IN A SPORT RULED by uncertainty, one sure bet has become Voodoo Song putting a spell on his opponents at the Spa, and another is rain softening the turf on Fourstardave Day!
With a stirring stretch drive reminiscent of the race’s namesake, Voodoo Song refused to lose, much like the Sultan of Saratoga, and surprisingly paid a handsome $15.40 for his efforts! You’d think the savvy Saratoga bettors would’ve had more faith in a horse that has so much heart and runs so well at the Spa, but that made it all the better for those like me who did!
Casting aside the late challenge of a charging Delta Prince, over the yielding turf that’s not conducive for his frontrunning speed, VS stamped his magic touch on yet another victory, his fifth straight at Saratoga, and is quickly establishing a heady “horse for a course” reputation that surely has Dave beaming from his Clare Court heavenly home!
Barry Schwartz’s gutsy homebred 4-year-old son of English Channel, who recorded a career-best 104 Beyer, kept the train rolling for NY-breds, too, and amazingly gave Barry and wife Sheryl their very first Grade 1 victory at the Spa, in spite of having many other Grade 1-s across the country.
The former NYRA CEO and co-founder of Calvin Klein, (along with his Bronx childhood friend of the same name), Schwartz is obviously giddy that he alone made the wise decision to run VS in this Grade 1 spot. With the meteoric rise of his Stonewall Farm’s homebred, it’s hard to imagine that VS could’ve been claimed for $40K a year ago, but has now stepped up into open company to win his first Grade 1, beating three other previous Grade 1 winners while doing so.
It certainly appears that the sky’s the limit for the remarkable Voodoo Song right now, and I can’t wait to see where Linda Rice and Barry Schwartz will decide to place their star and fan favorite next, in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Mile November 3rd at Churchill Downs. Jimmy Jerkens’ runner-up, Delta Prince, will probably next take aim at the Woodbine Mile, after winning the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes at Woodbine in June, also at a mile.
Although Rice has nominated VS for the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at 1-1/2 miles on Travers Day, this seems a stretch, and a short rest of only 2 weeks doesn’t really fit the racing schedule she says she now prefers for VS either, which is one month off/on, as too little or too much time off doesn’t suit VS or the way he handles his
morning workouts.
That being said, the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch on closing-day has also been mentioned, and ‘tho I’m sure Barry Schwartz would love to see VS win yet again on his favorite turf, I’m not sure another race at the Spa will be in his best interests when prepping for the BC.
VS hasn’t fared as well when shipping out of town, after running 2nd in the Commonwealth Derby at Laurel last September, and 5th in the Hawthorne Derby last October, but to his credit, it was his eighth race of the year, and these losses followed closely behind his strenuous four races and wins at Saratoga in 42 days!
However, he does need to prove that he can win somewhere else other than at the Spa or Big Sandy, so maybe a more obvious prep for him will also be the Grade 1 $800K Woodbine Mile on September 15th, or the $1 Million Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland on October 6.
The trend of New York, New York continued on Saturday when NY-bred Sue’s Fortune captured the 102nd running of the Grade 2 Adirondack for 2 year old fillies for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, under Junior Alvarado. Dick Nicolai, Big Miah’s longtime client, had to be thrilled to see his homebred daughter of Jump Start turn back the closing kick of Virginia Eloise, Todd Pletcher’s regally bred daughter of Curlin by A.P. Indy, ridden by Javi Castellano.
From the sales ring to the turf and dirt, over the past ten days New York has shown the rest of the racing world that it has indeed more than arrived, and can no longer be dismissed as the “little sister” by anyone. From Diversify to Mind Your Biscuits, and Voodoo Song to Sue’s Fortune, and from million dollar babies in the sales ring, to home based jockeys and trainers dominating the international day of racing at Arlington Park, we have so much to be proud of and even more to look forward to in the days, months and years ahead.
While raindrops were soaking Saratoga, sunshine was drenching Arlington Park, and when Chad Brown and his Dad, accompanied by Hall of Famer Johnny Velazquez, Birthday Boy Irad Ortiz, Jr., bro Jose, Joel Rosario and Florent Geroux stepped out of their private jet in Chicago Saturday noon, it was Game On!
In the first of three straight Grade 1-s, Jerry Crawford of Donegal Racing and Tom Morley’s 38-1 longshot Carrick, ridden by Johnny V, ran down Chad Brown’s favorite, Analyze It, and Jose Ortiz, to win a thriller by a neck in the Secretariat for 3-year-old colts.
Carrick, who just debuted three months ago in a $40K maiden claimer at Belmont, made 10x that much in only his fourth career start, and Tom and his wife Maggie Wolfendale, the NYRA Paddock Analyst, had to be over the moon, in spite of actually being in Saratoga, absent from Chicago, when their good looking son of Giant’s Causeway, who passed away earlier this year at 21, pulled off the improbable upset, and became the great sire’s 31st Grade 1 winner.
This was Tom’s second Grade 1 victory of his young career, and I’ll never forget standing next to the Winner’s Circle in 2016 when he and Maggie, in foal to adorable daughter Grace, were equally jubilant when their Haveyougoneaway captured the Ballerina for their very first Grade 1.
For Chad Brown, it was the third straight frustrating bridesmaid finish for William Lawrence’s Analyze It, who lost two previous heartbreakers to Catholic Boy. It appears he will now be cut back to a better suited 1-1/8 mile, and will probably next run in the Grade 3 $500K Hill Prince on October 6th at Belmont.
Chad’s frustration in losing the Secretariat would quickly turn to joy, however, when for an impressive fourth straight year, and fifth time overall, a filly trained by Chad won the Beverly D, while a trio of Chad’s horses once again swept the tote board.
Peter Brant’s multiple Grade 1 winner, Sistercharlie, the Irish-bred daughter of Myboycharlie, was ridden masterfully by Johnny V, and defeated her stablemate and nemesis, NY-bred Fourstar Crook, with Irad aboard, by a half-length, avenging her previous loss to the Crook in the Grade 2 New York Stakes at Belmont. Pacesetter Thais, ridden by Flo G, hung on for 3rd, making it a Chad sweep.
This was Johnny’s second consecutive Grade 1 victory on the card, in spite of being off all of his mounts Wednesday through Friday at the Spa. He was injured late in the card on Monday, July 30th, when his mount reared in the gate, causing his iron to become visibly bent against his foot and ankle. For some reason, Johnny stoically waited over 9 days to finally visit the Dr., after he realized it was really bothering him.
Chad spoke wistfully once again about his Hall of Fame mentor, Bobby Frankel, after the Beverly D, much like he did after the Diana, emotionally stating how much this race meant to Bobby, too, and now in turn, to him. Bobby won the Beverly D twice with Possibly Perfect in 1995 and Heat Haze in 2003, while his protege has already won five editions. Christophe Clement has won the Beverly D three times, while Hall of Famer Bill Mott has won it twice like Bobby did.
It’s hard to imagine a better way to celebrate your Birthday than with victories in the Grade 1 Arlington Million and the Grade 3 Poker Up, but that’s just what Irad “Juni” Ortiz did on his 26th last Saturday! Saratoga’s leading jockey, with 29 wins and over $2.6+million in earnings after 22 days, added to his impressive resume with a flair during Arlington Park’s annual International Festival of Racing.
With a Scottish name, Chilean-bred Robert Bruce, the son of Irish-bred Fast Company, rallied late outside his rivals, with an incredibly impressive kick, under his Puerto Rican jock, Juni, to nail Almanaar, bred in Great Britain by Shadwell, and ridden by Dominican jockey Joel Rosario, by a half-length. Chad Brown trains both, and mentioned that Robert Bruce may next go in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Classic at Belmont September 29.
Getting up for 3rd under veteran Peruvian and Arlington-based jockey, Jose Valdivia, Jr., was Argentine-bred Catcho En Die, who is trained by New York-based Naipal Chatterpaul, a former jockey in his native Guyana and son of Indian immigrants. Naipaul, who runs a small barn with limited horses, had to be thrilled to pick up the check for his 3rd place showing in a million dollar race that was truly an international affair!
Million favorite, Oscar Performance, was pulled up in the stretch by Jose Ortiz after taking a bad step, but thankfully, per the on track veterinarian, he wasn’t in distress. He walked into the horse ambulance, and subsequently was sent to Rood and Riddle for precautionary reasons and observation, and hopefully he’s ok.
Juni’s Birthday celebration continued in the final stakes race on the card, the Grade 3 Poker Up for 3-year-old fillies, when he rallied Graham Motion’s Secret Message from 11th early on with a late move, seven wide, to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Pamina and bro Jose, while Princess Warrior and Joel finished 3rd.
While the success of Chad Brown, Johnny Velazquez and Irad Ortiz was exhilarating, the failure by the Euro invaders to have any impact at all was extremely disappointing at best, with horses like Royal Ascot winner, Hunting Horn, coming in a dismal 8th place.
When Juni, Jose, Joel, and Johnny were on the road, Javi took advantage of their absence and picked up 3 wins at home on Saturday, and now sits 5 wins behind Juni with 24 in 2nd place.
Junior Alvarado and David Cohen each had two wins while some of the top jocks were away, but having the best day in their absence was Jose Lezcano, who once again picked up the mount on Voodoo Song, after being off him his last three races. He also picked up the mount on Inspector Lynley, and guided Shug Mcgaughey’s son of Lemon Drop Kid to victory in the Fasig-Tipton Lure, and a 100 Beyer, in a race appropriately named after one of Shug’s all time best horses.
In Sunday’s stakes action, Jason Servis and Michael Dubb’s Call Paul took the 113th running of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special for 2-year-old colts under Irad Ortiz, as they beat favorite Tight Ten, Steve Asmussen’s son of Tapit, in a short, 4 horse field.
In Sunday’s 9th, the rescheduled running of the Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya for fillies and mares 3 and up, renowned Arabian trainer, Lynn Ashby, a cancer survivor, shipped in and stole a graded stakes victory for her first ever win at the Spa. Her versatile 5-year-old mare, Tricky Escape, had no problem after the race was taken off the turf, as she made a fast getaway at the break, wiring the field by 3-3/4 lengths.
In the rest of the jockey standings, Luis Saez sits in 3rd with 23, followed by Jose O with 18, Manny 17, Joel 16, Johnny 14, and Ricardo and Junior with 13. Chad Brown sits alone at the top of the trainer standings with 25 wins to Todd Pletcher’s 14, while Klaravich Stables dominates the owner standings with 12 wins.
Probables for Saturday’s Alabama include Steve Asmussen’s multiple graded stakes winner, Midnight Bisou, who was second to division leader Monomoy Girl in the CCAO the first Sunday of the meet, and Talk Veuve To Me, winner of the Indiana Oaks, who was also second to MG, in the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont. Asmussen will also enter Iowa Oaks winner She’s A Julie, while Dale Romans will enter Roddy Valente’s Coach Rocks, winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks in March.
