Looking ahead to the ‘Travers Day Preview’
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY. » Weekend One’s stakes action – which included thrilling editions of the Diana Handicap and Sanford Stakes, and a lights-out performance by Monomoy Girl in the Coaching Club American Oaks – will be a tough act follow. NYRA will do its best with a familiar four-stakes program next Saturday.
The four graded races, which have been run on the same day since 2015, constitute a sort of Travers Day Preview. All four are preps for Grade 1’s on Travers Day, albeit at slightly shorter distances, for smaller purses and, with one exception, at a lower grade level. The Jim Dandy is of course a prep for the Travers. Saturday’s other three stakes are the Bowling Green (a prep for the Sword Dancer), A. G. Vanderbilt (Forego) and Amsterdam (H. Allen Jerkens Memorial).
During the three years the four races have been on the same card, over 40 percent (31 of 76) of the horses who ran in next Saturday’s races went on to compete on Travers Day. Interestingly, of the 11 Jim Dandy starters who went on to the Travers, only one hit the board – Frosted, who after being runner-up in the four-horse Jim Dandy, finished third in the Travers.
Last year, the “Travers Day Preview” race that had the biggest impact on the Travers card was the Bowling Green. The first three finishers in the Bowling Green (Hunter O’Reilly, Bigger Picture and Sadler’s Joy) ran fourth, third and first, respectively, in the Sword Dancer.
SUNDAY UNDERCARD
Race 2
Candy Ride isn’t generally known as sire of turf horses, but in Sunday’s second-race maiden special, his 2-year-old daughter Chocolate Kisses showed herself to be an exception to the rule. Rating just off the pace of entrymate Toy Moon, Chocolate Kisses went to the front in upper stretch, continuing on for a one-length victory. Toy Moon finished third, 1 ¾ lengths behind place horse Aunt Ashley. The running time over firm going was 1:44.27.
Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard for Mark Casse and owner Debby M. Oxley. Chocolate Kisses was a $410,000 yearling buy at last summer’s FasigTipton Select Sale.
Race 5
A bit of racing royalty was on hand in this 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight as Wooderson (7-1), a half-brother to the great Rachel Alexandra, endeavored to break through in his third try. The two favorites were out of gradedstakes winning mares: Point to Remember (3-2), a Point of Entry colt out of multiple Grade 2-winner Miss Isella, by Silver Charm; and Domain (21), a son of Orb out of 2006 BC Distaff winner Pleasant Home, by Seeking the Gold.
Domain made the early running, with Wooderson and Point to Remember keeping close company. Wooderson finally wore down the leader at the 3/16ths pole and had a onelength lead at the eighth pole. Point to Remember loomed a threatening presence on the outside but appeared hesitant to go by, leaving Wooderson to hold his length advantage to the wire. The son of Awesome Again was clocked in 1:50.65. Domain finished another 4 ¾ lengths back in third.
John Velasquez rode the winner for Todd Pletcher and owner Let’s Go Stable.