SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles and Patty Searles’ City Man, a 5-year-old New York-bred son of Mucho Macho Man, breezed a half-mile in 49.26 seconds Sunday over the Oklahoma turf training track.
It was the first work back for the Christophe Clement-trained City Man following his 2 3/4-length score in the one-mile Grade 3 Forbidden Apple on July 15 at Saratoga that garnered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.
Clement said he is considering City Man for either the 1 1/16-mile $200,000 West Point Handicap presented by Trustco Bank against fellow state-breds on August 26; or the one-mile Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap on August 13, which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile in November at Keeneland.
“He worked well. It was a nice maintenance work,” Clement said. “Now, we have to decide, do we go to the Fourstardave or for the West Point. He’s doing well and he loves Saratoga, so maybe it’s not a bad idea to be ambitious.”
A stakes-winner in each year of racing, City Man boasts a record of 4-2-1-0 at Saratoga. Clement said he has been impressed by City Man’s efforts this season, beginning with a 2 1/4-length score in the one-mile Danger’s Hour in April at Aqueduct.
The Moonstar Farm-bred horse followed with a pair of troubled trips at Belmont when fourth over yielding going in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy on May 7 and seventh when boxed in and steadied repeatedly in the Kingston against state-breds on May 30.
“He’s always been a stakes horse,” Clement said. “I thought he was very impressive when he won the stakes at Aqueduct in April and he had two starts after that where he was very unlucky, but he won very well the other day in Saratoga.”
Blue Devil Racing Stable’s Canisy, a sophomore daughter of Point of Entry, is under consideration for either the 1 3/16-mile Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational on August 7 or the Grade 2, $200,000 Lake Placid at 1 1/16-miles on August 20.
Canisy made her first two starts traveling 1 1/16-miles on the Belmont turf, besting next-out winner Contemporary Art in her May debut and following with a close second in June against winners. She made her Saratoga debut a winning one with a gate-to-wire score in a nine-furlong optional-claimer on July 14 that garnered a career-best 84 Beyer.
“She’s a nice horse. She keeps improving. The Lake Placid might be a better distance for her right now and better company,” Clement said.
Clement said Jump Sucker Stable’s Slipstream, last seen finishing off-the-board in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup on June 17 at Royal Ascot, will skip Friday’s Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.
“He’s training at Belmont but he needs more time,” Clement said.
The dark bay son of More Than Ready captured the Grade 3 Futurity in October at Belmont en route to a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, defeated less than three lengths by Modern Games in November at Del Mar.
He won the 5 1/2-furlong Palisades in April at Keeneland by three-quarters of a length over Twilight Gleaming, who exited that effort to win both the Mamzelle at Churchill and the Daisycutter Handicap at Del Mar.
Bred in Kentucky by Burleson Farm and McKenzie Bloodstock, Slipstream was purchased for $170,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
NYRA Press Office
