Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Global Campaign will train up to Breeders’ Cup Classic
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Kevin Plank earlier this year began the process of winding down his holdings in Thoroughbred racing, one horse he wanted to retain an interest in was Global Campaign.
So even though he sold a piece of the son of Curlin to WinStar Farm earlier this year, Plank’s Sagamore Farm kept a 50 percent interest in the horse’s racing career and a third interest in his future as a stallion.
On Saturday, Global Campaign increased his value in both areas as well as earning his way into the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by winning the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga.
“We sold some nice horses, but one of the ones we wanted to hang onto was this guy,” said Hunter Rankin, racing manager for Plank’s Sagamore Farm. “We always thought he was really, really talented. Physical issues have kept him from being one of the top horses, but hopefully he’s turned the corner on some of that stuff and we’ll take another big swing hopefully in the fall.”
Rankin was referring to the Classic, which will most likely be Global Campaign’s next start on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.
In the Woodward, Global Campaign was sent to the lead by Luis Saez, and though he didn’t change leads in the stretch, he was able to beat the multiple Grade 2 stakes winner Tacitus by 1 3/4 lengths. Global Campaign ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.40 and earned a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I don’t think the race was too hard on him,” Rankin said. “He’s a funny horse, he’s got a mind of his own. He didn’t switch leads, but that wasn’t a sign of being tired, I just think he didn’t want to switch leads for whatever reason. Luis obviously left him alone and rode him great.”
Global Campaign was expected to return to trainer Stan Hough’s Kentucky barn by Monday afternoon to train up to the Classic.
It remains to be seen if Plank gets entirely out of horse racing, but if he is headed in that direction there is a chance he could go out on a high note in the Breeders’ Cup.
“I always wanted to get him that horse that made it all kind of worth it,” Rankin said. “We always thought this was the guy to do that and to be that horse that transcends the farm and for him to be able to look at him and say we did what we set out to accomplish. We may not have won the Derby, we may not have won a [3-year-old] classic, but we have a hell of a horse and he might not be done yet.”
Meanwhile, Woodward runner-up Tacitus, second as the 3-5 favorite, came out of the race well and will most likely be pointed to the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 10 at Belmont and then the Breeders’ Cup Classic, trainer Bill Mott said.
“Why not?” Mott said. “He’s still running, it doesn’t matter who he runs against, he’s right there. If he gets the right pace scenario maybe one day he’s got a big one out there for him.”
Jim Dandy 1-2 mull Preakness
Mystic Guide came out of his half-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2 Jim Dandy a little tired but otherwise in good shape, trainer Mike Stidham said Sunday. While Stidham said he will strongly consider the $1 million Preakness on Oct. 3 for Mystic Guide’s next start, he stopped short of committing the colt to the race.
“If the race makes sense, we’ll go there,” Stidham said Sunday afternoon. “It’s not a must-runin race, it’s a race we’ll look at and if the race make sense for the horse we’ll do it.”
Stidham said that among the criteria he and Godolphin president Jimmy Bell will use to determine if the Preakness makes sense is how his horse is doing and how the field for the Preakness is shaping up.
Mystic Guide earned a careerbest 95 Beyer Speed Figure for the Jim Dandy performance. Authentic earned a 105 Beyer for his victory in the Kentucky Derby.
In addition to the number being an improvement for Mystic Guide, the colt showed better focus with the addition of blinkers. Both Stidham and jockey Jose Ortiz had mentioned the horse raced spotty in the Peter Pan, a race in which he finished third here July 16.
“It didn’t make him show more speed because he’s a big lumbering colt no matter what,” Stidham said. “It made him a little handier, when the rider asked him he was there instead of taking a lot of urging.”
Mystic Guide shipped back to Stidham’s base at the Fair Hill Training Center on Sunday.
Liveyourbeastlife finished fast to be second in the Jim Dandy after dropping back to last at the half-mile pole.
Trainer Jorge Abreu said the outcome might have been different had Junior Alvarado been able to keep him out in the clear.
While Liveyourbeastlife is not Triple Crown nominated, it is likely he will be supplemented to the Preakness for a fee of $25,000, according to owner Bill Lawrence.
“We are leaning strongly towards [supplementing] to the Preakness and will see how the horse does the next few weeks,” Lawrence wrote in a text. “We will run him if we think we can win the race.”
Options for Frank’s Rockette
Frank’s Rockette made it two consecutive stakes victories versus 3-year-old filly sprinters with a sharp 2 1/2-length score in Saturday’s Grade 2 Prioress at Saratoga.
She beat the same two horses – Reagan’s Edge and Center Aisle – that she defeated by a much narrower margin in the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes on July 4 at Belmont Park.
“She had a little bit of a fast work before the Victory Ride and she didn’t break quite as well in the Victory Ride,” trainer Bill Mott said Sunday. “She broke really good yesterday, there was a horse [Hello Beautiful] that outsprinted her, and we were able to tip to the outside. I will say I thought Junior [Alvarado] rode a great race on her.”
Frank’s Rockette, a daughter of Into Mischief, covered the six furlongs in 1:08.89 and earned a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure.
Among the options for her next start are the Grade 3, $150,000 Miss Preakness going six furlongs on Oct. 3 at Pimlico or the Grade 2, $200,000 Raven Run going seven furlongs on Oct. 17 at Keeneland.
“We’re not afraid to stretch her out to seven-eighths, but I think first choice would be sixfurlong races,” Mott said.
Frank’s Rockette is 3 for 4 in six-furlong races.
– David Grening
Perfect plan for Civil Union
Shug McGaughey said to himself he wasn’t going to make the same mistake here this summer with Civil Union that he did several years ago with Apple Betty, running her back too soon in the Grade 3 Waya following her victory in the River Memories just four weeks earlier at Belmont Park.
So McGaughey skipped the Waya earlier in this session with Civil Union after her 1 3/4-length victory in the 1 1/2-mile River Memories to await Saturday’s Grade 2 Glens Falls. The strategy paid big dividends when the daughter of War Front rallied to a onelength decision over favored My Sister Nat for her third straight victory and first against graded company.
“Apple Betty finished fourth in the Waya after winning the River Memories, and I kicked myself afterward and told myself I wouldn’t ever do that again,” McGaughey said while watching In Front, another daughter of War Front, work over the Oklahoma turf course Sunday morning. “This filly has just improved, improved, improved this year. I ran her just once in Florida waiting to get her over the bigger track at Belmont. I thought she ran really well when she won the first time there, and she improved again off that race to win the River Memories.”
Civil Union, who earned a career-best 94 Beyer for her performance Saturday, had trained extremely well leading up to the Glens Falls, with McGaughey’s lone worry going into the race the condition of the turf course.
“Being a War Front, I was a little concerned about the footing because even though they called it firm, it wasn’t,” McGaughey said. “My game plan for her coming up here this summer was the Glens Falls and the 1 1/2-mile race at Keeneland on the 18th [Grade 3 Dowager] and right now that’s still my game plan. Although that could change.”
– Mike Welsch