Complexion impresses on debut (NYRA/Coglianese)
G1 Travers Long-Term Goal for Dornoch
G3 West Virginia Derby Likely Next for Society Man
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— While Mentee, a full-brother to last year’s Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Fierceness, generated the majority of the headlines with a five-furlong track-record in his debut score Saturday at Belmont at the Big A, Friday saw another promising juvenile in Complexion, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winner Jack Christopher.
Trained by Danny Gargan, the Complexity chestnut, who is out of the Half Ours mare Rushin No Blushin, bobbled at the break from the outermost post 9, but recovered to clear the field under Hall of Famer John Velazquez and lead the way through fractions of 23.20 seconds and 46.41 over the fast footing.
By the stretch call, the promising filly had three-lengths of insurance on the rest of the field and drew off for a 6 1/2 length debut score for owners Arnmore Thoroughbreds, Carl Pascarella, and Yurie Pascarella. Her final time of 58.20 going the five furlongs earned a 77 Beyer Speed Figure.
“Johnny came back and said she’s so impressive. She stumbled at the start really bad and she just picked herself up and cleared the field pretty easily,” said Gargan. “That’s hard to do. If she didn’t stumble, she would’ve been five or six lengths ahead in a minute. She’s really talented.”
Gargan said he will point Complexion to the Listed $175,000 Schuylerville, a six-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies on Thursday, June 11 Opening Day of Saratoga Race Course, with the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway on August 31 as a long-term goal.
“The stake is coming up at Saratoga, we will train her like we are going there,” Gargan said. “Hopefully everything goes well, and we make it there. She’s a talented filly, we will see how she’s doing and then the Spinaway would be the ultimate goal.”
The conditioner said Complexion, a chestnut with a distinct white blaze, boasts physical similarities to Jack Christopher and was pleased to see Friday’s performance resemble his ability well.
“Their faces are so much alike. Their legs even. She definitely resembles him a ton and she’s got talent like him,” Gargan said. “Knock on wood, I’m blessed, I trained a full-brother to a Derby-winner and won the Belmont, and now I have Jack Christopher’s half-sister and she looks talented. A lot of people say you can’t get siblings that can run, but we’ve been blessed lately.”
Gargan said that Dornoch, full-brother to last year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-winner Mage, is doing well following his victory in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 8 at Saratoga for owners West Paces Racing, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing and Pine Racing Stables.
The Good Magic bay will be pointed towards the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Presented by Mohegan Sun on July 27 at Saratoga or the Grade 1, $1 million NYRA Bets Haskell on July 20 at Monmouth Park, with the long-term goal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 24 at the Spa.
Gargan has also considered training him up to the Travers, but said as of right now he is leaning towards getting another race in.
“I don’t know for sure what we are doing. He’ll train like he is going to run them. We’ll train like he’s going to run in one of those races and we’ll figure out which one,” Gargan explained. “Obviously, we have to see who is running and it could be real hot [temperature-wise] at Monmouth. I don’t want to take him somewhere and drain him, because the big goal is the Travers.”
The Belmont Stakes effort was awarded a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure, much improved off his previous 75 when a troubled tenth from the inside post in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 4 at Churchill Downs. The win added to Grade 2 scores in Aqueduct’s Remsen in December and Gulfstream Park’s Fountain of Youth in March.
The Sunday after the Belmont, Gargan saw graded-stakes placed Society Man score a rallying 2 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Churchill. The Good Magic gelding sprung a mild 6-1 upset after previously running a troubled sixteenth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.
“He’s a nice horse. He’s a gelding so he is going to be around a long time. He’s going to be a lot of fun to have around, he’s a really cool horse” Gargan said regarding the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino runner-up at odds of 106-1.
Gargan said the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby on August 4 at Mountaineer Racetrack is next, but will also nominate to the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at the Spa.
“I’ll nominate him to it [the Jim Dandy] and see what it is coming up like, but I’m leaning towards the West Virginia Derby with him. I’ll keep Dornoch probably in New York, who could run in the Haskell or Jim Dandy,” Gargan said.
Owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, West Paces Racing, GMP Stables, Carl Pascarella, Carl and Yurie Pascarella, Society Man was a $85,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
