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Pick Pony | Aug. 30, 2024, 3:32 p.m.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux will have two chances to win her first Listed $150,000 Bernard Baruch with graded stakes-placed Taking Candy and the streaking Rebel Red in Sunday’s 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for 3-year-olds and up at Saratoga Race Course.
Lael Stable’s Taking Candy is making his second start after a 10-month layoff and was the winner of a local optional claimer at the Baruch distance on the Mellon turf in his last race. Ridden by Jose Lezcano, the son of Twirling Candy stayed one length off the pace throughout before making a move in the final turn and bravely battling a slew of challengers to win by a half-length over Tidal Forces. He earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I was really happy with that performance,” said DeVaux. “He’s a horse that’s always shown a lot of talent and ability, he’s just a horse that has had a couple different issues that have kept him away from the races. He’s doing really well, so with that race off the layoff, it was by design that we would wait until the end of the meet to run him again.”
The 4-year-old bay had a successful second year, winning at Churchill Downs before securing a narrow victory in an allowance race. He finished the year with a second-place finish in the local Grade 3 Saranac. Taking Candy, a $400,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is the offspring of the Trappe Shot mare Taking Aim. Taking Aim is a half-sister to Tapizar, a multiple graded stakes-winner. Jockey Lezcano will ride him from post 7.
Rebel Red, owned by John D. Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Service, also won his last race at this distance at the allowance level. However, Rebel Red will need to overcome recent adversity after losing his left eye in a stall accident shortly after his win on July 13.
“Physically, he’s been doing fine, but he’s had a significant life change since he last ran after losing one of his eyes in a freak stall accident,” DeVaux said. “He miraculously only lost two weeks of training, but he’s been training well and we’re trying to see how he adjusts to life and racing with his new situation.”
The 4-year-old son of Frankel enters off back-to-back wins this summer, led by a maiden win in his second start for DeVaux in June at Churchill Downs and following with his tidy one-length annexing of the allowance event here. Prior to his tenure with DeVaux, he made two starts in his native Great Britain when second and off-the-board in a pair of one-mile allowances for conditioner Ralph Beckett.
DeVaux said she is mostly looking at the colt’s competitiveness in this event to gauge his future.
“He’ll still wear blinkers, and we just put a cover over the eye that’s missing so when the grass hits him, it won’t startle him,” DeVaux explained. “He’s always been a nice horse. It’s hard for me to say right now with what has happened, and we’re really more interested in seeing how he handles this before we really try to push him anywhere.”
Taking Candy and Rebel Red worked in company on August 19 over the Spa’s Oklahoma dirt training track, covering a half-mile in 49.58 seconds.
“He’s had two works and he’s fit, we’re just going to have to see how he handles it,” DeVaux said of Rebel Red.
Manny Franco has the call from post 3.
Calumet Farm’s graded stakes-winner Running Bee [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] cuts back in distance as he seeks to rebound from a close sixth last out in the 11-furlong Grade 2 United Nations on July 20 at Monmouth Park for four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown.
The 5-year-old English Channel gelding entered the United Nations from a thrilling dead heat score shared with returning rival Fort Washington in the Grade 3 Monmouth on June 15 at its namesake oval and again utilized stalking tactics under Vincent Cheminaud last out. He attempted to forge a path forward in the final turn, but was overtaken by foes and defeated 2 1/2 lengths.
Running Bee has won twice and finished second twice in four starts at the Baruch distance, including a pacesetting 3 3/4-length optional claiming conquest in November at Aqueduct Racetrack. He holds a consistent 12-5-3-1 record with earnings in excess of $440,000.
Magic Cap Stables' Fort Washington also exits an off-the-board finish in the United Nations and a win in the Monmouth for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. The 5-year-old War Front dark bay had dabbled in stakes company before, including a half-length win in the 2022 Tale of the Cat at Monmouth, but broke through at the graded level in the Monmouth when pouncing from off the pace under Kendrick Carmouche and hitting the wire in tandem with Running Bee.
The $260,000 2023 Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale purchase will emerge from post 1 in rein to Carmouche.
A. Bianco Holding Limited’s Pioneering Spirit [post 4, Dylan Davis] looks to defend his title in this event after capturing last year’s running by 2 3/4 lengths for conditioner Linda Rice.
The 5-year-old American Pharoah gelding takes the same path to the Baruch as last year, wheeling back on eight days’ rest from a run in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer. Last year, he picked up graded black type for the first time when a 10-length third, and though he landed fourth in this year’s Sword Dancer, he finished a much closer 4 1/2 lengths back.
Pioneering Spirit is in search of his first win since coming out on the winning end of a match race edition of the off-the-turf Listed Knickerbocker in October at Belmont at the Big A. Since then, he has hit the board in 2-of-8 starts, including a third in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy in May at the Big A and a game runner-up effort to stablemate Film Star in the off-the-turf restricted Lure on August 3 here.
Completing the field are Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables’ graded stakes-placed Steady On [post 6, Flavien Prat] for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and Three Diamonds Farm's three-time winner Beuys [post 2, Luis Saez] for trainer Mike Maker.
Film Star and Phileas Fogg are entered for the main track-only.
The Bernard Baruch is slated as Race 11 on Sunday’s 13-race program, which features the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup in Race 12, a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Del Mar. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern. Gates will open to the public at 10:30 a.m.
Glassman Racing’s Grade 1-winner Arthur’s Ride looks for his next big score in Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, a 1 1/4-mile test for 3-year-olds and up, at Saratoga Race Course.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1, $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Arthur’s Ride enters from one of the most impressive performances of the Spa’s summer meet when setting the pace and crossing the wire a 2 1/4-length winner of the nine-furlong Grade 1 Whitney on August 3. The final time of 1:48.54 over the muddy and sealed track earned a 110 Beyer Speed Figure.
“It worked out quite well,” Mott said of the successful first graded stakes attempt, which secured a berth for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. “He’s doing good. He’s been training well. He’s had a couple of nice works.”
The complexion of the Whitney changed when Arthur’s Ride was taken to the front from post 9-of-10 under returning rider Junior Alvarado as speedy post-time favorite National Treasure settled into fourth position during the early stages.
“I don’t think it is necessary that he is there,” Mott said regarding the early advantage. “He was last time, but I don’t think he has to be there. It just turned out that last time, that is where he was.”
Prior to the Whitney, the 4-year-old Tapit gray set the pace in a 10-furlong optional claimer and poured it on late to win by 12 3/4 lengths on June 7 here. The performance earned a career and field-best 111 Beyer.
Mott said that he hopes Arthur’s Ride’s success at the Spa will continue in Sunday’s 106th running of the Jockey Club Gold Cup - which he has captured with Hall of Famer Cigar [1995], Flat Out [2012], Ron the Greek [2013] and Olympiad [2022].
“He’s had four weeks in between. We are hoping he has had enough time in between,” Mott explained. “He ran a huge race last time and we are hoping he can fire back that same shot.”
Bred in Florida by Helen Barbazon, Joseph Barbazon and Tapit Syndicate, Arthur’s Ride, a $250,000 purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the 2009 Canadian Champion Grass Mare Points of Grace.
Alvarado will be back aboard the 7-4-2-0 contender from the outermost post 7.
Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher will be represented by defending race-champ Bright Future [post 3, Javier Castellano, blinkers ON] and fellow Grade 1-winner Tapit Trice [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.].
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables’ Bright Future broke out at the start of the Whitney and went wide into the first turn, traveling last after a half-mile and finishing a distant eighth under returning Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano. The 5-year-old Curlin chestnut’s misfire was in stark contrast to his lone other outing this year, when annexing the Grade 3 Salvator Mile on June 15 at Monmouth Park.
Last year, Bright Future earned a breakthrough score in this event in a stalking photo finish victory over the oncoming Proxy. He took his automatic entry into the Breeders’ Cup Classic and ran a respectable sixth in the prestigious test won by White Abarrio.
“Bright Future won the race last year and unfortunately, he didn’t fire in the Whitney. Javier didn’t seem to think he handled the sealed track,” said Pletcher, adding that blinkers will be equipped for Sunday’s contest. “Hopefully, he can catch a fast track that he likes and run back to his performance last year.”
Tapit Trice, campaigned by Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable, also made some noise at the top-level last year when taking the nine-furlong Grade 1 Blue Grass in April at Keeneland. He made his next four starts in Grade 1s, his best finishes being thirds in the Belmont Stakes and Travers.
The Tapit gray has one start to his name as a 4-year-old, but a strong one, drawing off by 5 1/4 lengths in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Monmouth Cup on July 20 at its namesake track. The performance earned a career-best 101 Beyer.
“I was very happy with Tapit Trice’s comeback win in the Monmouth Cup and he’s been training exceptionally well for this,” Pletcher said. “I think the mile and a quarter suits him great.”
Pletcher looks to add to past Jockey Club Gold Cup scores with Bright Future and Happy Saver [2020].
Blue Heaven Farm’s Grade 1-placed homebred Pyrenees [post 5, Brian Hernandez, Jr.] has been on a tremendous run of form for conditioner Cherie DeVaux. The 4-year-old Into Mischief bay graduated at fifth asking off a one-year layoff in December at Fair Grounds Race Course, and proceeded to win his next three races.
The four-race win streak, which featured a score in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special in May at Pimlico, came to an end last-out with a second to the Pletcher-trained Kingsbarns in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 29 at Churchill Downs. Both graded performances earned a career-best 97 Beyer, and DeVaux said the place honors were convincing.
“It was definitely Grade 1 company and I think he’ll handle a bit more ground,” said DeVaux. “His effort was great and he’s kind of taken everything we’ve thrown at him and stepped up to the occasion, which has been a nice surprise because early in his career he didn’t really act interested in racing. His maturity has kind of kicked in.”
Godolphin’s Grade 3-winning Kentucky homebred Highland Falls [post 6, Flavien Prat] enters from a runner-up finish to Tapit Trice in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup. Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the 4-year-old Curlin chestnut’s 4-for-8 record includes a win in the Grade 3 Blame in June at Churchill, following a career-best 104 Beyer for second in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap in April at its namesake course.
Out of the Grade 1-winning Awesome Again mare Round Pond, Highland Falls is a half-brother to Group 1-victor Long River, who finished third in the 2014 Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.
Rounding out the field are the Grade 1-placed Disarm [post 4, Joel Rosario] for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, a four-time winning conditioner of this race, saddling Hall of Famer Curlin [2007-08], Haynesfield [2010] and Max Player [2021]; and multiple stakes-placed Kuchar [post 2, Luis Saez] for trainer Rudy Rodriguez.