SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012 732-747-8060 $ TDN Home Page Click Here SHORT, BUT SWEET FIELD IN DIANA ANYONE’S RACE IN JIM DANDY It only drew a field of six, but the historic GI Diana S. The strength of the 3-year-old male division has been at Saratoga today is packed with class and both local dealt some serious blows with the recent retirements of talent and international appeal. Darby Dan=s Phillips I=ll Have Another (Flower Alley) and Union Rags (Dixie Racing Partnership=s Union) and the minor setback for Bodemeister (Empire Winter Memories (El Maker), but the competitiveness and Prado {Ire}), who strength of today=s GII Jim Dandy S. was book-ended by at the Spa should offer a glimmer of Tapitsfly (Tapit) and hope that a new group of Hungry Island (More sophomores will step up for the Than Ready) when second half of the season. Another second in the one- son of Flower Alley, Neck >n Neck, mile GI Just a Game could be poised to carry the torch for S. at Belmont last the GI Kentucky Derby and time June 9, gets GI Preakness S. winner off of two the narrow smashing efforts at Churchill Downs. Winter Memories Horsephotos morning-line nod at The A. Stevens Miles Jr. homebred Neck ‘n Neck 9-5. Favored in all earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for Reed Palmer of her 11 previous tries, the late-running grey looks to a 6 1/2-length rout of allowance foes add another Grade I tally to keep last year=s Garden City May 10, and followed up with a 7 1/4-length romp in S. trophy company. the GIII Matt Winn S. June 16, good for a 102 Beyer. AYou have to give [Tapitsfly] a lot of credit [for her AJust the way he did it and how he executed, and you Just a Game win],@ Winter Memories=s trainer Jimmy know, to win by seven and beat those horses with Toner said. AShe was on the lead, nice and comfortable, authority, you have to go to the next level,@ said trainer and we just couldn=t catch her. When they asked her, Ian Wilkes of Neck >n Neck. AYou=ve got to give them a she had plenty enough to kick in. We just couldn=t shot to get against the big boys.@ One of the >big boys= catch her. No excuses. I don=t know if Tapitsfly will go is Godolphin=s GI Wood Memorial S. runner-up Alpha [1 1/8 miles in the Diana], but if you have the same (Bernardini). Forced to miss the GI Belmont S. due to a fever after running 12th in the GI Kentucky Derby, the scenario as last time, she will go that far. And I don=t bay has been firing bullets here in preparation for his see any pace in the race, truthfully. Unfortunately for return. Alpha s doing great, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin us and fortunately for them, it could be the same A = @ said. AWe=re all set.@ Cont. p4 scenario all over again.@ Martin Schwartz=s Zagora (Fr) (Green Tune) took last year=s renewal of the Diana, and enters off a break following a successful run in Pimlico=s GIII Galorette H. She=s three-for-four this year, but was fifth in a paceless running of Keeneland=s GI Jenny Wiley S. two back Apr. 14. AShe came out of the Gallorette with a popped splint, and we freshened her for a couple of weeks to fix that,@ explained conditioner Chad Brown of Zagora=s recent respite. Of her lone disappointing effort as a 5-year-old, the conditioner added, AShe caught a slow pace [in the Jenny Wiley], and she=s 0-for-3 at Keeneland. It=s not her course. Otherwise, she=s been perfect this year.@ Cont. p4 Saturday, Saratoga, post time: 5:12 p.m. EDT DIANA S.-GI, $600,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER ML 1 Tapitsfly Tapit Rosario Romans 7-2 2 Law Of The Range (GB) Alhaarth (Ire) Maragh Botti 15-1 3 Zagora (Fr) Green Tune Dominguez Brown 5-2 4 Dream Peace (Ire) Dansili (GB) Leparoux Collet 6-1 5 Winter Memories El Prado (Ire) Castellano Toner 9-5 6 Hungry Island More Than Ready Velazquez McGghy 5-1 In This Issue HAVRE DE GRACE TO FTKNOV 60 Broad St., Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 Owner Rick Porter announced yesterday that last (732) 747-8060 year’s Horse of the Year Havre de Grace (Saint Liam) (732) 747-8955 (fax) will sell at Fasig-Tipton’s November Sale. www.thoroughbreddailynews.com www.thetdn.com Coverage begins page 10 Barry Weisbord, co-publisher [email protected] Havre de Grace Sue Finley, co-publisher Horsephotos [email protected] Editorial [email protected] Showdown at the Spa Rolls on... Jessica Martini, Editor-in-Chief Steve Sherack took a big swing at Saratoga Friday, while the rain forced Alan Carasso, Managing Editor Brian DiDonato to watch from the sidelines. Find out who Sherack likes in Marie Kizenko, Senior Editor the Jim Dandy today and who DiDonato’s taking a stand with in the Christina Bossinakis, Senior Editor nightcap. Coverage begins page 1-ATW Lucas Marquardt, Features Editor Steve Sherack, Racing Editor Brian DiDonato, Racing Analyst/Soc. Media Dir. More Coverage Justina Severni, Assistant Editor Richard’s Kid Too Classy in Cougar II page 10 Advertising Planteur Out for Redemption in York page 7 [email protected] Haskell Entrants Get Primed page 11 Alycia Borer, Director of Advertising Lia Kusch, Senior Advertising Designer Saratoga Fields Take Shape page 12 Sarah K. Andrew, Adv Assistant/Distribution Impressive Juvenile Firsters at SAR; WO page 2-ATW Amanda Crelin, Advertising Assistant Customer Service [email protected] Vicki Forbes, Director of Customer Service Information Technology Robert Williams, Director of IT EST Race Click for TV [email protected] 10:10a York S.-G2, YOR (brisnet.com PPs) HR/TVG Gregg Casillo, DB Administrator, Programming 10:25a Princess Margaret S.-G3, ASC (brisnet.com PPs) HR/TVG [email protected] 12:45p Prix de Psyche-G3, DEA ----------------------- ------- 5:12p Diana S.-GI, SAR (brisnet.com PPs) HR/TVG Marketing 5:45p Jim Dandy S.-GII, SAR (brisnet.com PPs) HR/TVG Gary King, Marketing Manager 8:30p San Diego H.-GII, DMR (brisnet.com PPs) TVG [email protected] TDN Newmarket Bureau: Cafe Racing [email protected] Sean Cronin Tom Frary TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 7/28/12 • PAGE 3 of 13 • thoroughbreddailynews.com RESULTS Friday , Del Mar COUGAR II H.-GIII, $100,000, DMR, 7-27, 3yo/up, 1 1/2m (AWT), 2:29 1/5 (NTR), ft. 1--RICHARD'S KID, 123, h, 7, by Lemon Drop Kid 1st Dam: Tough Broad (MSW & GSP, $395,132), by Broad Brush 2nd Dam: Richard's Choice, by Private Account 3rd Dam: Twenty Six Girl, by Blade O-Zabeel Racing International Corp; B-Fitzhugh LLC (MD); T-Bob Baffert; J-Rafael Bejarano; $60,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 29-11-3-7, $1,919,360. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2--Worth Repeating, 116, h, 6, Giant's Causeway--Lady Nichola, by A.P. Indy. ($525,000 RNA yrl '07 KEESEP). O-AJL Productions LLC, Gilman Racing, Goldstone & Lo Hi Racing; B-B Wayne Hughes (KY); T-Michael Machowsky; $20,000. 3--Balladry, 115, c, 4, Unbridled's Song--Storm Song, by Summer Squall. O-Darley Stable; B-Darley (KY); T-Eoin G Harty; $12,000. Margins: 1HF, 3 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.40, 12.20, 22.60. Also Ran: Dynamic Host, Fly Lexis Fly, Romp (Arg). Click for the brisnet.com chart or the brisnet.com PPs. Video, sponsored by Taylor Made Sales. The Baffert barn is loaded with talent in every main- track division this year, and it flexed its muscles again with a runner who could only possibly be considered a second stringer in a stable such as this one. Richard=s Kid took back-to-back runnings of the GI Pacific Classic S. here in 2009 and 2010, first for Arnold Zetcher and then for Zabeel Racing International. He also annexed the 2010 GI Goodwood S. before being transferred to Satish Seemar for five fruitless starts in Dubai in 2011 and 2012. The dark bay has appreciated the return home and reunion with Baffert, and immediately rediscovered his best form with a 7 1/2-length romp in Betfair Hollywood Park=s Prove It S. June 8. He was second to superstar stablemate Game On Dude (Awesome Again) last time in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup H. July 7, but with that runner absent, he loomed an imposing presence. Unhurried early as keen Peruvian import Fly Lexis Fly (Badge of Silver) ensured a solid pace, Richard=s Kid began to take closer order as the field bunched up on the home turn. He still had plenty left to do as Worth Repeating hit the stretch with the lead, but a powerful sweeping move from Richard=s Kid proved far too much for that runner to handle and the veteran drew off to an impressive if somewhat expected victory while breaking the track record. AIt was almost like a bonus for me after I had my heart attack [while in Dubai in late March] when they told me I was getting Richard=s Kid back,@ recalled Baffert, who will point the winner towards a record third victory in the TVG Pacific Classic Aug.