Midlantic Breeders’ Cup notes: November 2
Miss Temple City. Photo by Laurie Asseo.
During the coming week, we’ll keep a weather eye on Breeders’ Cup contenders with connections to the mid-Atlantic region. Our source for this article is Breeders’ Cup.
A pair of Fair Hill-based runners from the Graham Motion barn — Miss Temple City and Ring Weekend — made their way around the Santa Anita strip Wednesday. Sagamore Farm and Allen Rosenblum’s Miss Temple City galloped a 1 1/2m Wednesday morning after arriving at Santa Anita Tuesday.
The 4yo daughter of Temple City is coming off a triumph against males in the Shadwell Turf Mile – her second victory against males this year at Keeneland, where she captured the Maker’s 46 Mile in the spring.
“I’m not surprised, and no one should be surprised,” trainer Graham Motion said. “The only thing is she had a disappointing summer, and I blame myself, as much as anything. It’s not her fault. She was compromised by awkward situations, awkward rides, whatever you call them. I knew how talented she is and I felt like I let her down a little.”
St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Ring Weekend, who is slated to join Miss Temple City in the starting gate for the Mile, also galloped 1 ½m Wednesday morning.
“I’ll tell you he’s as good as he’s been all year,” Motion said.
Ring Weekend captured the Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in March 2015 before being forced to the sidelines with a foot infection.
“He had a terrible infection in his left front foot. It took him almost the whole year to get over it. We took him to New Bolton and had to cut a lot of the foot out,” Motion said. “It was one of the most difficult things I’ve seen. It was so painful for him, and he’s a tough horse. We got him over it and got him started at the beginning of the year.”
The 5yo gelding finished second, beaten a neck in his return in the Dixie at Pimlico in May. He captured the Bernard Baruch at Saratoga after finishing off the board in the Fourstardave and before finishing seventh in the Shadwell Turf Mile.
“He possibly regressed a little bit in the Shadwell. It might have left him too much to do that day. They went kind of slow,” Motion said. “He’s in great form. I’m really happy with him. He likes this turf course.”
OTHER NEWS AND NOTES
Loooch Racing Stables et al.’s Breeders’ Cup Classic runner War Story left Barn 69 at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday and galloped 1 3/4m for trainer Parx-based trainer Mario Serey Jr…
The Clement Hirsch and Zenyatta Stakes winner Stellar Wind, a Virginia-bred, went through her usual morning ritual of jogging and going to the paddock early Wednesday morning.
With the sun yet to rise and a set ready to head for the track, trainer John Sadler reflected on Stellar Wind’s controversial neck loss to Stopchargingmaria in the 2015 Distaff.
“There was a long inquiry and we thought we were going to get put up to win,” Sadler said. “She got floated out and bumped twice in the stretch. We didn’t get the call. One of those things. It didn’t take long to get over it.
“I think it helped her win the Eclipse Award because all the writers were there and could see she was the best horse in the race, a 3-year-old against older. She ran great, we were thrilled with the race, just didn’t get the ‘W…’”
Fletcher and Carolyn Gray’s Spinster winner I’m a Chatterbox had another good morning at Santa Anita as she prepares for her second try in the Distaff. Last year, she finished eighth after a troubled trip.
Following a similar routine to Tuesday, I’m a Chatterbox, with trainer Larry Jones aboard, galloped 5/8ths of a mile and then walked through the paddock before returning to her temporary home in barn 59.
“She’s doing good,” Jones said. “The work (a bullet 5f in 59 Saturday at Keeneland) seemed to satisfy her. She was happy with what we did..”
One horse that continues to impress trainer Mike Maker is Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Al’s Gal, who runs in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Claimed for $35,000 in February 2015, the daughter of English Channel has won and placed in Grade 1 company this year and enters off two consecutive stakes victories. The 5yo mare has finished first or second in seven of nine in 2016, earned $565,805 and will be running on 20 days’ rest since taking the E.P. Taylor at Woodbine.
“Al’s Gal is great,” Maker said. “She’s a little iron horse and has really held her weight well from Woodbine to hear and actually looks a little heavier. She’s tough and really doesn’t surprise me anymore.”
Al’s Gal, to be ridden by Jose Ortiz, breaks from post five and is 15-1. She was bred in Pennsylvania by Malone Racing LLC and is out of the Winning mare Dans La Ville (CHI)…
