Sacred Wish Winter Memories. (Chelsea Durand)
Crimson Advocate works at Saratoga
Belmont at the Big A Notes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher Dunn and Anthony Spinazzola’s Sacred Wish earned a career-high 90 Beyer Speed Figure for a successful turf debut in Friday’s $135,000 Winter Memories, a one-mile turf test for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by George Weaver, the daughter of Not This Time pounced from 3 1/2 lengths off-the-pace under Hall of Famer John Velazquez to draw off in the stretch in tandem with the New York-bred Silver Skillet, digging in gamely to fend off her rival and post the 1 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:35.46.
“She’s good and came out of the race well,” said Weaver. “You never know until you take them out there. We had worked her on the turf and the riders who were on her on the turf said she liked it. Johnny rode a great race, and he got her settled in behind the pace saving ground on the fence. He tipped out and went after it when it was time. Johnny worked out a beautiful trip on her. I was happy watching the race from start to finish.”
Sacred Wish, who finished a close second in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on dirt, now has plenty of options moving forward on both dirt and turf, but Weaver said he is inclined to keep the dark bay on grass for the time being, with potential targets including the nine-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point on October 14 here.
“My instinct would be to stay on the grass,” said Weaver. “I think she looks better on the grass, and it was pretty promising. She’s done some good things on the dirt, but I’m tempted to stay on the grass for her next start at least. There are several options – the Sands Point, the Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland or the Valley View at Keeneland. We’ll decide after we get her back out there.”
Weaver reported R.A. Hill Stable, Swinbank Stables, BlackRidge Stables and Black Type Thoroughbreds’ Group 2 Queen Mary-winner Crimson Advocate, who returned to the work tab on September 3 after a summer freshening, has resumed training with aplomb as she prepares for a start in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on November 3 at Santa Anita Park. The daughter of Nyquist worked again on Sunday over Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma turf training track, covering a half-mile in 50.60 seconds.
“She’s better than ever,” Weaver said. “She’s put on weight and is just doing great. She came back great from her breather.”
Bregman Family Racing and WWBD’s No Nay Mets is also expected to represent Weaver at the Breeders’ Cup off a strong 3 1/4-length victory in the Rosies on September 9 at Colonial Downs. The son of No Nay Never has won 3-of-4 starts, including the Tyro on July 30 at Monmouth Park and the Royal Palm Juvenile on debut in May at Gulfstream Park.
“He’s doing very well,” said Weaver. “We’re proud of him.”
On Thursday at Belmont at the Big A, Weaver enjoyed a second-out maiden victory from the New York-bred Aggelos the Great, who stalked and pounced to a one-length score against fellow state-breds sprinting six furlongs on the main track for owner and NCAA basketball coach Rick Pitino’s RAP Racing.
Weaver said he is considering wheeling the son of City of Light back in the seven-furlong Bertram F. Bongard for state-breds on September 24.
“He’s a big good-looking horse and ran well first out and came back to run even better second out,” said Weaver. “I’m tempted to run him in the Bongard on short rest, but I’ll talk with Rick Pitino about that, and it might be a thing where we enter and take a look. He’s a real rugged, sturdy horse and he could take running back on short rest.”
One other stakes contender for Weaver in the coming weeks at Belmont at the Big A is R.A. Hill Stable, BlackRidge Stables, Swinbank Stables, Big Tufff Stables and Black Type Thoroughbreds’ Amidst Waves, who is eyeing the six-furlong Grade 3, $150,000 Matron on October 8. The Midshipman juvenile was a nose winner of the 5 1/2-furlong Bolton Landing on August 20 at Saratoga, adding to her first stakes victory in Monmouth’s Colleen on July 29.
“She’s doing very well and will run in the Matron,” said Weaver, “I never had any doubts in the Bolton Landing. She was a winner the whole way and I knew it. She does have class and quality, and she’s taken well to her lessons and understands what we want her to do in the afternoons.”
Weaver added that John Ropes’ Grade 2-winning Florida homebred Dorth Vader will not return to race again this year as she targets a return for a 4-year-old campaign, while R.A. Hill Stable, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Rock Ridge Racing, BlackRidge Stables and James Brown’s Grade 2 Ruffian-winner Pass the Champagne worked on Sunday for the second time since finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on June 10, covering three-eighths in 38.66 over the Oklahoma dirt. “She got sick in August and had a fever,” Weaver said of Pass the Champagne. “She missed 10 or 11 days and she’s been a little slow getting back in the swing of things, but we were pleased with her work
