Love the Game - This is Horse Racing

Transcription

TR
A
ARATOGA
R SUBSCRIP
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COMPLIMEN
TS OF
SARATOGA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER ON THOROUGHBRED RACING
SA
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Year 13 • No. 1
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R AT O G A S P E
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Friday, July 19, 2013
Saratoga in 1865 from Harpers Weekly by Winslow Homer. Courtesy of National Museum of Racing collection
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Tod Marks
FRIDAY STAKES PREVIEWS • ENTRIES & HANDICAPPING • SPA STARS • TOWN CELEBRATES 150
2013
Derby Winners
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The Staff
Editors/Publishers: Sean Clancy, Joe Clancy
Managing Editor: Tom Law
Staff Writers: Rebecca Fedler, Ryan Jones,
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Layout/Design:
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Photographers:
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Handicappers:
Charles Bedard, Gaile Fitzgerald, Tom Law,
John Shapazian, Chad Summers
Which Way?
Tod Marks
A loose horse catches some attention on the main track last week.
WORTH REPEATING The Special’s quotes from Saratoga
Distribution:
Jack Clancy, Nolan Clancy, Emmy Cristiano
Now Accepting Applications
“It’s said that one cannot truly appreciate a summer day at Saratoga unless they’ve suffered a winter day at Aqueduct.”
Attendee at National Museum of Racing preview event Wednesday night
Advertising Sales:
Contact a Clancy or anyone on the staff.
“That’s a great line, there’s no way that I could give an answer as good as
that line.”
New NYRA President and CEO Christopher Kay
“Video games by 7 o’clock.”
Jock’s agent about the evening plans of a young jockey in Saratoga
“I think I’ve got more carts than Pletcher’s got horses.”
Golf cart agent Mike Grigely
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“I’ve been doing this long enough that I don’t think I can make a slow one
fast, but I can try.”
Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, on riding fast horses
“I’m in denial.”
Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Diana Pikulski, on the start of
the meet
“What am I going to do, come back here? That’s like coming back in the
Super Bowl.”
Jockey Mike Luzzi, still rehabbing from shoulder surgery in mid-May
“You need those guys to invest in a golf cart for you.”
Todd Pletcher to The Special’s Tom Law walking across Union Avenue
“I’ll have to wear my long dresses.”
NYRA’s Maggie Wolfendale, about her TV attire,
after getting kicked in the knee by a horse Wednesday morning
“There was a line out to Union Avenue for your job.”
Trainer Gary Contessa to Wolfendale,
who does not expect to miss any time on injured reserve
“You think they put me in the back because I’m from the south? I get no
respect.”
Trainer Eric Guillot, on his Barn 34 locale on the Oklahoma side
“I’m 50/50 to make it there based on the way this car is running.”
Trainer Jonathan Sheppard, on his way
to Saratoga (hopefully) Thursday afternoon
“I won’t say I lost. She won.”
The Special’s handicapper John Shapazian, on last year’s runner-up
finish to Gaile Fitzgerald
“If you’re short on help, I have a man on standby.”
Trainer Dave Carroll, the agent for the Special’s newest paperboy
here&there...
Continued from
previous page
Lengths Ahead of the Field
For two generations Engel Law Offices has
represented owners, trainers, breeders and
jockeys in Saratoga and elsewhere.
7Partnership Agreements
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Company Formation
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the Gaming Commision
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Saratoga’s Corner Stable.
Tod Marks
Impressions gift shop gets into the spirit of
things with a sidewalk display.
TAKE A NUMBER
Please visit our new Saratoga office at
27: Southbound horse vans seen on the Thruway Monday morning.
120 West Ave
where we serve the legal needs of the Thoroughbred industry
518-490-1770 • www.engelatty.com
Also in Syracuse (315) 373-0181
1: Plate in Lorna Chavez’s right leg.
9: Screws in Lorna Chavez’s right leg. She’ll be riding a golf cart, not a horse, for a while.
5:
Trucks in the video-board convoy crossing the dirt track to the infield Tuesday morning at the
break.
117: Mares bred to Saratoga hero Get Stormy this year.
The Chief... Day 1
34:27: Time it takes to speak to an American at Adobe Customer Support.
“Group Plan, when he won the Gold Cup, we weren’t going to run him
because we were tired of running against Forego, plus he had even
weights. We breezed him to run a mile and a sixteenth in the race before
the Gold Cup, then we find out Forego wasn’t going to run. See, it made
a lot of difference entering the day before the race, so then, the next day
we galloped him 2 miles and a half and he went the last three quarters in
18, then we walked him Friday and walked him a little bit on Saturday
morning. You only had one horse to beat, Wajima, and he really didn’t
want to go that far. He was a good horse. Not
only that, Jorge got up next to Baeza, got
right next to him and they went all the
way down the stretch.”
5: Breeders’ Cup fly sheets drying in the breeze behind Todd Pletcher’s barn.
NAMES OF THE DAY
I’ll Call, first race. The 3-year-old George Strawbridge homebred is by Smart Strike out of Recording.
Sunbio, 10th race. The 3-year-old gelding, who runs for Sackatoga Stable, is by Sunriver out of My
Own Story.
WEATHER
Hot, check your phone for specifics.
- Trainer Allen Jerkens
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I guess God’s looked out
for this place for a long time.”
– Trainer Bob Ribaudo, reminiscing about the old propane hot-water
drums on the backside (and their hard-to-explain safety)
The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association
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800-523-8143
HORSE TRANSPORTATION
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here&there...
Continued from
previous page
WORTH REPEATING
“I had a dream that I won a race for you.”
Jock’s agent Angel Cordero to a trainer Wednesday morning
“I live in Northern Kentucky and am a huge racing fan. My wife and I go to Keeneland several times
a year. When asked if Keeneland is better than Saratoga or vice versa my answer is always the same.
They are both great racing venues and when you are at either track you know you’re in a special
place.”
Special reader Mark Behler
“You will never let me forget that will you?”
Former Special handicapper Erin Finley about picking Lisa’s Booby Trap in her turf debut
“Just a reminder, only a few days until Saratoga. ‘Remind me to leave my tuxudo, my pink dress shirt
and the extra T-shirts at home next summer.’ ”
Special reader, Greg in Wisconsin, paraphrasing an article in last year’s paper by Sean Clancy
“It’s far.”
Paul Wasserman, co-founder of The Special, when asked about his first trip to Finger Lakes
“How many ads did he try to sell today?”
The Special’s Joe Clancy when told to write it like Sports Illustrated’s Gary Smith
“Where are the hounds?”
Laurel-based trainer Tim Keefe when seeing a video of horses
breezing at Richard Valentine’s farm in Virginia
“There’s a reason why our wives carry these things for nine months and we don’t.”
Trainer Todd Wyatt, when comparing the parental instincts of mothers and fathers
“Try not to stress out. That’s when accidents happen. I love you!”
Ruth Clancy, mother of The Special
“We can be optimistic. We can be pessimistic. But the horses are realistic.”
Bloodstock agent Tom McGreevy, at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale
“I’m dating myself.”
The Special’s Tom Law when saying the office is next to the Firehouse Restaurant
P
H
O
T
O
Healing Waters. Bring your hose, it’s going to be hot today.
Connie Bush
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of the day
Look out Rosie,
here I come.
Photo by Tod Marks
5
SCHUYLERVILLE STAKES PREVIEW
Small filly,
big chance
Bahnah favored
in first-day feature
off impressive debut
BY TOM LAW
The calls came right away.
They always do.
Win big, run fast, earn a sparkling speed figure and
the phone will ring.
Bahnah rolled in her career debut June 6 at Churchill Downs and Bret Calhoun said his mobile was
“ringing off the hook” from fellow trainers, bloodstock agents and other owners, all wanting to come
take a look and buy the filly by Elusive Quality who
lived up to her morning works in her 4 1/2-furlong
debut.
“These guys, my owners, they aren’t sellers but
they’re businessmen, too,” Calhoun said Wednesday
morning outside his two-stall string on the Oklahoma
training track here at Saratoga Race Course. “They
said, ‘what do you want to tell them?’ I said, ‘we’ll tell
them she’s not for sale.’ I did tell them that, and that
Connie Bush
Bahnah and Bret Calhoun take aim at today’s Schuylerville.
didn’t deter them much.
“They finally called and offered a million dollars
for her. I said, ‘well, I guess we’ll take a million. Come
look at her.’ Everybody that called, I said, ‘you’re not
going to give the kind of money it will take to buy
her when you come look at her because she’s going to
be too small to give that kind of money.’ They came,
they looked at her and they said, ‘no, we can’t give a
million dollars for her.’ So here we are.”
Here is opening day and we is the connections of
See SCHUYLERVILLE page 8
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7
Schuylerville –
Continued from page 6
the $62,000 yearling purchase pegged
as the 7-5 choice for today’s Grade 3
Schuylerville Stakes, traditional opening-day feature of the 40-day Saratoga
meeting.
Bahnah earned the favoritism off her
impressive victory that came after some
solid works at Calhoun’s main base at
Churchill. She won that day by 6 lengths,
running 4 1/2 furlongs in :51.17. Corey
Lanerie, up high on the filly’s withers all
the way around the far turn, asked one
question midway around that bend, got
the answer he wanted and was quiet on
her in the stretch.
Bahnah, who trained her first two
days in Saratoga on the Oklahoma
before her first trip to the main track
Wednesday, didn’t take Calhoun by
surprise with her victory, which came
about two weeks after he sent out firster
Fiftyshadesofgold to a similarly impressive debut victory at Lone Star Park.
Fiftyshadesofgold, who came back to
win the Debutante Stakes June 22 at
Churchill, will run in the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes Aug. 11.
The two fillies are polar opposites.
Fiftyshadesofgold is the obvious big
horse. Bahnah is, well, the little horse.
She wasn’t big when she sold at the
Keeneland September sale as a yearling
and Calhoun said when she showed up
in the barn earlier this spring “I didn’t
think she’d grown an inch.”
Now, after 45 days or so with CalSee SCHUYLERVILLE page 10
Yes Liz represents trainer Todd Pletcher in the Schuylerville.
Tod Marks
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For information contact:
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Schuylerville –
houn, she’s starting to catch up.
“She’s still a small filly, but she’s got
a lot of body length,” Calhoun said.
“She’s got a good mind and nothing really bothers her much. She might be a
little curious about things, checks you
out the first time she sees you. She’s the
same way when she sees a new track or
something. She checks it out, gives it a
second look and that’s it.”
Todd Pletcher, a four-time winner of
the Schuylerville and the Spa’s leading
trainer nine times, looks to upend the
Kentucky shipper and entered Stonestreet Stable’s duo of Yes Liz and Elena
Strikes.
Whether they both run was still up
for discussion, particularly for Yes Liz,
who would come back off 16 days rest
following a sharp maiden win going 5
furlongs at Belmont Park.
“She seems to have bounced out of
that race pretty well and we always
thought she was a precocious sort,”
Pletcher said Wednesday morning.
“And she drew a favorable post position [No. 6].”
A daughter of Yes It’s True, Yes Liz
was a $200,000 purchase at the OBS
April 2-year-olds in training sale and
didn’t join Pletcher’s string in Saratoga
until after Elena Strikes. A filly by Smart
Strike, Elena Strikes has been here all
spring and summer aside from a trip to
Monmouth for her easy win in her debut June 22.
“That was all timing,” Pletcher said
of the decision to ship Elena Strikes to
NYRA Photo/Adam Coglianese
True Blue Nation streaks to a maiden win at Belmont last month.
New Jersey. “It wasn’t so much that we
thought she needed an easier circuit. We
were just trying to get her in position
to break her maiden and maybe come
back and hopefully run in something
like the Schuylerville.”
Tom Albertrani didn’t get any “rave
reviews” about True Blue Nation when
J.J. Crupi shipped the Bluegrass Cat filly
from his New Castle Farm in Ocala to
Belmont Park. She earned plenty after a
sharp score at nearly 18-1 in her debut
June 21 for Vinny Viola’s St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds.
Albertrani said True Blue Nation
didn’t show the kind of speed in the
mornings that she flashed in her debut,
breaking well and getting clear early before shedding rivals around the turn to
win by 5 1/4.
“We had her for about a month,
maybe six weeks,” Albertrani said. “I
didn’t get any big raves about her. When
I talked to J.J., just in general, he talked about he’s got ‘some nice 2-year-olds
coming up to you.’ So I think it was a
bit unexpected. The more they’re ready
the better, since I don’t crank on them.
Hopefully we’ll see another big race Friday.”
Uncle Mo
A great horse needs a great start. . .
Ocala, Florida
Jim Crupi h Toll Free: (866) 313-5400 h Cell: (352) 427-1600
www.newcastlefarm.com
10
Love the Game
Veteran Parx shipper, connections
take stakes chance off nine-win 2012
BY JOE CLANCY
JAMES MARVIN STAKES PREVIEW
Kelsey Parisi went to the track kitchen at
Parx Racing on Preakness Day. All she wanted
was breakfast. She got a lesson.
“The entire track kitchen was cheering for
him,” she said of Hello Lover, trainer Butch
Reid’s entrant in today’s James Marvin Stakes
on Saratoga’s Opening Day card. “He’s that
horse everyone roots for.”
Count Reid’s assistant among that group.
She rides the 7-year-old gray gelding, puts
up with his gawks and pauses to and from
the racetrack in the morning and counts on
him for solid efforts no matter the competition. The Maryland-bred won nine times last
year, eight after Reid claimed him for $7,500,
placed in two stakes and earned more than
$300,000. The son of Not For Love is 15-1 in
the Marvin, a 7-furlong test headed by Jaipur
winner Souper Speedy, but ignore Reid’s horse
at your peril.
“You have to plan the morning around
him,” said Parisi, 23. “He stares and looks and
stops at things so much it takes an extra 15
minutes to get him to the track at home. He’s
pretty easy to ride though. You just have to let
him do his thing.”
Based with Reid at Parx, Parisi has adapted well. The Colorado State graduate (equine
science degree) started riding at age 6 and has
done endurance racing, barrel racing, show
jumping and pretty much anything else there is
to do with a horse. She got the racing bug via a
junior-year internship with Reid, which came
about through a family connection to owner
Joe Imbesi. Parisi worked with racehorses in
Australia and backpacked around Asia, but
she came back to work with Thoroughbreds
like Hello Lover.
He won once and finished second three
times in his first nine starts in 2008-‘09 for
trainer Kevin Sleeter, then missed nearly two
years. He emerged as a claimer in 2011, winning for $10,000 and $7,500 tags. In January
2012, Sleeter went once more to the $7,500
level and owner Stuart Sackowitz called Reid.
“I want this horse,” the owner said.
“He was off two years,” the trainer replied.
Reid relented. Hello Lover won that race
and switched barns. His new outfit saw a
rough-looking right suspensory, but went to
work. Hello Lover dominated the starter ranks
at Parx, finished third in the 1 ½-mile Greenwood Cup and just missed winning a twoother-than here last summer. In the winter, he
See MARVIN page 12
11
Claimed for $7,500, Hello Lover aims for a Saratoga stakes today.
Joe Clancy
Marvin –
finished second in the Jennings Handicap
at Laurel and third in a stakes on New
Year’s Eve. This year, after a well-deserved rest, has been much of the same.
Hello Lover won the Deputed Testamony starter handicap on Preakness Day
at Pimlico and finished third in the Don
Levine Memorial at Parx last month.
For Sackowitz and Kasey K. Racing
Stable, Hello Lover won nine races and
finished second or third six times.
Reid manages the suspensory, with
fewer fast workouts and no racing or
training on sloppy tracks.
“He’d done a lot of jogging before we
got him, but he hated it and Butch just
said ‘If he’s going to make it, he’s got to
gallop,’ ” said Ginny Reid, the trainer’s
wife and another member of the team.
“We turned him around and galloped.
Every day he does whatever he wants to
do. We’ve never breezed him, ever. Those
are open gallops you see (on his past performances). He knows what he’s got to
do.”
Along for the ride, Parisi marvels at
the big gray horse’s progression. She also
smiles at her fortune – galloping a stakes
horse at Saratoga just a few short years
after taking her first job in racing.
“I could do all sorts of things with my
degree, but I see racing and I want to work
in it,” said Parisi, who grew up in Pennsylvania. “Racing is such an amazing sport.
Everyone here loves it and they take such
good care of their horses and for some
reason the public doesn’t see that. I see so
much potential for the sport to continue
12
to excel and get rid of that stigma. That’s
why I want to be part of it.”
Hello Lover breaks from post two with
Irad Ortiz Jr. in the $100,000 Marvin, the
eighth of 10 races on the day. He’ll have
plenty of competition. Just to his outside
stands Souper Speedy. Live Oak Plantation’s 4-year-old exits back-to-back wins
including a victory in the Grade 3 Jaipur
by disqualification.
“He’s been doing really well since that
race,” said trainer Tom Albertrani. “And
overall since the layoff he’s put two good
races together back-to-back and I feel very
confident that he’s going to run well again.”
The trainer likes the 7 furlongs of
the Marvin, but does not rule out longer efforts, and perhaps turf, for the
half-brother to former Live Oak star Brilliant Speed.
“It’s something that we would like to
try in the future, but this race comes at a
good opportunity and time to run back
at seven-eighths,” the trainer said. “He’s
been effective at seven-eighths in all his
starts. The race was there and we thought
that just maybe we should take advantage of the distance and the race and then
go from there.”
Third in the Jaipur, Politicallycorrect
returns for trainer Wesley Ward and jockey Joel Rosario while carrying four career
wins and more than $431,000 in earnings from the rail. Sage Valley opened
his year with a stakes win on Preakness
Day (his fourth consecutive score), then
settled for fifth in the True North at Belmont last month. Cornelio Velasquez
rides for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Strapping Groom and Jaguar Paw exit stakes
victories for David Jacobson and Chad
Brown, respectively.
Sage Valley (looking a bit like Prince Valiant) eyes the James Marvin today.
Connie Bush
Heating Up
Off Grade 3 defeat, Hessonite
returns to state-bred stakes ranks
BY JOE CLANCY
ON THE BUS STAKES PREVIEW
There’s always one – the New Yorkbred that makes rival trainers cringe
when they look at the entries.
Today, it’s Hessonite. Trainer David
Donk entered the Grade 3 winner of
more than $800,000 in the $100,000
On The Bus Stakes. She’s 6-5 in a field
of nine going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf, and lords over the field with
10 career victories including three over
the course for owners Bill Punk and Phil
DiLeo.
“I’ve been the little guy in plenty of
those races, too, so I know the feeling,”
said Donk of his mare’s credentials in
the state-bred stakes. “It’s still a stakes
and she’s still got to run her race.”
Hessonite did not do that in her
most recent start, a dull fourth in the
Dr. James Penny Stakes at Parx Racing
July 2. Donk blamed the 5-length loss
to Somali Lemonade on a tough day at
the Pennsylvania track.
“It was very humid and it just got
to her,” he said. “She came in the paddock, and she started washing out. You
don’t think too much of it on a hot day,
but then she just proceeded to profusely
sweat and Johnny just said she was never on the bridle.”
Donk said the 5-year-old mare drank
two buckets of water afterward, which
was out of the ordinary. Of course, today’s weather forecast calls for more of
the same steamy weather, though Hessonite won’t have to deal with a 100mile van ride this time as the track is
right out her front door.
“It’s a concern again, but when you
ship and run in the heat it’s even harder
on them,” Donk said. “The ship is underestimated, especially with fillies. She
doesn’t have to do that here.”
Off 17 days rest, she will have to return to the form that helped her win the
Beaugay at Belmont in May and capture
two state-bred stakes here last summer.
“In today’s world, I guess I wish
there was another week but I worked
for Woody Stephens and back then
everybody was running back in two
weeks,” Donk said. “Now, trainers are
afraid to train them and run them. She’s
here, she’s run well here, she had a good
breeze, we’re ready to go.”
THE
Tod Marks
Hessonite eyes her 11th career win in today’s On The Bus Stakes.
Hessonite will get a stern test from
the 1-2 finishers in the Mt. Vernon at
Belmont June 1. Shakeira downed Inimitable Romanee by a neck in that
New York-bred race and both return.
The former rides a three-race winning
streak dating to November and is the
2-1 second choice for Michael Dubb
and Bethlehem Stable. Trained by Chad
Brown, Shakeira is a daughter of Freud
(like Hessonite) and looks for her eighth
career win. Rajiv Maragh rides. Gallaghers Stud’s Inimitable Romanee hasn’t
won in more than a year, but the defeats
include a second to Hessonite and two
seconds to Shakeira. Graham Motion
trains the daughter of Maria’s Mon and
tabbed Edgar Prado for the ride at 8-1.
Parting Glass Racing’s Wholelottashakin exits a win in her seasonal debut for trainer Tom Bush. The daughter
of Scat Daddy was beaten just a neck by
Shakeira here last summer and returned
to win a state-bred allowance over two
next-out winners at Belmont June 26.
Jose Lezcano takes the return call at 101.
A stakes winner on Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs last out, Mystic City
tries the New York-bred turf ranks once
again for trainer Mike Ferraro. Langpap Stable’s runner has finished behind
Hessonite five times and Shakeira twice.
Pedro Rodriguez rides at 10-1.
EXCITEMENT
STARTS HERE!
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Post Time 7:15 pm
At
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13
FRIDAY’S SARATOGA ENTRIES
Friday, July 19.
1ST (1:00PM). $87,000, AOC $35,000, 3 YO’S & UP, 1 3/16M (TURF)
Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Daily Double
1 1 I’ll Call
E. Prado
H. Motion
6-1
2 2 Wayward Sailor
J. Castellano
D. Gargan
15-1
3 3 Kingofthebluegrass R. Maragh
M. Trombetta
30-1
4 4 Money in Motion
J. Velazquez
P. Serpe
12-1
5 5 Minister Colin
I. Ortiz, Jr.
D. Galluscio
5-1
6 6 Royal Blessing
J. Lezcano
T. Albertrani
4-1
7 7 Mahubo (SAF)
J. Gutierrez
J. Raposa
50-1
8 8 State Flag
J. Rosario
M. Maker
10-1
9 9 Which Market
E. Wilson
G. Contessa
8-1
10 10 Cheyenne Nation
R. Napravnik
W. Catalano
5-1
11 11 Newfound Zapper A. Solis
W. Ward
15-1
12 12 Hardest Core
L. Saez
K. McLaughlin
9-2
13 MTOMidnight Taboo
J. Velazquez
T. Pletcher
8-5
14 MTOCary Street
J. Lezcano
B. Walsh
7-2
15 MTORomansh
J. Alvarado
T. Albertrani
3-1
16 MTOMost Happy Fella . R. Schosberg
5-1
Connie Bush
Shakeira is a player in the On The Bus.
2ND (1:32PM). $40,000, CLM $20,000, 3 & UP, 1 1/16M (INNER TURF)
Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Pic 4, Daily Double
1 5 Nineinthenine
E. Prado
B. Brown
5-1
1a MTOLure of the South E. Prado
B. Brown
5-1
2 1 Springcourt
I. Ortiz, Jr.
G. Gullo
20-1
3 2 Gamblin Fever
J. Espinoza
R. Metivier
30-1
4 3 Fizzano
L. Saez
H. Bond
15-1
5 4 Terminus
C. Velasquez
N. Esler
30-1
6 6 Unaccountable
J. Lezcano
L. Rice
8-1
7 7 Donato
J. Velazquez
B. Levine
5-1
8 8 Yankee Fourtune
J. Castellano
J. Servis
6-1
9 9 Dual Citizen
J. Rosario
D. Jacobson
9-2
10 10 Volcano Run
R. Napravnik
A. Dutrow
7-2
11 11 Silent Pipe
R. Albarado
M. Scherer
15-1
12 12 Short Shrift
A. Solis
J. Fisher
10-1
13 AE Formulaforsuccess J. Rosario
M. Maker
4-1
14 AE Myhorseofcourse R. Maragh
R. Hess, Jr.
9-2
15 MTOSovereign Default D. Cohen
D. Jacobson
5-2
3RD (2:04PM). $80,000, MSW, 2 YO, F , 5 1/2F
1 4 Stopchargingmaria J. Velazquez
1a 8 Our Amazing Rose J. Velazquez
2 1 Crystal Rocket
I. Ortiz, Jr.
3 2 Predicate
R. Maragh
4 3 Stormin Mary
G. Rodriguez
5 5 Ireland
L. Saez
6 6 J. Quirk
E. Wilson
7 7 Art of the Game
J. Rosario
T. Pletcher
T. Pletcher
G. Contessa
M. Hennig
D. Prine
D. Lukas
G. Contessa
N. Zito
1-1
1-1
10-1
8-1
20-1
8-1
10-1
5-2
4TH (2:36PM). $100,000, STK - ON THE BUS, 3&UP, F&M , 1 1/16M
(INNER TURF)
Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Daily Double
1 1 Shesabronxbomber J. Castellano
J. Servis
20-1
2 2 Lady On the Run
A. Solis
J. Morrison
10-1
3 3 Hessonite
J. Velazquez
D. Donk
6-5
4 4 Inimitable Romanee E. Prado
H. Motion
8-1
5 5 Shakeira
R. Maragh
C. Brown
2-1
6 6 Mystic City
P. Rodriguez
M. Ferraro
12-1
7 7 Dreaming of Cara J. Rosario
M. Friedman
20-1
8 8 Princess Mara
E. Wilson
G. Contessa
30-1
9 9 Wholelottashakin J. Lezcano
T. Bush
10-1
Uncle Southern runs in the sixth.
Tod Marks
5TH (3:08PM). $70,000, MSW, 2 YO, F , 5 1/2F
Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Pic 6, Daily Double
1 1 Hangingwithsonny S. Bridgmohan
B. Brown
2 2 Flying K C
J. Lezcano
P. Serpe
3 3 Michonne
L. Saez
M. Nevin
4 4 Her Majesty’s Own G. Rodriguez
R. Lugovich
5 5 I’m Gonna Flip
J. Castellano
M. Maker
6 6 Aspree
P. Rodriguez
M. Ferraro
7 7 Irish Sweepstakes R. Maragh
M. Hennig
8 8 Talk to Me
J. Navarro
M. Gorham
9 AE Mary’s in Utopia
G. Rodriguez
D. Prine
8-1
4-1
10-1
15-1
5-1
12-1
5-2
3-1
15-1
6TH (3:41PM). $72,000, ALW, 3 YO’S & UP, F & M , 5 1/2F (TURF)
1 1 Uncle Southern
R. Napravnik
L. Rice
8-1
2 2 Invading Humor
R. Maragh
B. Levine
10-1
3 3 Subtle
J. Lezcano
J. Servis
4-1
4 4 My Uptown Gal
G. Rodriguez
K. Feron
20-1
5 5 With HonorandgraceC. Velasquez
M. Trombetta
10-1
6 6 Mighty Reward
A. Solis
C. Domino
20-1
7 7 Heading to Toga
J. Espinoza
D. Schettino
6-1
8 8 Irish Whisper
I. Ortiz, Jr.
J. Englehart
5-1
9 9 Neck of the Moon J. Castellano
C. Brown
3-1
10 10 Fantastic Eyes
L. Saez
J. Aquilino
12-1
11 11 Flattermewithroses A. Lezcano
J. Antonucci
30-1
12 12 Bit Bustin
E. Wilson
G. Contessa
15-1
13 AE Polan
E. Prado
J. Coronel
12-1
14 AE Ave’s Halo
J. Rosario
L. Rice
7-2
15 MTOCopper Bluff
A. Solis
L. Gyarmati
8-1
16 MTOCity Gone Wild
.
G. Contessa
5-1
7TH (4:14PM). $82,000, ALW, 3 YO’S & UP, 7F
Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Pic 3, Pic 4, Daily Double
1 1 Googleado (ARG) R. Albarado
R. Morse
2 2 Tenango
D. Cohen
D. Jacobson
3 3 Coin Flip
R. Napravnik
W. Catalano
4 4 Titletown Five
J. Rosario
D. Lukas
5 5 Wall Dance
I. Ortiz, Jr.
E. Harty
6 6 Strike One
C. Lanerie
B. Walsh
7 7 New Line
J. Velazquez
W. Mott
8 8 Indy’s Illusion
L. Saez
B. Tagg
9 9 Sayler’s Creek
R. Maragh
G. Carwood
10 10 Dawly
C. Velasquez
R. Rodriguez
11 11 Ithastobegeorge
J. Castellano
T. Morley
6-1
3-1
8-1
5-1
12-1
4-1
10-1
12-1
20-1
12-1
15-1
8TH (4:47PM). $100,000, STK - THE JAMES MARVIN, 3 YO’S & UP, 7F
1 1 Politicallycorrect
J. Rosario
W. Ward
4-1
2 2 Hello Lover
I. Ortiz, Jr.
R. Reid, Jr.
15-1
3 3 Souper Speedy
J. Lezcano
T. Albertrani
5-2
4 4 Sage Valley
C. Velasquez
R. Rodriguez
5-1
5 5 Jaguar Paw
J. Castellano
C. Brown
6-1
6 6 Willyconker (IRE) J. Ortiz
E. Guillot
20-1
7 7 Right to Vote
D. Cohen
R. Moquett
12-1
8 8 Laurie’s Rocket
L. Saez
D. Lukas
12-1
9 9 Strapping Groom J. Velazquez
D. Jacobson
4-1
9TH (5:20PM). $150,000, STK - THE SCHUYLERVILLE, 2 YO, F , 6F
Exacta, Trifecta, Daily Double
1 2 Elena Strikes
J. Castellano
T. Pletcher
5-2
1a 6 Yes Liz
J. Velazquez
T. Pletcher
5-2
2 1 Jonesin for Jerry
W. Ho
J. Robb
12-1
3 3 Silver Valley
J. Rosario
R. Moquett
8-1
4 4 Brazen Persuasion R. Napravnik
S. Asmussen
3-1
5 5 Bahnah
C. Lanerie
W. Calhoun
7-5
6 7 True Blue Nation
J. Lezcano
T. Albertrani
12-1
10TH (5:52PM). $75,000, MSW, 3 YO’S & UP, 1 1/16M (INNER TURF)
Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta
1 1 Jesses Giant Dunk J. Espinoza
J. Terranova, II 12-1
2 2 A Better Tomorrow J. Rosario
M. Maker
7-2
3 3 Awesome Heart
J. Velazquez
A. Iwinski
20-1
4 4 Mister Dooley
L. Saez
H. Bond
15-1
5 5 Brandy’s Big Guy G. Rodriguez
G. Goodwin
30-1
6 6 Birchwood Road
E. Prado
A. Penna, Jr.
12-1
7 7 Hudson Miracle
J. Lezcano
C. Brown
4-1
8 8 Sonnyandpally
R. Napravnik
N. Zito
8-1
9 9 Sunbio
J. Alvarado
B. Tagg
5-2
10 10 Reventon
R. Maragh
W. Badgett, Jr. 15-1
11 11 Trainingforsuccess C. Velasquez
M. Friedman
15-1
12 12 Sunnysider
I. Ortiz, Jr.
H. Jerkens
12-1
13 AE Elroi
L. Saez
P. Pugh
10-1
14 MTOPrivatize
.
L. Gyarmati
5-1
15 MTOFace the Race
J. Rosario
M. Matz
7-2
16 MTONever Naked
.
R. Schosberg
12-1
Copyright 2013 EQUIBASE Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.
www.ThisIsHorseRacing.com
14
the
Power
grid
Race #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Gaile
Fitzgerald
Midnight Taboo
I’ll Call
Royal Blessing
Formulaforsuccess
Volcano Run
Nineinthenine
Pletcher entry
Art of the Game
Predicate
Hessonite
Shakeira
Inimitable Romanee
Irish Sweepstakes
Flying K C
I’m Gonna Flip
Neck of the Moon
Fantastic Eyes
Subtle
Tenango
Strike One
Coin Flip
Hello Lover
Souper Speedy
Jaguar Paw
Bahnah
Brazen Persuasion
Yes Liz
Sunbio
A Better Tomorrow
Hudson Miracle
John
Shapazian
Charles
Bedard
Chad
Summers
Tom
Law
Royal Blessing
Hardest Core
Wayward Sailor
Nineinthenine
Volcano Run
Donato
Pletcher entry
Ireland
Art of the Game
Hessonite
Shakeira
Lady On the Run
Irish Sweepstakes
Flying K C
Talk to Me
Neck of the Moon
Subtle
Uncle Southern
Coin Flip
Googleado
Tenango
Souper Speedy
Strapping Groom
Jaguar Paw
Bahnah
Pletcher entry
Brazen Persuasion
A Better Tomorrow
Sunbio
Hudson Miracle
Cary Street
State Flag
Kingofthebluegrass
Formulaforsuccess
Springcourt
Nineinthenine
Stopchargingmaria
Predicate
J. Quirk
Hessonite
Shakeira
Dreaming Of Cara
Irish Sweepstakes
Talk To Me
Aspree
City Gone Wild
Fantastic Eyes
Flattermewithroses
Googleado
Tenango
Wall Dance
Souper Speedy
Hello Lover
Sage Valley
Brazen Persuasion
True Blue Nation
Jonesin For Jerry
Face The Race
Sunbio
Sonnyandpally
I’ll Call
Hardest Core
Minister Colin
Nineinthenine
Fizzano
Unaccountable
Pletcher entry
Predicate
Ireland
Inimitable Romanee
Shakeira
Wholelottashakin
Irish Sweepstakes
I’m Gonna Flip
Aspree
Neck of the Moon
Subtle
Invading Humor
Coin Flip
Tenango
Googleado
Hello Lover
Souper Speedy
Sage Valley
Pletcher entry
Brazen Persuasion
True Blue Nation
Sunbio
A Better Tomorrow
Jesses Giant Dunk
Hardest Core
Royal Blessing
State Flag
Yankee Fortune
Dual Citizen
Unaccountable
Pletcher entry
Art of the Game
Ireland
Hessonite
Inimitable Romanee
Mystic City
Irish Sweepstakes
Flying K C
Aspree
Neck of the Moon
Subtle
With Honorandgrace
New Line
Coin Flip
Indy’s Illusion
Souper Speedy
Jaguar Paw
Laurie’s Rocket
Bahnah
Yes Liz
True Blue Nation
A Better Tomorrow
Hudson Miracle
Sunbio
15
A Proper Celebration
Saratoga Race Course’s
sesquicentennial well under way
BY REBECCA FEDLER
AND DAN MCDONOUGH
A red oval with gold detail. Simple,
yet meaningful with its presence.
It’s the logo used to mark 150 years
of racing at Saratoga Race Course. And
“It’s everywhere,” said Anita Davies, an
out-of-town visitor earlier this summer.
The logo is literally everywhere
throughout
downtown
Saratoga
Springs—from posters in shop windows, to water bottles, flagpoles, gardens, candy bars and pins on lapels of
the well dressed.
“Everyone should have a pin who
lives and works in Saratoga,” said Roger Goldsmith, owner of Crafters Gallery
on Broadway.
Goldsmith made sure everyone on
his staff got a pin, designed and sold by
the Saratoga 150 Committee.
The pin works as an admission ticket to the more than 200 events that are
part of the celebration, including the $2
Bettor’s Ball, specific dates at the track,
and the opportunity to be entered to
win one of five $15,000 giveaway bets
on a specific feature race during the
Spa meeting. Other events include art
shows, dance history exhibits, floral fete
promenade, wine and food festival, and
chalk coloring contest and the Saratoga
Springs Horse Show.
Goldsmith said the summer-long celebration gives the track the respect it
deserves on such a big occasion.
“I feel honored to have my business
here, and to live in Saratoga during the
celebrations,” Goldsmith said. After all,
150 years is quite the accomplishment.
Saratoga Race Course is the oldest operating sports venue in the country, and
as Goldsmith pointed out, the 150th anniversary “only happens once.”
The celebration of the 150th anniversary coupled with the hugely popular
race meeting is expected to draw visitors to Saratoga this year from an even
wider radius. It is a special chapter in a
tradition unlike any other, and one that
boasts uncommon longevity.
“It’s a continuity,” said Ken Howell,
a Saratoga Springs resident since 1999.
“It’s always there. You don’t see a lot of
things that are 150 years old. Nothing
lasts that long. Most things are a fad.
See 150 page 18
Flags are flying all over town to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the track.
136219-SuperSaver-half-SaraSpec.indd 1
16
Tod Marks
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17
150 –
“It’s so beautiful,” O’Brien said of the track. “It
looks like a painting—the infield—almost too pretty
to be real.”
Things come in and out, but this is traditional in a
time when tradition is not as prevalent as it used to
be.”
Saratoga natives embrace the traditions, particularly those who have been around to see other milestones
at the historic track.
Miles Fitzgerald is a city native who recalls working
at the track’s 100th anniversary while a high school
senior. He’s as excited now about the 150th as ever.
“It’s great to see the next big anniversary come
around,” Fitzgerald said.
Ann O’Brien, another Saratoga native, also remembers the 100th anniversary and said the way the 150th
is being marked is “really an incredible thing.”
Business Boost
The Saratoga 150 events will certainly draw people interested in the specific events, and obviously the
track draws its usual huge share, but the two events
combined should be a positive for businesses.
Marianne Barker, owner of Impressions of Saratoga, said there already has been a “big boost in business” with the celebration.
“The community is really excited about it,” she
said.
Caroline Blake, owner of Little Red Millinery on
Henry Street, said the anniversary supplies an opportunity to show people that Saratoga is a great place to
be with its intermixing of culture, art and horse racing. She said the celebration gives hope as well.
“This town has gone through a lot of ups and
downs with the economy,” she said. “This gives people hope that it’s going back up again.”
Mike Buckingham, owner of Michael L. Buckingham Thoroughbreds, and Douglas Rodriguez, a native of Albany who moved to Saratoga 25 years ago,
agree.
“Horse racing was the number one thing that drew
me here, but the town itself has far more to offer than
most other towns I’ve ever lived in,” Buckingham
said. “People are drawn here for their first time due to
horse racing, and then they see the other merits of the
town while they’re here.”
“It’s just a great town, a classy little town,” Rodriguez said. “That’s how I would describe it. When this
town puts on an event, no matter what time of year
it is, people come from 100 miles around to participate.”
Get on board
for 2013
In 2012 at Saratoga
2 wins • 3 seconds • 2 thirds
from 8 starts.
Matt Gatsas (603-321-6852) or
Rich Cristiano (914-439-5636)
Office: 866-329-2Win
[email protected]
www.sovereignstable.com
Steeplechasing
A Saratoga Tradition—Always
Experience the thrills of steeplechase
racing every Thursday of the 2013
Saratoga Race Course meet.
18
Tod Marks
The National Steeplechase
Association congratulates
Saratoga Race Course on
its 150th anniversary.
Saratoga
Fall Mixed &
Horses of
Racing Age
Monday, October 7, 2013
Tod Marks
A public viewing tower is being built on the Oklahoma side to recognize the 150th anniversary.
ENTRIES CLOSE
JULY 26
859.255.1555 fasigtipton.com
In Saratoga 518.584.4700
19
Game Time
Magical meet opens with today’s
10-race card, many more on tap
The meet gets started today with the first strides of a 40-day race meet.
20
Tod Marks
BY TOM LAW
SARATOGA SEASON PREVIEW
The long wait is over and the day is
here.
A few were already looking forward
to it as Golden Tornado occupied his
place in the winner’s circle after the final race on the final day of last year’s
meet. Others made a mental note that it
was a little less than seven months to go
once they heard the last noisemaker and
finished the last of the New Year’s Eve
champagne. Even more start to count
down the days just as the dust settles
from the spring classics.
Lucky for them, and for everyone,
the day is here.
Opening day of the Saratoga Race
Course meeting is here and on tap are
40 days of racing that will go a long
way toward determining berths in
championship events later this fall and
subsequent season-ending titles and at
the same time validate or expose performances from earlier this year.
There are few places to hide at the
Spa and even less easy spots. Winning
anywhere is tough. Trying to win at
Saratoga can sometimes seem downright diabolical. Just ask some trainers
and jockeys who posted win percentages in the single digits with ample op-
portunities last season—we won’t name
names, just not our style—but you get
the point.
Saratoga is the place where the oldest
racing traditions on this side of the Atlantic Ocean—consider that this year’s
meeting commemorates 150 years of
racing at the Spa, the sesquicentennial
as the locals like to call it—meet the
best competition. Other summertime
spots can boast of this and that, but
they’re just not Saratoga.
Del Mar’s got the ocean.
Arlington, the Million.
South Florida, the heat (although
it feels around here like it got pushed
north this summer) and two tracks this
year.
No disrespect to some others, but
most of the others don’t have anything
people are looking for on vacation.
Saratoga, of course, has the horses.
Just about every year, and especially so
this year.
Consider that each of the winners
of the 2013 spring classics—Kentucky
Derby winner Orb, Preakness winner
Oxbow and Belmont winner Palace
See MEET page 21
The horses are strolling toward the races.
Meet –
Malice—are all being pointed toward
the signature race of the meeting, the
Aug. 24 Travers Stakes. A lot can change
over the course of the five-plus weeks it
will take to get to the fourth weekend in
August, but if any or even all members
of that trio stub their toe along the way
there is more than enough star power to
carry the meeting.
Wise Dan is here, a Horse of the
Year title, two other divisional Eclipse
Awards, a Breeders’ Cup Mile crown
and five other stakes wins from as many
starts removed from his popular score
in last season’s Fourstardave Handicap.
The 6-year-old gelding is under consideration for that same race again this
year, run Aug. 10, along with a possible
run back on the dirt in the Whitney Invitational a week earlier.
Charlie LoPresti bedded his small
string down in the same barn he trained
the eventual Horse of the Year out of
last year and is glad to be back.
“Where else am I going to go with
him?” LoPresti said earlier this week,
just a few feet from the stall where the
Horse of the Year was taking a wellearned nap after a long van ride from
Lexington. “As for where we’ll run, it’s
all how he’s doing. I’m going to let this
horse tell me. When we left Keeneland
this horse was spot on. I can tell you I
would not have been afraid if there was
a race this weekend to just ship him in
and run.”
There’s plenty of other equine royalty already on the grounds or headed
this way, including Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Fort Larned, Kentucky Oaks
winner Princess of Sylmar, top female
turf stars Stephanie’s Kitten and Centre Court, defending champion female
sprinter Groupie Doll and leading steeplechaser Demonstrative to name just a
few.
And of course, Saratoga’s got the
2-year-olds.
The maiden races frequently come
up as tough as stakes and the six graded stakes, well, they might get knocked
from time to time for not being this or
21
Tod Marks
not being that, but they remain on everyone’s radar. Two of those races—today’s Schuylerville for fillies and Monday’s Sanford—get the meet started
and will undoubtedly kick off the buzz
about the babies that filters throughout
the town right on through Labor Day.
The buzz is justified, especially in recent years. Consider that the winners
of the last six Triple Crown races—I’ll
Have Another and Union Rags in 2012
and the aforementioned Orb, Oxbow
and Palace Malice—all competed at
Saratoga at some point in their juvenile
campaigns.
Todd Pletcher knows a thing or
two about 2-year-old racing at Saratoga. The three-time defending training
champion at the meet—and nine-time
leader overall in a little more than 17
years with his license—won 23 juvenile races at Saratoga last season. Four
of the five colts Pletcher started in this
year’s Kentucky Derby raced last year at
the Spa, including debut winners Overanalyze and Charming Kitten and second-out winner Palace Malice. He also
won with champion Shanghai Bobby,
Dreaming of Julia, Violence and Kauai
Katie.
“It’s always an exciting time of year
with the 2-year-olds getting ready to
run,” Pletcher said earlier this week just
outside his barn at the Oklahoma training track. “It’s exciting when you’re
debuting horses. You never know until
you run them, but we think we’ve got a
good group.”
The juvenile races make up a significant portion of the racing programs at
Saratoga. Case in point today’s 10-race
card that includes three races for 2-yearolds.
“To be successful up here you have
to have strength in 2-year-olds, and I
think that’s why Todd’s been so strong
all these years,” said Hall of Famer D.
Wayne Lukas, a six-time leading trainer
at Saratoga over a seven-year span from
1986 to 1992. “The purse structure is
so good with 2-year-olds here that if
they can run you’re almost better off
running them here as opposed to running them earlier at, say, Belmont or
Churchill. With the way the purses are
See MEET page 23
s
t
e
B
t
s
Be
in Saratoga
Things to do, places to go, businesses to call...
BT This Is HorseiRacing Ad_Layout 1 7/10/13 11:50 AM Page 1
LOCAL
FAVORITE
IN A HISTORIC
SARATOGA
NEIGHBORHOOD
A SHORT STROLL FROM THE TRACK
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY
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More than 100,000 books and
old prints all sound and ready.
7-9 Phila Street
518-584-8779
lyricalballadbooks.com
Specializing in books on the
history of Thoroughbred
racing and breeding.
Put your business in front of thousands
of racing fans every day during the
Saratoga meet.
Call (302) 545-4424 or
(302) 545-7713 for information.
Koz’s
“The race is not
always to
the swift,
nor the battle
to the strong,
but that’s the
way to bet.”
Long Shot!
Saratoga Long Shots of the Day
Race 3 – (7) Art of the Game 5- 2
Zito is just 4/79 in last six meets with
Starting Bankroll: $100 - Current Balance: $100
first time starters – works say yes!
Meet Record: I am even! Play my picks for $2.00 Win/Place/Show
Race 8 – (6) Willyconker 20-1 Stable and
trainer were a no show last year but pulled
According to Lt. Col. Frank Slade, “By the time they get to Albany in
off some big upsets in
2011!
that “hupmobile he drives…it’ll be opening day at Saratoga…Whoo-ah!”
(Please remember that if you plan to imbibe at the races…leave the jockeying
home to another driver!)
·: -·
.
\,
.
Damon Runyon
22
Meet –
set up here, if you think they’re a stone-cold runner,
you might as well run them here.”
Pletcher starts and usually finishes the conversation about leading trainer honors, but there’s plenty
of depth among his colleagues with Chad Brown, Bill
Mott and Steve Asmussen most likely in the mix. The
jockey colony is as deep as ever, even without threetime Eclipse Award-winner and 2012 leader Ramon
Dominguez retired. Joel Rosario, John Velazquez, Jose
Lezcano and Javier Castellano figure to battle it out
with Rosie Napravnik, Junior Alvarado, Rajiv Maragh, Irad Ortiz Jr. and Cornelio Velasquez in the hunt.
Ken Ramsey expects to lay over the competition in
the owner’s race, just as he did during record-setting
meets this year at Gulfstream, Keeneland and Churchill. He threw down the gauntlet earlier this week,
predicting a record number of winners at the Spa.
“It should be interesting,” Ramsey said. “I think 18
wins is a record up there, at least that’s what I found
out. We’re shooting for 20. I don’t know if that will
23
The Phipps team is on the grounds, gear included.
win the title, but I’ll go on record and say we’ll win 20
races at Saratoga.”
So how exactly is he going to win all those races
over the 40-day meeting that opens Friday and runs
through Monday, Sept. 2?
“We’re looking the best we have ever looked,”
Tod Marks
Ramsey said. “I’m going to run Stephanie’s Kitten up
there in the Grade 1 Diana, Kitten’s Dumplings in the
Lake George, she should be competitive. We’ve got
Real Solution, we’re still trying to figure out which
stakes race to run him in. They’re all by Kitten’s Joy of
course. … I’ll just say, I’m loaded.”
Pletcher, as always
Nine-time leading trainer set
to make another run with barn
BY SEAN CLANCY
As far as trainers go, there is no bigger star than Todd Pletcher. Nationwide
and certainly at Saratoga. He’s won the
Saratoga title the past three seasons
and has secured nine titles overall. The
trainers’ race stops and starts at the TAP
sign at the end of his barn.
As always, the 46-year-old Texan
will come loaded with tents staked in
every camp. Palace Malice, Verrazano
and others for 3-year-old stakes. Princess Of Sylmar, Dreaming of Julia and
others for the 3-year-old filly stakes.
Hudson Steele, Channel Lady, Notacatbutallama, Micromanage, Charming
Kitten, Yes Liz, Caixa Eletronica, San
Pablo, Forty Tales…the list goes on and
on. Beyond the stakes horses, Pletcher
can rack up numbers with the Repole
Stable’s approach to winning the leading owner title. To put the numbers in
perspective, Pletcher breezed 40 horses
at Saratoga, Monmouth and Belmont
Park July 7. One morning, 40 breezes.
Think about all the ones who galloped,
jogged, walked and grazed. It’s an arsenal.
“We’ll try to approach it as we al-
SPA STARS
ways do, never take anything for granted,” Pletcher said in early July. “I know
Saratoga is a very difficult place to win
horse races. We are appreciative of that.
We’ll see how it shakes out, and hopefully we’ll get lucky and be successful
in the stakes. We have a nice blend of
young horses and some established
3-year-olds and older horses that we
can be competitive in these races that
are very tough to win.”
Last year, Pletcher outgunned Chad
Brown by seven wins and over $1.5
million in purses. Brown won at 31
percent, while Pletcher popped at 24
percent. Pletcher dominated the 2-yearold races, winning 23 during the meet.
Pletcher unleashed the likes of Palace
Malice, Dreaming of Julia, Overanalyze, Kauai Katie and Shanghai Bobby.
Sixteen of the 23 were debut winners.
Pletcher’s juveniles won the title for
him. This year won’t be any different.
“As always, our success at Saratoga is a direct correlation to how our
See PLETCHER page 27
Todd Pletcher and his horses will have plenty to say about Saratoga 2013.
Tod Marks
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25
26
Pletcher –
2-year-old winners up there, to think
we’re going to do that again is unrealistic, I just hope that we do well,” Pletcher
said. “From a pedigree standpoint, a lot
of our horses are later types and twoturn types, that’s what we were looking
for when we bought them. Hopefully
we’ll have enough precocious types to
keep us rolling until those longer type
horses get ready. I thought we were
holding a pretty strong hand coming
into last year and I think we’re holding a pretty good hand this year, maybe
not the precocity that we had last year.
Some of the 2-year-old winners might
come later in the meet.”
One of the 2-year-olds that could
surface later in the meet is Ari the Adventurer, who won her July 11 debut by
6 ¾ lengths at Belmont.
2-year-olds run, that’s hard to project
a long way out, it’s constantly evolving
and changing, some are going to make
it, some are going to need more time,
you have to take it as it comes,” said
Pletcher, who for today entered twohorse entries in a maiden filly that goes
as the third and the co-featured Schuylerville. “Like everybody else, we were
held up a bit by the tremendously wet
spring that we’ve had, because of that,
we might be a little behind scheduling
as where we were this time last year.”
In early July, Pletcher was realistic
about trying to make predictions or
comparisons between this year’s crop
and last year’s prolific fleet.
See thisishorseracing.com for more
“Last
year,Iswe
were blessed with
the Spa Stars.
BT
This
HorseiRacing
Ad_Layout
1 7/10/13 11:51 AM Page
THE
WISHING
WELL
Since 1936
2
“CLASSIC
ELEGANCE”
in the foothills of the
Adirondacks a few miles north
of Saratoga Springs
wishingwellrestaurant.com
745 Saratoga Road, Wilton, NY
518.584.7640
Jockeys
2012 Saratoga Statistics
Name .................. Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Earnings
Ramon Dominguez........288 68
47
44 $4,896,216
Javier Castellano............271 51
37
37 $3,837,232
Jose Lezcano.................212 35
39
28 $2,533,273
John Velazquez..............153 30
19
14 $4,027,659
Trainers
Joel Rosario...................214 29
28
33 $2,273,909
Earnings
Junior Alvarado..............201 23
30
28 $2,308,652 Name .................. Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Todd
Pletcher.................149
36
20
15
$3,554,642
Julien Leparoux..............193 23
28
18 $2,166,718
21
13 $1,978,093
Rosie Napravnik.............207 21
19
22 $2,023,390 Chad Brown.....................95 29
Steve
Asmussen..............69
121011
$916,890
Rajiv Maragh..................218 16
27
23 $1,585,311
20
15 $1,951,420
Cornelio Velasquez.........157 16
16
24 $1,054,698 Bill Mott...........................91 11
7
3
$689,091
Irad Ortiz, Jr...................214 15
27
25 $1,793,398 Tony Dutrow....................39 11
George
Weaver................58
11
2
8
$543,259
Alan Garcia.....................102 13
9
14 $1,546,396
Bruce
Levine....................48
11
12
3
$510,346
Eddie Castro...................12613 914 $971,104
Wilmer Garcia................162111212 $717,746Rudy Rodriguez...............6810 615 $587,973
9
11
8
$487,535
Edgar Prado...................109 81317 $772,097Gary Contessa..................80
Kiaran
McLaughlin...........49
8
8
5
$2,041,214
David Cohen.....................94
7
15
11 $1,084,601
8
8
7
$629,712
Shaun Bridgmohan..........58
6
2
1
$284,811 Christophe Clement..........50
8
2
7
$603,915
Kent Desormeaux.............53
4
8
7
$325,661 Dale Romans....................63
Eddie
Kenneally.
.
..............42
8
10
3
$542,951
Jose Espinoza..................64
4
4
4
$250,821
David
Jacobson.
.
..............45
8
7
7
$476,526
Abel Lezcano....................58
3
1
2
$127,460
Linda Rice........................65 8 410 $388,548
Rick Dutrow, Jr................58
7
12
9 $1,023,609
Owners
Shug
McGaughey.
.
...........42
7
6
4 $1,021,459
Name .................. Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Earnings
Al
Stall.
.
............................23
7
3
7
$489,952
Repole Stable...................53 13
12
5
$724,123
Rick
Violette.
.
...................34
7
2
4
$479,513
Klaravich and Lawrence...48 10
9
9
$865,985
7
4
4
$386,754
Ramsey, Ken & Sarah......52
9
7
4
$651,637 Phil Serpe........................31
Dominic
Galluscio............50
6
6
7
$370,351
Michael Dubb...................25
6
7
3
$322,218
Dominick
Schettino.
.
........35
6
3
4
$345,222
Godolphin Racing............11
5
1
2 $1,765,150
Leading owner Mike Repole.
John
Terranova................31
6
6
5
$339,342
Phipps Stable...................20
4
3
1
$605,686
Juddmonte Farms............14
Claiborne Farm...................8
& Adele Dilschneider
Stonestreet Stables............7
Drawing Away Stable.......23
and David Jacobson
Flying Zee Stables............14
Paul Pompa, Jr.................13
David Ross Racing Stable.... 9
27
4
4
5
2
1
1
$328,832
$315,600
4
4
0
3
3
3
$310,500
$231,039
4
4
4
1
4
3
2
2
0
$226,228
$193,630
$162,260
Tod Marks
New Ground
New CEO Kay takes NYRA reins
at start of 2013 Saratoga meeting
BY DAN MCDONOUGH
The backdrop was pure New York
racing, easily recognizable by fans
across the state.
The main track of Saratoga Race
Course, appearing serene and crisp less
than 48 hours before the beginning of
its 150th meeting, framed from above
by an awning bearing the track’s signature red-and-white colors.
But to Christopher Kay, a man who
to this point has been more attuned to
the workings of roller coasters and action figures than Thoroughbred racing,
it was all brand new. The 60-year-old
Kay, recently named president and chief
executive officer of NYRA, acknowledged to assembled media that Friday’s
Opening Day would be his first Saratoga racing experience.
“This will be my first day of racing
in Saratoga,” said Kay, officially appointed July 1 following a career that
has includes stints as the chief operating officer of both Toys R’ Us and the
Theme Park Division of Universal Studios. Kay is also a lawyer and most recently served as the COO for The Trust
of Public Land.
In addition to relating how he will
apply his business acumen to his new
position, Kay spent time stressing the
importance of striving to create an excellent atmosphere for fans at Saratoga
and other racing venues in the state.
“It’s the whole concept of guest experience,” Kay said. “We want to try to
create an outstanding guest experience.
We’d like to bring more people to horse
racing, and that includes people in the
18-to-34 demographic, as well as women.”
Kay frequently alluded to what he
said is his main goal: to complete the
intended re-privatization of NYRA by
October 2015, the target date which has
been set for the organization to transition back into private control after a
period as a public entity. He stated that
his past experience working through
obstacles in the past would provide him
with a framework for the restructuring
of NYRA.
“There are certain things about each
industry that are the same,” Kay said.
“All that I’ve learned in various industries in the past I intend to bring here.
I’m supposed to provide a plan along
with our management team to be able
Tod Marks
Racing returns to venerable Saratoga, under the direction of Christopher Kay for the first time.
to privatize this organization by the
date put forth in the statute.”
Kay did not escape some questions
about NYRA’s rocky past, particularly
the association’s sometimes-uneasy relationship with state government. No specific issues were discussed, but NYRA’s
well-publicized past foibles seem destined to hang over Kay’s tenure until he
can prove he has a viable plan to eradicate them. Kay did paint a picture of
optimism concerning the state of relations between NYRA and state officials
going forward.
“While there may have been a difference of opinion between the state and
NYRA boards in the past, now the interests are aligned,” he said. “Together
we can do something really significant,
for the sport and for the state.”
Kay pointed to the estimated $4.2
billion impact that horse racing has on
New York’s economy as ample motivation for both sides to work in harmony.
As for his lack of experience in racing, Kay said the influence and expertise
See KAY page 28
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28
Kay –
of NYRA’s current board of directors
selected by Gov. Andrew Cuomo would
play a vital role moving forward.
“We have a board of which is comprised of people with a great deal of racing experience,” he said. “I’ve worked
with them and I will continue to work
with them.”
When pressed to provide concrete
examples of NYRA’s plans to work in
conjunction with the state on fixing racing in New York, Kay declined to go
into specifics but continually reiterated
his belief in the importance of identifying problematic areas and working towards solutions.
“My way of doing business has always been to understand all the problems as soon as I can, and to begin to
address them before they become big
problems,” he said. “That’s what I’m
going to do here.”
Kay did acknowledge that NYRA’s
road ahead will have its share of bumps,
calling the task of reforming NYRA “a
tremendous challenge, in light of what
has happened in the past and the condition of the sport. We want to provide
a strategy that will make NYRA and
horse racing more successful in the future. We want to put it on a stronger
foundation, address a variety of capital
improvements needed for Saratoga and
also the tracks downstate, and provide
a management team that is more effective and efficient in its operations.”
To hear Kay tell it, those improvements will all begin with focus on enhancing the race-day experience for the
hundreds of thousands of fans who will
stream through the gates of Saratoga
Race Course over the next 40 live racing days.
“The way we can do it right now,
make sure our operation is as flawless
as possible every day and provide people with the kind of experience where
they’ll want to come back over and over
again,” he said.
Kay said he doesn’t know if Cuomo will show the supposed renewed
alliance of New York state and NYRA
with a visit to Saratoga, but that if he
does “like everybody else, he’s going to
have a fantastic time here in Saratoga.”
29
cupofcoffee
by Sean Clancy
Here we are again. A year has come and gone. A
year of highs and lows, wins and losses, hellos and
goodbyes. That great passage of time, marked yet
again by Opening Day of Saratoga. For 150 years, it’s
provided the fulcrum…life before Saratoga, life after
Saratoga.
Opening Day makes you stop and think, take note,
assess. How’s life? What have I accomplished? How
have I failed? What needs fixing? Who’s still in my life?
Who’s not? Just for a moment, usually on the drive
up the Northway or on the first morning at the track.
The introspection doesn’t last long, first race springs at
1:00 Friday afternoon. The flag falls and that’s the last
reflection until Labor Day, when we leave here, some
of us skint, some of us flush, all of us changed. In between, tickets will be cashed, crumpled.
Horses will win, lose, get hurt. Trainers will get
hired, fired. Jockeys, too. Romances will be kindled.
Cars will crash. Records will be broken. Memories will
be made.
Thursday morning, the backstretch tour feels the
same, except for the heat. Trees, tracks, barns, paths
and horses. Friends we haven’t seen in a year wave
hello, their names scroll through our brains, trying to
Time Passages
remember. Horses try to form a routine in a strange
place, one gets loose and dashes the right way, then
the wrong way, another walks home without a saddle,
exercise rider shaking his head in disbelief.
Stall screens, box fans, trainer plaques and wall boxes are measured, hung, balanced and realigned. Fresh
traffic cops yell for you to stop, while you’re stopped.
A few subtle changes, a few major changes, the same
place, the same feeling.
Steve Rushing drives his golf cart along the road on
the far turn, his jockey’s name, “Cornelio Velasquez,”
stenciled across the front of the green rental. Like
Starsky with a new Hutch, Rushing goes about his job
without his longtime comrade, Ramon Dominguez.
Saratoga won’t be the same without Ramon. He’ll be
here, don’t talk about him in the past tense, one door
has closed, plenty will open. His style, his accuracy, his
subtle grace will be missed.
Yes, that passage of time.
Pat Kelly shakes hands with his left, his right fingers
taped, a couple of screws holding them in place, after a
horse got cast before the Belmont Stakes back in June.
Ken Kelly, shank swinging, walks back from the track.
Mike Kelly, back where he belongs with Alex Solis’
book, stops to swap stories about old Saratoga rentals.
We laugh. Pat Kelly pauses, “First year without Pop.
We lost him in April. We’ll miss him up here.”
Charlie LoPresti strolls out of his barn, under the
trees, across from the five-eighths pole. Pants tucked
in his boots, bandage around his wrist after a filly
snagged him, shirt tail waving. He’s gone from an un-
known Kentucky shipper, trying his hand at the big
time to a Saratoga regular, with the Horse of the Year
tucked and ready to duplicate his Saratoga scourge.
Bernie and Kate Dalton bathe Lillehammer and
Cat Feathers in the yard across Henning Road. Husband and wife, jockey and trainer, exercise riders and
grooms. Cat Feathers pulled off a shocker last year,
changed their lives. She’s back, she won’t be the same
price.
The Saratoga Special staff introduces itself, a few
new interns and a few old faces, stacking paper racks
and handing out fliers. The boys who couldn’t look
over the steering wheel when we started this in 2001,
now drive the golf cart, voices changed, they shave,
think about girls, hold down jobs, talk back.
Amy Tarrant, with a select string for the first time
at Saratoga, smiles and introduces herself. Tom Amoss
walks up the horse path, phone to his ear. Is he here
for the meet? Brian Hogan drives his tractor trailer
through the Clare Court gate and asks David Jacobson for directions. Lorna Chavez, with a broken ankle,
drives a golf cart instead of a horse, Picasso without a
brush. Chad Brown has taken over for Nick Zito in the
barn across the yard from my rental house. The Chief
stops and says hello, asks about a horse he hasn’t seen
in a year, then pounces in his cart to see a horse train
on the main track.
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Love the Game - This is Horse Racing

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