Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
It Tiz Well eyes Alabama upset
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Last year, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer won the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga with the heavily favored Songbird. This year, the Hall of Fame trainer will try to pull off an upset when he sends out It Tiz Well in Saturday’s 137th running of the prestigious race for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/4 miles.
It Tiz Well, a daughter of Arch, is coming out of a halflength victory in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks last month at Delaware Park. Prior to that, she finished fifth – elevated to fourth via disqualification – in the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks, a race in which she had significant traffic trouble.
“There was nowhere to run, and he had to check pretty hard,” said Hollendorfer, who also won the Alabama in 2010 with Blind Luck.
“We never lost any confidence in her because of that.”
On Sunday, at Del Mar, It Tiz Well worked a half-mile in 50.40 seconds under jockey Drayden Van Dyke, who will come to Saratoga to ride the filly in the Alabama.
“Drayden was up, he was very happy with the work, so that makes me happy,” Hollendorfer said. “We’re going to ship. We understand it’s a tough race, but we feel like our horse can run a mile and a quarter, and she’s been really steady and real consistent.”
It Tiz Well, who arrived here Monday, won the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn in March. Among those she defeated that day was Elate, who could be the favorite in the Alabama.
Elate ran a game second to Abel Tasman in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks here July 23. On Sunday, Elate worked a strong half-mile in 47.81 seconds over the Oklahoma training track.
“Her work was good,” said Bill Mott, Elate’s trainer. “She’s been going right along.”
A field of nine is expected to be entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Alabama. With riders, the field should include Actress (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Elate (Jose Ortiz), Holy Helena (John Velazquez), It Tiz Well (Van Dyke) Lockdown (Manny Franco), Mopotism (Florent Geroux), New Money Honey (Javier Castellano), Salty (Tyler Gaffalione), and Unchained Melody (Joel Rosario).
Gun Runner drills for Woodward
Gun Runner, dominant winner of the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes here Aug. 5, returned to the work tab Monday morning, breezing a half-mile in 51.06 seconds over the Oklahoma training track.
Breezing at 5:45 a.m. under exercise rider Angel Garcia, Gun Runner went his first quarter in 26.42, got his second quarter in 24.64, and gallopedout five furlongs in 1:05.00, all under his own power. Gun Runner is pointing to the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes here Sept. 2.
“Moving great, very happy, just keep him on the ground,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “He gets around to the backside pretty quick. He’s in a really good rhythm right now, love to see it continue. We obviously are still planning on running in the Woodward, and all indications are good.”
Also working for Asmussen on Monday was Lookin At Lee, the Kentucky Derby runnerup who went a half-mile in 51.65 over the Oklahoma training track. Lookin At Lee, who works in blinkers, went his first quarter in 25.25 and his second quarter in 26.40. He is pointing to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes here Aug. 26.
Lookin At Lee is coming out of a third-place finish in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby on Aug. 5.
“I thought it was solid,” Asmussen said. “I felt we were in a little bit of trouble watching the races early with how dry the racetrack was and just knowing who he is. There’s quite a bit of him physically, and him spinning his wheels is not a good scenario.”
Asmussen said he has not yet secured a jockey for Lookin At Lee.
Iroquois next for Copper Bullet
Copper Bullet, the fourlength winner of Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special, will be pointed to the Grade 3, $150,000 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sept. 16, trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday.
The Iroquois, run at 1 1/16 miles around two turns, is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.
In two starts at Churchill, Copper Bullet won a maiden race by eight lengths and finished a troubled second in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor.
“With him already having four races, one more [before Breeders’ Cup] will be plenty, and he’s spent a lot of time at Churchill,” Asmussen said.
In the Special, Copper Bullet attended a strong early pace and sill finished strong and galloped out well.
“Glad to validate what we were thinking before the race,” Asmussen said.
Copper Bullet ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.45 and was assigned a Beyer Speed Figure of 77.
Pure Silver, who won Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack Stakes by 9 1/2 lengths, is under consideration to run back in the Grade 1 Spinaway here Sept. 2, trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday.
“The Grade 1 status is certainly attractive,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Being a Grade 2 winner now, it would add to her value. It’ll come down to if she tells us she’s ready to come back in that time frame.”
Pure Silver, a New Yorkbred daughter of Mission Impazible, remained unbeaten in three starts. She covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.22 and was assigned a Beyer of 84.