Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Math Wizard back in 8 days
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Having watched Math Wizard train so well at Saratoga, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was torn between running him in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic last Friday or the Grade 1 Woodward here on Saturday. It looks like he’ll run in both. Math Wizard, who finished fifth in the Charles Town Classic, was entered Wednesday in the Woodward, which drew a field of six led by Tacitus.
“He was doing so good at Saratoga,” Joseph said Wednesday from Kentucky, where he is preparing Ny Traffic for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. “It’s a small field. He does well in a small field. He bounced out of [the Charles Town Classic] well. If he continues to show good energy the rest of the week, there’s a good chance we’ll run.”
Joseph believes Math Wizard was compromised in the Charles Town Classic by the slow pace set by race winner Sleepy Eyes Todd. Math Wizard, who won the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby last year, was beaten 11 lengths by that horse, but only a half-length for third.
“I thought he had every chance,” Joseph said. “He was in a good enough spot, but they went slow. When they got to the backside they kicked, and it was hard to make up ground. He only got beat two necks for third.”
Joel Rosario will ride Math Wizard from the rail in the Woodward.
Tacitus, the 8 3/4-length winner of the Grade 2 Suburban, will likely go favored in the Woodward from post 2 under Jose Ortiz. His victory in the Woodward ended a seven-race losing streak.
Global Campaign comes off a win in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup. He spent last summer here and finished third in the Jim Dandy, a race in which Tacitus was second.
Todd Pletcher entered both Moretti, winner of the Birdstone Stakes at 1 3/4 miles, and Spinoff, winner of the Alydar. Prioritize, a recent allowance winner for white-hot trainer James Bond, completes the field.
Mystic Guide dons blinkers
Mystic Guide, the beaten favorite in the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes, will get the addition of blinkers when he looks to make amends in Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga.
Mystic Guide, a son of Ghostzapper owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by Michael Stidham, was as far back as 11 lengths off the pace in the Peter Pan. He rallied to be third, 3 1/2 lengths behind winner Country Grammer.
“Down the backside I said to myself, we can’t win from there, we were so far back,” Stidham said. “Every time he tried to get him to advance, he wasn’t wanting to run into the dirt. It wasn’t until he got him out turning for home that he started picking up horses.”
Stidham said he has worked Mystic Guide behind horses at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland and likes what he’s seen.
“He’s been finishing better,” Stidham said. “He’s there more for the rider when you ask him. I’m hoping the blinkers put him a little more forward and that he still has his kick.”
Jose Ortiz will ride Mystic Guide, who drew post 7.
Inside of him, from the rail out, are Happy Saver, Live-yourbeastlife, First Line, Jesus’ Team, Celtic Striker, and Dr Post.
The Jim Dandy, run at 1 1/8 miles, could be used as a stepping-stone to the Preakness on Oct. 3 at Pimlico.
Fillies rematched in Prioress
Frank’s Rockette, Reagan’s Edge, and Center Aisle, separated by less than a length when running 1-2-3 in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 4 at Belmont Park, will square off again in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Prioress at Saratoga.
The Prioress, like the Victory Ride, is run at six furlongs.
Since she looked like the lone speed on paper in the Victory Ride, Frank’s Rockette was sent off the 2-5 favorite. She took heat all the way around from Reagan’s Edge, who just came up a head short while besting Center Aisle by three-quarters of a length for second.
The field for the Prioress, from the rail out, is Kimari, Up in Smoke, Sound Machine, Secondary Market, Frank’s Rockette, Hello Beautiful, Center Aisle, Purrfectly Claire, and Reagan’s Edge.
Glens Falls in flux
Civil Union, winner of the River Memories Stakes on closing day at Belmont Park, and My Sister Nat, winner of the Grade 3 Waya Stakes here Aug. 8, top the field entered for the Grade 2, $200,000 Glens Falls Stakes, scheduled for 1 3/8 miles over the inner turf Saturday.
The Glens Falls drew seven, but Lovely Lucky and Pallas Athene also are entered in a second-level allowance Thursday. The threat of that race coming off the turf is potentially why those were entered back in this spot.
Others entered to run in the Glens Falls are Beau Belle, Eliade, and Complicit.
◗ First post for Saturday’s 12-race card will be 11:45 a.m. Final post will be 6:08 p.m., approximately an hour before the Kentucky Derby is run at Churchill Downs. With 12 races, there will be a third pick five offered, starting on race 6.