Warming melted the competition in her maiden victory. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
Warming Sharp with 71 BSF in Maiden Romp
Motion contemplating G3 Manila or G1 Belmont Derby for Trikari
Belmont at the Big A Notes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Warming made an auspicious debut Friday at Belmont at the Big A, overcoming the outermost post 9 to score a 2 1/4-length victory in a six-furlong outer turf sprint for juvenile fillies.
Trained by Graham Motion and piloted by Manny Franco, the chestnut daughter of freshman sire Global Campaign was guided to the rail where she saved all the ground before tipping out three-wide for the stretch run and edging away to a comfortable score in a final time of 1:09.78. The winning effort garnered a 71 Beyer Speed Figure.
Motion said the $100,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase has been professional since sent to his care by Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
“That’s how she’s been ever since she came to us. Aron sent her to me after the 2-year-old sale and she really hasn’t put a foot wrong. She’s almost been like a 3-year-old to us the way she’s handled everything,” Motion said.
Motion noted that the opportunity to run six furlongs on turf was a key factor in selecting a debut spot for Warming.
“She actually handles the dirt in the morning, but I think it’s easier for these horses to start on the grass,” Motion said. “They don’t get the kickback in their face if they don’t break sharp – she didn’t break super sharp yesterday, but she was able to get over it. I think it’s harder to do that on the dirt.”
Motion said he has yet to decide a next spot for Warming, but the $150,000 P.G. Johnson at 1 1/16-miles on turf on August 28 at the Spa is a possible target.
“That would be a nice race to think about for sure,” Motion said. “I wouldn’t be afraid to run her three-quarters again. I don’t think I’d shorten her up. Aqueduct is one of the few tracks where you can go three-quarters on the grass.”
Warming, out of the Unusual Heat mare Haute Style, had trained forwardly in company with Sharedashenanigans, who debuts Saturday sprinting five furlongs on dirt at Laurel Park.
“I was a little torn with these two of which to run on the grass and which to run on the dirt, but Sharedashenanigans has handled the dirt and is a little quicker going five-eighths so I thought that would suit her at Laurel. I imagine she’ll also end up on the grass, but she’s handled the dirt well in the morning,” Motion said.
Motion will try to repeat the maiden-breaking feat in Race 4 on Sunday here with Harrell Ventures and Starlight Racing’s Academy, who is on the also-eligible list with Franco named in a six-furlong outer turf sprint for juveniles.
The Oscar Performance chestnut, a $310,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, has worked steadily over the Fair Hill dirt led by a bullet half-mile gate breeze in 48.40 on June 7.
“I’m a fan of Oscar Performance. I’ve liked all the Oscars I’ve had,” Motion said. “Again, I really like the six-furlongs on the grass and he’s another horse that I think five-eighths will be a little bit quick for him. If he doesn’t get to run Sunday, I may just wait and stretch him out.”
Amerman Racing’s sophomore colt Trikari, a 47-1 upset winner of the Grade 2 American Turf on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs, is under consideration for local starts in either the nine-furlong Grade 3, $250,000 Manila on June 29 and the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational on July 6.
The Oscar Performance bay won the Rushaway over the Turfway Park synthetic in March ahead of his American Turf coup and he validated his effort last out with a close third in the Grade 3 Penn Mile on May 31 when a neck back of the victorious First World War.
Trikari exited the outermost post 9 in the Penn Mile and attended a rapid pace but could not stave off the late bid of First World War, who nosed out the stalking Aspenite in a desperate finish.
“He took the worst of it in every aspect of it. He had the worst draw, the worst trip – he got taken on early,” Motion said. “All things considered, I thought he ran very well and felt bad for him getting beat.
“I’m really torn with what to do with him,” Motion continued. “We have the Manila next weekend and the Belmont Derby which is tempting – but I’m on the fence with what to do with him. He’s training super and he’s a nice horse, but I’m conscious of coming back in four weeks again which may be asking a lot.”
Motion trained Trikari’s mare Dynamic Holiday, who won the 2011 Grade 3 Herecomesthebride going nine furlongs at Gulfstream Park.
“I don’t know that he’s going to stretch out. The dam certainly handled it – Oscar Performance is more of a miler – I really don’t know if that’s what he wants to do. He’s quite quick,” Motion said. “It would be good to know if he can go further, but there’s also a lot of good races going a mile.”
The $27,500 purchase at the 2022 OBS October Yearling Sale has banked $584,130 through a 6-3-1-1 record.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and The Estate of Albert Frassetto’s The Grey Wizard swept from well off the pace to land his first graded stakes victory last out in the two-mile Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course.
The winning effort, which garnered a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure, also earned a “Golden Ticket” for an automatic berth into the Group 1, AUD$8.4 million Lexus Melbourne Cup on November 5 at Flemington Racecourse in Victoria, Australia.
“It’s very tempting and the horse has come out of the race very well,” Motion said. “It’s definitely something we’re going to think about. It’s not an easy trip.”
Motion said the long-running fellow could next try the $500,000 Nashville Gold Cup at 2 1/16 miles set for September 11 at Kentucky Downs.
RyZan Sun Racing and Madaket Stables’ multiple graded stakes-winning Ontario-bred Mission of Joy landed a solid third at odds of 13-1 last out in the one-mile Grade 1 Just a Game on June 7 at Saratoga. The 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy chestnut closed from off the pace to finish a half-length back of the victorious Chili Flag.
“I was really pleased with her. She also came out of the race well. She’s Grade 1-placed twice now,” Motion said.
Motion said Mission of Joy could stretch out for the nine-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Diana on July 13 at the Spa. The veteran conditioner has saddled 14 horses in the Grade 1 Diana over the years finishing second on six occasions, including with Mean Mary [neck, 2020], Ultra Brat [nose, 2018], Quidura [head, 2017], Aruna [1 1/2-lengths, 2011], Shared Account [head, 2010], and Sweet Talker [head, 2006].
“The Diana is going to be very tempting,” Motion said. “The Diana is a tricky race for me. We’ve been second beaten a nose or a head four or five times in that race over the years. It’s a race I’ve always wanted to win, but we’ve had some brutal beats.”
Mission of Joy captured the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Florida Oaks last year at Tampa Bay Downs and added Churchill Downs’ nine-furlong Grade 3 Regret to her ledger two starts later. She was a close third in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October at Keeneland to close out her sophomore season.
Bred in Ontario by Sam-Son Farm, Mission of Joy is out of the Smart Strike mare Smart Mission whose half-sister Irish Mission was a dual Sovereign Award winner in Canada.
Augustin Stable and Catherine Parke’s dual graded stakes-winner Sparkle Blue finished a distant ninth last out in the Grade 1 New York traveling 1 3/16-miles at the Spa.
“We were reaching a little bit in a Grade 1 with her, and that race came up as tough as any Grade 1 this year – it could have been a Breeders’ Cup race,” Motion said. “I think we’ll set our sights a little lower next time – she’s a very honest and consistent filly.”
The 5-year-old Hard Spun mare has banked $897,988 through a 17-6-3-3 record.
