ftboa.com • Thursday • July 23, 2020 FEC/FTBOA PUBLICATION Blue Grass Winner Art FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION Collector to Ellis Park Derby or to subscribe, please call Antoinette at 352-732-8858 or BY ELLIS PARK PRESS OFFICE _______ email: [email protected] HENDERSON, KY—Bruce Lunsford’s 3-year-old colt Art Collector, winner of In This Issue: Keeneland’s Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes Fore Left Goes Back to Turf in his last start, will make his next start in the From the Boardroom $200,000 Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 9 at Ellis Park, Colonial Downs Adjusts to trainer Tommy Drury told ‘Spectator Free’ Racing the track. The Ellis Park Derby, with its purse doubled and EEE Confirmed in Three Counties distance extended from a mile to a mile-and-one- Vargas Hoping for Jump Start eighth, this year is part of the official Kentucky Strangles Found in Broward County Derby Championship Series. The Ellis Park Luis Saez Named to Ride Friday Derby winner receives 50 points toward qualifying Horse Fever Anniversary Launched for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby presented by Track Results & Entries Woodford Reserve (Grade 1), a number that virtually Florida Stallion Progeny List assures a spot in the 20- horse field at Churchill Florida Breeders’ List Downs. The runner-up Art Collector/COADY PHOTO receives 20 points, with 10 Wire to Wire Business Place for third and five for fourth. Art Collector already has secured a spot While COVID-19 has wreaked havoc in the mile-and-one-quarter Kentucky on the world, the pandemic did deliver the Derby, thanks to earning 100 points with Featured Advertisers first-ever Kentucky Derby prep to Ellis his July 11 Blue Grass victory under regu- Park's summer meet because of the delay lar rider Brian Hernandez Jr. Bloodstockauction USA to America’s greatest horse race. Since that race, Drury and Lunsford “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportuni- have said that the options were to train the Stonehedge Farm eight weeks up to the Derby or to run at ty for us to even have the race to begin FTBOA with,” Ellis Park’s director of racing opera- Ellis Park. Shipping to upstate New York tions Jeff Hall said. “To have one of the top for Saratoga’s Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 8 Florida Department of Agriculture horses in the country coming here to run, was never under consideration for Art right now is our time to shine with this. We Collector, who resumed training last Ocala Breeders’ Feed & Supply couldn’t be more thrilled.” See ELLIS PARK on page 3 Seminole Feed Back to Top Page 3 Ellis Park COVER Continued from Wednesday at Drury’s major base at the Skylight Training Center in Oldham County, Ky. “Bruce kind of left the decision up to me,” Drury said. “I felt we needed to go somewhere, and that was our only option. Before I said too much, I just wanted to make sure my horse came out of the Keeneland race okay and everything was in good order. Now that we’re back on the track and seeing him train, gosh, if anything it Tommy Drury/COADY PHOTO seems like he’s better. The timing of it is going to be good leading up to the Derby. That’s the ultimate goal, and we’re going to try to take our best shot.” Drury is using the Ellis Park Derby for conditioning purposes, with hot weather expected to impact how he trains Art Collector in the mornings. The goal is to win the Ellis Park Derby but not to “gut” the horse in the process. “The good news is that it’s not a have-to-win situation,” he said. “If at any point Brian feels like we’re not getting the trip or things aren’t going the way we need it to go, we don’t have to abuse him to win the race. We just want to get the race under our belt. This isn’t the long-term goal. This is just a steppingstone to get us there. “If this was the fall of the year and we were having nice cool days, that puts a whole different spin on it. But being the time of year it is, taking the weather into consideration, I think we’re bet- ter off to go down and run the race one day. On the day-to-day type stuff, that’s going to allow us to keep him in the same routine he’s been in thus far.” Lunsford and Drury are lifelong Louisvillians, while Hernandez has lived in the Henderson area since he began riding full-time in 2004. Lunsford also has a lot of close friends in west- ern Kentucky. “Bruce [Lunsford] is thrilled,” Drury said of running in the Ellis Park Derby. “He’s a Kentucky guy and he wants to support Kentucky racing. He thought it was a great idea. Ellis Park has gone above and beyond to help the horsemen and to have their meet. Hopefully having a horse like Art Collector in their big race helps them a little bit. Hopefully it’s good for all of us.” FTBOA Document and Form Drop Box A drop box has been installed near our side entrance of the FTBOA building at 801 SW 60th Avenue, Ocala, Fla. for members to use when dropping off time-sensitive docu- ments. Forms may be found on our website at www.ftboa.com. Back to Top Back to Top Page 5 Fore Left Goes Back to Turf for Quick Call BY RYAN MARTIN, NYRA PRESS OFFICE ______________ SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY—A field of eight sophomore colts will assemble for the 11th running of the $100,000 Quick Call Stakes (Grade 3) going five-and-a-half furlongs over the Mellon turf on Friday at Saratoga Race Course. Trainer Doug O'Neill will send out three-time stakes winner Fore Left as he searches for his first triumph on grass. The bay son of Twirling Candy last raced when finishing a distant ninth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes to Tiz the Law, which came after a victory in the Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. Fore Left has recorded one start over grass, which came in the Grade 3 Cecil DeMille on Dec. 1 at Del Mar at the distance of one mile. As a 2-year-old, Fore Left won the Tremont Stakes over the main track at Belmont Park by four-and-a-half lengths, following a win on debut over next-out victors Phantom Boss and Raging Bramble Bay/BILL DENVER PHOTO Whiskey. That October he collected another stakes score when taking the restricted Sunny Slope at Santa Anita, earnings a back. He was making middle moves and flattening out at the end. career-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure. It's a matter of the distance for him, not the surface." Fore Left is the field's most seasoned horse in the field, win- Like his stablemate, Flap Jack also will be wearing blinkers. ning four of his 10 lifetime starts, and boasts the highest career "He still acts a little green when he hits the front. We figured earnings at $355,902. the blinkers would help him stay focused," Sisterson said. "It's not Jockey Jose Ortiz will pilot Fore Left from post five. to get him into the race. It's more so to keep him in line when he Trainer Jack Sisterson, a protege of O'Neill, will be represented hits the front." by High Cruise and Flap Jack, a pair of Calumet Farms-owned Sisterson said that the Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam on Aug. colts who also are seeking their first victories on grass. 29 could be in play for both horses should they put up a good Both High Cruise and Flap Jack worked in company on Sunday effort. morning over the Oklahoma turf training track recording their "We have the Amsterdam in mind, both horses have talent. We respective half-mile works in :48.77—the fastest of 52 recorded thought, let's have this race be a prep if they both run well," works at the distance. Sisterson said. High Cruise was a seven-and-a-half-length winner at second High Cruise will break from the rail under Dylan Davis while asking going six furlongs at Thistledown, where he led at every Flap Jack will leave from post three under Tyler Gaffalione. point of call. He made his career debut at Churchill Downs as the Gary Barber's Jack and Noah will seek a third stakes win on the favorite where he tracked close to the pace but flattened out to fin- NYRA circuit for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. ish a distant eighth. The gray or roan son of Bated Breath won the Sir Cat over Sisterson said that one can expect High Cruise to display the Belmont Park's inner turf last out earning an 89 Beyer and took same front-running tactics in Friday's race. last year's Atlantic Beach Stakes over the turf at Aqueduct. His "High Cruise will be up there. We added the blinkers at Thistle lone start at the Quick Call distance came in a Churchill Downs and he breezed in blinkers this morning, we're keeping them on," allowance event two starts back where he finished a head behind Sisterson said. "I expect him on the lead or be forwardly placed. stakes-winner Chimney Rock. We thought in his prior race at Churchill he would go to the front.