,
dispensing a strong closing kick leaving the far turn in her most recent outing.
She sustained that bid to the wire, only to be outgamed late while coming out on
the wrong end of a tight photo finish. Darley Stable’s homebred has worked twice
since and appears ready for another top effort. Javier Castellano will ride.
YOLANDA B. TOO (Two Punch) was a sharp second in the Ashado S. on August 4 at
Saratoga, which was a good foundation-building effort for today’s demanding
10-furlong contest. That said, she certainly will have to kick it up a couple of
notches to emerge victorious stepping up into a Grade 1 event, but she appears
to have the best chance of the remaining runners to spring an upset should the
two favorites falter.
SOUL SEARCH (A.P. Indy) and INDIA HALO (Arg) (Halo Sunshine) make up the rest
of the field.
While the Personal Ensign is obviously the main draw on the card, the
return of DISCREET CAT (Forestry) to Saratoga is worthy of mention. He
was purchased privately off a sparkling debut win last year at the Spa. Unraced
the rest of 2005, he returned to the races with a pair of wins in Dubai as a
three-year-old, and the unbeaten colt now returns to the United States to race
for his high-profile connections.
He was targeted to return to competition sooner, but those plans had to be
scrapped due to an illness he contracted at Belmont in June. An assistant
trainer of Discreet Cat, Rick Mettee, has already gone on record stating that
Discreet Cat is not 100 percent fit for this race, but is hoping that this race
will be a suitable prep for the Jerome Breeders’ Cup H. (G2), which is to be run at Belmont Park on
October 1.
Friday’s Plays
1ST – GLORY AT SEA (Honour and Glory) drops down into a more realistic spot
in his second start at the Saratoga meet. He dueled head and head for the lead
on July 26, but ultimately was no match for an overpowering daylight winner. The
second-place finisher from that race has since come back to win at the maiden
special weight level at Saratoga, and Glory at Sea takes a huge drop into a
$40,000 maiden claimer, the level at which his current connections haltered him
back in May at Belmont Park. Glory at Sea has fine tactical speed and can sit a
perfect outside trip at a distance at which he has run well in the past.
4TH – SKY HIGH FLYER (GB) (Anabaa) was inexplicably boosted into the Mint
Julep H. (G3) at Churchill Downs on June 17 off only a preliminary allowance
victory in her prior start. Despite the unwarranted class hike, the Bobby
Frankel- trained runner was beaten only two lengths as she eclipsed her lifetime
best BRIS Speed rating. Like some grass contests, that race was rather slow
early, but extremely quick late, as Sky High Flyer did well to improve her
position, finishing the final five-sixteenths of a mile in a rapid :29 1/5
seconds. She takes a smart drop in class and cuts back to a mile, both of which
should suit her well returning to competition for a top layoff trainer.