Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
NO HOPEFUL REMATCH IN CHAMPAGNE,
ELMONT, N.Y. – Sporting Chance and Free Drop Billy, separated by a neck in an eventful finish to Monday’s Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, are likely to go their separate ways for their next start, with the goal being a potential rematch in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 4.
Sporting Chance, who under Luis Saez ducked out sharply in deep stretch but recovered in time to still win the Hopeful, was scheduled to ship back to Churchill Downs on Thursday. He will make his next start in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 7, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Free Drop Billy was already back at Churchill on Wednesday. Trainer Dale Romans said the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont on Oct. 7 most likely will be Free Drop Billy’s next start. Romans is fortunate to have two other top juvenile prospects in Dak Attack and Hollywood Star.
Dak Attack, who beat Sporting Chance first time out at Churchill in June and won the Ellis Park Juvenile, is pointing to the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sept. 16. Hollywood Star, second in the Saratoga Special on Aug. 13, is pointing to the Breeders’ Futurity.
Sporting Chance gave Lukas his eighth victory in the Hopeful. Though his prior seven winners all lost the Champagne, that’s not the reason Lukas is not running Sporting Chance in that one-turn-mile race. Lukas said he wants to get a two-turn race into Sporting Chance in his last start before the Breeders’ Cup, and the Breeders’ Futurity, at 1 1/16 miles, fits the bill. Lukas has won the Breeders’ Futurity six times.
Sporting Chance was seemingly well on his way to a comfortable victory in the Hopeful when he ducked out sharply from Saez’s left-handed whip. Saez, who said he almost fell off Sporting Chance, straightened the horse out and they managed to win by a neck.
“We never hit him like that left-handed, and I think we just surprised him,” Lukas said. “I don’t think that’s an issue at all.”
Sporting Chance ran seven furlongs in 1:23.71 and earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure in the Hopeful.
Pure Sensation won’t overdo it
Pure Sensation, who won Monday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Turf Monster at Parx, most likely will train up to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 4 at Del Mar, trainer Christophe Clement said Wednesday.
“That would be the plan today,” Clement said, noting that he would discuss it with owners Frank and Patricia Generazio again.
Last year, Pure Sensation finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint after winning the inaugural Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational in early October. That win came off a two-month layoff. Pure Sensation would have two months to the Breeders’ Cup if he doesn’t run again this fall.
Pure Sensation is only 2 for 5 this year, but Clement believes circumstances have cost him some victories. Before he and jockey Kendrick Carmouche won the Turf Monster, Pure Sensation finished sixth in the Troy at Saratoga. He started his season with fourth-place finishes in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill in May and the Jaipur at Belmont Park in June.
“When he got beat at Churchill, it was soft turf – he hates soft,” Clement said. “He got beat in the Jaipur, there was a little bit of a speed duel, and the same happened in Saratoga. He had the most beautiful ride from Carmouche on Monday, stalking on the rail, saving ground, and he won.”
Frostmourne targets Hill Prince
Frostmourne, who has not run since a visually impressive performance in winning the Kent Stakes at Delaware Park on July 9, is targeting the Grade 3, $500,000 Hill Prince at Belmont on Oct. 7, trainer Christophe Clement said.
Frostmourne was being considered for the Grade 1 Secretariat at Arlington on Aug. 12, but Clement did not like the way the horse was training. Frostmourne has not worked since July 30 but is expected to breeze over the Belmont turf this weekend, Clement said.
“It’s complicated enough to win big races when they’re doing well,” Clement said. “It’s impossible when they’re not doing well.”
Far From Over in Seattle Slew
Far From Over, the Grade 3 Withers winner in 2015, will try again to jump-start his career when he faces five rivals in Saturday’s $100,000 Seattle Slew Stakes.
Far From Over has not won since taking a second-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont in June 2016. Most recently, he finished second, nine lengths behind Tom’s d’Etat, in an allowance race at Saratoga.
Others entered in the Seattle Slew, at 1 1/8 miles, are Backsideofthemoon, Doyouknowsomething, Conquest Windycity, Securitiz, and Royal Posse.