Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Hi Happy eyes Knickerbocker
ELMONT, N.Y. – Hi Happy, who was scratched from the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic here Sept. 29 due to the soft turf course condition, was entered for Monday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont Park.
Pletcher said he also is keeping an eye on the Grade 1, $800,000 Canadian International next Saturday at Woodbine, but he noted that the long-range forecast in Canada isn’t conducive to having firm ground. The Belmont turf courses have yet to be firm all meet, but with no rain forecast Saturday through Monday, the course could be in decent shape by Monday.
Pletcher said running in the Knickerbocker could keep Hi Happy in play for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
“That’s one of the considerations,” Pletcher said.
Hi Happy won the Grade 1 Man o’ War here earlier in the year as well as the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream in March.
The Knickerbocker is run at 1 1/8 miles, the same distance as the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, which was Hi Happy’s first start for Pletcher. Hi Happy was third in that race, beaten one length.
“He ran well the first time we ran him in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap,” Pletcher said.
Blacktype, winner of last year’s Knickerbocker, will be wheeling back 10 days after he won an allowance race here.
Others entered in the Knickerbocker include Aquaphobia, Inspector Lynley, Revved Up, and Night Prowler. Secret Passage was entered as a main track only.
Malibu Mischief trying turf
Trainer Gary Contessa will look to keep his strong meet going when he sends out Malibu Mischief in a field of 12 in Monday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Matron Stakes for juvenile fillies on turf.
The Matron, like Sunday’s Futurity, had been a long-time staple on dirt.
Malibu Mischief has made all three of her starts on dirt, winning a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special race by six lengths here Sept. 16.
Contessa, who won two races Thursday and has nine wins on the meet, said he breezed Malibu Mischief on the turf at Saratoga and liked what he saw. He also believes she has some pedigree on the dam side for the turf. Her dam, Chana’s Girl, is a half-sister to a turf stakes winner.
“She also has high knee action, and that can sometimes be a sign that she might turf,” Contessa said.
Entirely, a daughter of Point of Entry, is 2 for 2 on turf and comes off a neck victory in the Sharp Susan Stakes at Gulfstream. That race was 7 1/2 furlongs around two turns.
Jaded Lady, Lonely Road, Dragic, Tradeable, Egoli, Question of the day, Guacamole, Jazzy J, Into the South, and Monette are the others entered in the Matron.
Sadler’s Joy targeting BC Turf
Sadler’s Joy, a well-beaten third in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, will still be pointed to the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf, trainer Tom Albertrani said Friday.
Sadler’s Joy was beaten 10 lengths by Channel Maker in the Hirsch, but Albertrani said Sadler’s Joy was hampered by the soft turf.
“I thought he ran well the other day, I thought he tried, the soft ground just seems to compromise him a little bit,” Albertrani said.
Sadler’s Joy, fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar, is just 1 for 7 this year with a victory in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream. He also has second-place finishes in the Man o’ War and Manhattan.
Ready for Rye euthanized
Ready for Rye, a stakeswinning sprinter on turf and dirt, had to be euthanized last month due to complications from colic, Albertrani confirmed.
Ready for Rye was entered in but scratched from the Lucky Coin Stakes on Aug. 31 at Saratoga. Albertrani said the horse had a colic episode the previous night and required surgery. Albertrani said Ready for Rye had other subsequent bouts with colic thereafter, but had recovered enough to be sent to a farm near Saratoga.
He then had another bout with colic that proved fatal.
Ready for Rye, a gelding by City Zip owned by Chalk Racing, had a record of 7-5-6 from 29 starts and earned $819,090. As a 3-year-old in 2015, Ready for Rye won the Grade 2 Swale on dirt and the Allied Forces and Quick Call Stakes on turf.