Saratoga
A pair of impressive debut winners by the same sire earlier in the meet at Saratoga, one each from the Shug McGaughey and Chad Brown barns, figure to take the bulk of the play in a seven-horse renewal of the GIII With Anticipation S. for juvenile males going 1 1/16 miles on turf to kick off closing week Wednesday at the Spa. Given the nod at 7-5 on the morning line is Stuart Janney's homebred Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy). Racing with just one horse beaten early debuting over this course...
Owner Jim Bakke's experience in horse racing has been fairly typical. He started off with a small stable, didn't have much success and waited for his day to come. It looks like he's not going to have to wait any longer. Along with Gerald Isbister, Bakke is the co-owner of 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings), a Chad Brown-trained colt who brought down the house Saturday with an 8 3/4-length maiden win at Saratoga. Jack Christopher, who is named for Bakke's six-month-old grandson, will head to the GI Champagne S.,...
8th-Saratoga, $105,000, Alw (NW2$X)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 8-29, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:15.05, ft, 6 lengths. BEAU LIAM (c, 3, Liam's Map--Belle of Perintown {GSW, $265,465}, by Dehere) showed Sunday just how well-stocked the Steve Asmussen barn is with top sprinters, as he zipped away to his third win from as many tries as day after stablemates Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) and Yaupon (Uncle Mo) annexed the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. and GI Forego S., respectively. A shoe-in for 'TDN Rising Star'-dom off a 7 1/2-length debut drubbing at Churchill...
Champion Essential Quality (Tapit) came into Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S. as the heavy favorite with three other Grade I victories to his credit, in addition to his Eclipse Award. Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow), on the other hand, entered with a point to prove as he never had a chance to show his stuff last time in Monmouth's GI Haskell Invitational S. July 17, after clipping heels and almost going down in the stretch. Essential Quality got the better of his rival at Saratoga Saturday, but not before Midnight Bourbon gave...
Otter Bend Stables LLC's super consistent Gufo (Declaration of War) held off a furious late bid from European invader Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) to score the second highest-level win of his career in Saturday's GI Sword Dancer S. at Saratoga--a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Last seen annexing the Grand Couturier S. over this trip downstate July 5, the 5-2 shot was content to sit at the back early along the rail. He crept closer as they approached the final turn after a mile...
Letruska (Super Saver) continued her domination of the distaff division with determined triumph in Saratoga's GI Personal Ensign S. Saturday, a "Win and You're in" for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November. Favored at 3-5 to score her fourth straight win, the bay rushed up challenge champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who broke like a shot and was hustled away from the stalls by her pilot Jose Ortiz. His elder brother Irad Ortiz charged past the chalk exiting the first turn and Swiss Skydiver settled back in...
This year's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. was billed as a match race between current divisional leader Jackie's Warrior and come-backing 'TDN Rising Star' Life is Good (Into Mischief). The race lived up to that and then some with Jackie's Warrior stubbornly holding off a determined and previously undefeated Life is Good for a narrow victory. The six-horse field moved as one through the opening strides, but 4-5 favorite Life is Good and 3-2 second-choice Jackie's Warrior quickly separated themselves with the former leading the latter by a length...
You had to see it to believe it. With Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior) savaging favored Yaupon (c, 4, Uncle Mo--Modification, by Vindication) repeatedly down the stretch in Saturday's GI Forego S. at Saratoga, the 2-1 pacesetter battled on gamely along the rail to secure a dramatic head victory. Chance It (Currency Swap) was third. "I will watch that replay many times in my future," winning trainer Steve Asmussen said. "For that to happen in a Grade I at Saratoga with two horses on the lead, that will be memorable. I...
Gamine kicked off the Grade I action at Saratoga Saturday with a front-running score in the GI Ballerina H. Away alertly from her rail draw, the heavy favorite went straight to the front and was pushed along by Estilo Talentoso (Maclean's Music) through an opening quarter in :23.20 and a half in :45.68 with Lake Avenue in tow. Showing the way into the lane, the bay filly was kept to task by pilot John Velazquez, drawing clear for a facile victory. Lake Avenue held second and fellow California raider Cece...
Jack Christopher (c, 2, Munnings--Rushin No Blushin, by Half Ours) entered the starting gate on the GI Runhappy Travers S. undercard with a lofty reputation based off his morning breezes for Chad Brown, including a five-furlong drill from the gate in :59 3/5 (2/35) at the Spa Aug. 7, and lived up to the hype with a flashy 'TDN Rising Star' debut performance. He broke sharply and pressed Back to Normal (Liam's Map) on the outside through an opening quarter in :21.83. The even-money favorite poked his blaze face in...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency STRONACH HOMEBRED DEBUTS IN CANADA 3rd-WO, $126.8K, Msw, 2yo, 7fT, 2:07p.m. Stronach Stables homebred RAPPER ZAPPER (Ghostzapper) makes his career bow in this event. The chestnut is a full-brother to Canadian champion, Queen's Plate victress and MGSW Holy Helena and a half to GSW & MGISP Holy Boss (Street Boss). TJCIS PPs BROWN UNVEILS PRICEY CURLIN FILLY 5th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 3:21p.m. Chad Brown saddles an expensive first timer in DISTINCTLYPOSSIBLE (Curlin), who summoned $670,000 at OBS April after breezing in :10...
Americanrevolution added another impressive tally to his resume with a dominant score in the Albany. Riding the rail in fifth through a :23.49 opening quarter, the chestnut maintained that position as Bobby Bo put up a :47.33 half-mile. Taking closer order on the backstretch run, Americanrevolution ranged up to confront the leader turning for home and the pair battled to the wire with Americanrevolution drawing clear late to win. Bobby Bo held second and it was a long way back to third-place horse. "I thought we would be a little...