Year 17 • No. 9 Friday, August 4, 2017 T he aratoga Saratoga’s Daily Racing Newspaper since 2001 Top Jock Castellano leads Hall of Fame Class of ’17 Tod Marks Tod YOSHIDA AIMS FOR GRADED GLORY IN HALL OF FAME STAKES • JIMMY TONER STABLE TOUR • ENTRIES & HANDICAPPING 2 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017 here&there... at Saratoga NAMES OF THE DAY Forge, fifth race.Juddmonte Farm’s 4-year-old colt is out of Heat Haze. Scholar Athlete, fifth race.West Point Thoroughbreds’ 4-year-old gelding is by Einstein. Dancetrack, fifth race.DARRS Inc.’s 5-year-old gelding is out of Jazz Drummer. Weather Girl, sixth race. Paradise Farm’s 5-year-old mare is out of Ms Global Warming. Italian Syndicate, seventh race. Midwest Thoroughbreds’ 3-year-old is by Girolamo out of Lady Giacomo. BY THE NUMBERS 45: Shirts brought to Saratoga by NYRA’s Andy Serling. 3: Seconds by The Special’s Joe Clancy’s steeplechase picks in four races at the meet. Bet to place apparently. 2: Jump races ridden by Triple Crown-winning flat jockey Jean Cruguet at Saratoga in 1992 and 1993. 1: Jump race ridden by Hall of Fame flat jockey Jacinto Vasquez at Saratoga in 1978. 10: Steeplechase championships won by horses owned by Mrs. Ogden (Lillian) Phipps, whose stable stars included Hall of Famers (and three-time champions) Oedipus and Neji. 49: Age of jump jockey Bernie Dalton, who proved he’s still got it with a win aboard Swoop Thursday – after losing in a photo aboard Zio Elio Wednesday. Tod Marks Rematch. There’s a pretty good horse race getting ready to start on the Taylor Made barn at Fasig-Tipton. Is it tough to find value? Hardly... No stallion standing for less than $75,000 can match Hard Spun’s running total of seven G1 winners since 2012. In fact, he’s level with Curlin and above Malibu Moon and Candy Ride. There’s always something new to know... darleyamerica.com 859-255-8537 Darley FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL 3 QUOTE OF THE DAY here&there... at Saratoga Kids, on the way to the races: “Mom, are you laughing? You should do that more often.” WORTH REPEATING “If you’re going to do eight weeks, do it at Timonium – where it’s really fun and its’ five minutes Mom, on the way to the races: “Well, don’t tick me off so much.” from my house.” Trainer Mike Trombetta, on racing calendars “They told us to come out here and rope off the front, but we’ll leave you some room. I think they just needed something for us to do.” Fasig-Tipton employee, blocking off The Special’s parking spaces Thursday morning “It’s awesome as far as being a good read – I’m living vicariously this year.” 800-523-8143 Ex-D. Wayne Lukas hotwalker Jeff Stork, who is missing the meet this year “I have spent three days in technology hell.” The Special’s Connie Bush, who spent three hours Allan at the Apple Store talking to a genius Tuesday “When he first came to America, (owner) Alex Leventhal had contacted me to ride him a few times. I was riding Officer’s Oath and I couldn’t ride this horse. I just stuck by the horse I had Lavin won on, but I always told him if the opportunity arose, I’d ride him.” Jump jockey Sean McDermott, who rode Invocation Bloodstock for the first time – and won – Wednesday “I can trust Steve with a mic, Contessa is not getting the mic, but Steve, I can trust.” ALLAN G. LAVIN, JR. NYRA’s Andy Serling at the Whitney Draw Tuesday night, comparing the interview skills of trainers Steve Asmussen and Gary Contessa allanlavinbloodstock.com [email protected] “Florent did not dress well for the event. Feel free to give him some clothing advice on the way out.” (502) 773-0043 Serling on jockey Florent Geroux, who sported shorts and a polo at the Whitney Draw BC Dirt Mile & ALBERTUS Donn H.-G1 Winner MAXIMUS 1st Two Crops: by Albert the Great 80% Won/Placed | Three SWs, incl. G1 SW Kent Barnes, Stallion Manager 3rd Crop: 859-224-4585 www.shadwellfarm.com $75,000 Barretts Select 2YO Editors/Publishers The aratoga Sean Clancy: (302) 545-7713. [email protected] Joe Clancy: (302) 545-4424. [email protected] Managing Editor Tom Law: (859) 396-9407. [email protected] 259 East Avenue Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Writers/Handicappers: Charles Bedard, Gaile Fitzgerald, The Saratoga Special, thisishorseracing.com Teresa Genaro, Ben Gowans, Madison Scott, John Shapazian, (the old feed store) Thoroughbred Racing Calendar, The Best of The Saratoga Special. Shayna Tiller, Brandon Valvo. www.thisishorseracing.com Call us about your editorial needs. Design: Jenn Peyser. Published Thursday through Sunday Home Office: 364 Fair Hill Drive, Suite F, Elkton, MD 21921 Photographers: Tod Marks, Dave Harmon, Connie Bush. during the racing season. (410) 392-5867 • Fax (410) 392-0170 Distribution: Kevin Murphy, Morgan Yaeger. Plus Monday, Aug. 7 and Tuesday, Aug. 8. 4 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017 Maryland’s 2017 Hall of Fame Inductees Tod Marks Tod A. Williams Lydia Good Night Shirt Thomas Voss Steeplechaser Trainer Bred in Maryland by Tom and Chris Bowman, Five-time NSA leader in wins and three-time Maryland-sired out of a Maryland-sired dam. leader in earnings. In a career that spanned Owned for the majority of his career by Sonny from 1974 through 2013, won 706 races (394 Via Jr. and trained in Maryland by Jack Fisher. steeplechase) and purses of more than $17 Champion steeplechaser in 2007 and 2008, he million ($8.8 million steeplechase). In addition to won 10 graded stakes races, eight Grade 1s, Eclipse champion Slip Away and numerous NSA and earned $1,041,083, only the third American divisional champions, trained multiple G1 winner steeplechaser to pass the $1 million mark. John’s Call. A Marylander through and through. And saluting the Congratulations from 2017 Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor recipient Jim McKay Founder of Maryland Million Day. Maryland- educated, reporter for the Baltimore Sun, with www.MarylandThoroughbred.com a brilliant career in sports broadcasting that resulted in 13 Emmy Awards. Upon retirement to his Monkton, Maryland, farm he was an active breeder of Thoroughbreds here. Skip Ball FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL 5 Country Life Foal Patrol “I’m a MD-bred filly by Twirling Candy (sire here&there...at Saratoga of MORTICIA who just won the Coronation Cup S on Monday at Saratoga). My mom is WORTH REPEATING by Malibu Moon, the broodmare sire of two “If you ever have the unfortunate experience of going to the hospital here, the emergency room G1 winners on the same day - GIRVIN door says ‘Starting Gate,’ then you proceed from there to the ‘Backstretch,’ and on it goes.” Donegal Racing’s Jerry Crawford, at the Whitney Draw (Haskell winner) and STELLAR WIND (Clement L. Hirsch winner). I’ll “We’ll be in there, but I don’t think we’re going to jump right out on the lead. There’s some speed be offered at the F-T Midlantic in there and I hope some crazy things happen on Saturday.” Mixed Sale in December – Owner Dean Reeves on Whitney runner Breaking Lucky check me out on the Country “We saved the best for last. Gary Contessa, the trainer of Tu Brutus. He came late; he didn’t know Life Farm website!” ELLEN B. PONS B. ELLEN what a fun event this was.” Taking care of little things since 1933 www.CountryLifeFarm.com • 410.879.1952 Serling, providing a proper introduction to the trainer at the Whitney Draw “Behave yourself.” Serling, before letting Contessa discuss his horse’s chances “On behalf of my peers and the other trainers that are here that didn’t have an opportunity to say this, I truly hope Andy Serling doesn’t like him on Saturday.” Contessa, skillfully getting the last word, on Tu Brutus “I finally made The Special . my resume is complete!” Turf writer Matt Graves, who has made it twice now “You’re so much nicer to Joe.” NYRA television host Gabby Gaudet, during a spirited debate with Serling before Thursday’s sixth race (she’d like to be treated like The Special’s Joe Clancy) “I’m closing like Forego.” The Special’s handicapper John Shapazian, who is making up ground on early leader Charles Bedard JOCKEY LEGENDS DAY NYRA will welcome top jockeys from Saratoga Race Course history back to the Spa for the fourth annual Jockey Legends Day, presented by Fasig-Tipton, Sunday. Top riders scheduled to attend include Angel Cordero Jr., Ramon Dominguez, Richard Mi- gliore, Manny Ycaza, Jose Santos, Braulio Baeza, Jean Luc Samyn, Frank Lovato Jr., Robbie Davis, Nick Santagata, and David Erb. The jockeys will participate in a special autograph session from noon to 1 p.m. at the Jockey Silks Room Porch. Autographs will be available with a suggested $10 donation to the Perma- nently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Following the day’s fifth race, the riders will be honored with a special red carpet ceremony on the track. thisishorseracing.com Raising and Selling Racehorses Since 2005 Saratoga … – 60% winners ® – 7.5% G1 or G2 – 16% graded placed, 24% stakes placed NICOMA® and its affiliate 34 94 QUALITY ROAD - Unicity f. Visit us at Barn 5 G1 103 FLATTER - Whitelacenpromises f. WINNERS 123 MORE THAN READY - A.P. Cindy c. Contact: Headley c: 859.221.5108 Price c: 859.321.5117 Just since 2000 169 KITTEN’S JOY - Cozzy Corner c.