Year 17 • No. 16 Saturday, August 12, 2017 T he aratoga Saratoga’s Daily Racing Newspaper since 2001 Four the Girls Sassy Little Lila tackles boys in Gr. 1 Tod Marks Tod THE DUDE ABIDES IN FRIDAY FEATURE • GRAHAM MOTION STABLE TOUR • ENTRIES/HANDICAPPING 2 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2017 here&there... at Saratoga LICENSE PLATE OF THE DAY BYANOSE, New York. Submitted by reader and advertiser Russ Sapienza of Taste of Victory Stables. NAMES OF THE DAY Space Mountain, third race. Owned by G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and Ashbrook Farm, the 4-year-old is out of Magical Ride Sportswear, sixth race. Will Farish’s homebred is out of Casual Look. T-SHIRT SLOGAN OF THE DAY Optimism is cooler (from Life Is Good), with a graphic of a cooler. Amen. We’re optimistic we will be able to finish The Special every night – well, most nights. BY THE NUMBERS 6:28: Post time for today’s Grade 1 Fourstardave. 6:30: Scheduled start time for opening session of Fasig-Tipton New York- bred sale. 7:06: Post time for the 11th and final race today. 0: Fillies or mares to win the Fourstardave (which used to be the Daryl’s Joy); Sassy Little Lila tries to make history today. Connie Bush Melting Pot. Backside racing fans watch – and live and die with – the results of a race. Alpha male! The son of Bernardini who won the G1 Travers and G1 Woodward, and was second in the G1 Champagne at two. It’s a superior racing résumé than Tapit, A.P. Indy’s best stallion grandson so far! Phabulous phirst-crop yearlings selling at Phasig-Tipton Prepherred ALPHA Standing at Sequel Stallions, New York in NEW YORK 859-255-8537 or 800-925-2913 www.darleyamerica.com Be a part of it SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2017 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL 3 QUOTE OF THE DAY & at Saratoga “The only way to get done is to get done.” here there... Trainer Bill Mott, talking to his exercise riders WORTH REPEATING as he rode off on his pony at 8:30 Friday morning “Parting Glass refugee.” Description of an exercise rider Friday morning “You want to do a Stable Tour with my horses, it won’t take long – stewards’ list, starter’s list, stewards’ list…” Trainer Mitch Friedman, Friday morning “If you would take more than 15 minutes handicapping, you might be leading that thing.” Clocker Dave Lynett to The Special’s Tom Law, 800-523-8143 who was tied for third among Special handicappers “I’m too far down the totem pole to get quoted in there. You need prestige.” J. J. Pletcher, breaking the rule, Friday morning “No, I didn’t.” Trainer Todd Pletcher, when told he walked into a writer’s trap Friday morning “That’s perfect. Jose, good job.” Pletcher, to Jose Ortiz after Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit breezed Friday morning TAMARKUZby Speightstown “I grew up wanting to be a cowboy. My grandfather gave me a pony when I was 7. I went through everybody’s yard and then I’d turn him around and grab the horn of that western saddle and he would just haul ass back. I was afraid to tell anybody because I was afraid they’d take him away HIGHEST BEYER from me.” Two-Turn Mile of 2016 Davant Latham, about the early years of his equine education “It looks like a jungle.” in the Breeders’ Cup Charles Lee, when asked how The Special’s Virginia garden was looking 107Dirt Mile - G1 Integrity. Reputation. Experience. Charlie is a Bloodstock Agent You Can Trust. From purchasing yearlings to broodmare management... How can I help you? Kent Barnes, Stallion Manager 859-224-4585 Albertus Maximus - Daaher - Tamarkuz www.shadwellfarm.com 502.648. 4181 [email protected] CHBThoroughbreds.com 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: Linzay Marks. 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 SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2017 Broken Vow UNBRIDLED – WEDDING VOW, by NIJINSKY II Hip 162 Colt out of Classic Strike, by Smart Strike Purchased by Woodford Racing ________________________ Consigned by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services Agent for Breeder Merriebelle Stable Pin Oak Stud P.O. Box 68 • Route 60 • Versailles, KY 40383 Inquiries to Clifford Barry or Nancy Stephens (859) 873-1420 www.pinoakstud.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2017 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL 5 Country Life Foal Patrol “I’m a MD-bred Tapizar filly, out of a here&there...at Saratoga Forestry mare - two of my Dad’s top three WORTH REPEATING earners are out of Forestry mares. My “Y’all sleep back there on the dog bed? mom is from the family of Serena’s Song Claiborne Farm’s Bernie Sams stopping by The Special’s office Friday afternoon. and she’s in foal to Temple City (sire of It looks like a dog bed, but it’s a Yogibo beanbag multiple G1 winner Miss Temple City). “Amazing. I loved it. One of the most cool things I’ve ever seen. All I can really say is that it was We’ll both be at Keeneland incredible.” in November – look us up!” Miles Clancy, 8, after seeing the Lion King on Broadway “I’ll let them take the credit. I’ve got a lot of people taking the credit, so they can jump on board.” Trainer David Donk giving The Special some after Romantic Babe Taking care of little things since 1933 www.CountryLifeFarm.com • 410.879.1952 won the fifth the day she appeared in the Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour “I love The Saratoga Special, it’s my bible.” Owner/breeder Vivien Malloy “Are these horses going to be racing?” Racing newbie in the paddock for the sixth “I brought some quick horses.” Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, when someone said his horses looked quick on the Oklahoma Friday morning “With all due respect to the Phipps family, they should add a couple because they run all the time in New York.” Yearling shopper, on the value of the New York-bred program to New York-based owners “We don’t see too many Saratoga Special reporters over on the harness side.” Assistant trainer Riley Mott, issuing a dare Friday morning “I’ll pack a shipping bag.” Jockey Rajiv Maragh, making plans to become the Fair Hill Training Center stable jockey; he’s kidding, we think “Get him out of the gate, put him where he’s comfortable, let him run his race.” Chappy Motion, 14, parroting his father’s stock instructions to jockeys “I’m back here on Saturday. One with Bruce (Levine) and one with Todd (Pletcher). Just do the same thing, OK?” Mike Repole, to jockey John Velazquez (who doubled for the owner on Thursday) “As much as we won, I think the dinner at Prime was more money.” Repole, on celebrating a Saratoga double with friends and family “That’s for people who don’t want to commit to the 15-minute drive to Ballston Spa.” Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services’ Hanzly Albina, also The Special’s food consultant, on why Augie’s is better than Augie’s To Go G1 WINNERS raised and/or sold since 2000 i ncluding … 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Saratoga Special Weight winner 34 ® ® and its affiliate NICOMA Contact: Headley Bell c: 859.221.5108 Price Bell c: 859.321.5117 6 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2017 of the day Building two-year-olds one individual at a time (859) 312-3414 | kirkwoodstables.com Proud to support Thoroughbred aftercare (859) 224-2756 www.thoroughbredaftercare.org A registered NY-bred Mr. Ed? Connie Bush filly by Curlin, hip 34, was among the ten highest-priced The Chief . Day 16 yearlings at Fasig-Tipton’s “When I first came to Aqueduct, there was a farm on both sides of the track. 1945. I used to have to take The Saratoga Sale, the train from my house, then take the bus and I’d be walking in at 10 after 6, they’d say, ‘Where the hell do you work, the bank?’ I had been up for three hours just to get there. Then I got a room at the track.” selling for – Trainer Allen Jerkens $750,000 1929-2015 Savvy trainers will be stocking their barns with registered NY-bred yearlings offered at Fasig-Tipton NY-Bred Yearlings Sale, August 12-13 nytbreeders.org | 518.587.0777 The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association www.nytha.com | 516.488.2337 For more information visit our website visit us on Facebook or call 518.388.0174 Tod Marks photo Tod SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2017 THE SARATOGA SPECIAL 7 with Every day at Saratoga, The Special presents an exclusive Stable Tour Graham Motion with a Saratoga trainer. Friday morning on the backside, trainer Graham Motion was orga- Street Fashion: Another Augustin home- nizing workers (horses for the turf at bred turf horse, 5-year-old is on a similar plan Oklahoma and workers (a somewhat to Holiday Star (John’s Call or allowance).