Crazy Mason working towards title defense in G2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets

• Crazy Mason working towards title defense in G2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets
• Tariff Mindset stylish in Saturday debut at the Big A
• New York-bred Bravaro among Joseph, Jr.’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth contenders
• Phileas Fogg on point for $150K Stymie

Donna Wright and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Crazy Mason breezed a solo half-mile in 51.20 seconds on Sunday at Tampa Bay Downs as he prepares for a title defense in the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter presented by NYRA Bets, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, on April 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Gregg Sacco, the Coal Front gray awaits a possible 5-year-old debut in the Carter, which he rallied to win last year by a neck over Quint’s Brew. Crazy Mason employed the same late-running tactics in his five following starts, including a second in the local Grade 3 Vosburgh presented by Army Mule, as well as thirds in the Grade 1 Forego, Grade 3 True North at Saratoga Race Course and the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct.

“He’s been training very well, and he worked very well today. He’s thriving here in the sun,” Sacco said. “The first race back could be the Carter. We’ll see how he continues to move forward, but that’s definitely on the radar. We’ll take it work by work, the main focus is on races midsummer at Saratoga, but if we can make the Carter, we are going to try.”

Crazy Mason entered last year’s Carter off two allowance-level wins.

“He wouldn’t make a start prior,” said Sacco. “We are thrilled with where we are at with him right now. Hopefully, we have a strong 5-year-old campaign with him. He ran some dynamite races last year, but we’d like to turn some of those seconds and thirds into wins this year. He’s been a model of consistency.”

Crazy Mason breezed a sharper half-mile in 48.80 on Tuesday at Tampa.

“He went nice and easy today, last time he went a little faster than we wanted,” Sacco said. “We did today slower by design. A couple horses broke off in front of him last week, he got a little keen, so we slowed him down today and we’ll just keep building.”

Donna Wright’s Grade 3-winner Just Beat the Odds has returned to the United States from a close second to Imagination in the Group 2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint on February 14 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. The 6-year-old Munnings gelding fended off all challengers on the front end until the Hall of Famer Bob Baffert-trained Imagination closed from deep to notch a three-quarter-length victory.

“That was an incredible experience,” Sacco said. “He is back in the states in Chicago in quarantine, 10 days there and then he’s going to go to Fair Hill with Bruce Jackson for about six weeks. He’ll join the stable once we move to Saratoga. The True North [June 6 at Saratoga Race Course] is the first race we have penciled in for Just Beat the Odds.”

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Tariff Mindset stylish in Saturday debut at the Big A

Tariff Mindset broke slow but finished with a flourish under Flavien Prat to graduate on debut in Race 5 on Saturday traveling a one-turn mile for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown for Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables, the Tiz the Law colt emerged slowly from post 3-of-7 and was climbing into the kickback from the muddy and sealed track as Dr. Sinatra marked the opening quarter-mile in 23.54 seconds.

Prat remained patient aboard the $250,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase and settled into the three-path into the turn with just one horse beaten as Double Act took over through a half-mile in 47.39.

Tariff Mindset was travelling well through the turn, advancing to fifth position at the stretch call and was angled out by Prat to get clear of four embattled rivals in front of him. Stream It and Print stepped clear of the wall of four horses, but Tariff Mindset was flying on the outside and arrived in the final stride to put a nose in front of Print and stop the clock in a final time of 1:40.37 to earn a 64 Beyer Speed Figure.

"He ran good. I'm not sure what happened at the break because the horse always broke good from the gate previously. The horse always trained like he was promising,” Brown said.

Brown credited the dual Eclipse Award-winning Prat for a patient trip.

“He didn't rush him,” Brown said. “He's great at making those decisions - just take your time and go to 'Plan B' and gave him time to catch his breath and such and he ended up winning.”

Tariff Mindset trained into his debut from a string of half-mile works at Payson Park Training Center in Florida.

Brown said the debut was well worth the wait.

"He was immature, but I have to give a lot of credit to Seth Klarman - if a horse isn't ready as a 2-year-old, we just back off on them,” Brown said. “The horse turned inside out and has been training right along at Payson Park like a good horse. We were appreciative NYRA had this one-mile race on the calendar, and we got him up there in good shape.”

Immediately following the race, Brown indicated that Tariff Mindset is more likely to appear at the tail end of the Triple Crown series with a plan that could include the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan on May 9 here as the local prep for the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course.

"He strikes me more as a Peter Pan / Belmont horse if he keeps improving. I think we'll play it conservative with him,” Brown said.

Tariff Mindset, a half-brother to stakes-placed Ocean Pointe, is out of the winning Scat Daddy mare West Palm Beach – a half-sister to Group 1-placed The Irish Rover.

Three Chimneys Farm’s Kentucky homebred Ottinho, last seen finishing an 11 1/2-length third in the nine-furlong Listed Withers on February 6 here, could return in the 101st running of the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 4 here. The nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers. 

“Ottinho had missed some time going into that last race. I'm planning on keeping him eligible for the Wood. I think he's a good horse,” Brown said of Ottinho, who worked a half-mile in 50.77 Sunday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

The well-related bay, by Quality Road and out of the graded stakes-winning Giant’s Causeway mare Quiet Giant, is a half-brother to Hall of Famer Gun Runner. He picked up six Derby points for his stakes-debut in the Withers, which followed a second-out graduation over stablemate Hadrian’s Wall on New Year’s Eve here.

Hit The Bid Racing Stable and CMNWLTH’s Schoolardsuperman finished one length back of Ottinho in fourth in the Withers and earned 4 Kentucky Derby points. The Practical Joke gray entered the Withers from a third-out graduation traveling a one-turn mile on December 6 here.

“He's very talented but I do question how far he wants to run at this point,” Brown said. “I thought for sure he would appreciate the added distance, and I could have very well got that wrong. I'll likely cut him back next time, but I'll speak to the owner about that before I make any final decisions.”

The talented gray worked a half-mile in 49.77 Sunday over the Belmont dirt training track.

Schoolyardsuperman is out of the winning Tiznow mare Tizlegal, who Woods Edge Farm purchased for $25,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Tizlegal is a half-sister to reigning Grade 2 Carter-winner Crazy Mason, out of the graded stakes-placed Maria’s Mon mare Izshelegal. 

Brown teamed up with Klaravich Stables for an impressive debut maiden score by Inefficiency in Friday’s opening race at the Big A. The 4-year-old Constitution bay made every pole a winning one under Jaime Rodriguez, powering away to win by six lengths over the sloppy and sealed track in a final time of 1:40.55. The winning effort in the one-turn mile for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up earned a 79 Beyer.

“She had a very late start to her career. She had a few problems along the way but always trained with a lot of promise,” Brown said. “Again, credit to the patience of Seth Klarman to wait and let us stick with her. She got a good number first time out. I know it was a sloppy track, but she trains well on dry tracks as well, so I think we're in good shape with her.”

The $350,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Grade 2-placed Uncle Mo mare Moana.

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New York-bred Bravaro among Joseph, Jr.’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth contenders

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., has entered the trio of Bravaro, Solitude Dude and Bull by the Horns in Saturday’s Grade 2, $425,000 Fountain of Youth, a 1 1/16-mile test for sophomores, at Gulfstream Park. The race awards 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs.

Bravaro is the lone New York-bred in the 11-horse field and possesses a state-bred stakes win by 2 1/2 lengths in the one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow in October at Belmont at the Big A. The Upstart bay was making his second career start in that race off a winning six-furlong debut in September over the same oval.

“That stakes win gave us confidence to give him a break and wait for open company,” Joseph, Jr. said. “We thought he was an open-company horse and he proved that last time. He’s going to need to improve again, but all signs say that he should. I think if everything goes well and he stays healthy, he’ll have a big year.”

Bravaro exited the Sleepy Hollow to run a 5 3/4-length second to Nearly in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Holy Bull last out on January 31 at Gulfstream, picking up 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the runner-up finish.

“He’s doing very well, I thought the Holy Bull was a good comeback race,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He made a run behind Nearly and was just second best on the day. He seems to have moved forward off of the race. He’s had two good works since and I think he goes in with a good chance to win this.”

Bred in the Empire State by Stephanie Baltzan, Bravaro is out of the Tamarkuz mare Opera Star, a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Theregoesjojo as well as dual stakes-winners Dene Court and Jacally. He is campaigned by Albert Ciuffetelli, Stephanie Brennan, Shining Stables, BAG Racing Stables and Paul Braverman.

Chris Fountoukis’ Solitude Dude is a virtually unchallenged 3-for-3, with sprint stakes wins in the Inaugural in December at Tampa Bay Downs and last out in the Listed Swale on January 31 at Gulfstream Park. Those scores were by a respective eight and 3 3/4 lengths, reflecting the Yaupon dark bay’s dominance shown in a 9 1/2-length debut score sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in November at Gulfstream.

“Very talented horse,” Joseph, Jr. said. “A lot of speed. He does relax well, but the distance is going to be a question mark. He’s going to have to prove himself. It is unknown territory. If he can carry that class going that distance, he is the fastest horse in the figures, but he will have to prove himself at the distance.”

Peachtree Stable and Mark Corrado’s Bull by the Horns makes his stakes debut off a second-out graduation going a one-turn mile in November at Gulfstream and a last-out optional claiming third going one-mile and 40-yards in January at Tampa.

“Numbers-wise, you could say he’s outclassed, but he’s gotten better and better as time has gone on,” Joseph, Jr. said. “We feel like he can pick up points in these races, maybe not win, but third or fourth, and if there’s a pace meltdown he could pick up all of the pieces. He is going to be an outsider, but we feel like he has a chance to pick up the pieces.”

Joseph, Jr. said Sunday the plan is to run all three contenders in the Fountain of Youth.

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Phileas Fogg on point for $150K Stymie

Jupiter Stable’s Grade 2-winner Phileas Fogg has posted back-to-back bullet works over the Belmont Park training track, and is ready for his return to the races for the first time since the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap in Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Stymie, a one-turn mile for older horses, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Yesterday, Phileas Fogg breezed five furlongs in 1:01 flat, fastest of seven workers at that distance. The Saturday before, he covered the same distance in 59.40 seconds for the fastest work of 12 at the distance.

“Everything went beautiful and we love the way everything went,” said trainer Gustavo Rodriguez. “He came out of the breeze beautiful, and everything is good. We’re ready to go. The work before, he went really fast. Yesterday, he was a little faster than I wanted, but everything went beautiful.”

The 6-year-old Astern gelding has made his last five starts in graded company. He started his recent string with a three-quarter-length second in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 3 Pimlico Special in May at Pimlico Race Course, and followed with a head win in the 10-furlong Grade 2 Suburban presented by Subourbon in July at Saratoga Race Course. He crossed the wire third in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in August at the Spa, but was disqualified and declared unplaced for veering in and interfering with rivals shortly after the start.

Phileas Fogg’s last two starts came at the Big A, finishing a three-quarter-length second to Locked in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Woodward in September and a non-threatening fourth in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap on December 6, where he added blinkers for the first time in the afternoon.

Rodriguez said he will be taking the blinkers off for the Stymie, a race that could serve as a steppingstone to a title defense in the 10-furlong $150,000 Excelsior on April 4 at the Big A.

“The Cigar Mile, I don’t know what happened. We wanted to break on top, and the horse couldn’t grab the lead,” Rodriguez explained. “He was a little rank switching leads back and forth, and I think we’ll take the blinkers off. I don’t think they helped him. In the mornings, they were fine, but in the race, he kind of panicked. We’ll take them off and hope for the best. I think we’ll try to get to the front again, but we’ll see. He does like to be forward, and that’s his weapon. We aren’t going to take it away from him.”

Rodriguez added he believes Phileas Fogg can still be effective at the mile distance.

“I think he’s OK at one mile. Maybe at a mile and an eighth or mile a quarter, he’s better, but right now, it is what it is,” he said.

Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin, Phileas Fogg, a $62,500 claim in July 2024, is out of the unraced More Than Ready mare Merino, a half-sister to Group 1-winner Capezzano. His third dam is 1995 Canadian Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Silken Cat, who produced Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner and influential stallion Speightstown and multiple graded stakes-winner Irap.

The Stymie is one of four stakes races slated for Saturday’s 10-race card, which is headlined by the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham for sophomores, awarding 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Derby to the top-five finishers. The card also includes the Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool for older sprinters and the Listed $200,000 Busher, a 50-25-15-10-5 qualifier for the Kentucky Oaks for sophomore fillies. Saturday’s card will be drawn this afternoon.