TDN AMERICA TODAY Snowfall Would Be Favourite for This Based Solely on Her HASKELL THROWBACKS to the FUTURE Emphatic Success in York=S G3 Musidora S
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SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021 THIS SIDE UP: HASKELL PRACTICAL JOKE RISING STAR TO BEAT IN SANFORD by Joe Bianca THROWBACKS TO Reflective of a murky early-season 2-year-old male pecking order, a full dozen will line up in Saturday=s GIII Sanford S. at THE FUTURE Saratoga, with >TDN Rising Star= Wit (Practical Joke) expected to go favored from the rail. Easily the most expensive of 88 yearlings to sell from his freshman sire in 2020 when hammering for $575,000 at Keeneland September, the dark bay was hammered down to 45 cents on the dollar debuting June 5 at Belmont only to break last. That was no matter though, as the Todd Pletcher trainee advanced strongly while wide on the turn, swept to the front in mid-stretch and burst clear to a six-length romp. Mueller Thoroughbred Stable=s Candy Landing (Twirling Candy), the second choice on the morning line, won like he was odds-on debuting as a 17-1 shot June 11 at Churchill. The homebred prevailed in a pace duel with the race=s co-favorite and drew clear in the final furlong to a 4 1/2-length success. Cont. p9 Forty Niner prevails in the 1988 Haskell | Equi-Photo IN TDN EUROPE TODAY BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN HIGH SUMMER by Chris McGrath G1 Cazoo Oaks winner Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) looms large in Saturday’s G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks. So the big question is whether the out-of-town jocks, in the Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. heat of a $1-million battle for the GI TVG.com Haskell S., can master the instinct to reach for the whip? If any lifelong flagellants are anxious of their self-discipline, then they need only play back the 1988 running and remind themselves how Laffit Pincay, Jr. coaxed Forty Niner home, in withering heat, by a nose from Seeking the Gold. The whip is unsheathed, for sure, but so seamlessly with the horse's own efforts that the overall effect is like watching St. Francis of Assisi helping a fledgling back into its nest. If only wider standards of horsemanship had maintained similar levels of empathy, then our house might never have become so divided against itself. As it stands, any hope that people might someday look back at Saturday's race after an equivalent interval of years may depend on the outcome of the experiment being boldly embraced this year, in defiance of some aggressive lobbying, by the New Jersey Racing Commission. Cont. p3 PUBLISHER & CEO Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Senior Contributing Editor Saturday, July 17, 2021 Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN Deputy Editor Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Associate Editors Christina Bossinakis @CBossTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN News and Features Editor In Memoriam: Ben Massam (1988-2019) ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Project Manager Rachel McCaffrey Advertising Assistants Amie Newcomb Kristen Lomasson Photographer/Photo Editor Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew Pony rider Juan “Bam Bam” Galvez escorts GI Diana S. entrants Summer Romance and Althiqa [email protected] back to the barn after galloping on Saratoga's main track on Friday morning. | Sarah Andrew Social Media Strategist Justina Severni TODAY’S GRADED STAKES ET Race Click for TV Associate Producer 9:20a Jebel Ali Anglesey S.-G3, CUR -------------- TVG Katie Ritz 9:50a Paddy Power Sapphire S.-G2, CUR -------------- TVG Director of Customer Service 10:00a bet365 Hackwood S.-G3, NEW -------------- TVG Vicki Forbes 10:25a Juddmonte Irish Oaks-G1, CUR -------------- TVG [email protected] 1:52p WinStar Machmaker S.-GIII, MTH TJCIS PPs TVG Marketing Manager 3:29p Monmouth Cup S.-G3, MTH TJCIS PPs TVG Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen 4:03p Arlington S.-GIII, AP TJCIS PPs TVG 4:38p Molly Pitcher S.-GIII, MTH TJCIS PPs TVG Chief Financial Officer Ray Villa 5:11p Modesty S.-GIII, AP TJCIS PPs TVG [email protected] 5:12p United Nations S.-GI, MTH TJCIS PPs NBCSN [email protected] 5:40p Sanford S.-GIII, SAR TJCIS PPs FS2 WORLDWIDE INFORMATION 5:47p TVG.com Haskell S., MTH TJCIS PPs NBCSN International Editor 6:16p Diana S.-GI, SAR TJCIS PPs FS2 Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN 9:31p San Diego H.-GII, DMR TJCIS PPs TVG [email protected] European Editor Emma Berry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | www.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 13 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JULY 17, 2021 Like it or not, a first Grade I race without recourse to the whip feels like a big moment in the story of the American Turf. Our community has to remember two things. One is that we tend to be inured to the shock experienced by the layman who comes fresh to the ugly coercions of cruder riders. And the other, closely related, is that public policy in these matters will always be driven by mass perception, rather than any informed mitigations grasped by those inside the business. As one leading driver has wisely acknowledged of harness racing: "It doesn't matter if it's real or perceived. In our game, once it's perceived, it becomes real." As it happens, pretty much the same might be said of the damage done to our sport by the charges against the Derby winner, which loom over the Haskell even in the absence of a trainer who last year won it for a record ninth time. For these leave the Derby runner-up Mandaloun (Into Mischief) striving awkwardly to live up to his potential promotion, and the burden of the accompanying asterisk; while Following Sea (Runhappy) has meanwhile defected from Bob Baffert's barn after Spendthrift "hit the pause button" on their association. Mandaloun gallops at Monmouth Wednesday | Bill Denver/Equi-Photo Whatever the ultimate determination of due process, in this particular instance, overall it seems fair to ask Baffert to understand that you can't push regulatory boundaries without doing the same to public confidence. Cont. p4 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 13 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JULY 17, 2021 This Side Up cont. Devised to salute integrity and professionalism in the service He would not be the only of New Jersey racing, this is trainer to view a veterinary exactly the kind of honor that toolbox rather as many jockeys should reinforce in its recipient do the whip, as somehow an obligation to take no risks combining their own competitive with the reputation of his interests with those of the horse. community. (Precepts of health and safety Buddy Raines, after all, was certainly seem usefully flexible.) the incarnation of the fine But it is a wider failure to deal character that can be drawn adequately with more flagrant out of humankind by the offenders, whether with the crop Thoroughbred. His 80-year Turf or pharmaceuticals, that has only career began when a trainer encouraged the wider world in passing through rural Illinois judgements, however superficial, was given hospitality by his that authentically menace our parents. Gazing at so many sport's survival. Midnight Bourbon arriving Thursday at Monmouth hungry brothers seated round Races like this one, as cherished Bill Denver/Equi-Photo the table, the guest wistfully staging posts in our calendar, remarked that he could do with remind us that we are only ever passing a baton from one hand a strong young helper to help around the barn. "Well, hell, take to the next. Pincay and Forty Niner are part of Monmouth Park that one," said Mr. Raines, pointing at Virgil. heritage--and so, too, is the Virgil "Buddy" Raines Distinguished Buddy Raines came to mind this week on the passing of Hall of Achievement Award conferred on Baffert in 2015 for his Fame jockey John L. Rotz, with whom he shared a career commitment to the Haskell. pinnacle in the 1962 GI Preakness S. won by Greek Money. BREEDERS: FOR A FULL FIRST BOOK. First book includes CASHING TICKETS, whose yearling by Into Mischief topped the F-T July Sale at $800,000. SON OF INTO MISCHIEF TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 13 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JULY 17, 2021 This Side Up cont. whom contested all three legs this time round. True, the Mid- Rotz had an exemplary career, working his way up from Atlantic stalwart Raines chose to sit out the Derby to bring hotwalker to Midwest fairs to the George Woolf Memorial Greek Money relatively fresh to the Preakness, but that didn't Award, and the manners that earned him the soubriquet stop him running in the local prep race the previous Saturday. "Gentleman John" also extended to his mounts, gaining him a Who knows? Even as a son of Oxbow, Chuck might not have particular reputation for the management of difficult been able to dig so deep in the Belmont had he also contested temperaments. the Preakness. But he's certainly made of the right stuff. Greek Money's Preakness is remembered best for Joseph di That, and an ownership team that transcends generations, Paola's iconic photograph of Manny Ycaza on Ridan apparently gives us plenty of optimism for the future of the game. A trying to elbow Rotz as their tumultuous stretch duel neared the precious commodity, right now, but this is a race (and racetrack) line.