OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Following a recent allowance triumph against elders at Saratoga Race Course, Woodslane Farm homebred Hail To is likely to make her next start in the nine-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point on October 15 at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.
Trained by Tom Albertrani, the sophomore daughter of Kitten’s Joy sprung a 19-1 upset when travelling 1 3/16 miles over the Spa’s Mellon turf course on September 2 with a sweeping six-wide move in upper stretch, collaring pacesetter Blue Times and fending off an inside rally from Transient to win by a half-length. The victory, her first triumph against winners, registered a career-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure.
Albertrani said Hail To will most likely do her better running when stretched out even further. Her older full-brother Sadler’s Joy was a long-distance specialist for Albertrani, capturing the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream Park, both 12-furlong events.
“We were anticipating a good run from her that day, and it was a good win from her beating older fillies as well,” Albertrani said of the Spa effort. “Now, we’re cutting her back in distance a little bit, which she probably prefers going longer like her full brother did. We’re a little limited now distance wise, but I think she’ll most likely handle that as well. Ever since we’ve started to stretch her out in her races, she’s started to show that she looks like she definitely wants to go a route of ground.”
Albertrani has won the Sands Point previously with Raw Silk [2008], Gozzip Girl [2009] and dual Grade 1-winning millionaire Better Lucky [2012].
Wolfie’s Dynaghost, a half-brother to Hail To by Ghostzapper, captured the Bert Allen on September 7 at Colonial Downs in wire-to-wire fashion. The 1 1/16-mile test for Virginia Certified horses was a first stakes victory for Wolfie’s Dynaghost, who scored by three lengths over graded stakes winner Largent.
A winner on dirt, turf and synthetic surfaces, Wolfie’s Dynaghost earned graded black type on two occasions this year when second in both the Grade 3 Appleton in April at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 3 Poker three starts back at Belmont Park.
Wolfie’s Dynaghost is a likely candidate for the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker on October 9 going nine furlongs over the Big A turf.
“We’re looking at the Knickerbocker next month. We’ll stretch him out a bit further and see how he handles the mile and an eighth,” Albertrani said. “He’s doing super and we’re on schedule for it. He’s been very effective on a wet track and synthetic, but I think turf is where he’s at his best.”
Both Hail To and Wolfie’s Dynaghost are out of the unraced Dynaformer mare Dynaire, who has a full-brother to Wolfie’s Dynaghost born this year. She was bred to Munnings this season.
NYRA Press Office
Main photo: Hail To wins at Saratoga in 2021 (NYRA/Coglianese)
