Far Bridge in the 2025 Bowling Green, Chelsea Durand Photo
Keith McCalmont
Mrs. Fitriani Hay’s Fort George brings significant form to Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green presented by Emerald Ecovations, an 11-furlong inner turf test for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.
The Bowling Green is slated as Race 10 on the 11-race program, which also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Caress in Race 5. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
Trained by Ed Walker, who is based in England at the historic Kingsdown Stables in Upper Lambourn, Berkshire, Fort George [post 4, Kieran Shoemark, 122 pounds] arrives from a successful quartet of races over good turf at Meydan Racecourse, posting a 4-1-2-0 record while capturing the Group 3 Dubai Millennium in brave fashion on January 30.
Fort George is by Territories, sire of Rougir, who won the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont Park and Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine in 2022. Walker said the 4-year-old gelding has reportedly settled in well since arriving at Saratoga on June 26.
“He’s quite used to travelling now, he had a winter in Dubai and that was successful,” Walker said. “He’s becoming a bit of a pro on that front, and he’s adapted to training on the dirt, which he hasn’t done before. So far, so good.”
Fort George, with returning rider Kieran Shoemark up, was a stubborn winner of the 10-furlong Group 3 Dubai Millennium when pestered through a prominent trip by longshot Miss Of Change. Fort George took over at the top of lane with the Charlie Appleby-trained Arabian Light making a wide run and looking to have a narrow advantage in the final jumps only for Fort George to thrust his nose down to secure the win.
“He’s a very tough horse, very genuine,” Walker said. “I think he’s improving. He’s a tall, leggy horse. He was very backwards at two; there wasn’t much of him and now he’s filled his frame. He’s still narrow and gangly, but he’s improving all the time, and he’s got the right temperament for it.
“We thought with him being a Group 3-winner that life might be a bit tough at the highest level here,” Walker continued. “So, we thought we’d explore options abroad and hunt around for prize money.”
Fort George stepped up to 12 furlongs for the first time in the Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold in February and squared off with the formidable Rebel’s Romance, a 21-time winner from 31 starts with more than $15 million in purse earnings.
Fort George broke outward from the outside post 8 and raced in fourth position on the outside as Kihavah led in front of the Godolphin-owned tandem of Passion and Glory and Rebel’s Romance. William Buick gave Rebel’s Romance, the 2024 Champion Turf Male, his cue in the final turn with a hard-ridden Fort George in full pursuit. The two foes battled to the wire with Rebel’s Romance prevailing by 1 1/2-lengths.
“For a few strides, we thought we were going to give Rebel’s Romance a bit of a fright,” Walker said. “Rebel’s Romance is a legend of international horse racing, so it was amazing to be in the same competition as him, let alone finish second. He’s a cool horse.”
Walker intended to bring Fort George home to England following the Dubai City of Gold as the chestnut was not nominated to the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic, which was captured by Calandagan, who defended his title earlier today in the Group Grand Prix Saint-Cloud. Instead, Fort George tried his luck in the Group 1 Dubai Turf last out on March 28, finishing a 5 3/4-length ninth in a race won by highly-regarded Ombudsman.
“We were going to bring him home and then the war kicked off and we couldn’t leave, so we thought we’d have a go in the Dubai Turf,” Walker said. “The tempo of the race at that level was very strong. He’d been on the go for a little while, so he’s had a break and a freshen up. We’re looking forward to seeing him back on the racecourse.”
Walker said he is cautiously optimistic that Fort George is handy enough to adapt to the tighter turns at Saratoga and potentially swifter early pace.
“I think the style of racing there will suit him. He likes a good, strong tempo, so we’ll see,” Walker said of Fort George, who worked a half-mile in 49.66 seconds Sunday over the Oklahoma training turf.
Walker indicated a good result on Saturday could see Fort George point to the Grade 1, $750,000 Christophe Clement Turf on August 15 here, a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf in October at Keeneland.
“The plan is to stick around for a bit if all goes well,” Walker concluded. “We’d love to have a crack at the Christophe Clement. That’s the dream, but one step at a time.”
Fort George is out of the Teofilo mare Dusty Red, a half-sister to Spotlight, who won the 2004 Grade 2 Lake Placid at Saratoga for the late Christophe Clement.
Clement’s son, Miguel Clement, sends out Carson’s Run [post 5, Joel Rosario, 120 pounds] as he looks to go back-to-back in the Bowling Green. Clement captured last year’s edition with Far Bridge adding to past success for the Clement family as his late father won this event previously with Flag Down [1996], Honor Glide [1999] and Grassy [2011].
West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey’s Carson’s Run, a 5-year-old Cupid chestnut, captured the Grade 1 Summer in 2023 at Woodbine and doubled up on top-flight scores with a narrow win in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby Invitational in August 2024. The $1.6 million earner added Belmont at the Big A’s 11-furlong Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational to his ledger in October 2024 in his most recent win.
Carson’s Run enters from a fourth-place finish in a 1 3/16-mile optional-claimer on May 7 at Belmont at the Big A. He has worked twice over the Oklahoma training turf since shipping to Saratoga and covered a half-mile in 51.45 July 4 over the Oklahoma dirt training track.
“I think he should appreciate the distance. More importantly, I think he’s training very, very well here at Saratoga with us,” Clement said. “He’s been settled here for a couple weeks. It took us a little bit of time to get him back into form. But at the moment, he’s giving us every indication that he’s back to his best.”
Carson’s Run was a $170,000 purchase at the 2023 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the winning Henny Hughes mare Hot N Hectic, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Rated R Superstar.
Flying P Stable’s Ole Crazy Bone [post 1, Flavien Prat, 124 pounds] has found a new level since being haltered for $100,000 from a neck defeat in an off-the-turf optional-claiming route last June at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Mike Maker, the 6-year-old Ghostzapper gelding finished a rallying head second in the Listed Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup in August at Ellis Park before besting Tawny Port by 3 3/4-lengths in the Grade 2 Turf Cup in September at Kentucky Downs.
Ole Crazy Bone arrives from a prominent three-quarter length second to multiple graded stakes-winner Dresden Row in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer on May 21 at Churchill Downs in his seasonal debut.
Ole Crazy Bone, out of the stakes-placed Smart Strike mare Southern Gem, has banked in excess of $1.7 million via a 20-7-6-2 ledger.
OXO Equine’s lightly-raced Minaret Station [post 6, Jose Ortiz, 120 pounds] boasts a record of 6-3-1-1 for trainer Will Walden, topped by a win in the Grade 2 Bourbon at Keeneland to close out his juvenile campaign.
The 4-year-old Instilled Regard bay raced just once last year, winning the Listed American Derby at Churchill Downs. He has returned with a pair of strong starts this year at Churchill in races won by the formidable Lagynos when fourth in the Listed Opening Verse in April and a three-quarter length second last out in the Grade 3 Arlington on May 30.
Minaret Station is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Sir Prancealot mare Beau Recall.
A talented field includes last year’s Grade 2 Sycamore-winner Desvio [post 3, John Velazquez, 124 pounds] for trainer Madison Meyers; stakes-winner Soleil Volant [post 2, Tyler Gaffalione, 120 pounds] for trainer Graham Motion; and three-time winner Carcano [post 7, Manny Franco, 120 pounds] for trainer Victoria Oliver.
Yo Daddy, Kinetic and Dr. Kraft are entered for the main-track only.
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