139th meeting of Saratoga concluded; records fall

[Glimmerglass]

A very solid effort by Kodiak Kowboy to win by 3 lengths the 102nd running of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special for 2-yr olds at 6 1/2 furlongs!

Pletcher’s 2-yr old closer, The Roundhouse, came as expected off the pace, but spotted Kodiak too much room before he made his move past the rest of the field. The rest finished fairly close about another 2 lengths behind Roundhouse.

Considering Kodiak Kowboy was carrying 122 lbs to the 118 of the rest of the field he clearly set himself up to being significantly dominant. He’s also a pretty smooth runner who rates just fine and knows when to add that kick.

[Alibhai_s_Alibar]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;2628539]

Today [Wed Aug 15th] Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes for 2-yr old fillies just was wretched for poor Phantom Income, sent off at odds of 2-1, robbed of any chance with a gate malfunction. She had won her maiden by 10-lengths, but this race she was determined a non-starter ultimately due to having been given an unfair start. Accordingly big refunds paid out by NYRA.

Per the DRF ‘More Happy’ scores for Baffert:

The video of the race availble here[/QUOTE]

Impressive reflexes on Coa’s part- I was quite impressed that he stayed on!

[holmes]

Gate malfunction? The people holding the horses this year have been awful. The filly is not great in the gate, and the starter went for it, the gate guy held on, and the horse ended up. Good job on Coa for staying on - Lucky JV was not riding

[Alibhai_s_Alibar]

[QUOTE=HungLikeAStallion;2630441]
Lucky JV was not riding ;)[/QUOTE]

I thought the same thing!

[Texarkana]

[QUOTE=HungLikeAStallion;2630441]
Gate malfunction? The people holding the horses this year have been awful. The filly is not great in the gate, and the starter went for it, the gate guy held on, and the horse ended up. Good job on Coa for staying on - Lucky JV was not riding ;)[/QUOTE]

If that is indeed what happened (I’m not doubting you, I just wasn’t there), that really aggravates me. I hate seeing 2 year olds getting negative experiences in the gate due to human error. Good work by Coa staying on.

[Glimmerglass]

An article on yesterday’s very professional winner Kodiak Kowboy in the Saratoga Special for 2-yr olds: Times Union 8-17 “Kowboy shows he’s special”

This was his 5th career start with a record now of 5 4-0-0

excerpt

“He ran extremely well,” Asmussen said. “The concern today from the inside, he had such a beautiful stalking trip in all three of his victories, just how the races unfolded. Today he overcame a little bit. When he found his spot, he punched right through. I think the final time (1 minute, 15.95 seconds) was excellent for a 2-year-old.”

Sargent Seattle, the 2-1 favorite on the morning line in the Special, was scratched Thursday morning after running a 103 temperature on Wednesday. He might be nominated for the Grade I Hopeful at Saratoga on September 3rd.

[Glimmerglass]

Did anyone see 2-yr old Secret Gypsy and her brilliant run Thursday in the 6th race, distaff maidens?

Three interesting bits:

1 - She was exceptionally hard to load into the gate (it took several minutes) and broke through the gate before the start (a la Barbaro)
2 - She traveled 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.26 and distanced herself from the 2nd place finisher by 6 1/4 lengths; her time broke a 6-year old track record
3 - She was purchased earlier in 2007 for a mere $10,000 as a 2-yr in training

As Tom Durkin said while she was breezing towards the finish: “She didn’t want to go into the gate, but she sure went when they opened it!”

Go, baby, go!

[holmes]

[QUOTE=Texarkana;2630986]
If that is indeed what happened (I’m not doubting you, I just wasn’t there), that really aggravates me. I hate seeing 2 year olds getting negative experiences in the gate due to human error. Good work by Coa staying on.[/QUOTE]

The guys who school in the gates in the mornings are very veyr very good - not sure if they are the same in the races (I doubt it). They really will take any Tom Dick or Harry for the job, and they are unionized so if they are hired they stay!

Really sucks for Rick, he has announced her the next dream rush.

[Barnfairy]

Come to think of it, it does seem like there’s been a lot of loading / gate trouble at SAR this year.

I didn’t see Secret Gypsy, but I did watch a race at SAR a few days ago in which one of the horses --part of a dual entry, I can’t for the life of me remember his name-- was coming back to his first race since last August. During the post parade, TVG showed a replay of his last start one year ago, and he sure did put up an awful fuss about loading, but did rally to hit the board in the race. The commentators thought for sure that he’d have matured in the year off (and I was thinking otherwise, as most likely he hadn’t had as much gate experience as the others his age who kept running). Sure enough, it was like an instant reply of his last load – full on temper tantrum. Once again, he rallied for third too.

[Glimmerglass]

Another brilliant effort by a maiden trained by Bill Mott - Prussian - with Kent Desormeaux up in the 4th race on Friday at 1 1/16 mi on the turf. Nobody was going to catch them at all, once they hit the final stretch it was see-ya! A solid 5+ length lead with no need for encouragement by Kent.

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;2631689]
Another brilliant effort by a maiden trained by Bill Mott - Prussian - with Kent Desormeaux up in the 4th race on Friday at 1 1/16 mi on the turf.[/QUOTE]

Deja vu in the 5th race … this combo of trainer/jockey are on fire!

Winner: Stormy West with Kent Desormeaux up and trained by Bill Mott

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;2631762]

Another brilliant effort by a maiden trained by Bill Mott - Prussian - with Kent Desormeaux up in the 4th race on Friday at 1 1/16 mi on the turf.
Deja vu in the 5th race … this combo of trainer/jockey are on fire!

Winner: Stormy West with Kent Desormeaux up and trained by Bill Mott[/QUOTE]

Does anyone else see a pattern?

8th race - the Lake Placid Stakes (Grade 2)

Winner: Sharp Susan with Kent Desormeaux up and trained by Bill Mott!

[Linny]

I had the chance to meet and chat with Larry Jones today. I can’t say enough about what a nice guy he is, AND all the better, he’s a true HORSEMAN.

Jis filly New Edition was second in the Lake Placid S today at 9-1!

[holmes]

Larry and his wife are super nice people -

My fav. for the LP Clifton Bay ended up with a condular fracture, and is in the van on the way to the hospital as we speak. Such a pretty filly, the barn’s fav - can’t say enough good things about her.

[Blacklabs]

We are headed to Saratoga today, any tips?

[miss_critic]

Did anybody see Lady Joanne’s race live or on something other than the tiny Saratoga feed? Did Octave just whimp out of going through the hole? She looked like she was moving and then stopped but I couldn’t really tell what happened. Interesting, no quote from Pletcher. Good win by LJ nonetheless.

Hung, I see you were quoted again-keep those fingers crossed!

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=miss_critic;2633948]
Did anybody see Lady Joanne’s race live or on something other than the tiny Saratoga feed? Did Octave just whimp out of going through the hole? She looked like she was moving and then stopped but I couldn’t really tell what happened. [/QUOTE]

Octave was squeezed pretty good from when I was watching live on TVG. Since she never had position there was no grounds for a call of foul. The room simply didn’t open up and that run at the leads was about it once the door didn’t open. I guess my assertion that Todd should’ve run one of those girls in the Travers was a bust

[Glimmerglass]

The Times Union for Sunday has a bit more on the Octave / Lady Joanne battle although with Calvin riding the winner did anyone think they could slide inside of them on the rail? Seriously the guy doesn’t have the nickname of Bo-rail for nothing

The stewards ruled that Octave was not impeded and the order would stand, giving Lady Joanne a neck victory over Lear’s Princess.

Octave, the pride of Duanesburg owner Don Lucarelli, backed out of the tight quarters and finished third, 1 lengths behind Lear’s Princess. Panty Raid, Octave’s stablemate from trainer Todd Pletcher, was a non-threatening fifth in the field of seven.

Velazquez never stopped riding Octave, leaving the stewards little choice but to let the decision stand. Neither Velazquez nor Pletcher would comment after the race.

“That’s bull(bleep),” said Borel when he looked up at the board to see the inquiry sign.

[Linny]

In KY Calvin is called “the termite” because he never leaves the wood.

Sorry I missed you Blacklabs, I was there all day!

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Linny;2634916]
In KY Calvin is called “the termite” because he never leaves the wood.[/QUOTE]

That’s too good

Regarding the Travers Stakes for this Saturday we have Loose Leaf (son of Notebook) training hard and bring with him a victory over the main track already. Here is what appears to be the confirmed field for the big race:

C P West (with jockey Cornelio Velasquez); Grasshopper (Robby Albarado); Helsinki (Julien Leparoux); the aforementioned Loose Leaf (Desormeaux); Sightseeing (Edgar Prado); Street Sense (Calvin Borel); Tiz Wonderful (John Velazquez).

A decent but far less then block buster line up. I’m sure I’ll still enjoy the day provided it doesn’t rain!

Although still we the faithful race fans are teased with a slight chance that Rags to Riches could still run - yep it’s hope in the most thin sense possible …

Times Union 8-20-07 “Mulling over Travers entry; Rags to Riches could run but trainer thinks unlikely”

excerpt:

It’s probably not going to happen. The odds would be 1,000-1 against it.

But, there is still a minuscule chance it might happen. The filly is still nominated to the race and trainer Todd Pletcher got a solid workout from Rags to Riches Sunday morning.

With Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero on her back, Rags to Riches worked five furlongs in 1:00.50. She was working with one of Pletcher’s handicap horses, Magna Graduate, who went in 1:00.69. Rags to Riches galloped strongly.

“I haven’t ruled it out completely,” Pletcher said outside his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track Sunday morning after the work. “But it’s extremely unlikely. I did not work her this morning with the idea that this was a work for the Travers.”

“If something crazy were to happen … if there were two or three defections…” Pletcher said. “She is nominated. She could be ready to run. I don’t know if she’s ready to run against Street Sense but she might be ready for the rest of them.”

Bob Baffert’s blazing 2-yr old Maimonides who took his maiden at Spa by 11 1/2 lengths without any encouragement- according to the Daily Racing Form - got an unexpected workout:

[he did] six furlongs in 1:15.06 Saturday morning in preparation for a start in the Grade 1 Hopeful here on Sept. 3.

Maimonides actually got some unscheduled company in the breeze as a horse trained by Gary Contessa broke off just behind him. Simon Harris, aboard Maimonides, let the Contessa horse go ahead of him before blowing past that one in the stretch. Maimonides got his last quarter in 24.45 seconds.

“It worked out good,” trainer Bob Baffert said." He let that horse go, relaxed off him, and let him finish up a little bit. He must’ve worked good, [Harris] was petting him at the wire."

Harris said he was glad to pick up the company in order to teach Maimonides how to rate.

Maybe they sent over a gift later to Contessa’s barn