Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
American Patriot looks solid in drill for Fourstardave
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – American Patriot, who finished 11th in the Grade 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, turned in a solid five-furlong workout Friday over the Oklahoma turf course and will run in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga.
American Patriot worked in company with Adorable Miss, a two-time stakes-winning filly. The move was the second quickest among 18 works at the distance Friday over the Oklahoma turf.
“Not that that matters, I thought he did it well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said.
Prior to going to England, American Patriot won an allowance race at Gulfstream and then the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland. Pletcher has been pleased with how well American Patriot has come out of the Royal Ascot race.
“The trip he took remarkably well,” Pletcher said. “If anything, he’s gained weight since then and looks good.”
According to Andrew Byrnes, the stakes coordinator for the New York Racing Association, a field of five is expected for the Fourstardave. The other four are Ballagh Rocks (the winner of the Grade 3 Poker at Belmont), Disco Partner (the winner of the Grade 3 Jaipur and the listed Forbidden Apple), Time Test (the runner-up in the Grade 1 Manhattan), and World Approval (the winner of the Grade 2 Dixie at Pimlico).
On Friday, World Approval worked five furlongs in 1:04 but came home in 24.60 seconds under Julien Leparoux.
Tapwrit picks up the pace
Tapwrit, the Belmont Stakes winner, picked up the pace in his preparation for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes by working five furlongs in 1:01.84 in company with Destin on Friday.
With regular rider Jose Ortiz up, Tapwrit, working on the inside, went his first three furlongs in 36.80 seconds, got his final quarter in 25.04, and then galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.36 and seven furlongs in 1:28.36.
“Extremely pleased with the way he galloped out and finished the work,” trainer Pletcher said. “He seems like he’s doing very well.”
Friday’s move was Tapwrit’s first at five furlongs since the Belmont Stakes. His two previous moves were at four furlongs. Though it’s been nearly two months since Tapwrit ran, Pletcher said he’s happy with where the colt is three weeks before the Travers.
“He’s obviously a horse that has plenty of stamina,” Pletcher said. “Coming off a mile-and-ahalf race, I thought [it would] be a good time to space him out a little bit and not get too strong with his workouts just yet. But I thought he’s basically shown in all three of his workouts that his fitness level’s quite good.”
New Money Honey to Alabama
After watching New Money Honey put in a sensational fivefurlong workout Friday over the Saratoga main track, trainer Chad Brown confirmed her as a starter Aug. 19 for the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes, which will be her dirt debut.
On Friday, New Money Honey worked five furlongs in 1:01.12, pulling away by eight lengths from Jamyson ‘n Ginger.
“She really was outstanding,” Brown said. “She had been training very well on the dirt, and we let her out a notch this morning, and she galloped out six furlongs in 1:13 and change.”
New Money Honey, a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, is 4 for 6, with all her starts on turf. She won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last year and the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational in her last start.
“This filly always trained like she was okay on the dirt, but she was doing so well on the turf, it’s hard to make a move until the right opportunity shows up,” Brown said. “This looks like the right opportunity.”
Unchained Melody, the winner of the Grade 2 Mother Goose, worked five furlongs in 1:01.43 over the main track Friday in preparation for the Alabama.
Proctor’s Ledge eyes Lake Placid
Who would best know how to assess the 48.40-second halfmile breeze turned in by Proctor’s Ledge inside the dogs over the Oklahoma turf course at Saratoga on Friday: the man who trains the recent Grade 3 winner or the exercise rider who was on her back for the drill?
Well, in this case, they are the same. Trainer Brendan Walsh was aboard Proctor’s Ledge for the bullet work that he described as little more than a “maintenance trip” just two weeks removed from her come-from-behind, 1 3/4-length victory in the Lake George Stakes on July 21.
“She was just galloping out there today,” Walsh said. “I got on her this morning because I’m here today and I won’t be next week when she breezes again, and I like to get a feel for her myself when I can. And she felt great.”
Walsh said the Grade 3 Lake Placid on Aug. 19 likely is next for Proctor’s Ledge, a homebred daughter of Ghostzapper owned by Patricia Moseley.
“She has a liking for the course, and it’s just the natural thing to do, to bring her back here in the next one,” Walsh said.
Mind Your Biscuits targets Forego
Trainer Chad Summers said the seven-furlong Forego on Aug. 26 is now almost certain to be next for his multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Your Biscuits, who breezed an easy half-mile in 49.26 with jockey Joel Rosario aboard over the main track Thursday.
Summers had also been considering shipping Mind Your Biscuits to Del Mar to give him a race over that track in the Grade 1 Pat O’Brien on Aug. 26. Del Mar is the site of this fall’s major objective for Mind Your Biscuits, the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Summers said Mind Your Biscuits would have his “key work” for the Forego here next week.