Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
War Canoe has big shoes to fill
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The big news when it comes to the $150,000 Yaddo on the New York Showcase program at Saratoga is not who is running in the 1 1/16-mile grass fixture for New York-bred fillies and mares, but who will not.
Trainer Chad Brown said Wednesday that Fifty Five, who would have been the odds-on favorite, will not start in the Yaddo due to an unspecified issue that came to light earlier that morning. Brown will still be represented by one of the major players in the race in War Canoe, who’ll be part of what is now a wide-open field that also includes Classic Lady from the barn of trainer Christophe Clement.
A couple of hours later, Clement also will send out top contenders Therapist and Gucci Factor to face likely favorite Dot Matrix and three other New York-bred turf specialists in the 1 1/16-mile West Point.
While Brown is waiting on a final diagnosis of Fifty Five’s injury, he is hopeful War Canoe will fill the big void left by her. Fifty Five has won her previous six stakes starts against statebreds.
War Canoe, claimed for $62,500 out of a win in her 2019 finale, returned earlier this summer from 7 1/2 months on the sidelines to finish third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Fifty Five, in the Mount Vernon and second, beaten a neck by Classic Lady, here in the Dayatthespa.
“Her last race, she was a little out of position,” Brown said. “It’s unfortunate. She just had a little too much to do off that pace. She still ran quite well and, hopefully, she won’t be as far out of position this time. And she can handle a little give in the turf if it’s still that way on Friday.”
Classic Lady also took a long sabbatical following the conclusion of her 2019 campaign while having been turned over to Clement in the interim. She, too, has returned in top form, missing by a nose to Fifty Five following an extended duel in the Mount Vernon before proving gamest herself following another stretch-long duel to win the Dayatthespa.
Clement also will send out Wegetsdamunnys, who checked in third, another 1 3/4 lengths behind War Canoe, in the Dayatthespa. My hart bl on gs tod a dy, Kr essie, and Espresso Shot round out the lineup.
West Point Stakes
In the West Point, Therapist returns to statebred company for the first time since finishing fourth behind winner Dot Matrix last fall in the Ashley T. Cole at Belmont Park. He finished third behind Offering Plan and Dot Matrix in the 2019 West Point.
This year, Therapist won the First Defence at seven furlongs on the Belmont turf, then ran second to Breaking the Rules in a 1 1/16-mile allowance on the turf here.
“I am a little biased when it comes to Therapist because I’m the co-breeder,” Clement said. “But he’s run two very strong races since he returned, he’s very consistent, and if he can just repeat his last two efforts should be very competitive again in this spot.”
Gucci Factor, winner of the Mohawk for statebreds with a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure in his 2019 finale, is a bit of a question mark on Friday after being pulled up making his 2020 debut in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy on June 6 at Belmont.
“He had some kind of a breathing issue in the race,” Clement said. “We think we’ve fixed it. I wouldn’t run him if he hadn’t trained so forwardly. So we’ll drop him back in class against New York-breds, give him another chance, and see what happens.”
Dot Matrix also returns to statebred company for the first time since finishing fifth in the 2019 Mohawk 10 months earlier. Beaten a neck by Offering Plan a year ago in the West Point, Dot Matrix finished eighth in the Grade 1 Manhattan and sixth in the Grade 2 Bowling Green in his two most recent outings.
“He had some success last fall, so we wanted to experiment a little bit stretching him out to marathon distances,” trainer Brad Cox said. “In the Manhattan he acted up in the gate, didn’t break well, but didn’t embarrass himself. Last time was a little disappointing, so we’ve decided to cut him back in distance and try him back against New York-breds again.”
Twisted Tom, first off the claim for trainer Mike Maker; likely pacesetter Blewitt; Rinaldi; and Rapt complete the lineup.