Friday, 21 July 2017 11:42

Weezie at the Flagpole: Opening Day!

By Louisa Foye | Sports

After 10+ months of yearning for the thrill of another Opening Day, it is now here, and for those of us who perennially and eagerly anticipate this special occasion, we are like little kids on Christmas Eve! ‘Though it may be hard to top the star power of the past 2 seasons, following the 2015 appearance by reigning Triple Crown Champion, American Pharoah, and the breakout performances last year by 3-year-old champion filly Songbird, in the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Alabama, and by Arrogate, with his jaw-dropping, record breaking, coming out party in the Travers, we will still be blessed, as always, to see an array of great horses and races throughout the 2017 Meet!

Saratoga has always been known as “The August Place to Be”, but it is also known as the playground for well-bred 2-year-old babies, many of whom will be making their debut on the hallowed grounds of the Spa. The plethora of babies, particularly in Todd Pletcher’s barn, can create a mixed bag of feelings, ranging from the delight of many fans, or much to the chagrin of hardcore horseplayers, who shudder at these high-priced babies’ penchant for unpredictability, and hence, for these bettors’ heartburn! We can, however, be very excited to welcome the trio of this year’s Triple Crown Race winners, Always Dreaming, Cloud Computing and Tapwrit, as we certainly have very much to be proud of with these New York-based runners, and their connections! Pletcher recently announced that Tapwrit will train up to the Travers, but his Kentucky Derby champion, Always Dreaming, and Chad Brown’s lightly raced Preakness winner, Cloud Computing, are set to go in what will be a dandy of a Jim Dandy on July 29th. The now annual battle for training supremacy between Todd and Chad will quickly be stepped up another notch early in the Jim Dandy, and will remain intense the entire Meet, as these top two Trainers possess formidable, and seemingly endless rosters of talent, and an embarrassment of riches, in their insanely deep barns.

The amazing Arrogate will predictably stay in Cali this Summer, first racing opening weekend of Delmar this Saturday, in the San Diego Handicap, in what will virtually be a paid workout, before the TVG Pacific Classic on August 19th. ‘Though we’ll be sad that we can’t witness his greatness here again this August, we should remain thankful for having been able to see his remarkable Travers last year! It was inevitable that Bob Baffert would keep his talented charge at home to prep at Delmar, where the Breeders Cup will take place, November 3rd & 4th, where “The Surf Meets the Turf”. There is still a flicker of hope, however, that Rick Porter’s beautiful Songbird will return to the Spa. After her surprisingly difficult victory in the Delaware Handicap this past Saturday, over the game long shot, Martini Glass, Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer did state post-race that “Saratoga is definitely a target”. However, the chances seem slim to me, because no matter how much I’d love to see her race in the Personal Ensign, now on the Travers card, she appeared to be a very tired gal coming out of her recent win, and I’m not sure that the usually great sportsman in Rick Porter will want to risk another trip east. It is evident that she’s not thrilled with the type of hot and humid conditions she experienced in Delaware, and there’s a very real possibility that she could face the same here. We shall see!

If someone were to ask me who I’d most like to see race at the Spa, the sublime Lady Aurelia would be at the top of my list, but it’s apparent that her Stonestreet connections and Trainer, Wesley Ward, are content to let her stay put across the pond. After her breathtaking win over older males in the Group 1 King’s Stand at Royal Ascot, with Johnny Velazquez aboard, she is next scheduled to appear in the Coolmore Nunthorpe at York on August 25th. But just because I can only dream about seeing this “Lady-Killer” race here, doesn’t mean that I’m not chomping at the bit for the chance to see many other fine horses!

Starting this Saturday with The Diana, we will be able to see the gutsy Lady Eli, one of my very favorites of late. Following her well documented bout with the often-fatal laminitis, she has courageously and amazingly returned to the track, and we should all be cheering this brave Lady home to victory for Chad Brown and Arad Ortiz! She will be challenged by her stablemate, Antonoe, who looked impressive winning the Just a Game. New York-bred Horse of the Year, Mind Your Biscuits, is another one I’m anxious to see race, after his victories in the Group 1 Golden Shaheen in Dubai, and the Grade 2 Belmont Sprint, with Joel Rosario aboard for Trainer Chad Summers, on the Stars and Stripes Day card, July 8th. He’s next being targeted to race in The Forego on the Travers card. Another sprinter I can’t wait to see run is Disco Partner, the 5-year-old, New York-bred, budding turf star, trained by Christophe Clement. After setting a world record in the 6 furlongs, Grade 3 Jaipur at Big Sandy on Belmont Day, Disco Partner stretched out to a mile for the first time in his career last Saturday in the Forbidden Apple, for his 3rd consecutive win of the year. It is likely he will next run in the Fourstardave on August 12th, in the 2-turn mile, with Irad Ortiz aboard. Other horses we should look out for this meet are Practical Joke, last year’s Juvi winner of The Hopeful and The Champagne, who recently rebounded to win again for Chad and Joel Rosario, in the Mile, Grade 3 Dwyer, on a loaded Stars and Stripes Day Festival card, and Oscar Performance, who gave Jose Ortiz his 1st Breeders Cup victory in the Juvi Turf, who won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at a mile and a 1/4, also on the Stars and Stripes card. Jose picked up another big win that day, when he rode Keen Ice, the notorious American Pharoah-killer, to an upset victory in the Grade 2 Suburban, over favored Shaman Ghost. I also hope we get a chance to see New Money Honey, the Breeders Cup Juvi Filly Turf star, race at the Spa, following her recent victory, going a mile and a 1/4 for the first time, in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks, under Javi Castellano, on that same card. Trainer Chad Brown pulled off a rare feat in The Oaks, when his trio of fillies gave him a sweep, including first time Euros, the Irish-bred Sistercharlie who placed, and the British-bred Uni, who showed.

One of the most popular races of the year for the fans is the human race for the much-coveted Angel Cordero Award, given to the Leading Jockey. Although Angel’s longtime client and protege, Hall of Famer, fan favorite, and all around great guy, Johnny Velazquez, recently won the ESPY Award for Jockey of the Year (the fans always vote for whichever Jock wins the Kentucky Derby!), and Javi Castellano won his record 4th consecutive Eclipse Award at Gulfstream in January, there is no doubt about the fact that their young counterparts, the Ortiz Bros, continue to dominate New York racing! After big bro “Juni” captured the Saratoga title in 2015, following his first Breeders Cup victory aboard his beloved Lady Eli in 2014, and then his first Triple Crown Race victory with Creator in the 2016 Belmont, lil’ bro Jose followed suit, garnering the Saratoga title last year, then getting his first Breeders Cup victory aboard Oscar Performance in the Fall, and then gave his and Juni’s proud parents, Vilma and Irad, Sr., back-to-back Belmont victories, too, with Tapwrit! It is truly a family affair, and what a breakout year it has been for Jose! As if his excellence on the track weren’t enough, he married his longtime love, fellow Jockey, Taylor Rice (niece of 2009 Saratoga Leading Trainer, Linda Rice, and Granddaughter of the recently late, great horseman, Clyde Rice), late last year down in her home state of Florida, and then a couple of days after celebrating Father’s Day, they gave birth to their first child, beautiful baby girl Leilani, who most definitely has been blessed with fine genes! To say Jose is on a roll would be an understatement, following his Belmont victory on Tapwrit, then his $1.2 million victory in the Belmont Derby on Oscar Performance (that paid a generous $13 to win), and finally his $750K Suburban win on Keen Ice (which paid $12, also a rare price for one of his winners, which are often faves!). However, with his big bro right on his tail ‘til the last races on Sunday at Big Sandy for the Jockey Title, only separated by a few races, I know that Juni is rearing to go, and ready to take back the Saratoga title! But don’t count out veterans Johnny, Javi and Joel, or the Ortiz bros’ close friend and fellow Puerto Rican rider, the young Manny Franco, who is also under the watchful eye of their idol and mentor, Angel Cordero, along with Eric Cancel. And last but far from least, and of local interest, will be the arrival of young Florida star, Tyler Gaffalione! The 3rd generation Jockey, who has made great inroads with the likes of Pletcher, Brown and Christophe Clement, has been in the fine hands of his new Agent, Saratoga native, Matt Muzikar, who took over his book at the start of the year. Matt, who very adeptly handled the book of Javi Castellano during his recent 4-year Eclipse Award reign, has done an excellent job securing live mounts for his young charge, who previously had won the 2015 Eclipse Award as Top Apprentice. Tyler was lit up like a firecracker this 4th of July, when he erupted for 7 victories at Gulfstream, equaling the 22-year-old record of his idol, Jerry Bailey, who set the record on Florida Derby Day in 1995! Tyler will commute to Saratoga to race on Mondays and Wednesdays this Meet, Dark Days at Gulfstream, to get his feet wet amidst the top Jockey Colony in the world, in anticipation of moving his tack permanently up to New York in 2018, following Gulfstream’s Championship Winter Meet, and in time for Belmont’s Spring/Summer Meet. With 4 Leading Rider titles already notched at his home track, this 22-year-old seems poised to make the move up to the “big leagues” in New York, under the careful guidance of one of the top Agents in the business, with Matt Muzikar!

See you every Friday throughout the Meet for my weekly recap of racing and off the track activities!

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