HEADLINE NEWS • 8/28/04 • PAGE 2 of 7
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A Gold Medal in the King’s Bishop? HEADLINE p. 3 NEWS For information about TDN, DELIVERED EACH NIGHT BY FAX AND FREE BY E-MAIL TO SUBSCRIBERS OF call 732-747-8060. www.thoroughbreddailynews.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2004 THE PERFECT PREP? STORM FLAG FLYING STUNS AZERI The seven runners in the 135th running of the GI Pace does make the race. Benefitting from blistering Travers S. competed in five different races in their final splits, Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat) overcame odds-on start before today’s $1 million Azeri (Jade Hunter) to take the GI Personal Ensign H., a headliner at Saratoga Race race named for her peerless granddam, at Saratoga Course. Which is the perfect yesterday afternoon. “It's a prep? Since 1960, a dozen three- great thrill to be rewarded this year-olds have used the GI way,” said winning trainer Shug Haskell Invitational H. at McGaughey, who was inducted Monmouth Park as their spring- into the Hall of Fame earlier this board to Travers success, while month. “To come back and be Saratoga Start 11 have tried their luck in the GII able to win a big race at Adam Coglianese photo Jim Dandy S. The GII Swaps S. Saratoga--especially after all we has been on the Hollywood Park calendar since 1973, Storm Flag Flying went through with her in her but it is only in the last decade that it has gained popu- Adam Coglianese photo three-year-old year. It kind of larity as a prep for the Midsummer Derby. fell in our lap here today with the fast fractions. You can't take anything away from Azeri; what a race she A Classic Double? ran.” Personal Ensign cont. p4 No less than 56 GI Belmont S. winners have gone on to try their luck in the Travers, and exactly half have Click here for the brisnet.com chart or the brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. For the video race replay, completed the double, including Triple Crown winner select: broadband or modem. Whirlaway and greats like Ruthless, Man o’War, Native Dancer, Damascus and Arts and Friday, Saratoga Letters. Point Given was the last to PERSONAL ENSIGN H.-GI, $392,000, SAR, 8-27, add the accomplishment to his re- 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4m, 2:03 3/5, ft. sume in 2001. But, in modern his- 1--STORM FLAG FLYING, 116, f, 4, by Storm Cat tory, no colt has tried to go straight from the Belmont to the Travers 1st Dam: My Flag (MGISW, $1,557,057), without a prep. Can Birdstone by Easy Goer (Grindstone) break that streak? 2nd Dam: Personal Ensign, by Private Account Trainer Nick Zito is not concerned Birdstone Horsephotos 3rd Dam: Grecian Banner, by Hoist the Flag about the layoff since his last start. O-Ogden Mills Phipps et al; B-Phipps Stable (KY); “That’s how he runs his best races,” Zito, who also T-Claude R McGaughey III; J-J Velazquez; $240,000. saddles The Cliff’s Edge (Gulch), second in the Aug. 8 Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Filly, 12-7-2-2, $1,476,828. Jim Dandy; and Sir Shackleton (Miswaki), who will try *Full to On Parade, GSP. to become the first to use the GIII West Virginia Derby 2--Azeri, 122, m, 6, Jade Hunter--Zodiac Miss (Aus), by as his Midsummer Derby prep. The pressure of having Ahonoora (GB). ($110,000 yrl '99 KEESEP). O-Allen E three starters in a million-dollar event is starting to build Paulson Living Trust; B-Allen E Paulson (KY); for Zito. “I’m starting to feel it, but...you’ve got to $80,000. enjoy these things,” he said. “I hope I’m doing the 3--Nevermore, 114, f, 4, Unbridled--Teewinot, by Vice same thing next year and every year until I retire. It’s an Regent. ($425,000 yrl '01 KEESEP). O-William L up-and-down game--you’ve got to know when it’s your Clifton Jr; B-Farfellow Farms Ltd (KY); $40,000. turn. Yeah, there’s pressure, but be thankful these Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 4HF. Odds: 2.15, 0.60, 18.30. horses are in there and they’re OK.” Travers cont. p2 Also Ran: Board Elligible, Roar Emotion. TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 8/28/04 • PAGE 2 of 7 Travers cont. From the Jersey Shore to a Travers Score... Fine and Dandy... The last three Travers winners who shipped to the Of the 11 sophomores that have gone from the Jim Haskell for their final prep--Point Given (2001), Dandy to Travers victory, five have won both races. Coronado’s Quest (1998) and Holy Bull (1994)--were Todd Pletcher, who finished third victorious at Monmouth Park as well. Lion Heart (Tale with Jim Dandy hero Strong Hope in of the Cat) looks more than last year’s running of the 10-furlong capable of adding his name to test, will try to complete the double that list. With jockey Joe Bravo with Purge (Pulpit) this year. “He ran aboard, the chestnut led every so well in the Jim Dandy--I hope he step of the way in his last start, can duplicate it,” said the meet’s but trainer Patrick Biancone leading trainer, who bids for his first maintains that his speed is now Travers score. “It was as good as any under control. “Before, we three-year-old has run all year.” But couldn’t really handle him,” Lion Heart Equi-Photo Purge Adam Coglianese the connections of The Cliff’s Edge Biancone said. “He wanted to (Gulch), runner-up in the Jim Dandy, do everything his own way. Now he does everything and Eddington (Unbridled), who was third that after- our way. He’s a lot more mature.” He added, “He’s a noon, are hoping to follow in the hoofsteps of the six tough horse. Not many horses have his speed and who improved on their Jim Dandy efforts on Travers stamina.” Nick Zito agrees. “I don’t see Lion Heart day. “Hopefully [Purge] will regress a little bit,” said throwing in the towel soon, even if Purge goes with Eddington’s trainer, Mark Hennig. “If he regresses and him,” he said. “But, we hope when the smoke clears, we move forward, maybe we can make a race of it.” we’re lucky enough to have one of ours win.” Saturday, Saratoga Race Course, post time: 6:25 p.m. EDT TRAVERS S.-GI, $1,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/4m PP HORSE OWNER BREEDER TRAINER/JOCKEY ODDS 1 Eddington Willmott Stables Inc Carl Rosen Associates (Ky) Hennig 15-1 (Unbridled--Fashion Star, by Chief’s Crown) Migliore 2 Lion Heart Smith & Tabor Sabine Stable (Ky) Biancone 3-1 (Tale of the Cat--Satin Sunrise, by Mr. Leader) Bravo 3 Purge Starlight Stbls, Saylor, Martin Glory Days Breeding, Inc (Ky) Pletcher 2-1 (Pulpit--Copelan’s Bid Gal, by Copelan) Velazquez 4 Sir Shackleton Tracy Farmer Tracy Farmer (Ky) Zito 10-1 (Miswaki--Naskra Colors, by Star de Naskra) Bejarano 5 Birdstone Marylou Whitney Stables Marylou Whitney Stables (Ky) Zito 3-1 (Grindstone--Dear Birdie, by Storm Bird) Prado 6 The Cliff’s Edge Robert V LaPenta Stonerside Stable (Ky) Zito 7-2 (Gulch--Zigember, by Danzig) Sellers 7 Suave Jay Em Ess Stable Jan, Mace & Samantha Siegel (Ky) McGee 20-1 (A.P. Indy--Urbane, by Citidancer) Day All carry 126 pounds. This is the brisnet.com ‘Race of the Day’. Click here for PPs and a complete race analysis. TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 8/28/04 • PAGE 3 of 7 KING FOR A DAY Where There’s Smoke... The 20th running of the GI King’s Bishop S. at Fire Slam (Grand Slam) had some success at two Saratoga this afternoon brings together some of the turns, winning the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 24 and finishing nation’s top sophomore sprinters, including the top second in the GII Lexington S. Apr. 17, but has shone three finishers of the local prep, the GII Amsterdam S. since being remolded as a sprinter. The powerfully built Aug. 7--Bwana Charlie (Indian colt defeated Cuvee by 5 1/4 Charlie), Pomeroy (Boundary) lengths in the Matt Winn S. May and Weigelia (Safely’s Mark)-- 8 and was a hard-fought winner as well as the fleet Medallist of the GII Riva Ridge Breeders’ (Touch Gold), who cuts back Cup S. June 5 before overcoming to seven furlongs after failed his elders in the Don Bernhardt S. assay in the GII Jim Dandy S. July 24. Trainer David Carroll is Aug. 8. Medallist had blazed hoping a hot pace develops for his way downstate in the GIII his charge. “He's got an explo- Fire Slam (inside) Bwana Charlie (2nd from left) Withers S. May 1 and the GII sive kick,” Carroll said. “It’s not a Adam Coglianese photo defeats Pomeroy in Amsterdam Dwyer S. July 11, putting up long kick--probably about three sixteenths. His punch is very effective, but I don't want Adam Coglianese photo 110 and 112 Beyer Speed to get into a head-to-head battle with Medallist. I'd Figures in those respective races while defeating the prefer to run right by him with 100 yards to go.” likes of Forest Danger, The Cliff’s Edge and Sir Shackleton. But the handsome bay folded when sent two turns in the Jim Dandy, and trainer Saturday, Saratoga Race Course, post time: 5:50 p.m. EDT Allen Jerkens made the call to go back to sprint- KING’S BISHOP S.-GI, $250,000, 3yo, 7f ing.