Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Nest puts in final drill for return in Shuvee
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Nest, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2022, completed preparations for her 4-year-old debut in next Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Shuvee Stakes at Saratoga by working a half-mile in 49.92 seconds on Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track.
This work can’t be judged on final time alone. It’s what Nest did after the wire that stood out. Nest galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.67 and six furlongs in 1:15.17 over a track rated good and a bit heavy from Sunday morning’s rain.
“She’s long winded, she’s got no trouble with distance as we saw here last year in the Alabama,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “A mile and an eighth off the layoff with some seasoned, really quality horses is a tall order, but she seems like she’s really doing well.”
Nest hasn’t run since a fourth-place finish behind her stablemate Malathaat in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff. That wasn’t by design.
When Nest first came to Pletcher this winter in Florida, she developed a lung infection that forced her to miss a month of training as well as a planned return in the Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland in April or the La Troienne at Churchill Downs in May.
Sunday’s move, which was done in company with the unraced 3-year-old Onlooker, was Nest’s 10th breeze since mid-May.
In the Shuvee, Nest is scheduled to face Clairiere and Played Hard, both of whom have already won Grade 1 stakes this year. The Shuvee is the prep for the Grade 1 Personal Ensign here Aug. 25.
“We expect big things from her always,” Pletcher said. “It’s a lot to ask of her, but she ran well in her debut at a mile and a sixteenth and basically has run well every start of her career. Hopefully, we go there fit enough to perform well. This is a first step towards bigger goals.”
Whitebeam’s plans uncertain
Winning the Grade 1 Diana Stakes continues to come easy for trainer Chad Brown. Figuring out what to do next with the winner is more of a challenge.
Whitebeam gave Brown his eighth Diana victory on Saturday, edging the Brown-trained and defending Diana winner In Italian by a nose. It was the second straight stakes victory for Whitebeam, first at 1 1/8 miles.
Last year, after In Italian won the Diana, Brown waited until the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland in October to run her back. In Italian won the First Lady before finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf when it was run at 1 3/16 miles. In Italian is likely to run in the First Lady again on Oct. 7 at Keeneland.
Brown isn’t sure whether to cut Whitebeam back in distance or perhaps try her a little longer.
The next available race at Saratoga at a middle distance is the Grade 2, $300,000 Ballston Spa going 1 1/16 miles here Aug. 24.
“It’s hard to go back from a Grade 1, even though the purse is very good,” Brown said. “We’ll see.”
Brown noted that, in the Diana, Whitebeam may have benefited from carrying six fewer pounds than In Italian over ground with some give in it.
“In Italian was making all the fractions on a little softish ground, probably a little quick,” Brown said. “In Italian ran an
outstanding race even though she didn’t win. Now, Whitebeam is going to have to step up after a Grade 1 win and carry more weight, so that’s a consideration.”
Also a consideration is the fact Brown has a plethora of female turf runners earmarked for other spots. McKulick and Virginia Joy are likely to make their next starts in the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls going 1 1/2 miles here Aug. 3, with potentially one or both returning in the Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl on Sept. 2.
Brown said Consumer Spending, winner of the Grade 3 Eatontown on June 17 at Monmouth, will return to Monmouth on Saturday for the Grade 3, $300,000 Matchmaker.
Gina Romantica, last year’s Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II winner who finished fourth in the Eatontown, is being pointed to the Grade 1, $500,000 Beverly D. on Aug. 12 at Colonial Downs.
Meanwhile, Brown entered five 3-year-old fillies in Friday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Lake George Stakes, a one-mile race that drew a field of 10.
Brown has Liguria and Tax Implications, the onetwo finishers from the Wild Applause Stakes on June 24 at Belmont; Revalita, third in the Grade 2 Wonder Again; and maiden winners Surge Capacity and Utilization Rate.
Casa Creed eyes Fourstardave
Casa Creed came out of his one-length victory over Annapolis in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso Stakes in good order and is tentatively pointing to the Grade 1 Fourstardave here Aug. 12, his connections said Sunday.
If it is deemed the 7-yearold needs more time, then the backup plan would be the Woodbine Mile on Sept. 16.
“It’s four weeks back to the Fourstardave, that could be a little quick back,” trainer Bill Mott said Sunday. “You’ll probably never know till you run him.”
Casa Creed has run at least one race at Saratoga for six straight years. He won his maiden in an off-the-turf race here in 2018 and won the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes in 2019. He has run in three consecutive runnings of the Fourstardave, finishing third in 2020 and 2021 before winning it last year.
“He’s developed quite a following here,” part-owner Lee Einsidler said. “The whole grandstand was cheering for him when he came back.”
Casa Creed earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure for the win.
If he runs in the Fourstardave, Casa Creed will most certainly face Annapolis again. Annapolis was a little farther back entering the first turn than planned and then got held up a bit at the quarter pole.
“Our strategy was we wanted to be laying third behind [Big Everest] and [Filo Di Arianna]. They looked like the main speed,” said Pletcher, the trainer of Annapolis. “He tossed his head a touch at the start and got jostled around, so were sixth in the second pocket instead of the first pocket. Luis [Saez on Casa Creed] was outside of us, held us in there and got first run on us. I thought he did well once he got clear, just had a really good horse get the jump on us.”
Pletcher said Emmanuel, winner of the Grade 3 Poker on June 10 at Belmont, also is possible for the Fourstardave.
Pirate has options after debut
Pletcher is leaving his options open as it pertains to his sharp debut-winning 2-year-old Pirate, who earned a sharp Beyer Speed Figure for his three-length win on Saturday at Saratoga.
The Grade 2 Saratoga Special on Aug. 12 would mean running back in 27 days. The Grade 1 Hopeful on Sept. 4 would mean waiting 51 days to run him back.
“It’s going to depend on what he tells us,” Pletcher said. “We’ll breeze him back in two weeks and leave all the options open.”
Pirate, a half-brother to Preakness winner National Treasure, dueled with Arteta, put that one away, then turned aside a challenge from Just Steel, who had to settle for second. Pirate ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.89 and earned a 77 Beyer Speed Figure.
“Anytime you break from the one hole with a first-time starter you’re concerned, but he seemed to do everything right, he took on some early pressure, shook that one off, and still had something left,” Pletcher said.
Meanwhile, Pletcher said he is pointing Haul, a threelength debut winner on July 9 at Belmont, to the Saratoga Special.