Sticksstatelydude starts year

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Sticksstatelydude ended his 3-year-old season with a victory in the Grade 3 Discovery at Aqueduct last November, and he will make his first start since then in a $93,000 allowance race on Saturday’s Travers card at Saratoga.

Sticksstatelydude, a son of First Dude, was training toward a potential start in last January’s inaugural Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park when he reinjured a tendon while training at Palm Meadows in Florida.

After getting time off, Sticksstatelydude started training in Kentucky, where he shows six workouts at Churchill Downs leading up to his return. As he has done in his previous trips to New York, Sticksstatelydude will run under Kiaran McLaughlin’s name. He has been in training at Churchill Downs with Greg Burchell, a co-owner who sometimes trains the colt.

McLaughlin said the 6 1/2 furlongs of Saturday’s race is not ideal for Sticksstatelydude, though he did win a maiden race going six furlongs here two years ago.

“It’s his first time out in a long time,” McLaughlin said. “It’s okay, we need to get him started. These kind of races don’t go anywhere in the country, but they go here.”

Among his opponents is Threefiveindia, who defeated Sticksstatelydude in a first-level allowance race at Churchill Downs in June 2016 going 6 1/2 furlongs.

The others entered are Aquamarine, Ostrolenka, Lex Vegas, Angry Moon, Shaft of Light, Spartiatis, and Candid Desire.

Tom’s d’Etat has ankle surgery

Tom’s d’Etat, who was pointing to next Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes following a nine-length allowance win here July 27, is sidelined for the remainder of the year after a chip was found in his left front ankle following a recent workout.

Trainer Al Stall said the horse was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday in Kentucky and likely will resume training this fall in New Orleans.

“Disappointing,” Stall said. “He’ll be a good 5-year-old. We’ll let him grow up just a hair more, and hopefully he’ll be back with a vengeance. The timing wasn’t good.”

Tom’s d’Etat, a son of Smart Strike, had won four of his last five races, including a maiden win here last summer and a third-level allowance win last month for which he earned a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

Tom’s d’Etat was going to be one of a handful of challengers to Gun Runner in the Woodward, including Neolithic, Rally Cry, and War Story. Discreet Lover is possible.

Timeline to Pennsylvania Derby

Timeline is being pointed to the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing on Sept. 23, according to trainer Chad Brown.

Timeline had a rough trip as the 19-10 favorite in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 30 but came out of the race well and has since had two half-mile workouts at Belmont Park. The son of Hard Spun breezed in 49.60 seconds on Aug. 12 and in 48.20 on Aug. 20.

Timeline came into the Haskell undefeated in four starts, including the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont Park and the Grade 3 Pegasus at Monmouth.

He broke slowly in the Haskell and then would not relax early for jockey Javier Castellano. He was in tight quarters along the inside into the first turn of the 1 1/8-mile race and then pulled Castellano to the front from between horses nearing the backstretch. He vied for the lead to the stretch turn before tiring to finish fifth, beaten 8 1/4 lengths.

Fanciful Angel joins Brown

Brown trained this year’s Arlington Million winner, Beach Patrol. Now, he trains runner-up Fanciful Angel as well.

Fanciful Angel, who was 73-1 in the Arlington Million, was purchased by Sol Kumin’s Head of Plain Partners and Michael Dubb and was transferred to Brown from trainer Marco Botti. Fanciful Angel, a 5-yearold Irish-bred gelding by Dark Angel, has won 5 of 24 starts. Brown said he has no immediate plans for Fanciful Angel.

Belmont rewards turf stayers

Turf races at 1 1/4 miles or longer will be worth $90,000 at Belmont Park this fall, continuing a program that began during the Belmont springsummer meet, according to Martin Panza, vice president of racing operations for the New York Racing Association.

At the spring meet, 19 such races were offered and 16 went, with 15 of them run on turf with an average field size of 9.0 horses. One of the 16 was transferred to the dirt and went with a six-horse field going 1 1/8 miles.

Additional pick-four wager

With a 13-race card highlighted by the Travers on Saturday, there will be an additional pick four wager offered.

The pick four wagers will start in races 2, 8, and 10. The pick four that starts with race 8 will have a guaranteed pool of $1 million and will include the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, Forego, Sword Dancer, and Travers.

There will be four hours of television coverage on the card. Fox Sports 2 will air 2 1/2 hours of coverage beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern and show the Personal Ensign, Ballerina, H. Allen Jerkens, and Forego.