Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Asmussen juveniles set for Sanford
ELMONT, N.Y. – Though he has done all of his racing on turf, Grade 1 winner Sadler’s Joy has done virtually all of his training on dirt.
That changed Monday when trainer Tom Albertrani opted to work Sadler’s Joy on turf for the first time in 14 months and just the second time in his career.
On a muggy morning, Sadler’s Joy worked five furlongs in 1:02.56 over the Belmont Park inner turf in preparation for a start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes on July 28 at Saratoga.
Under Javier Castellano, Sadler’s Joy had a strong run-up to the pole as he appeared to start getting in gear at the sixfurlong marker.
From the five-furlong pole to the three-eighths pole, Sadler’s Joy went in 25.10 seconds and then got his final three furlongs in 37.46. He had a lot of neck sweat, but he was reaching out nicely and galloped out solidly.
Rain early Sunday morning prompted track officials to move turf works to Monday. Albertrani said he was concerned the main track, which was sloppy for racing Sunday, would be heavy Monday, so he opted for the turf.
“You hate to take him out of his zone because he could be a little bit of a handful,” Albertrani said. “To keep things safe, I tend to just work him on the dirt. He works good enough for me. But today’s work was really good, he finished up really well, and galloped out well.”
Last summer at Saratoga, Sadler’s Joy finished third in the Bowling Green before winning the Grade 1 Sword Dancer. He will enter the Bowling Green coming off a neck loss to Spring Quality in the Grade 1 Manhattan.
“The horse ran so well cutting back to a mile and a quarter, which isn’t his preferred distance,” Albertrani said. “That was probably one of his best efforts I’ve seen.”
Asmussen pair set for Sanford
Trainer Steve Asmussen gave his 2-year-olds Bano Solo and Whiskey Echo each an easy three-furlong breeze over the Oklahoma training track on Monday morning, and they are ready to go for Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga.
Bano Solo, a son of Goldencents, and Whiskey Echo, by Tiznow, each was an easy wire-to-wire winner last month of his only start – Bano Solo at Churchill Downs and Whiskey Echo at Belmont Park.
“I think they were both probably in moderate races, but they won very handily and have trained well since,” said Asmussen. “I worked them last week to decide which one to run, and they both went well together.”
Later Monday morning, Asmussen sent out Bee Jersey to work six furlongs in 1:14.40 on the Oklahoma turf course in company with Reride. The breeze was the third, all on turf, since Bee Jersey’s narrow victory over Mind Your Biscuits in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 9. Asmussen said he still has nothing firmed up for Bee Jersey’s next start and will consult with owner Charles Fipke to determine a plan.
Lynch big two work together
Trainer Brian Lynch leaves his top two grass runners Heart to Heart and Oscar Performance at Belmont Park during the summer because he believes both horses thrive there.
With one last opportunity to work them over the Belmont turf Monday before the course closes for the summer, Lynch put the two in company for a strong five-furlong move designed to prepare them for upcoming stakes engagements.
Heart to Heart began the work about 4 1/2 lengths in front of Oscar Performance, who under Jose Ortiz made up about three of those lengths by the wire before joining up with Heart to Heart on the gallop-out.
Oscar Performance went five furlongs in 1:01.99 while Heart to Heart went the same distance in 1:01.50.
“It was our last chance we have on the turf, so I wanted to let them breeze and I thought it went real nice,” Lynch said.
Heart to Heart, who is a neck shy of having won three Grade 1 races this year, is pointing to the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave at Saratoga on Aug. 11.
Oscar Performance, who came off a seven-month layoff to win the Grade 3 Poker in equaling the North American record time of 1:31.23 for a mile, is pointing to the Grade 1 Arlington Million on the same day.
Both horses will continue to train at Belmont for the next few weeks, but their workouts will be on the dirt.
Pletcher mulls plan for import
Sunday was a regularly scheduled dark day on the Oklahoma turf course until trainer Todd Pletcher received special permission to work a team on the grass. The multiple graded stakes-placed Stainless and the undefeated 3-year-old filly Cascanueces, who has yet to run in this country, went five furlongs inside the dogs, with Stainless coming out a couple of lengths best.
Cascanueces has never raced on grass, and won three dirt starts in Peru – including a pair of Group 1 stakes – as a 2-year-old. She was scratched from the Grade 3 Delware Oaks on July 7 after coming up with “a little infection in her hind leg,” Pletcher said, noting that he thought about running the filly in the Grade 3 Lake George Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile turf race, on opening day at Saratoga.
“She’s by Smart Strike and we thought there might be some turf there, but based on today’s work we’ll probably consider some other options,” he said.