Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Chestertown should enjoy class drop, distance of Albany
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When a New York-bred son of Tapit hammered down for $2 million at the OBS 2-yearolds in training auction in March 2019, there were obviously hopes that he would be the New York-bred racing fans were fawning over leading up to this year’s Kentucky Derby.
While New York-breds Tiz the Law and Ny Traffic will be flying the flag for the statebred program in Louisville in Saturday’s delayed Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, Chestertown will be seeking his first stakes victory in the $150,000 Albany, one of six stakes and 12 races restricted to statebreds Friday at Saratoga.
First post Friday is 12:20 p.m., and the Albany, with just a sixhorse field, is carded as race 3 (1:28 p.m.).
Chestertown is a big, goodlooking son of Tapit out of the mare Artemis Agrotera, who went 3 for 3 at Saratoga, including a victory in the Grade 1 Ballerina. She was campaigned by Chester and Mary Broman, who bred Chestertown and who eventually stayed in for part ownership of the colt, purchased by West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, and Robert Masiello.
Chestertown, trained by Steve Asmussen, won a onemile maiden race last December at Aqueduct but is winless since. Chestertown was given the chance to jump on the Triple Crown trail in the Louisiana Derby but finished eighth, beaten 11 3/4 lengths. Since then, he was second in a statebred allowance at Belmont and, most recently, sixth of nine in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Saratoga.
The last race came with blinkers added. Though Chestertown didn’t show much in
the Peter Pan, Asmussen has elected to keep the blinkers on for the Albany.
“I like how he’s training,” Asmussen said. “He’s shown a lot more focus with the blinkers on . . . . He’s been an attractive, good-moving horse that’s sound and he’s finally maturing mentally.”
The class drop and the 1 1/8-mile distance figure to benefit Chestertown, who will break from post 4 under Jose Ortiz.
He is the only member of this field to have run 1 1/8 miles on dirt. In addition to the Peter Pan, he finished second in an open-company allowance at Fair Grounds in February.
City Man has run 1 1/8 miles on turf, finishing second to Venezuelan Hug in an open allowance on turf here Aug. 9. Last year, City Man went 2 for 2 over Saratoga’s main track, including a victory in the Funny Cide Stakes going 6 1/2 furlongs on this same card showcasing statebreds.
Trainer Christophe Clement is adding blinkers to City Man’s equipment for this race. Clement explained that the last time City Man raced on dirt – a fourth in the Mike Lee Stakes at Belmont – he felt the horse was intimidated while racing on the inside of horses.
“He was never quite comfortable and I had never seen that before from him on the turf or in the morning on the dirt,” Clement said. “I thought his last two races on the turf were good. The horse that beat me last time was quite impressive.”
Microsecond, a maiden winner on turf Aug. 12; More Graytful, an allowance winner going 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt Aug. 5; Turbo Drive, 0 for 4 on dirt; and Sky of Hook complete the field.
Ice Princess faces statebreds
Ice Princess, 3 for 3 versus New York-breds, will return from a four-month layoff in Friday’s $150,000 Fleet Indian Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles.
In February, Ice Princess was a much-the-best winner of the Maddie May Stakes going a mile at Aqueduct. The COVID19 pandemic shut down New York racing for 12 weeks and left Ice Princess out in the cold as far as options.
Trainer Danny Gargan tried the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn, where Ice Princess was overmatched by Swiss Skydiver, finishing 18 3/4 lengths behind her while running ninth.
Gargan turned Ice Princess out for a month. Although she hasn’t run since run May 1, Ice Princess has a strong work tab leading up to this, according to Gargan.
“She’s super fit,” Gargan said. “I’ve had her back for a long time. Her last couple of works were pretty nice.”
Critical Value, a daughter of Bodemeister trained by Jeremiah Englehart, won the Bouwerie Stakes at Belmont on June 28 going seven furlongs. Her only try around two turns and at 1 1/8 miles came in last December’s Grade 2 Demoiselle, where she finished fourth behind Lake Avenue.
“I would think the oneturn mile is probably her best distance, but she’s had a little bit more consistent training being back in New York than she was in Oaklawn,” Englehart said. “I think she’s fit and ready to go.”
Makingcents, Sharp Starr, Courageous Girl, Playtone, and Micromillion complete the field.