Know it's early. I always go to this race and always enjoy it cause you see a lot of the 3 year olds that raced in the Derby, Preakness and Belmont.
Tough call - its either that weekend seeing the Curlin, Amsterdam and Jim Dandy, leaving Saturday night to get back home for the Haskell like we did last year.
Or the previous weekend for the Sanford, Diana and Coaching Club American Oaks.
I am looking at the Whitney weekend too - since Palace Malice and Revolutionary may meet there if Revolutionary comes out of the Stephen Foster OK.
We're also going to The Whitney on Aug. 2.
Tonalist is the only one I've heard mentioned as being likely for the Dandy, although it is early and I've been out of the loop for the past couple of weeks.
Tonalist is certainly the one that has been talked about.
I think that Mr. Pletcher will probably be entering Matterhorn.
Who knows if Honor Code or Cairo Prince will be ready to return yet.
Shared Belief could be a possibility, but I do think that Mr. Hollendorfer would opt for the Haskell over the Jim Dandy.
Candy Boy is another possibility, though he may head to the Haskell as well depending upon how he comes out of the Los Alamitos Derby.
I would think Commanding Curve would likely be pointed to the Jim Dandy since I think Saratoga favors a closer more than Monmouth does.
Samraat will probably be going to the Jim Dandy.
Ride On Curlin I would think would probably go to the Jim Dandy as a prep for the Travers Stakes. He got multiple races over the Oaklawn Park surface and improved each time. So getting him some familiarity with Saratoga Race Course could be beneficial.
Tapiture was in the Matt Winn race this weekend so he could point there as well. Nice to see him in the winner's circle again.
Who knows who Mr. Baffert may send - will he be prepping Bayern, Indianapolis, Hoppertunity, Chitu, Midnight Hawk, or some other horse for the Haskell in which case the other(s) can go to the Jim Dandy as Code West did last year. He sent Power Broker to the Haskell.
And Wicked Strong and Danza are yet other possibilities. Though, they, too, could consider the Haskell a better option to try and secure top three year old honors.
I think one fact that points favorably to the Jim Dandy is Will Take Charge turning his place performance into a win in he Travers Stakes last year and on his way to capturing top three year old.
Thanks Taz. I always like the Jim Dandy, because we see a lot of talented three yr olds who we have become acquainted with during the triple crown run. I remember being down at the rail after the Jim Dandy as Street Sense came by and thought wow, there is the Kentucky Derby winner a mere 6 feet from me.
And my greatest sports thrill was seeing Bernardini blazing down the stretch in 2006.
Quote from: Man o Taz on June 17, 2014, 08:31:24 AM
I think that Mr. Pletcher will probably be entering Matterhorn.
I wonder whose foot he'll be targeting this time! ;)
Maybe he's the Taz of horse racing...when I was growing up playing soccer I wasn't that good so when I played, the good players on my team sent me after the good players on the other team to try and take them out. Worst part about was I wasn't even good at that. :D
Quote from: Man o Taz on June 17, 2014, 08:31:24 AM
Ride On Curlin I would think would probably go to the Jim Dandy as a prep for the Travers Stakes. He got multiple races over the Oaklawn Park surface and improved each time. So getting him some familiarity with Saratoga Race Course could be beneficial.
He was getting 30 to 45 days off, not sure if that will give him enough time to make the Jim Dandy, especially if he is off the 45 days.
Thanks for the update.
His Twitter page says he is pointing toward the West Virginia Derby on August 2, though, which to me suggests his R &R will be closer to the 30 days off, than the 45.
https://twitter.com/RIDEONCURLIN
Horse Racing Nation only lists Tonalist and Wicked Strong for this race.
Kid Cruz is possible for the Dandy. He got a 100 BSF for his Dwyer win...
Excellent. Have been glad to see Ms. Rice's success. She's been training since 1978 and is really making strides having tied with Mr. Pletcher a couple years ago for leading trainer at Saratoga and now with Kid Cruz and La Verdad in her barn its exciting.
She is also working to try and get more women involved in the sport.
http://www.saratoga.com/saratogabusinessjournal/2014/06/top-saratoga-trainer-linda-rice-is-part-of-new-all-woman-horse-race-syndicate.html
Samraat just breezed yesterday a mile in 1:43.1 at Aqueduct. He seems to be getting ready for a race. Haskell or Jim Dandy - I think he goes to the latter.
Commanding Curve worked 4 furlongs in 49.80 at Churchill so he appears to be still a possibility.
Ride On Curlin just got on the work tab again last week galloping 4 furlongs in 51, but his connections are pointing toward the West Virginia Derby I believe.
Matterhorn appears to be working on the Belmont inner turf having just gone four furlongs in 48.57 so he may be a question mark for the Jim Dandy.
Tapiture just worked 5 furlongs in 1:02.02 at Saratoga today.
Tiz Dark is another Pletcher charge who may be the only horse other than Matterhorn able to compete in the Travers Stakes. I wonder if he may enter the Curlin.
Candy Boy we know just came in second in the Los Alamitos Derby. I wonder if he might skip the Haskell in favor of the Jim Dandy.
Tonalist
Wicked Strong
Kid Cruz
I was hoping we might see Constitution at the Spa but it doesn't look like he has returned to training yet. He is still at Winstar Farm.
http://blog.timesunion.com/horseracing/saratogas-travers-might-not-have-a-pletcher-horse-in-it/10649/
It seems Commissioner and Danza are both out with injuries.
Per DRF Candy Boy is going to the WV Derby... partly to avoid Shared Belief and partly because it's a week later than the Haskell.
Then that means that they are likely not targeting the Travers Stakes since it would mean a three week turn around rather than 4 if he ran in the Haskell/Jim Dandy.
So they send him to the Pacific Classic? Not if he wants to avoid Shared Belief and since its also a three week rest...or the Pennsylvania Derby...or the Awesome Again?
And I guess they are not afraid of Ride On Curlin.
Quote from: Man o Taz on July 15, 2014, 12:08:58 PM
Then that means that they are likely not targeting the Travers Stakes since it would mean a three week turn around rather than 4 if he ran in the Haskell/Jim Dandy.
So they send him to the Pacific Classic? Not if he wants to avoid Shared Belief and since its also a three week rest...or the Pennsylvania Derby...or the Awesome Again?
And I guess they are not afraid of Ride On Curlin.
I would assume, that Candy Boy would not ship twice in 3-4 weeks, so I would think the Travers is out.
..and, really, who
does fear Ride On Curlin? He's not exactly instilling fear in the competition, lol. (though, of course, not a bad horse)
I'll be cheering for the two of them. They are both due for a win. I am a big fan of dead heats.
I heard Kid Cruz may no longer be pointing to the Jim Dandy and Commanding Curve is entered in the Curlin.
Tonalist worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.79 over the Oklahoma training track on Saturday.
Wicked Strong worked 6 furlongs in 1:13.09 over the main track at Saratoga on Saturday.
Samraat worked 4 furlongs in 48.79 over the main track at Saratoga on Saturday.
Tapiture worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.98 over the main track at Saratoga on Monday.
Matterhorn worked 4 furlongs in 49.01 over the main track at Saratoga on Monday.
Tiz Dark worked 4 furlongs in 48.08 over the main track at Saratoga on Sunday.
Kid Cruz worked 5 furlongs in 1:03.57 over the main track at Saratoga on Sunday.
Commanding Curve worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.61 over the main track at Saratoga on Saturday.
The connections of Commanding Curve say they will scratch from the Curlin and go in the Dandy (per DRF). Seems like all the speed signed on for the Haskell leaving all the closers running in the Dandy. FWIW Wicked Strong will add blinks for the Dandy.
Also, Samraat is out for the rest of the year with a stress fracture.
Here is the likely field for JD:
Tonalist
Wicked Strong
Legend
Ulanbator
Commanding Curve
Kid Cruz (still only possible)
Well, I guess you could argue both ways which race has the stronger field.
The Haskell will feature only 1 G1 winning three year old (Untapable), but four graded stakes winning three year olds (Bayern, Wildcat Red , 2; Albano) and five stakes winning three year olds (Irsih You Well).
The Jim Dandy will feature 2 G1 winning three year olds including a classic winner (Tonalist, Wicked Strong), and 3 graded stakes winning three year olds (Tapiture) two of which are multiple graded stakes winning three year olds (if you include Kid Cruz that's four graded stakes winning horses and would seem to tip the field in the Jim Dandy's favor but as I suggested above I do not believe that he is running in the race). Of course, the Jim Dandy also features the Kentucky Derby runner-up.
That was a heck of a race. Wicked Strong leading at the head of the stretch. Challenged by Tonalist mid stretch and Wicked Strong digging in and pulling away approaching the wire.
Great win for Wicked Strong - good confidence builder. I do not think Tonalist was cranked - but still ran well.
Travers should be fun - a nice quality field.
Not since Quality Road and Summer Bird faced off is there so much quality...but perhaps I'm wrong...
4 G1 winning horses...one Classic winner...Derby runner up...