Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Pletcher pair worth watching
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher brings a pair of potentially exciting 3-year-olds back to the races this weekend at Saratoga.
On Saturday, Pletcher will bring the undefeated Money Moves back off a near threemonth layoff in a second-level allowance against older horses going 1 1/8 miles. On Sunday, Pletcher will send out the impressive debut winner Happy Saver in a first-level allowance, also at 1 1/8 miles.
In February, Money Moves won his six-furlong debut by 1 1/2 lengths over a sealed and sloppy Gulfstream surface. Money Moves came back to win a one-turn mile first-level allowance on March 27 by 2 3/4 lengths.
Money Moves, a son of Candy Ride, was likely headed to stakes competition but developed a temperature and “got pretty sick on us,” according to Pletcher, who trains Money Moves for Robert LaPenta and Bortolazzo Stable.
“We ended up missing more time than you do with your normal temperature,” Pletcher said. “He’s kind of a tricky horse to place coming back; there’s nothing that was ideal. We got some good works into him, and I’m hopeful we have him tight enough to go a mile and an eighth effectively off the layoff.”
Money Moves is the lone 3-year-old in a field that includes the Pletcher-trained You’re to Blame; Dynamax Prime, an eight-time winner; and Blugrascat’s Smile, a ninetime winner. All three are in for the optional $62,500 tag.
On Sunday, Happy Saver also faces 3-year-olds and up. On June 20, Belmont Stakes Day, Happy Saver won a sevenfurlong maiden race by 5 1/2 lengths. He earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I was very pleased with his debut,” said Pletcher, who trains Happy Saver for brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer.
“He trained like he would come out running, but I thought that was even better than we could have hoped for. He’s come back with some very good breezes since then. The concern is going from seveneighths to a mile and an eighth, but I felt like he’s capable of making that jump.”
The timing of these races is such that should either run well he could be under consideration for the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes here Sept. 5.
Moscato wins Smithwick duel
The last move proved to be the winning move in Thursday’s Grade 1, $100,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase Stakes at Saratoga, as Moscato was passed by Optimus Prime going into the far turn and then ran by that one in the shadow of the wire to win by three-quarters of a length.
It was 2 1/2 lengths back in third to Gibralfaro, who was followed by Redicean and Chief Justice. Pravalaguna, the pace-setting Surprising Soul, and Winner Massagot were all eased. Belisarius scratched.
The win was the second straight and seventh from 15 jump races for Moscato, a 9-year-old Great Britain-bred owned by Bruton Street-US. He was coming off an 11-length victory in the Temple Gwathmey Stakes at Middleburg in June. Meanwhile, Optimus Prime, a multiple graded stakes winner, was making his first start in more than a year.
“I thought we were in serious trouble on the turn,” said Jack Fisher, the trainer of Moscato. “Optimus Prime cruised up but Optimus Prime hadn’t run in a year and I think he needed the race and he ran out of gas the last sixteenth. I think he’ll be very tough next time.”
Winning jockey Michael Mitchell said he just needed clear room for Moscato after having to wait while racing along the inside early.
“He really met every fence nicely and covered the ground well,” Mitchell said. “They just started to slow up coming into the turn, and coming out of the turn he got trapped for a little bit of room, but his stamina kicked in and he really went well to the line and got his head in front at the right time.”
Moscato covered the 2 1/16 miles over ground labeled firm in 3:47.51 and returned $5.40 as the 8-5 favorite.
The victory gave Fisher and Bruton-US a sweep of the first two steeplechase events at this meet. Wednesday, they won the $55,000 Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes with Snap Decision.
Fisher said both Snap Decision and Moscato would be pointed to the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup Steeplechase Handicap on Aug. 20, pending weight assignments.
Funny Guy stays with own kind
Last week, trainer John Terranova said he was seriously considering running New York-bred Funny Guy in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes on Aug. 1. He has since lowered his sights and now plans to run Funny Guy in Thursday’s $85,000 John Morrissey Handicap for New York-breds at seven furlongs.
On June 12, Funny Guy made a terrific 4-year-old debut, winning the $125,000 Commentator Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths over Mr. Buff, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.
“One more race, then we’ll see how he progresses,” Terranova said Thursday. “It’s probably the right move to do at this point. Patience. There’ll be something with his name on it down the road.”
Last summer, Funny Guy won the Albany Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles here.