Friday Night Previews
Friday Night Previews
Seven tough races to decipher ahead of another summer night under the lights at Hastings as Erlich, the best 'stayer' on campus, attempts to follow up his gutsy recent win and make it five in a row
HORATIO takes some class relief in search of his first win and this looks like the perfect opportunity for the three-year-old to finally get off the mark after some solid efforts in better company this term. He had MAX BOOSTER behind him when second to Go Lent Go last time over 8½ furlongs but ran equally well over the short course when chasing home Quatre Bak and Attain in June. A repeat of either effort should be good enough here. ANDALEIGH also takes a step down the ladder and looks the biggest danger to Horatio.
OSTRACIZE made a decisive move approaching the far turn last time and caught everyone flat-footed. Although relatively lightly campaigned these days, she’s ultra consistent and won’t be far away again if able to repeat that effort. PINEAPPLE TIDBITS had been showing signs of recapturing her best form for a while and it all came together behind a fairly quick pace last time as she rallied gamely down the stretch to grab the win. She’s tough and consistent and, now she’s found the winning habit again, is a live candidate. CERTIFIABLE beat Pineapple Tidbits two starts ago but trailed home badly on her most recent appearance when stepped up a little in class. Her stablemate VALERIE VALESKI, meanwhile, made every yard to win last time but takes on today’s distance for the first time in her 23-race career.
ERLICH recently made a magnificent return to action after 10 months off, getting up very late to win by a head over 9 furlongs. However, despite his dominance over extended distances, he has only won once at 8½ furlongs and this may be a bit on the short side for him these days. He’s also stepping up in class here and faces a tough task. BAK TO LIBERTY was impressive when getting up late to beat Sloop John B and subsequent winner Time Ticker last time, despite being stuck three-wide for most of the journey, while the redoubtable STAY FANTASTIC takes a little class relief and returns to the level at which he won comfortably back in June.
RHUMBABA may have gone a tad too quickly last time when attempting to make all the running and did well to go down by just a neck to the fast-finishing What’s Shakin’. He shouldn’t be a maiden too long and looks a big threat here. STATION ONE was squeezed for room in the same race and lost several lengths at a vital stage. He did very well to run-on again to grab third and should be even nearer today. Debutante SNAP TO IT has been working well in the mornings and must be respected, while fellow first-time starter BLUEGRASS LENT has also been showing up well in training and is a half-brother to former George Royal third and BC Derby fourth, Stormy Blue.
The trusty dart will need an outing here in what is a typically confounding lower-level puzzle. ICE BREAKER has been runner-up in each of her three most recent races and went down by a rapidly-diminishing neck last time. She should be a major player again today. RICHARDS COMMAND would certainly not be winning out of turn and, despite enduring some lousy racing luck, has been the model of consistency of late, finishing third in each of her previous three outings. Interestingly, ANOTHERSUNNYDAY makes her debut at the 8½ furlong distance and may provide some value. Often a front-runner, she made up plenty of ground from the turn when challenging from behind last time and didn’t appear to be stopping. She’s from an in-form barn and, if she settles, could be a danger.
After finishing a close-up fifth in tougher company last time, MERRY BLUE returns to the level at which she won in June . A repeat of either of those efforts could easily be enough here. After finishing third to Matsqui and Higher Image last time, MARYS TAPPIN SHOES takes a notable drop in class today and should be a big threat based on pretty much any of her most recent form. PETERSON LANDING split Merry Blue and KARDINAL ROSE over this trip when they met in June, while FLYING MISS makes her first attempt at the long course and runs as though it could suit.
Bettors will hopefully have kept the trusty dart to hand for this brain-busting finale. QUAGMIRE returns to the level at which he won at back in May. He wasn’t a factor last time but has had a few weeks rest and, if he can replicate June’s second to Ave’s in Command, is a major player. SOMTHING ELUSIVE split Lucky Cowboy and today’s rival DEPUTY’S DANCER when they met last month. He beat Quagmire at this level back in May and is another consistent sort who, along with Deputy’s Dancer, should be thereabouts again. WICKED NIGHT won in May in tougher company than he encounters here and, although he has dropped several rungs since that victory, has run well enough in both his most recent starts to suggest he can feature here.
Lisa & Mike’s Friday Night Picks
Statistics
Don’t Forget…
New Stride News
KY-bred Gelding wins Swift-sponsored New Stride Jumper Challenge!
Come and Join the Derby Day Fun at Century Mile!
WYN Racing’s Chris Ceraldi has secured a private track-side cabana for this year’s Canadian Derby at Century Mile on August 24 and is opening the guest list!
Number are limited and there aren’t many tickets left so, if you fancy an entertaining afternoon at the 95th running of the prestigious Canadian Derby, won last year by the Hastings’ team of Peter Redekop, Barabara Anderson-Heads and Amadeo Perez with ABELIEFINTHISLIVIN, and with WYN Racing’s ACCIDENTAL HERO a brave third, please reach out to Chris to reserve your spot as soon as possible!
Tickets are priced at $200 per person and the package includes:
A fabulous view open view of the track from you private area along the rail
Shaded seating
Private Bar
Hard flooring
VIP Buffet Dinner
Complimentary racing program
Free $5 Slot Play - After the races with your wristband!
Chris can be reached via email: chris@aarc-west.com
First Mission Sets Aim on Saturday's $1 million Whitney
by NYRA Press Office
First Mission is on a mission to secure a G1 win in Saturday's $1 million Whitney
Russell takes another “big swing” with G1 Whitney contender Post Time
Il Miracolo breezed Wednesday, may skip G1 Whitney
Outlaw Kid ready for G2 Troy; Please Advise set for G2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame
Atomic City steps up in G3 Adirondack; Normandy Coast possible for G1 Hopeful
Godolphin’s 4-year-old Kentucky homebred First Mission is lining up Saturday to see if his third mission to capture a Grade 1 win will be a successful one in the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney, a nine-furlong test for older horses at Saratoga Race Course. The Whitney offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Del Mar.
The Brad Cox trainee burst onto the scene as a 3-year-old last March when he smashed a 1 1/16-mile maiden field at Fair Grounds by 6 3/4 lengths. He followed with a rail-skimming win in the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland over eventual Grade 1-winner Arabian Lion and fellow Whitney entrant Disarm.
Cox entered the Street Sense colt in the Grade 1 Preakness but had to scratch after First Mission sustained a left hind ankle injury that caused him to take the remainder of the spring and summer off. He reasserted himself as a serious horse in his October comeback, winning an allowance optional claiming race at Keeneland by a neck after overcoming traffic trouble in the stretch.
First Mission has since contested solely stakes company, falling a nose short to Trademark in the Grade 2 Clark in November at Churchill Downs before failing to fire in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup in January at Gulfstream Park to begin his 4-year-old campaign.
He took down both the Grade 3 Essex in March at Oaklawn Park and Grade 2 Alysheba in May at Churchill before trying Grade 1 company again in the Stephen Foster on June 29. There, he went to the front immediately out of the gate and was headed in the stretch before fading to fourth beaten 3 1/4-lengths by Kingsbarns and just behind Whitney contender Skippylongstocking.
Cox said First Mission will look to employ different tactics Saturday.
“Our hope is to let them run away from him and try to just come running at the end,” Cox said. “We’ll see if that works out better than last time when we put him on the lead. We’ll see if he will go by horses.”
Cox said he decided to switch tactics after a number of forward types entered, including Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s last-out Grade 1 Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap-winner National Treasure and impressive last-out gate-to-wire optional-claiming victor Arthur’s Ride for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
“The Mott horse and National Treasure will both be going so hopefully they soften each other up and we can come running down the lane,” Cox said.
First Mission will break from post 5 under returning rider Florent Geroux.
Read More here…