Fields taking shape for Travers weekend stakes

Jon
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Fields taking shape for Travers weekend stakes Aug 19, 2013 23:54:18 GMT -5

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Post by Jon on Aug 19, 2013 23:54:18 GMT -5

Fields taking shape for Travers weekend stakes

The Grade 1, $1 million Travers on Saturday is shaping up to be a showdown between Kentucky Derby winner Orb, Belmont Stakes victor Palace Malice, and Haskell Invitational hero Verrazano.

Also probable are Kentucky Derby runner-up Golden Soul, seventh in the Haskell in his most recent start; Dwyer winner Moreno, third in the Jim Dandy; Romansh, who was promoted to victory in the Curlin Stakes; Transparent, disqualified from first and placed fifth in the Curlin; War Dancer, who is switching from turf to dirt after taking the Virginia Derby; and Rebel winner Will Take Charge, second in the Jim Dandy, according to NYRA stakes coordinator Andrew Byrnes.

Entries will be taken and post positions drawn for the Travers on Wednesday at 11 a.m. (EDT) in the Saratoga paddock.

The Travers card will be complemented by three additional graded stakes: the Grade 1, $500,000 King's Bishop for three-year-olds; the Grade 1, $500,000 Test for three-year-old fillies, and the Grade 2, $250,000 Ballston Spa for fillies and mares.

In the seven-furlong King's Bishop, Forty Tales will attempt to win his fourth straight stakes, having already captured the Derby Trial, Woody Stephens and Grade 2 Amsterdam, all at margins between a neck and three-quarters of a length. Salutos Amigos and Declan's Warrior, third and fifth, respectively, in the Amsterdam, also are probable for the King's Bishop, as are Quick Call top-two finishers Central Banker and No Distinction, and Let Em Shine and Majestic Hussar. Bad Hombre and Mentor Cane are possible.

The Test, also at seven furlongs, will serve as a rematch between Prioress top-three finishers Lighthouse Bay, Wildcat Lily and Irish Lute. They'll face Victory Ride heroine Baby J, I'm Mom's Favorite, My Happy Face, So Many Ways, and Sweet Lulu. Ju Ju Eyeballs is possible.

The Ballston Spa at 1 1/16 miles on the turf is expected to attract Laughing, who won the Diana on July 27 for owner Richard Santulli, as well as Diana fourth- and fifth-place finishers Samitar and Centre Court. Also probable are Better Lucky, Hessonite, Hungry Island, Miz Ida, and Somali Lemonade. Embarr is possible.

On Sunday, Saratoga will present the Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign Invitational Handicap for fillies and mares. Two-time champion Royal Delta, who won the Delaware Handicap by 10 3/4 lengths on July 20, will attempt to make amends for her runner-up performance as the odds-on favorite in last year's Personal Ensign. The provisional field also includes Authenticity, who captured the Shuvee Handicap on July 20 at the Spa, Centring, Flashy American, Apple Blossom Handicap heroine On Fire Baby and Open Water

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Jon
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Fields taking shape for Travers weekend stakes Aug 19, 2013 23:55:14 GMT -5

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Post by Jon on Aug 19, 2013 23:55:14 GMT -5

Royal Delta readies for Personal Ensign

Partially shrouded by fog, two-time champion mare Royal Delta sailed through a half-mile work in :48 1/5 over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track on Monday for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. It was the third-quickest workout at the distance on Monday.
A five-time Grade 1 winner and earner of more than $4.2 million, Royal Delta had fired five consecutive bullet works, three of them at Belmont Park and the last two at Saratoga.

"She was doing pretty darn good at Belmont," Mott said. "Is she doing better? She was doing great then. She's (still) doing very well."

Royal Delta had lost back-to-back starts for only the second time in her 19-race career before bouncing back with a 10 3/4-length romp in the Delaware Handicap on July 20. She is being pointed to the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Sunday.

"I'll tell you what I like about her here," Mott said. "We schooled her in the paddock yesterday, and she seemed pretty cool about it. She's an Empire Maker, and she can get a little keyed up when you start changing her routine around a little bit. But, she handled it real well."

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Jon
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Fields taking shape for Travers weekend stakes Aug 22, 2013 8:18:16 GMT -5

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Post by Jon on Aug 22, 2013 8:18:16 GMT -5

Saturday has great racing, good, competitive fields. Forty Tales is a good looking horse.

Forty Tales faces gate load of challengers in King's Bishop

Forty Tales might need to overcome traffic to get past 13 rivals in the King's Bishop (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos)

Forty Tales is arguably the Rodney Dangerfield of this year's three-year-old crop. Despite winning the Derby Trial, Woody Stephens and Amsterdam in his past three starts, the Todd Pletcher-trained has not scared anyone away from Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 King's Bishop at Saratoga.

The King's Bishop, which precedes the Travers on a marathon 14-race card, has attracted a loaded gate of 14 sophomores to go seven furlongs.

While his past performances are loaded with 1s, Forty Tales tends to cut things close. The Tale of the Cat colt arrived on the scene late to capture the three aforementioned features by an average margin of just over a half-length, and it's likely for that reason that so many are taking a chance against the probable favorite, who will be reunited with Joel Rosario.

"I couldn't be happier about the way he's run in his last three races," Pletcher said. "I think we have found his niche, and he certainly would be a worthy winner after the résumé he has put together."

Pletcher has two other entries in the King's Bishop. Cape Bastone, an even deeper closer than Forty Tales, rallied to miss by a neck in the Derby Trial, but didn't show the same kick when only seventh in the Woody Stephens. Overanalyze, the Arkansas Derby winner, shortens up after lackluster third-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby earlier this month.

"It's unusual that we have three horses who don't have any speed," Pletcher said. "I would anticipate Overanalyze backing from long races to short wouldn't show a lot of speed. Capo Bastone and Forty Tales seem to have had most of their success coming from off the pace. It's a big field. We'll hope for a fast pace and good trips for all three of them."

Like Capo Bastone, Declan's Warrior got within a length of Forty Tales once but didn't show the same capability subsequently. The Bay Shore winner, a troubled second by three-quarters of a length in the Woody Stephens, perhaps didn't have as much real estate as required when a modest fifth in the 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam on July 28.

There should be ample pace to set up these and other closers. Among those likely to flash speed are Mentor Cane and Let Em Shine, who weakened to fourth after setting the pace in the Amsterdam and Woody Stephens, respectively. Another with early foot is Majestic Hussar, an impressive 2 3/4-length winner of an August 4 second-level allowance in his first start in more than five months.

Central Banker and No Distinction, both of whom have solid dirt credentials, enter the King's Bishop after running one-two in the July 25 Quick Call going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. The field is rounded out by Salutos Amigos, Slan Abhaile, Bad Hombre, Integrity, and Miraculousmo.

The Grade 1, $500,000 Test, the seven-furlong, filly counterpart to the King's Bishop, has no standout favorite this year. The top four from the July 27 Prioress -- Lighthouse Bay, Wildcat Lily, Irish Lute, and So Many Ways -- will face off again, and are joined by Victory Ride winner Baby J, Grade 3 winner and Coaching Club American Oaks runner-up My Happy Face, and multiple stakes winner I'm Mom's Favorite.

Perhaps the most dangerous filly is the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Sweet Lulu, who invades from California with a three-for-three mark. The Mr. Greeley lass has not run in stakes company or on dirt before, but has beaten older rivals every time she's run including a second-level allowance at Del Mar over a mile on July 24.

The field is completed by Ju Ju Eyeballs, an ex-claimer who enters on a five-race win streak including two overnight stakes at Monmouth.

The Grade 2, $250,000 Ballston Spa, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for fillies and mares, features a rematch between Laughing and Centre Court, who book-ended a field of five in last month's Diana.

Pressured by Centre Court at times down the backside of the nine-furlong Diana, Laughing turned back that challenge turning for home and gamely dug in to hold off Dream Peace for a head victory. Centre Court, who looked so good winning the Honey Fox and Jenny Wiley earlier this year, turned in her second clunker in a row in the Diana, fading to last but only 3 1/2 lengths behind the winner. The Rusty Arnold trainee had also faltered as the favorite in the June 8 Just a Game, contested in soft course conditions at Belmont.

The top three finishers from the July 2 Dr. James Penny Memorial at Parx -- Somali Lemonade, Miz Ida, and Pianist -- are other noteworthy contenders as is veteran Hungry Island, heroine of the 2011 Lake Placid and 2012 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile. The latter was second to eventual divisional champion Zagora in last year's Ballston Spa.

Longshots Hard Not to Like and Embarr complete the main body of the field

Laughing (right) will seek to add the Ballston Spa to her win in last month's Diana (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos)
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