Bottas, Heeere’s Johnny targeting G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf

• Bottas, Heeere’s Johnny targeting G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
• Motion sends out Sparkle Blue, Toupie in Sunday stakes at Belmont at the Big A
• Paradise City has upside in G2 Sands Point
• Gun Song works for G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff
• Pletcher readying four Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders at Saratoga

Dahman’s Bottas breezed five furlongs in 1:03.82 on Wednesday over the Oklahoma dirt training track at Saratoga Race Course as his first breeze back since winning the Grade 2 Pilgrim on October 3 at Belmont at the Big A. In victory, Bottas earned a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on October 31 at Del Mar as part of the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.

Trained by Miguel Clement, the Vekoma dark bay improved to 2-for-2 in the 1 1/16-mile Pilgrim following a last-to-first debut score going the same distance on August 23 Travers Day at Saratoga.

“Bottas worked very well. Controlled. Easy by design. Came back sound,” Clement said of the work, which was completed in company with a maiden. “He was moving very well. We are going to work him once more, then he is going to ship out. The plan is to work him next Wednesday, subject to weather. I’m very, very excited for him.”

In the Pilgrim, Bottas outlasted the Ray Handal-trained Heeere’s Johnny in a thrilling stretch duel to keep his head in front. That rival, still a maiden in four outings including a previous second to Final Score in the Grade 3 With Anticipation in August at the Spa, is also pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

“We will get two works into him here [at Belmont Park], and then ship him out on the 26th,” Handal said. “He’s getting better. He ran his race last time, Bottas ran huge and so did he. I think our colt will keep getting better with each start.”

Magic Carpet Racing and Catherine Coyle’s Heeere’s Johnny, an Oscar Performance bay, was also the runner-up to Final Score second-out in a 1 1/16-mile maiden on August 10 at the Spa. That rival wired both fields at Saratoga and took his show on the road for a prominent score in the Grade 2 Bourbon on October 5 at Keeneland.

“I think Heeere’s Johnny fits with the rest of them, the two horses that beat him are probably going to be two of the best horses representing America,” Handal said. “Final Score had some trips against us with pace, and Bottas, we are talking about a head difference.”

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Motion sends out Sparkle Blue, Toupie in Sunday stakes at Belmont at the Big A

Trainer Graham Motion will be represented by two talented contenders in two of Sunday’s stakes at Belmont at the Big A with dual graded stakes-winning millionaire Sparkle Blue in the one-mile Listed $150,000 Noble Damsel and Grade 3-winner Toupie in the six-furlong $150,000 Autumn Days.

Augustin Stable and Catherine Parke’s Sparkle Blue looks to improve off a game runner-up effort last out in the restricted Listed One Dreamer on September 4 at Kentucky Downs, where she was uncharacteristically on the lead and was swarmed by rivals at the stretch call before digging in gamely to hold onto place honors 1 1/4 lengths back of the victorious Pharoah’s Wine.

Motion said he was proud of the daughter of Hard Spun for hitting the board despite having to stray from her preferred stalk-and-pounce style.

“I thought her last race was very good,” Motion said. “It was an odd situation for her to be on the lead like she was – there was no pace in the race at all, so she kind of inherited it, and then she came back when they went past her. It was a good effort and I thought she ran very well.

“I think this course probably suits her,” Motion added of the Noble Damsel. “I worry the mile may be a little short for her, but we’ll see.”

The evergreen 6-year-old has put together a 15-for-25 on-the-board record, which includes wins in the 2022 Grade 3 Valley View at Keeneland and last year’s Grade 2 Hillsborough at Tampa Bay Downs, along with three other stakes wins. Sparkle Blue, a winner of more than $1.1 million in total purses, is a half-sister to 2010 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf-winner Shared Account, who in turn produced 2019 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf-winner Sharing, both trained by Motion.

“She’s been great. This may be her penultimate race and she’ll definitely be bred next year,” Motion said. “She’s been an absolute pleasure. I’ve been very lucky to train a lot of the family, and it’s been an important family for us.”

Frankie Dettori will be aboard from the inside post on Sunday.

Wertheimer and Frere’s Kentucky homebred Toupie returns to the course and distance that saw her capture the Stewart Manor as a juvenile in 2023. The 4-year-old Uncle Mo dark bay was last seen winning the six-furlong Sensible Lady Turf Dash on September 13 at Laurel Park, where she brushed the gate at the start and tracked seven lengths off the pace before making a strong rally and edging clear to the 1 1/4-length score. The effort was awarded a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I thought she ran exceptionally well last time,” Motion said. “She’s a tricky filly because five-eighths is too short for her and the mile is a little too far, and you don’t get many opportunities to go six or seven [furlongs]. This probably will be her last race.”

Toupie holds a 15-6-2-1 record with $450,805 in total purse earnings. She notched a graded victory in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas in January at Santa Anita Park, and has won two additional stakes.

Flavien Prat, aboard for the Las Cienegas, returns to the irons from post 9 on Sunday.

On Friday, Motion will send out Amerman Racing’s Grade 1-winner Trikari in Race 4, a 1 3/16-mile outer turf optional claimer, for his first start off a more than three-month layoff. Motion reported the son of Oscar Performance has trained forwardly into his return.

“We are regrouping a little bit and we removed one testicle that was not distended, so I’m hoping that may have been part of the reason he lost his form,” Motion said. “I don’t know, but he has trained well since.”

Trikari won at the highest level over Friday’s course and distance when taking the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational last July. He followed with a win in the Grade 2 Secretariat at Colonial Downs, but was winless in his next five starts. Motion said he is hopeful the recent adjustments, plus a return to the Big A, will help Trikari shine again.

“He likes the track, he’s handled this distance before, so it would be nice to get him back on track here,” Motion concluded. “I’ve been just as happy with him now as I was last year.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the call from the outermost post 7.

Motion also provided an update on his pair of runners from the 1 3/8-mile Grade 3 Waya on October 5 here, which saw him finish a respective second and sixth with Cayton Park Stud’s Beach Bomb and Jayne McGivern’s Sirona. The former landed a neck behind the victorious Village Voice with a deep rally, while the latter was a non-threatening sixth.

“Beach Bomb ran awesome, but she got pretty banged up in the race,” Motion said. “She got scraped down the back of her leg and was pretty sore for a couple of days, but she’s been back to the track for a few days and is perfectly normal. She’s fine, is very tough, and she could come back for the Long Island.”

The 1 3/8-mile Grade 3, $250,000 Long Island is slated for Saturday, November 8 at the Big A.

Motion added that dual group-placed Sirona was likely hindered by the distance in her second stateside outing, entering from a nose second in Laurel’s nine-furlong All Along on September 13.

“I think it was just too far for her,” Motion said. “That was my mistake, but we’re just very limited right now with these mares at this time of year. I think I’ll shorten her up for her next start.”

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Paradise City has upside in G2 Sands Point

C Two Racing Stable, Shining Stables, Paul Braverman, and Timothy Pinch’s Paradise City will look to turn the tables on returning rival Ready for Candy in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point, a nine-furlong inner turf route for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., Paradise City was making her turf debut in her 10th career start last out in the one-mile Grade 3 Winter Memories on September 20 here. The McKinzie bay recovered from a bobbling start to stalk the pace in third position, before launching a late run to finish second beaten a nose by returning rival Ready for Candy.

Paradise City matched her career-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure that she received for a deep-closing fourth in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks in her start prior.

“This filly we always thought had a lot of ability, but we weren't getting it out of her,” Joseph, Jr. said. “I think the switch to turf made the difference. She ran huge in her last race and just missed. Hopefully, she can go one better this time.”

The nine-furlong distance of the Sands Point will represent Paradise City’s longest race to date. She is dual stakes-placed on dirt and her latest win was a six-length trouncing of a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer in January at Gulfstream Park, one of five on-the-board efforts from seven starts at five different tracks this year.

“After watching her last race, you would think nine furlongs is within reach,” said Joseph, Jr. “Yes, it is going to be a little bit of an unknown factor, but watching her last race, you wouldn’t think that nine furlongs would hurt her.”

C Two Racing Stable and Mathis Stable’s Forged Steel re-entered the rescheduled $150,000 Carle Place, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for sophomores, which was originally scheduled for last Sunday, October 12, but was rescheduled for Sunday, October 19 as that entire card was canceled due to a nor’easter.

The multiple stakes-placed Vekoma gray enters from a 3 1/4-length sixth in the one-mile Listed Gun Runner on September 6 at Kentucky Downs. With the Carle Place pushed back one week, Forged Steel kept his legs moving with a three-furlong breeze in 36.25 seconds on Wednesday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

“He’s doing well. He stayed at Belmont this week,” Joseph, Jr. said. “The work was just a solo blow out because he was supposed to run last week. It was just an easy blow out.”

Forged Steel is 11-2-2-2 overall and his last 10 starts have been at seven furlongs or beyond, including a trio of stakes placings this year at Gulfstream Park.

“I feel like the cutback in distance should help him,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He’s a horse that has knocked on the door. Hopefully, the cutback is what he wants to do.”

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Gun Song works for G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff

Gun Song, last out winner of the local Grade 2 Beldame, worked in company Thursday over the Belmont Park dirt training track in preparation for a start in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff on November 1, at Del Mar.

Trained by Mark Hennig for R. Lee Lewis, the 4-year-old Gun Runner chestnut is listed as Hip 101 in Fasig-Tipton’s The November Sale on November 3 in Lexington, Kentucky. She went a half-mile in 49.24 seconds with 3-year-old maiden Private Flight [49.66].

“We were looking for a maintenance move today and it went well. We're very pleased with it,” Hennig said. “She's a pleasure to be around. She's an easy filly - not hard on herself. If you don't give her some company, she'd work almost too easy. When the day comes that she leaves the barn, we're all going to miss her.”

Gun Song [16-5-5-2, $915,720] is closing in on millionaire status, boasting Grade 2 wins traveling nine furlongs in last year’s Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico Race Course and the Beldame last out on September 26 here. She captured the Cathryn Sophia last September at Parx ahead of a neck loss there to eventual Horse of the Year and recently retired Thorpedo Anna in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Cotillion.

“She's handled a mile and an eighth well and won two Grade 2s,” Hennig said. “It shouldn't be a problem running that same distance again.”

Gun Song won the Beldame off a more than two-month break from a distant fourth in the Grade 2 Shuvee at Saratoga Race Course and Hennig is hopeful that freshness will be beneficial at Del Mar.

“We wanted to regroup after that [the Shuvee] and Lee and I talked and decided we would run her once in September - either the Beldame or Delaware Handicap - and if she can earn her way in great and if not we know what to do,” Hennig said. “She came around and started training really well in Saratoga and it paid off.

“We're probably going to be a longshot in there but maybe she's coming around at the right time of year,” Hennig added. “With older mares and mares in general, sometimes the time of year is important.”

Gun Song, out of the graded stakes-winning Mr. Greeley mare Nicole H was purchased for $400,000 at the 2023 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. She was bred in Kentucky by Marianne Stribling.

Hennig will send out Bobby Jean [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche] in Saturday’s $110,000 Evvie Jets Starter as part of the lucrative Fall Starter Championships program featuring 10 races offering a combined $970,000 in purse money.

The 4-year-old Catalina Cruiser chestnut is listed at 6-1 on the morning line for the 1 1/16-mile outer turf route for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up that have started for a claiming price of $50,000 or less since July 1, 2024.

Bobby Jean made her first nine starts on dirt before trying turf in May here when second in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming route, and followed up with a third-place effort when stretched out to 11 furlongs in an optional-claimer won by returning rival Tour Jete.

She was off-the-board in pair of starts over the Spa turf this summer, leaving Hennig hopeful a return to Aqueduct will prove beneficial.

"It's a pretty wide open group of horses," Hennig said. "She did like this turf course, and we were looking to get her back to this distance. We tried her in a couple marathon races and thought she might appreciate it, but I think she wants a bit of pace to run at, and she wasn't getting it in those races.”

Bobby Jean, an $80,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, has banked $128,405 via a 13-2-1-4 record.

A total of 109 horses have entered into the 10 Fall Starter Championships races, which are open to horses that have started for a prescribed claiming price since July 1, 2024. Each race in the series is named after some of the most popular claiming horses to run on the NYRA circuit. The 11-race card, which offers a first post of 12:10 p.m. Eastern is supported by the Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point in Race 7.

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Pletcher readying four Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders at Saratoga

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher maintains a sizable string of horses at Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma training track in the months following the Saratoga meet each year, and this fall’s roster is packed with star power, led by as many as four Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders as they make their preparations for the World Championships slated for October 31 and November 1 at Del Mar.

The four Classic aspirants are 2023 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Fierceness, dual Grade 1-winners Locked and Mindframe, and last-out Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup-winner Antiquarian. Pletcher noted that each of the talented 4-year-olds have enjoyed their time at Saratoga, with all plans going as scheduled.

“I’m happy with all of them. They all galloped well and we’re counting the days,” Pletcher said.

While the Dirt Mile serves as a logical alternative for Mindframe or Locked should their connections choose to bypass the Classic, Pletcher said all four of his prospects remain pointed towards the Classic.

“That is currently the plan. We’ll continue to monitor the entire situation,” he said.

Beyond his Classic contenders, Pletcher also has a host of Breeders’ Cup hopefuls training at Saratoga, including Spendthrift Farm’s dual Grade 1-winning juveniles Ted Noffey and Tommy Jo, who both won top-level events on the first weekend of October at Keeneland.

Pletcher said that both Ted Noffey and Tommy Jo remain on target for their respective juvenile dirt races on October 31.

“They’re doing well and I’m happy with everyone at the moment,” Pletcher said. “We’re blessed to have the opportunity to train two 2-year-olds like that.”

Both juveniles returned to the work tab on Thursday at Saratoga, with Tommy Jo covering a half-mile in 48.09 seconds and Ted Noffey breezing the same distance in 49.45.

Pletcher’s Breeders’ Cup roster is completed by juvenile turf stars Final Score [winner of Grade 2 Bourbon] and Time to Dream [third in Grade 2 Jessamine], who are yet to have worked back since their respective efforts at Keeneland.

Pletcher also provided an update on recent Belmont at the Big A stakes runners, noting that Listed Artie Schiller-winner Major Dude emerged in good order from his one-length victory on October 11, while Noble Confessor will likely target the Grade 3 Hill Prince on November 8 off a game second to Asbury Park in the Grade 2 Jockey Club Derby Invitational on October 4 here.