Coach Rocks the local hope

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Owner Roddy Valente thought it was a thrill to participate in the Kentucky Oaks with Coach Rocks. But as a resident of New York’s Capital Region – he lives in nearby Loudonville – having her in the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga is more exciting.

“Just having the luxury to run in the Alabama in my backyard, it’s a thrill,” Valente said. “I thought the Kentucky Oaks was a rush. Being this is Saratoga, our hometown, it’s really going to be a fun day.”

According to Valente, ever since Coach Rocks won the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks in March, trainer Dale Romans has been talking her up as a filly for the Alabama. Coach Rocks is winless in her last three starts: a seventh to Monomoy Girl in the Kentucky Oaks and runner-up finishes to Red Ruby in the Black-Eyed Susan and Delaware Oaks.

“I’m trying not to get caught up in it,” Valente said. “Dale gets me so damn excited. Every time he calls me, I want to choke him. I’m just trying to keep it in perspective. He’s been preaching to us since we won the Oaks at Gulfstream. He’s mentioned the Alabama and she’s going to want to go longer, and that’s all he’s imbedded in us since she’s won that race. He called me the other day and said, ‘Rod, she couldn’t be doing any better. If you don’t have a new suit for the winner’s circle, you better go get one.’”

Valente owns Coach Rocks with Rick Pitino and West Point Thoroughbreds.

Red Ruby comeback plotted

Red Ruby has been sidelined since her July 7 victory in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks due to a fracture of a splint bone. But trainer Kellyn Gorder said Thursday that Red Ruby could return to the races this year and perhaps even make the Breeders’ Cup.

Red Ruby has been confined to her stall for two weeks, but Gorder said she could have the injured area freeze-fired in a few days and go back under tack in a week or two. Gorder said he still needs to discuss options with her owners, but “I would have to think we still could have the Breeders’ Cup in our sights.”

Gorder noted that Red Ruby had 16 days in her stall followed by two workouts going into the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan, a race she won in May. She followed that up with a 13-length victory in the Delaware Oaks.

Gorder said he could envision a scenario where if he were able to get two breezes into Red Ruby in September, perhaps he could find a race for her at Keeneland in early October.

“Less [training] is sometimes better for her,” Gorder said. “Maybe she’s helping me train her.”

Feedback to await Frizette

Last summer, trainer Chad Brown and owner Seth Klarman won a maiden race with a 2-year-old filly by 11 3/4 lengths. That filly, Separationofpowers, went on to become a Grade 1 winner at 2 and 3.

Last Sunday, Brown and Klarman unveiled another good-looking 2-year-old filly in Feedback, who won a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race by eight lengths, earning an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

Feedback will wait to run back in the Frizette at Belmont on Oct. 7. That’s the same Grade 1 race that Separationofpowers won last year. Separationofpowers had won her debut on July 30, allowing her to run in the Grade 1 Spinaway here at the end of last summer’s meet. She finished third.

Brown said he would not run Feedback in the Spinaway here on Sept. 1.

“As well as she ran and as easy as she did it, I just feel it’s back too soon,” Brown said. “I don’t think she’ll have any problems stretching out.” The Frizette is run at a mile. Separationofpowers returned to Saratoga this year to win the Grade 1 Test. Brown said he is not sure what’s next for Separationofpowers but did say she would not run in the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 25. A race like the Raven Run at Keeneland in October is a possible next start for Separationofpowers.

Catherinethegreat drills

After getting a bit of a break following her convincing 4 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on opening day, Catherinethegreat got back to serious business here Thursday, working five furlongs in 1:00.20 in company with stablemate Moon Colony in preparation for the Grade 1 Spinaway on Sept. 1.

Catherinethegreat began her career at Gulfstream Park, where she finished second in her debut before winning her maiden by 10 1/4 lengths four weeks later. Trainer Mark Casse also has the undefeated stakes winner Capture Your Dream in his barn in South Florida, and he opted to keep the two Florida-bred fillies apart rather than running both in the Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The decision paid quick dividends when Catherinethegreat shipped north to win the Schuylerville and Capture Your Dream won the Desert Vixen division of the FSS earlier this month.

“I gave [Catherinethegreat] a little time after the Schuylerville because I knew she wouldn’t be running back in the Adirondack,” said Casse on Thursday. “I gave her an easy breeze last week but a little stiffer one this morning, and I thought she went well considering she’s not the greatest work horse around and the track was a little loose with so many other horses having worked over it before she got out there.”

Casse on Wednesday worked his debut-winning 2-year-old Dream Maker, who will make his next start in the Grade 1 Hopeful on closing day, Sept. 3. Dream Maker worked from the gate, blazing five furlongs in 59.20 seconds, his final threeeighths in 34.60.

Dream Maker circled the field en route to a three-length victory while launching his career at Churchill Downs in early June. He was scheduled to make his stakes debut here in the Grade 3 Sanford, but Casse opted to scratch him.

“He missed a little bit of time around the Sanford,” said Casse. “I thought he worked extremely well last week. But it’s been a while since he’s run, which is why I took him to the gate and put a big work into him.”

Dream Maker and Catherinethegreat are owned by John Oxley, who is also partners with breeder Kathy Machesky in Capture Your Dream.

A Raving Beauty works

Among the 75 or so turf workers at Saratoga on Thursday was A Raving Beauty, the Grade 1 Just a Game winner, who worked five furlongs in 1:00.70 in company with Santa Monica. The pair got their last quarter in 23.89 seconds.

A Raving Beauty, third to Sistercharlie in the Grade 1 Diana here early in the meet, is preparing for the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 25.

Trainer Chad Brown has five nominated to the Ballston Spa and is considering running Off Limits and Quidura in addition to A Raving Beauty.