Magical Ride favored in Adirondack

MAGICAL RIDE (Storm Cat), the first foal out of 2001 Test S. (G1) winner

Victory Ride (Seeking the Gold), has been installed as the strong 6-5 favorite

on the morning line for Wednesday's $200,000 Adirondack Breeders' Cup S. (G2) at Saratoga.

Trained by George "Rusty" Arnold II, the dark bay filly was very impressive in

her debut on July 14 at Belmont Park. She broke quickly, cleared the field from

the outside post, set the pace along the rail, then drew off in a four-length

victory, running five furlongs in a sharp :57. Both Five Star Daydream (Five

Star Day) and Cherokee Sheik (Cherokee Run), the second- and fourth-place

finishers, broke their maidens next out at Saratoga.

"I was expecting her to run well first out, but it's one of those things

where you never know until they go out there and do it," said Arnold, who also

trained Victory Ride. "I'm hoping she likes Saratoga as much as her mom did. Her

mom was a great horse."

Magical Ride will break from the outside post position under Fernando Jara.

RICHWOMAN (Successful Appeal), who is undefeated in three starts, has a

seasoning edge over many of the fillies entered. The Scott Blasi trainee won the

Cinderella S. at Hollywood Park and the Debutante S. (G3) at Churchill Downs in

her last two starts. As a result, the dark bay filly will carry top weight of

122 pounds, including jockey Shaun Bridgmohan.

"They wanted to educate (her) in the Debutante," Bridgmohan said. "She drew the

1-hole, I eased her back, got her out and she came with a real nice run to beat

a good filly of Todd Pletcher's."

That Pletcher filly, CHAGALL (Successful Appeal), has also been entered in the

Adirondack and will break from the rail beneath John Velazquez. Despite all his

success in two-year-old races at the Spa, Pletcher has never won the Adirondack.

In addition to Chagall, he will saddle OCTAVE (Unbridled's Song), who finished

second as the favorite to Desire to Excel (Mt. Livermore) in the Astoria S. on

July 2 at Belmont. In her next start, Desire to Excel finished a close second as

the favorite to the Pletcher-trained Cotton Blossom (Broken Vow) in the

Schuylerville S. (G3) on July 26.

"Desire to Excel ran big and we were a good second to her in the Astoria,"

Pletcher said. "Octave should move forward off that race. I thought a little

more time would do her well and that's why we skipped the Schuylerville."

The field for the 90th running of the Adirondack, with jockeys and

morning-line odds, is Chagall, 5-1; TRUE ADDICTION (Yes It's True), Joe Bravo,

30-1; Octave, Garrett Gomez, 10-1; Richwoman, 9-2; EARLY VINTAGE (Jump Start),

Rafael Bejarano, 15-1; TORA (El Corredor), Edgar Prado, 8-1; EXPERTISE

(Hennessy), Jose Santos, 20-1; POST INVADER (Salt Lake), Cornelio Velasquez,

12-1; LEMON DROP GIRL (Lemon Drop Kid), Julien Leparoux, 30-1; and Magical Ride.

Richwoman will carry 122 pounds, Post Invader 120 and the rest 118.