Remuda winning an allowance at Laurel Park on June 16 and setting the track record for 5-1/2 furlongs at 1:00.63. (Jim McCue/MJC)
Groveland Stepping Up In G3 West Virginia Derby
Saratoga Race Course Notes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Remuda boasts a unique CV with a pair of wins on dirt and turf as he steps into stakes company for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Troy, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older horses.
Trained by Eoin Harty, the 4-year-old More Than Ready colt made his first four starts at Tampa Bay Downs, graduating at second asking traveling 1 1/16-miles on turf. He won his next two outings sprinting six furlongs on the main track before an off-the-board effort in April at Keeneland.
Remuda returned last out from a two-month layoff on June 16 traveling 5 1/2-furlongs over firm Laurel Park turf and stalked and pounced to a three-length score in track record time of 1:00.63.
“He was very impressive at Laurel setting a track record. He won by daylight,” Harty said. “He’s out of conditions, so sooner or later you have to stick him in with the big boys and figure out what you have.
“He’s a really beautiful specimen,” added Harty. “He’s a big, strong horse and the older they get, the more filled out and attractive they become. He has a great mind, beautiful head, beautiful eyes. He’s a really kind horse to be around.”
An eight-horse Troy field is led by the streaking Caravel – the reigning Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner – but Harty said he is confident jockey Flavien Prat can work out a trip for Remuda from the outermost post 8.
“It’s not a great post, but it’s done now. My horse has speed, but the other day he was tactical and that’s the way I expect him to run on Saturday,” Harty said.
Harty will look to double up on graded wins this weekend when he sends out graded-stakes placed Groveland in Sunday’s nine-furlong Grade 3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer.
The Street Sense bay made five starts at Tampa Bay Downs between December 3 and March 11, graduating at third asking in his two-turn debut on December 24. He followed with runner-up efforts in an optional-claimer in January and the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis on February 11 before running off-the-board in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby in March.
“He’s doing really well. He’s another horse that we’ll find out just what he’s made of,” Harty said. “He ran a little poorly in the Tampa Bay Derby, but I’d thrown an awful lot at him in a very short period of time.”
Harty turned Groveland out at Bridlewood Farm following the Tampa Bay Derby effort and the colt responded last out with a 1 1/2-length allowance score against older horses on June 18 at Hawthorne while racing off a three-month layoff.
“I gave him a little break and he really responded to that and has trained very well since he returned,” Harty said. “He ran a really good race at Hawthorne. I’m not sure how stiff the competition was, but he won nicely and now he’ll step up. I don’t think the distance will be a problem, but maybe the company will. We’ll find out.”
Groveland is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Lucknow, who is a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winner Better Lucky.
“When you’re training for Godolphin, you never question the pedigree. If he gets beat it won’t be because of lack of pedigree,” said Harty, with a laugh.
