Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Good Samaritan adds blinkers
ELMONT, N.Y. – Good Samaritan will be equipped with blinkers for the first time when he runs in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, trainer Bill Mott said.
Good Samaritan has worked a few times in blinkers, and Mott likes the impact they’ve had on the 3-year-old son of Harlan’s Holiday. Good Samaritan had his final work for the Gold Cup on Monday, going five furlongs in 1:03.59 over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga, with a final quarter in 24.60 seconds, according to Saratoga clocker Dave Norton.
“We’ve worked him in blinkers the last couple of times, and it seems like it’s put him up in the bridle a little bit more,” Mott said. “He’s been kind of a big space cadet, drops a good ways out of it, makes his run. When he gets back that far by himself he gets a little lost, almost disinterested maybe.”
Good Samaritan will be taking on older horses for the first time in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. After making the first five starts of his career on turf, he made his dirt debut in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga, rallying from last to win by 4 3/4 lengths in a field that included Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and Preakness winner Cloud Computing.
In the Travers on Aug. 26, Good Samaritan was last of 12 for the opening half-mile before ultimately finishing fifth, nine lengths behind West Coast, who came back to win the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby. Good Samaritan was pointing to the Pennsylvania Derby before missing some training time due to a temperature.
Good Samaritan, who will be ridden by Joel Rosario, is one of seven horses expected to be entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup, which offers a fees-paid berth into the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.
Others expected to enter are Destin (Luis Saez), Diversify (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Highland Sky (Rajiv Maragh), Keen Ice (Jose Ortiz), Pavel (Mario Gutierrez), and Rally Cry (John Velazquez).
On Sunday, Highland Sky worked five furlongs in 1:01.16 over the Belmont main track, a move his connections felt was good enough to have the 4-yearold make his dirt debut in the Gold Cup. Highland Sky, under Maragh, started just behind two workmates, took dirt until the quarter pole when he was tipped outside, and finished slightly in front of Tale of S’avall with both a few lengths ahead of Tale of Silence.
“Rajiv was very pleased,” said Robin Smullen, assistant to trainer Barclay Tagg. “He said he’s so much handier on the dirt than the turf. He said on the dirt he jumps right into the bridle and can be anywhere you want to be.”
Meanwhile, Pavel, the Smarty Jones winner, worked a halfmile in 48.77 on Sunday morning over Belmont’s main track under exercise rider Gabriel Planchard to complete his serious preparations for a start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
“He worked great this morning,” said Jack Sisterson, an assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill. “Doug was just looking for a maintenance half in 49, and we got him in 48 and 3. Gabriel said he felt great, switched leads on cue, and got over the surface well.”
Kowboy Karma to Champagne
At least 10 horses are expected for Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne Stakes for 2-yearolds at Belmont Park.
The latest to join the fray is Kowboy Karma, runner-up in the Sapling Stakes, who worked five furlongs in 59 seconds Monday morning at Delaware Park. Trainer Larry Jones said he put a filly a few lengths in front of Kowboy Karma and the colt finished a little bit in front at the wire.
“I don’t know how I can get them to go much faster,” Jones said. “I worked some pretty good horses this morning, and he was the fastest one. As of right now, if he comes out of the stall okay, we’re coming.”
Kowboy Karma, a son of Kodiak Kowboy, won his first two starts at Delaware Park before finishing second to Bal Harbour in the Sapling. Jones, who is part-owner of Kowboy Karma, said his horse got bumped soundly going into the first turn of the Sapling and came out of the race sore as a result.
“He’s going really well,” Jones said. “Any issues we had, he’s over them, this work this morning showed that.”
Alex Cintron will ride Kowboy Karma in the Champagne.
Others expected to enter the Champagne are Aveenu Malcainu, Bahamian, Crea’s Bklyn Law, Enticed, Firenze Fire, Full of Run, Good Magic, Hazit, Honorable Treasure, and Stronger. Can’t Say No and Master Manipulator were possible.
Voodoo Song may wheel back
Voodoo Song, who won two races in five days as part of his four-win Saratoga meet, could wheel back in a week in Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park, trainer Linda Rice said Monday.
Voodoo Song finished second, beaten three-quarters of a length by Just Howard, in the Grade 3, $200,000 Commonwealth Derby last Saturday at Laurel.
“It is a possibility only because how often do you get to run for $500,000 in your backyard?” Rice said. “And, he’s a 3-year-old and there are only a few straight 3-year-old grass races left this year.”
Rice said the fact that Oscar Performance, the top 3-year-old turf horse in the country, ran in last Saturday’s Joe Hirsch and won’t be in the Hill Prince, makes the race more appealing.
Rice said she felt the Commonwealth Derby was a good spot for Voodoo Song because of the true two-turn nature of the race. She felt having to run his first quarter in 22.97 seconds impacted Voodoo Song’s ability to finish in the Commonwealth Derby. The Hill Prince is run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns, but Belmont’s turf course is so expansive that Rice doesn’t view it the same as Saratoga or Laurel.
“We can call the Hill Prince a two-turn race, but it’s very much different from what he’s been running on so far,” Rice said.
Others pointing to the Hill Prince include Bricks and Mortar, Frostmourne, Hieroglyphics, Luculan, Small Bear, Ticonderoga, and Yoshida.