Saratoga Week 6 stakes probables
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Saturday’s opener, a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight on the main track, features multiple first-time starting juveniles with rich pedigrees, including a coupled entry for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher for WinStar Farm and Siena Farm in Napa Valley and Major General.
Napa Valley, a WinStar homebred Flatter dark bay, is out of the Dubawi mare Mandrell, whose dam was dual Grade 1-winner Country Star.
“They both have been training very well and they have worked well from the gate,” said WinStar Farm CEO and Racing Manager Elliott Walden. “Napa Valley worked with last weekend’s maiden winner of Todd’s [Power Agenda]. That horse won, so that bodes well for Napa Valley.”
Napa Valley has breezed consistently since arriving at Saratoga in late June and recorded two sharp half-mile works from the gate on the main track. He went the four-furlong distance in 47.55 on August 1 before going 47.60 the following Sunday.
Major General, a son of third-crop sire Constitution, also has been training forwardly into his debut with two solid gate works on the main track. The dark bay or brown colt went a sharp half-mile in 47.22 from the gate on August 7.
“He’s a very athletic horse, much like Constitution,” Walden said. “We bought him at the Keeneland sale off Peter O’Callaghan [of Woods Edge Farm]. He just reminded us of what we see in the good Constitutions, and that’s athleticism and balance.”
Napa Valley drew post 1 under Hall of Famer John Velazquez while Major General will be piloted by Luis Saez as the coupled entry.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will debut Gilded Age, a bay son of Medaglia d’Oro.
Owned by Grandview Equine and Don Alberto Stable, Gilded Age was a $600,000 purchase from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. His dam is Grade 1-winner Angela Renee, by Bernardini, and a full-sister to Grade 1-winner and producer To Honor and Serve, who won the 2012 Woodward at Saratoga for Mott. Her only other progeny of racing age is Act of Honor – an unraced sophomore Empire Maker colt.
“He’s a nice horse. He’s one that has potential to be a nice one down the road,” Mott said. “He’s training well, and I think he’s showing that his best races are ahead of him.”
Gilded Age will break from post 2 under Junior Alvarado.
Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen will saddle $1 million purchase Raymond for Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables and Peter Liedel.
The bay son of leading sire Into Mischief is out of the graded stakes-winning Tapit mare Teen Pauline, who also produced Cambria – a turf stakes winner at Kentucky Downs.
Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. will ride from post 8.
Peter Brant’s Triple Elvis, a son of Into Mischief, makes his debut for trainer Chad Brown.
Purchased for $700,000 from Denali Stud at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Sale, Triple Elvis is out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Night and Day, whose dam was 13-time Grade 1-winner and Hall of Fame champion Serena’s Song.
Triple Elvis worked a sharp five-eighths from the gate on Saturday over the main track in 1:00.10.
Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call from post 6.
Saratoga Week 6 stakes probables
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25
$120K John’s Call
Probable: Ajourneytofreedom (Mike Maker), Moon Over Miami (Bill Mott), Ry’s the Guy (Ian Wilkes), Temple (Tom Morley), Ziyad (Graham Motion)
Possible: Fantasioso (Ignacio Correas, IV), Mutamakina (Christophe Clement)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 26
$120K Riskaverse
Probable: Designer Ready (Mott), Hit the Woah (Christophe Clement), Invincible Gal (Motion), Keeper of the Time (Brendan Walsh), Stand By You (Todd Beattie), Third Draft (Shug McGaughey)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 27
$150K West Point presented by Trustco Bank
Probable: City Man (Christophe Clement), Cross Border (Maker), Rinaldi (James Bond), Sanctuary City (James Ferraro), Therapist (Clement)
Possible: Klickitat (Jimmy Jerkens)
$200K Funny Cide
Probable: Bourbon’s Hope (Charlton Baker), Daufuskie Island (Jeremiah Englehart), Montebello (Bob Baffert), Run Curtis Run (Maker), Senbei (Clement), Shipsational (Edward Barker)
$200K Seeking the Ante
Probable: Classic Lynne (Joe Sharp), Hideout (Wayne Potts), Laoban’s Legacy (Je.Englehart), November Rein (Kelly Breen), Velvet Sister (Steve Asmussen)
$250K Albany
Probable: Americanrevolution (Pletcher), Anejo (Jack Sisterson), Bingo John (Brad Cox), Bobby Bo (Baffert), Joey Loose Lips (Michelle Giangiulio)
Possible: It’s Gravy (Breen)
$150K Yaddo
Probable: Classic Colors (Clement), Dancingwthdaffodls (Eduardo Jones), Giacosa (Bond), Kilkea (Mark Hennig), Mike’s Girl (Charles Frock), Pecatonica (Tom Bush)
$200K Fleet Indian
Probable: A Bit o’Irish Sass (Rick Schosberg), Brattle House (Clement), Byhubbyhellomoney (Bob Dunham), Epona’s Dream (Hennig), Frost Me (John Kimmel), Make Mischief (Mark Casse), U Guys Are No Fun (Je. Englehart)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 28
G1, $1.25M Runhappy Travers
Probable: Dynamic One (Pletcher), Essential Quality (Cox), Keepmeinmind (Robertino Diodoro), King Fury (McPeek), Masqueparade (Al Stall, Jr.), Midnight Bourbon (Steve Asmussen), Miles D (Chad Brown)
G2, $400K Ballston Spa
Probable: High Opinion (Anthony Dutrow), Kalifornia Queen (C. Brown), Tamahere (C. Brown), Viadera (C. Brown)
G1, $750K Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer BC WAYI
Probable: Channel Maker (Mott), Gufo (Clement), Japan (Aidan O’Brien), Mogul (O’Brien), Tribhuvan (C. Brown)
G1, $600K Forego
Probable: Chance It (Saffie Joseph, Jr.), Lexitonian (Sisterson), Mind Control (Pletcher), Mischevious Alex (Joseph, Jr.), Whitmore (Ron Moquett), Yaupon (Asmussen)
G1, $500K H. Allen Jerkens Memorial
Probable: Drain the Clock (Joseph, Jr.), Jackie’s Warrior (Asmussen), Life is Good (Pletcher)
G1, $600K Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti BC WAYI
Probable: Bonny South (Cox), Graceful Princess (Pletcher), Harvey’s Lil Goil (Mott), Letruska (Fausto Gutierrez), Miss Marissa (James Ryerson), Royal Flag (C. Brown), Swiss Skydiver (McPeek)
Possible: Bajan Girl (Rohan Crichton)
G1, $500K Ketel One Ballerina BC WAYI
Probable: Ce Ce (Michael McCarthy), Estilo Talentoso (Juan Arriagada), Gamine (Baffert), Lake Avenue (Mott), Sconsin (Gregory Foley), Truth Hurts (Chad Summers)
NYRA Press Release
Photo: Todd Pletcher had plenty of reasons to smile. He won the races 6 and 10 on the July 25 card at Saratoga with Miss Interpret ($100,000 MSW) and Mubarmaj ($48,000 Claiming) respectively. (NYRA/Coglianese)
