Saratoga

Wertheimer and Frere homebred Happy Saver (Super Saver) made good on a flashy debut last month and handled nine panels at Saratoga like he was just getting going to garner the 'TDN Rising Star' moniker Sunday afternoon. The Todd Pletcher pupil aired by 5 1/2 lengths at first asking going seven furlongs at Belmont June 20, and was even-money against a solid-looking group of winners this time around. He broke alertly, but was out-footed into the first turn and took up a ground-saving spot in third. Ridden along to avoid...

5th-Saratoga, $72,000, Msw, 7-26, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.36, fm. OUTADORE (c, 2, Outwork--Adore You {SP, $276,240}, by Tactical Cat) was let go at 6-1 as the less fancied of a pair of juvenile runners saddled by a trainer whose prowess with young horses--especially on turf--is well documented, and he proved to be the "right" Ward while providing his first-crop sire (by Uncle Mo) with a second winner and first on the lawn. Irad Ortiz, Jr. had ridden Outadore's stablemate River Tiber (War Front)  to a fourth-place run on debut at...

Sent off the prohibitive 2-5 chalk while making his first appearance in Grade I company, Three Chimneys Farm and Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Volatile (Violence) fell out onto the lead, enjoyed a soft time of things on the engine and turned it on late to post a 1 1/4-length victory in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga. The Vanderbilt was reduced to a field of four by the gate scratching of Lexitonian (Speightstown), who was unlikely to have a say in the finish, but who may have set or otherwise...

What Starship Jubilee (Indy Wind) may have 'lacked' in class entering a clash with champion Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) in Saturday's GII Ballston Spa S. at Saratoga was potentially mitigated by the fact that she was always going to hold a tactical advantage--positionally--given the likely shape of the race. When the dust had settled after 8 1/2 furlongs, the blue-collar Florida-bred took full advantage to cause a minor upset, as Sistercharlie could only finish a one-paced third. While Thais (Fr) (Rio de la Plata) parlayed pacemaker duties--bar the GI Breeders'...

Sackatoga Stable's GI Belmont S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution) breezed five-eighths in 1:00.48 (2/16) Saturday morning on the Saratoga Race Course main track in preparation for the $1-million GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 8. The three-time Grade I winner recorded splits of :24.20 and :36.00 before galloping out in 1:13.80 with exercise rider Heather Smullen aboard. "He does exactly what you tell him to do," Smullen said. "It was a little different this week just because there was some traffic right off the rail and last week there was...

Riding a two-race winning streak, Harrell Ventures' Halladay (War Front) will try to take it to the next level in Sunday's GII Bernard Baruch S. at Saratoga. Victorious in Gulfstream's Tropical Park Derby last December, the grey finished fourth--beaten two lengths--in the GIIII Tampa Bay S. Feb. 8 before returning with a three-length score in a one-mile Gulfstream optional claimer Apr. 4. Most recently, Halladay went gate-to-wire over subsequent GI United Nations winner Aquaphobia (Giant's Causeway) and stablemate Social Paranoia (Street Boss), who took the GIII Poker S. at Belmont...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency WELL-RELATED JUVENILES DEBUT AT THE SPA 5th-SAR, $72K, Msw, 2yo, 5fT, 3:28p.m. Wesley Ward unveils Breeze Easy's $290,000 KEESEP purchase OUTADORE (Outwork) in this turf sprint. Out of SP Adore You (Tactical Cat), the gray is a half to SW & MGISP Piedi Bianchi (Overanalyze) and SW Mine Reader (Gemologist). American Gentleman (American Pharoah) also makes his career bow in this spot. The $240,000 KEESEP buy is out of a half-sister to GISW Connect (Curlin) and MSW Tani Maru (Cherokee Run). Shug McGaughey saddles another...

5th-Saratoga, $62,000, (S), Msw, 7-24, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:05.02, ft. IRISH CONSTITUTION (f, 2, Constitution--D'wild Ride {MSW, $622,841}, by D'wildcat) had a lot of buzz heading into this debut and was backed down to 7-2 off a 12-1 morning-line quote. The chestnut dueled for early control through a :22.81 first quarter before gaining a length advantage. Three wide turning for home, she was confronted by Party at Page's (Gemologist) to her inside and was briefly headed by that rival, but battled back in the final strides to score by...

Trainer Chad Brown has won the last three runnings of the GII Ballston Spa S. and five of the last eight and he's likely to add to those totals when he sends out champion Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) Saturday afternoon at Saratoga. Never worse than fourth in her 15 career appearances, the Peter Brant colorbearer defeated her favored stablemate Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) in defense of her title in the GI Diana S. about this time last year and became the first in history to win the GI Beverly...

Of the five horses signed on for Saturday's GI A. G. Vanderbilt H., two are already winners of Grade I races at Saratoga, and a third has been successful at Grade III level while placing in Grade I company. In a different year, any of the three could go favored in the six-furlong dash, but not this one, as they all have the very exciting and very fast Volatile (Violence) to beat. His sire's priciest offspring, having fetched $850,000 as a Keeneland September yearling nearly three years ago, the gray...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - At the very bottom on the left-hand side of the daily recap sheet you can find the answer to why the New York Racing Association opted to run at Saratoga this fan-free summer instead of staying downstate and operating at Belmont Park: All Sources Handle. Though they were acutely aware that New York State's COVID-19 protocols prevented spectators from attending professional sporting events, NYRA officials projected that handle on Saratoga racing would be stronger than on 40 days at Belmont. The early returns are showing they...

In Greek mythology, Momos is "the personification of satire and mockery." In horse racing, Momos is a very talented and very fast son of Distorted Humor and Inspeight of Us (Speightstown) who delivered the first 'wow' performance in the first 2-year-old maiden of the Saratoga meet July 18 (video), earning 'TDN Rising Star' status. "I think everybody that buys a horse that wants to win that first maiden special at Saratoga realizes that you're going to be running against some of the best horses that have been specifically targeted for...