Therapist, a multiple stakes winner and champion New York-bred 2-year-old male in 2017, tops Friday’s West Point at Saratoga. NYRA Photo.
By Sean Clancy
The Saratoga Showcase Day card takes center stage with six stakes Friday at Saratoga Race Course.
The Seeking The Ante triggers the day as the first race on the 12-race card restricted to New York-breds. The $150,000 opener garnered six entries and one standout.
Make Mischief beat state-bred foes in her debut at Belmont June 18. The daughter of Into Mischief, a $285,000 purchase down East Avenue, came back to finish second in the Grade 3 Schuylerville and Grade 2 Adirondack. Beaten a long way both times, the Mark Casse trainee will relish the class relief and should be odds on for Joel Rosario, who lingers in third behind the Ortiz brothers for the jockey title.
Rossa Veloce broke her maiden at the meet for Ray Handal. Infringement won her debut at Belmont for Mark Hennig. Samborella finished third in her debut for Jeremiah Englehart. Summer Brew just missed to Rossa Veloce in her only start for Jorge Abreu. Queen Arella beat open company in a Gulfstream maiden in May but wound up beaten 17 ¾ lengths in the Schuylerville for Roderick Rodriguez.
The Albany goes as the third race and attracted six 3-year-olds at the taxing distance of 9 furlongs on the main track.
Chestertown should relish the return to state-bred competition after finishing sixth in the Grade 3 Peter Pan for Steve Asmussen. Jose Ortiz takes the call on the contender.
Microsecond returns to the dirt after breaking his maiden on the turf for Todd Pletcher.
Millionaire Fifty Five would have towered above her six rivals in the Yaddo but was withdrawn by trainer Chad Brown Wednesday morning. Brown will still be represented in the Yaddo, with War Canoe, second in the Dayatthespa July 29. Irad Ortiz Jr. takes the call on the eight-time winner.
Clement offers Wegetsdamunnys and Classic Lady, 1-3 in the Dayatthespa.
Eight juveniles aim at the Funny Cide, the seventh race on the card. The 6 ½-furlong dash offers a respite from two state-bred winners who tried the Grade 2 Saratoga Special.
Market Alert won his debut with ease at Belmont for Jim Ryerson but came back and finished seventh behind Jackie’s Warrior in the Saratoga Special. Ryerson adds blinkers to the chestnut gelding, owned and bred by WellSpring Stable.
Hold The Salsa shocked six rivals in a state-bred maiden at Belmont July 12 but came back and finished ninth in the Special. Richard Lugovich bred, owns and trains the son of Hold Me Back.
Phil Gleaves tries the turf-to-dirt angle with Thin White Duke. Winless in four starts, the son of Dominus has hit the board in each start, including a tough loss by a neck on the turf Aug. 13. Joel Rosario takes over for Franco. The dark bay gelding drew the outside post.
“We had him on the dirt early on in the spring and then he had two bang-up races on the grass. In the fall, all of the stakes for 2-year-old New York-breds are on the dirt, two at Finger Lakes and two at Belmont Park,” Gleaves said. “Our idea is to find out how we fit with these better 2-year-old New York-breds on the dirt. To see if those stakes are something we want to look at. It’s an experiment. If he runs big, we’ll be thrilled and we can utilize one or two of those stakes. If he doesn’t run as well as we hope, we’ll revert back to the turf. I see a big change in him physically, he’s just become a real man as compared to what he was like in May.”
The Fleet Indian stretches seven 3-year-old fillies to 9 furlongs in the 10th race.
Jeremiah Englehart sends out Makingcents, third against open allowance foes earlier in the meet, and Critical Value, winner of the Bouwerie going 7 furlongs at Belmont in June.
Danny Gargan reverts Ice Princess to the New York-bred division after trying the Grade 3 Fantasy with the daughter of Palace Malice. Undefeated in three starts against restricted rivals, the gray filly entices Irad Ortiz Jr.
James Bond tries to keep his strong meet rolling with Rinaldi in the West Point, the 11th race on the card. The son of Posse beat state-bred allowance foes at Saratoga July 30 and gets Luis Saez for a return ride. The 4-year-old owns three wins, a second and a third in six starts.
Clement could add another notch to his impressive Saratoga 2020 belt with Therapist. The son of Freud ran hard to finish second in a deep allowance race earlier in the meet. A winner of seven stakes and $550,345, the 5-year-old gelding will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for the sixth consecutive time.
Dot Matrix takes the longest plunge in the West Point. The 10-time winner exits six consecutive open stakes starts. The 7-year-old most recently finished sixth in the Grade 2 Bowling Green. Jose Lezcano, quietly in the midst of another productive meet, rides for Brad Cox.
