Rookie Report: Terranova debuts full sibling to graded stakes winner Axelrod; Saratoga Race Course Week 3 stakes probables
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Eric Fein’s Original, who earned a career-best 86 Beyer with a front-running score last out in the $100,000 Manila on July 4 at Belmont, arrived in Saratoga on Wednesday and took to the main track Thursday morning as he settles in for a start in either the one-mile Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on August 6 or the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1, $ 1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational, second leg of the Turf Triple series on August 7.
The Kentucky-bred son of Quality Road, with Luis Saez up for trainer John Terranova, set a moderate pace over good going in the Manila, kicking two lengths clear of the field at the stretch call en route to a head score over a rallying Public Sector in the one-mile Widener turf test for sophomores.
Original worked a half-mile in 51.21 Monday on the Belmont dirt training track.
“He had an easy work the other day,” Terranova said. “We’re looking at the Hall of Fame or the Saratoga Derby. We’ll see as we get closer. I’ll breeze him on the turf here in a few days.”
Terranova said recent maiden winner Ranger Fox, also owned by Fein, is under consideration for the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. The 3-year-old Nyquist bay is out of the Quality Road bay Xtra Spice and is a direct descendant of Hall of Famer Xtra Heat.
Purchased for $310,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Ranger Fox graduated last out at fourth asking in a seven-furlong maiden special weight against older horses over good Belmont turf. The 5 1/2-length score under Joel Rosario garnered a career-best 85 Beyer.
“He looked good doing it. He could come back in the Hall of Fame, possibly,” Terranova said.
Terranova said Hidden Brook Farm and Joseph G. McMahon’s Bank Sting will take some time off after being scratched at the gate in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Molly Pitcher on July 17 at Monmouth Park.
“She got banged up a little bit, but she’ll be fine,” Terranova said. “I wish they’d backed her out and given her a chance to reset. We’ll give her a bit of time and see where we are in a few weeks. She’ll need a bit of time.”
The 4-year-old daughter of Central Banker, bred in the Empire State by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, was a gate-to-wire winner of the one-mile Critical Eye at Belmont on May 31.
John Terranova (NYRA)
Rookie Report: Terranova debuts full sibling to graded stakes winner Axelrod
Curragh Stables’ Fluid Situation, a full-brother to multiple graded stakes-winner Axelrod, makes his debut in Saturday’s sixth race, a six-furlong maiden special weight for juveniles.
Trained by John Terranova, the son of Warrior’s Reward was bought for $200,000 from Eddie Woods’ consignment at the OBS April Sale. Fluid Situation will depart from post 10 under Joel Rosario.
“It’s a good family. He looks the part and is training really well,” Terranova said. “Joel has worked him a couple of times and seems to like him. It looks like he has some ability.”
Terranova said that added ground will likely benefit Fluid Situation going forward as his full-brother Axelrod won the Grade 2 Indiana Derby in 2018 at two turns.
“He looks that type [two turns], but we’ll see how he starts off and take it from there,” Terranova said. “He’s trained forward since the sale and done everything right. We’re ready to take the next step forward and see what we’ve got.”
Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. sends out Michael Ryan’s Labarde after finishing second by a neck on June 26 in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Belmont Park.
The dark bay or brown son of More Than Ready tracked right off the flank of pacesetting Life Is Great and was briefly in command in deep stretch before High Oak overtook in the final strides.
“First time out, we ran him because he was working so well from the gate. We used that as a building block for Saratoga,” Joseph said. “That race moved him forward a lot. Obviously, there are some unknown horses in the race coming from top barns so it should be a tough race. But I feel that he’ll make a substantial improvement coming from first time to second time.”
Labarde is the first offspring out of the dual graded stakes winner and multiple Grade 1-placed Eskenformoney. He was bought for $160,000 from the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Jockey Manny Franco will return to the irons from post 2.
Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey will debut W.S Farish and Edward Hudson, Jr.’s Irish Sea, a son of third crop sire Honor Code out of three-time graded stakes winning First Defence mare Irish Jasper. The dark bay juvenile colt has trained at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland before joining McGaughey’s New York contingent and worked a half-mile in 48.77 seconds from the gate over the Saratoga main track on July 17.
Jockey Jose Ortiz is slated to ride from post 9.
Lori Gervais, West Point Thoroughbreds and Charlie Pigg’s Faith Runner debuts for trainer Dallas Stewart. The son of Medaglia d’Oro out of the stakes-winning and Grade 1-placed Empire Maker mare Miss Empire was bought for $300,000 from the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Timber Town.
Faith Runner comes from the same family as 2019 Horse of the Year and Champion Turf Horse Bricks and Mortar.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will ride from post 6.
Saratoga Race Course (NYRA/Coglianese)
Saratoga Race Course Week 3 stakes probables
Wednesday, July 28
$150,000 NYSSS Cab Calloway
Probable: Barrage (Danny Gargan), Devious Mo (Rudy Rodriguez), Dreamer’s Disease (Robertino Diodoro), It’s Gravy (Kelly Breen), Ocala Dream (Tom Morely), Step Dancer (Barclay Tagg)
Grade 3, $200,000 Honorable Miss
Probable: Bell’s the One (Neil Pessin), Don’t Call Me Mary (Todd Pletcher), Kimari (Wesley Ward), Lake Avenue (Bill Mott), Pacific Gale (John Kimmel)
Possible: Bayerness (Cherie DeVaux), Club Car (Ben Colebrook), Truth Hurts (Chad Summers)
Thursday, July 29
$100,000 John Morrissey
Probable: Bronx Bomber (Rudy Rodriguez), Jemography (Mark Hennig), Morning Breez (Patrick Reynolds), My Boy Tate (Michelle Nevin), Our Last Buck (Michelle Nevin), Runningwscissors (Jeffrey Englehart), Wow Brown (Kathleen Babcock)
Friday, July 30
$120,000 Curlin
Probable: Beren (Butch Reid), Collaborate (Saffie Joseph, Jr.), Dynamic One (Todd Pletcher), First Captain (Shug McGaughey), Miles D (Chad Brown), The Reds (John Kimmel)
Saturday, July 31
Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green
Probable: Breakpoint (Chad Brown), Channel Cat (Jack Sisterson), Channel Maker (Bill Mott), Colonel Liam (Todd Pletcher), Rockemperor (Chad Brown), Tide of the Sea (Mike Maker)
Possible: Arklow (Brad Cox)
Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy
Probable: Dr Jack (Todd Pletcher), Essential Quality (Brad Cox), Keepmeinmind (Robertino Diodoro), Masqueparade (Al Stall, Jr.), Risk Taking (Chad Brown), Weyburn (Jimmy Jerkens)
Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt
Probable: Firenze Fire (Kelly Breen), Lexitonian (Jack Sisterson), Miles Ahead (Rusty Arnold), Mischevious Alex (Saffie Joseph, Jr.), Strike Power (Steve Asmussen), Three Technique (Jeremiah Englehart), Whitmore (Ron Moquett)
Possible: Chance It (Saffie Joseph, Jr.)
Sunday, August 1
Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam
Probable: Drain the Clock (Saffie Joseph, Jr.), Flash of Mischief (Karl Broberg), Jackie’s Warrior (Steve Asmussen), Papetu (Antonio Sano), River Dog (Jeremiah Englehart)
NYRA Press Office
Photo: J Luis Saez gives Original a pat of congrats after their win in the Manilla July 4, 2021. (NYRA/Chelsea Durand)
