Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Disco Partner stretches speed
ELMONT, N.Y. – Disco Partner, who set a North America turf record when he ran six furlongs in 1:05.67 in winning the Grade 3 Jaipur at Belmont Park on Belmont Stakes Day, will stretch out to a mile in Saturday’s $150,000 Forbidden Apple Stakes at Belmont.
Trainer Christophe Clement noted that Disco Partner won a seven-furlong allowance race at Belmont last fall and said this is a good time to see if he can go a little farther.
“If he could go a mile, it gives him so many more options,” Clement said. “If he runs well, he could go to the Fourstardave. If not, I’ll wheel him right back in the Troy.”
The Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave is run at a mile at Saratoga on Aug. 12. The Troy, which Disco Partner won last year when in the barn of trainer Jim Ryerson, is a 5 1/2-furlong turf race on Aug. 6. The Troy had its purse boosted to $250,000 for this year’s running.
The Forbidden Apple drew a field of 11, including King Kreesa, the New York-bred millionaire who has won this race the last two years when in the barn of David Donk. On Saturday, King Kreesa will be making his second start for trainer Linda Rice. In his last start, King Kreesa finished second in the Kingston behind Offering Plan, who is also entered in the Forbidden Apple.
Grand Arch, unraced since running ninth in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile last October, makes his 8-year-old debut in the Forbidden Apple. Also entered were Bondurant, Cerise’s Prince, Great Wide Open, Get Jets, and Take the Stand. Mohaymen and Mr Maybe were entered in a Friday allowance and in here. Weekend Hideaway was entered for the main track only.
If Disco Partner can go a mile, it would enable Clement and owners Frank and Patricia Generazio to split up their two top turf sprinters. They are the connections of Pure Sensation, who last Saturday won the Parx Dash for the second consecutive year. Pure Sensation won the Parx Dash by 5 3/4 lengths, running five furlongs in 57.24 seconds and earning a careerbest 110 Beyer Speed Figure. Last year, he won the race in 56.35.
“It was an impressive performance,” Clement said. “I always thought he was one of the fastest horses I ever trained.”
Pure Sensation is definitely being pointed to the Troy.
There are 11 races on Saturday’s card at Belmont, including the $125,000 Rockville Centre for New York-bred 2-year-olds at six furlongs. Morrison, who won an off-the-turf maiden race by 17 lengths here on June 18, heads the six-horse field. Analyze the Odds, Morning Breez, What a Catch, and the maidens Lake Party and Over Salty complete the field.
Ortiz brothers battle
With 16 wins over the last seven racing days, including a five-win day last Saturday, Jose Ortiz has erased a nine-win deficit and for the first time at this meet has moved atop the rider standings, 59-58, over his brother Irad.
The brothers figure to have an intriguing showdown as both will be at riding at Belmont on all four days of the meet’s final week. On Thursday and Friday, Jose Ortiz was named to ride 16 of the 19 races carded, while Irad has mounts in 15 races.
Jose won the 2016 Belmont spring/summer riding title by 19 wins over Irad. Irad shared the 2014 Belmont riding title with Javier Castellano when Irad won the last race of the meet. In 2015, Irad finished second behind Castellano by one win.
Chad Brown will be the leading trainer for the second consecutive year. He entered the final week with 38 wins, 16 more than Todd Pletcher and Rudy Rodriguez (22 each). Linda Rice has 21.
War Story headed for Whitney
War Story, the winner of the Grade 2 Brooklyn Invitational on June 10 in his most recent start, will make his next start in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 5, co-owner Ron Paolucci said Wednesday.
Paolucci had initially said that War Story would run in the $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes at Mountaineer on the same day.
Paolucci said in his discussions with trainer Jorge Navarro that War Story “is doing too good.”
“We don’t want to waste a race, and it probably won’t be that big a field,” Paolucci said. “Third in the Whitney is as much as winning the Mountaineer race, not that we’re conceding first or second. I know the competition is tough, but he’s better than he’s ever been. Why not take a shot at it?”
The Whitney is expected to attract Gun Runner, Mor Spirit, and Keen Ice.
Paolucci said he also intends to start Cautious Giant as a pacesetter, or rabbit, for War Story in the Whitney. Cautious Giant, a 6-year-old gelding, was successfully used as a rabbit by Paolucci for Imperative in the $1.25 million Charles Town Classic. On Monday, Cautious Giant won a six-furlong optional-claiming race at Thistledown.
Paolucci said Cautious Giant would be trained by Anthony Quartarolo and ridden by Delaware Park-based apprentice Jose A. Bracho.