Week 4 Probables: Get ready for Week 4 at the Spa with 12—count ‘em—twelve stakes, eight graded
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Gary Barber and Manfred and Perry Conrad’s Golden Glider, who was last seen finishing last-of-8 in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, will make his Saratoga Race Course debut Friday in the $135,000 Curlin, a 1 1/8-mile restricted stakes race for sophomores who have not won a graded sweepstakes at a mile or longer in 2022.
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said he hopes the Curlin will be a confidence builder for Golden Glider.
“Those were my hopes and dreams,” said Casse. “I think it’s a very competitive race though, so we’ll see.”
The Ghostzapper chestnut won his first two career starts, graduating in November at Woodbine ahead of an optional-claiming score in January at Tampa Bay Downs. He competed in a trio of Kentucky Derby preps, finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis and fourth in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby ahead of another fourth-place effort in the Grade 1 Blue Grass in April at Keeneland. Golden Glider finished a distant second to We the People in the Grade 3 Peter Pan in May at Belmont ahead of his Belmont Stakes effort.
Golden Glider has posted two impressive works over the Saratoga main track since arriving from Belmont, including a bullet five-eighths on July 13 when he went in :59.65 and a half-mile on July 20 in :47.54.
“He’s actually trained better into this race than he was for the Belmont,” said Casse.
Golden Glider, listed at 8-1 on the morning-line, will exit post 5 under Tyler Gaffalione in a field of nine led by 2-1 morning-line favorite Creative Minister.
Golden Glider was purchased as a weanling for $395,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
Casse said Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Sensational, who was a late-closing second to Robin Sparkles in Sunday’s Grade 3 Caress at Saratoga, exited the race in good order and will point to a main-track event at Woodbine.
“She’s going to go back to Toronto,” said Casse. “There’s a race for her on the Tapeta.”
Saratoga Week 4 Stakes Probables
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3
$135K Shine Again
Probable: Fouette (Linda Rice), Goodnight Olive (Chad Brown)
Possible: Liberty M D (Ian Wilkes)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4
$135K Alydar
Probable: Art Collector (Mott), Chess Chief (Dallas Stewart), King Fury (Kenny McPeek), Masqueparade (Al Stall, Jr.), Mystic Night (C. Brown)
Possible: Happy Saver (Todd Pletcher), Zoomer (Mark Casse)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5
G2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame
Probable: Churchtown (Roger Attfield), Double Clutch (Rusty Arnold), Main Event (George Weaver), Slipstream (Christophe Clement), Wit (Pletcher), Wow Whata Summer (James Lawrence)
Possible: Capensis (Pletcher)
G3 Troy
Probable: Carotari (Brian Lynch), Golden Pal (Wesley Ward), Spycraft (Joe Sharp), True Valour (Graham Motion), Voodoo Zip (Clement)
Possible: Arzak (Michael Trombetta)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
G1 Whitney BC WAYI
Probable: Americanrevolution (Pletcher), Hot Rod Charlie (Doug O’Neill), Life Is Good (Pletcher), Olympiad (Mott)
G1 Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational
Probable: Annapolis (Pletcher), Classic Causeway (McPeek), Emmanuel (Pletcher), Grand Sonata (Pletcher), Nations Pride (Charlie Appleby), Stolen Base (Mike Maker), Stone Age (Aidan O’Brien), Sy Dog (Motion)
Possible: Royal Patronage (Motion)
G1 Longines Test
Probables: Chi Town Lady (Wesley Ward), Elm Drive (Michelle Nevin), Hot Peppers (Rudy Rodriguez), Matareya (Brad Cox), Sterling Silver (Tom Albertrani), Tarabi (Cherie DeVaux), Under the Stars (John Terranova)
Possible: November Rein (Kelly Breen)
G2 Glens Falls
Probable: Higher Truth (C. Brown), Key Biscayne (Juan Alvarado), Temple City Terror (Brendan Walsh), Treasure Tails (Cara Holtzinger), Virginia Joy (C. Brown), War Like Goddess (Mott)
Possible: Angelou (Kevin Attard)
$135K Fasig-Tipton Lure
Probable: Emaraaty (C. Brown), Safe Conduct (Phil Serpe), Sifting Sands (C. Brown), Skyro (B. Lynch)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 7
G3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational
Probable: Canisy (Clement), Contemporary Art (C. Brown), McKulick (C. Brown), With The Moonlight (Appleby)
Possible: New Year’s Eve (Brendan Walsh)
G3 Adirondack
Probable: Apple Picker (Rodriguez), Promise of Hope (Tom Amoss), Sabra Tuff (Stewart), Summer Promise (D. Wayne Lukas)
Possible: Janis Joplin (Casse)
$135K Fasig-Tipton De La Rose
Probable: Assertive Style (Tom Morley), Jouster (Pletcher), Love And Thunder (C. Brown), Nazuna (C. Brown), Our Flash Drive (Casse), Plum Ali (Clement), Stunning Princess (Danny Gargan)
NYRA Press Office
Photo: Golden Glider in a June 4 work at Belmont. (Janet Garaguso)
