Menu

Stay in Touch
Sign up for ENews
Subscribe Now

Unlimited access >

Menu

2013 Saratoga Meet - celebrating 150th Anniversary

Racing
#61

While Vyjack is entered in the Jim Dandy he’s cross entered in Sunday’s Monmouth Park $1M showcase race - Haskell Invitation - and his connections have said he’ll most likely run at the Jersey shore over the Spa.

$1 million William Hill Haskell Invitational (Grade 1)
Race 13, Post Time 6:20 EST
1 1/8 miles

PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, ML Odds
1.Vyjack, Paco Lopez, 118, R R Rodriguez, 12-1
2. Pick of the Litter, J. Castanon, 118, D Romans, 15-1
3. Golden Soul, R. Albarado, 118, D Stewart, 8-1
4. Power Broker, R Napravnik, 118, B Baffert, 3-1
5. Oxbow, G.L. Stevens, 122, D W Lukas, 2-1
6. Micromanage, J. Bravo, 118, T A Pletcher, 6-1
7. Verrazano, J.R. Velazquez, 120, T A Pletcher, 9-5

First steeplechase of the meet in the books a good race!

Video replay (Race 1) 7/25/13 Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes

With that race history notched again with Jonathan Sheppard training the winner of today’s debut steeplechase race at Saratoga. Last year his trainee History Boy win the Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes over the hurdles. Today its Martini Brother and Barnstorming, both trained by him and the latter owned by him, finish 1st and 2nd. Martini Brother, a horse that went 0-4 in his last 4 flat races is now 3-0 over hurdles. Nice to see :slight_smile:

Sheppard has saddled at least one winner at Saratoga since 1969. This a record for a trainer’s streak at the Spa.

#62

A $675,000 2-yr old (Barretts March, 2013 sale) - Corfu - owned by Coolmore’s Tabor/Magnier/Smith with John Velazquez up made his debut at Saratoga, but had to run lights out :wink:

Evidently Pure Sensation (5-1) and Crescent (15-1) didn’t get the memo to yield to a runner going off at 3-5 in an $80,000 maiden special weight race!

It looked like a quarter-horse race from start to finish: 5-furlongs in 0:58.27 seconds. Had it been 6-furlongs I’d give the nod to a fast closing Crescent. Look for him next time out.

Video replay - Race 2 - Thur July 25, 2013; maiden special weight for 2-yr olds

#63

Unfortunately the ying and yang of this sport :frowning: Black Rhino marks the first death at Saratoga this meet

A four-year-old gelding named Black Rhino broke down while training at Saratoga Race Course last Thursday and was euthanized Saturday after X-rays revealed a slab fracture of his right knee was inoperable, according to the New York Racing Association.

#64

And what did Sheppard have to say about the streak?

It was the 45th consecutive year that Sheppard, a 72-year-old Hall of Famer, has won at least one race at a Saratoga meet.

“Now the pressure’s off,” Sheppard said. “Regardless of that, this was our first runner of the meet, and that was not foremost in my mind. But it was pretty exciting when after they jumped the last fence my two horses were coming down the stretch together.”

July 29, 2013 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse for their Living Legend profile (on Jonathan) by Jennifer Calder [readable here] quite the feature. I had no idea about much of his personal life and just how tragic it has been. When you see him in person he’s so even keel, pleasant, and yet a relatively tough life.

In case it was missed on Thursday… John Velazquez notched his 693rd career victory at Saratoga, tying Jerry Bailey for the most wins at this historic track. Angel Cordero is 3rd with 649 wins.

JV’s 693 wins come from 4,200 mounts at the Spa.

#65

A three year gap … today Mike Smith won aboard Posse Attack (Race 6) in a $56k purse, Maiden Claiming race for 3-yr olds and up.

The last time he won at Spa was 2010 in the 72nd edition of the Grade 1 Diana Stakes, aboard Proviso (GB) - where I happened to take this picture of him, Bo Derek, and Bill Mott at the trophy presentation

#66

And John Velazquez sits alone atop the all-time winner’s at Saratoga with his victory aboard Unitarian in the 4th race - Sat 7/27 - notching # 694!

Unitarian: Pletcher trained, Robert S. Evans bred/owned (brother of the late Ned Evans)

#67

Satuday 7/27/12 edition of the Saratoga Special (paper) - highlighting the big day of racing - Prioress, Diana, and Jim Dandy Stakes!

Today will kick-off NBC Sports live coverage of Spa -

Saturday, July 27: $600,000 Diana (GI) and $600,000 Jim Dandy (G II) 5-6 p.m. Eastern on NBC Sports Network

#68

Congrats to John Velazquez! :applause:

#69

Videos …

Replay: JV wins #694 at Spa (race & post race interview)

Saturday’s big graded stakes races

Replay: Grade 1 $600k Diana Stakes (turf)

Replay: Grade 2 $600k Jim Dandy Stakes (dirt)

Palace Malice ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.37, making this the second-fastest of 42 Jim Dandy’s run at that distance. Only Louis Quatorze (1:47.26) ran faster. Preliminary Beyer of 107 for Palace Malice’s Jim Dandy win.

Replay: Grade 1 $300k Prioress Stakes (dirt)

And not a stake race but an old warrior now: Race 1 with Caixa Eletronica gets his career win #22 in start #65! Video replay of that victory!

His career, with no signs of stopping: 65 starts 22-8-11, earnings: $1,762,505

I’m sure someone may howl that he should retired “just because” he’s made over $1M or he’s a multiple Graded Stakes Winner. Yet he looks fit, happy and wasn’t in a $5k claiming (although it was a $25k optional claim) but rather a $70,000 purse race today and won.

#70

Mike Smith having a great weekend! 2 Grade 1s!

#71

Worth putting here is the replay of today’s $1 million William Hill Haskell Invitational (Grade 1) at Monmouth Park

I didn’t think he was going to win it but Verrazano completely crushed the field - winning by the largest margin in all the running’s of the Haskell at 9 3/4 lengths. Although the time for the 1 1/8 mi race isn’t exactly jaw dropping.

Next will be the Travers Stakes against Palace Malice, Orb, etc.

Don’t expect Oxbow has he was slightly injured in the race - NJ state vet Deb Lamparter said X-rays were taken of Oxbow’s right ankle. “No fractures … likely a soft tissue injury.”

Other race action at Spa today:

Replay - Grade 2 $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes

Replay - (ungraded) $100,000 Sir Cat Stakes

Another 4-wins today by Joel Rosario!

Unfortunately a fire today (off course) has displaced 9 NYRA employees

A pre-dawn blaze destroyed four historic townhouses on Woodlawn Avenue early Sunday, forcing 15 occupants from four homes and closing off city streets.

No injuries were reported from the fire, whose victims included many residents who had only moved to Saratoga Springs from downstate within the last 10 days to work as NYRA clerks for the summer track season.

Nine NYRA employees were displaced, fire officials said.

A great section to check out with multiple Saratoga stories:

http://www.timesunion.com/saratoga150/

Example - New York racing’s Ruthless legacy

Ruthless was the first — and best — of five daughters of the dam-stallion combination Barbarity and Eclipse. Her sisters carried the names Relentless, Remorseless, Regardless and Merciless. Nicknamed the Barbarous Battalion, they ruled racing for a decade.

Ruthless won seven of 11 races and finished second in the other four. She probably would have won two more if her owner, Francis Morris, had not “declared” her stablemate, a colt named Monday, the winner before two of their four meetings.

It was a customary practice at the time, as unsavory as it seems today, that an owner with multiple entrants in a race could declare beforehand the one with which he planned on winning.

#72

[QUOTE=skydy;7097120]
Mike Smith having a great weekend! 2 Grade 1s![/QUOTE]

Like a top notch hired gun - Mike rides just two horses Friday at Spa wins both races; rides just one horse at Saratoga Saturday and that is Palace Malice in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy. Wins solidly.

Then he and Julien Leparoux fly out of the Albany Airport at 5:30 am Sunday morning to ride at Del Mar … and Smith wins the Grade 1 $300k Bing Crosby Stakes aboard Points Offthebench, upsetting Golden Cents.

Quite the tidy weekend. Mike now will stay in Calif to race at Del Mar.

#73

He’ll be riding Royal Delta at Saratoga in August. Gee, wonder what the odds will be? :wink:

#74

Agree about Verrazano - maybe he “just don’t get no respect” from me ;), but I see now Verrazano earned at 116 Beyer and Palace Malice a 107?!? When it was the 2nd fastest Jim Dandy ever?

Sorry to hear about Oxbow. :frowning:

Am really looking forward to The Travers - my summer swamped with other commitments that end the day before! :smiley:

#75

[QUOTE=CVPeg;7097611]
Am really looking forward to The Travers - my summer swamped with other commitments that end the day before! :D[/QUOTE]

Agreed, although we all know the racing gods are fickle so I suspect there will be ‘some event’ that results in one of the big three runners not making it. Hopefully I’m wrong. Certainly Saratoga could use a huge day with attendance as the numbers are down and not just a little.

I still have my own doubts about Verrazano and 1 1/4 mi vs. say Orb or Palace Malice but I’ll give him props on that win yesterday. No reason for Mylute, for example, to do so poorly.

A pity that Gary Stevens had such a lousy day at Jersey yesterday - first Indy then Oxbow both injured with him aboard. Evidently Oxbow never felt good the whole time:

“I wasn’t comfortable. I looked over at (Verrazano’s rider) Johnny (Velazquez) at the half-mile pole and said ‘I’m in trouble.’”

“I wasn’t going well and (Oxbow) was just going through the motions,” Stevens said.

Oxbow’s fourth place was the worst showing by a Preakness winner in the 46 runnings of the Haskell. Three such champions finished third: Curlin, 2007; Funny Cide, ’03 and Hansel in ’91.

#76

Eh, really? A tweet on Oxbow from DRF’s David Grening

Wayne said Oxbow has a wrenched ankle. Said he’s comfortable this morning. Not ruling out anything, including Travers. He’s back in Saratoga.

#77

Sounds like my memory of the '73 Belmont. Just as Big Red II stepped onto the track for the post parade … nothing! :confused: (@#$%& LILCO heatwave blackouts!:mad:) My father and I listed on his portable Sony radio as Chick Andersen counted 'em off :applause:.

#78

With the Tuesday dark day upon us, lets see who is in the owner’s lead (by wins):

(1) Klaravich Stables, Inc. and Lawrence, William H.; 10 starters 4-1-2
tied for 2nd is …
Ramsey, Kenneth L. and Sarah K.; 26 starters 3-5-7; and
Repole Stable; 11 starters 3-3-1

Tied for 4th with 2 winners are over 7 different stables

Jockey standing has two tight contenders and then a big gap to all the rest:
> Joel Rosario with 77-mounts, yielding 15-14-11
> Javier Castellano with 73-mounts, yielding 13-12-12

In third is John R. Velazquez with 53-mounts, yielding 9-5-8

A “New York Triple”: Should Palace Malice win Travers Stakes on Aug. 24, he would join 1969 Horse of the Year Arts and Letters as the only horse to sweep the Belmont Stakes, Jim Dandy, and Travers.

#79

The Bill Mott birthday win streak continues! Bill Mott turned 60 years old on Monday, and in 14 of the last 19 meets when racing has fallen on his birthday he has won a race here. And viola … 7-years in a row of a win on July 29th.

It came down to the last of his 5 starters, but Revenue (race 9th) circled wide to victory. Next year Mott’s birthday falls on Tuesday next year - a Spa dark day.

Today’s feature race was the $200,000 Honorable Miss Stakes (replay here)

Dance to Bristol, a mere $42,000 purchase at 2, had won her last three starts by a combined 16 1/2 lengths. She has now finished first or second in 16 of her 17 career starts.

#80

Where are the fans? Seemingly not at the track which isn’t good for Saratoga Springs, NY et al

Times Union 7/30: “Attendance stumbles out of starting gate”

… there was widespread optimism that the sesquicentennial would set attendance records right out of the gate. But the turnout at the track so far is far below that of last year’s meet.

Attendance for the season so far (% vs 2012):

July 19: 21,935, down 15 percent
July 20: 19,138, down 13 percent
July 21: 20,281, up 10 percent
July 22: 9,036, down 3 percent
July 24: 10,119, down 21 percent
July 25: 12,818, up 25 percent
July 26: 16,862, down 11 percent
July 27: 25,375, up 3 percent
July 28: 47,132, down 7 percent <-- giveaway t-shirt day; inflated via “spinners”
July 29: 10,539, down 5 percent

Get your Digital Subscription here - only $21.95 / year

Subscribe here
See gift options

Sign up to our monthly newsletter!

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.

Copyright © 2023 The Chronicle of the Horse