Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Freewheeler flattered by last
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Freewheeler’s second-place finish to Four Wheel Drive in the Grade 3 Futurity at Belmont Park wasn’t enough to get him selected into the field for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last week at Santa Anita. But the performance certainly looks better after Four Wheel Drive dominated the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Freewheeler will have to settle for trying to get the lion’s share of the $100,000 purse in Saturday’s Atlantic Beach Stakes at Aqueduct. The Atlantic Beach – like the Breeders’ Cup – drew an oversubscribed field but will be limited to 12 starters. It is run at six furlongs over the outer turf course.
Freewheeler was beaten three lengths by Four Wheel Drive in the Futurity. While trainer Todd Pletcher admits Freewheeler was second best in the race, he is adding blinkers to Freewheeler’s equipment in search of a better performance.
“Just trying to channel all his energy to moving straight forward instead of drifting out a little bit,” Pletcher said. “I did think he didn’t get involved as early on as he needed to be to put himself in position to win that day.”
Pletcher worked Freewheeler in blinkers and said the equipment “seemed to have him locked in pretty good.”
Pletcher also sends out Mystic Lancelot, who comes out of a fourth-place finish in the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 6.
Trainer Mark Casse sends out three horses in the Atlantic Beach led by Jack and Noah, who was fourth in the Futurity. Jose Ortiz will ride Jack and Noah.
“I was shocked he shot to the lead the way he did,” Casse said. “Hopefully, Jose will get him to settle a little.”
Casse also sends out Old Chestnut, who didn’t appear to care for the soft ground in the Indian Summer, and Prince of Thieves, who cuts back to a sprint after finishing 13th in the Bourbon Stakes going two turns at Keeneland.
Embolden, third in the Futurity, adds blinkers. Fly Fly Away, a half-brother to seventime stakes winner Disco Partner, cuts back to a sprint after running fifth in the Grade 3 With Anticipation at Saratoga.
So Street, Me and Mr. C, Turned Aside, Montauk Daddy, and Axiomo complete the field. Big Package and Dubai Bobby are on the also-eligible list.
Pumpkin Pie has new look
The $100,000 Pumpkin Pie has a decidedly different look to it Saturday than when it was originally scheduled to be run on Oct. 27 at Belmont Park when inclement weather forced the cancellation of the card’s final eight races.
For one thing, race favorites Chalon and Ms Locust Point are not in the field. Second, the race is run at Aqueduct instead of Belmont.
Majestic Reason is now the likely favorite despite her 0-for-3 record at seven furlongs. She did finish second to Anna’s Bandit in a seven-furlong allowance race at Laurel two back. Anna’s Bandit came out of that Aug. 16 race to win four straight restricted sprint stakes.
“I’d worry a little bit about the seven-eighths,” said Graham Motion, the trainer of Majestic Reason. “It seems her best races were three-quarters. That said, I couldn’t be happier with how she’s doing, so I feel good about doing it.”
Jorge Vargas Jr., the regular rider of Majestic Reason, will come up to ride the filly from post 7.
Saguaro Row, third in the Shine Again at Laurel and second in the Shine Again at Saratoga, will take plenty of money. Philanthropic, trained by Jason Servis, may be the main speed breaking from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr.
Saez to serve 17 days
Jockey Luis Saez, who is still fighting the 15-day suspension handed him by the Churchill Downs stewards for his ride in the Kentucky Derby on Maximum Security, on Monday will begin serving 17 days’ worth of suspensions handed him by the New York stewards.
Saez withdrew his appeal of a seven-day suspension for careless riding during the running of the 10th race on Aug. 4 at Saratoga. He will serve those days from Monday through Nov. 17. In that race, the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes, Saez let his mount, Just Fly, come over and interfere with Frank’s Rockette, the eventual runner-up. Just Fly finished last so there was no disqualification warranted.
Saez also withdrew an appeal of a 10-day suspension handed him for his ride on Stones in the road, who finished third and was disqualified to fifth for interfering with Alisio in the 10th race at Saratoga on Aug. 10.
On Oct. 28, Saez lost his appeal of a careless riding suspension handed him for his ride on Anne Dupree in the seventh race on June 28 at Belmont, a race in which he won but was disqualified to third. According to a ruling by the New York State Gaming Commission, Saez will serve those seven days at next spring’s Belmont Park meet.