NYRA announces probables for upcoming Saratoga stakes

The likely fields are firming up for next week's stakes at

Saratoga --

Wednesday's John's Call, Thursday's Birdstone, Friday's Grade 2 National Museum

of Racing Hall of Fame, the Grade 2 Fourstardave August 9 and the Grade 2s

for juveniles on August 10, the Adirondack and Saratoga Special.

Winning Cause is likely to headline the 1 5/8-mile, $100,000 John's Call on

Wednesday. Trained by Todd Pletcher for Alto Racing, he enters the turf marathon

off a fourth-place finish in the 1 3/8-mile United Nations at Monmouth Park. The

four-year-old son of Giant's Causeway was beaten only 1 1/4 lengths in the

United Nations, which marked his Grade 1 debut.

In four prior starts this year, Winning Cause has two second-place finishes

and a third, including a runner-up finish in the Red Bank at Monmouth. Two

starts ago, the chestnut colt finished third in the Monmouth behind impressive

winner Speaking of Which and next-out winner Hangover Kid.

Trainer Shug McGaughey is likely to be represented by Tricky Hat in the

John's Call. Tricky Hat is winless thus far in 2014, with a second-place finish

in an allowance race and a fifth-place finish in the 1 1/2-mile Elkhorn to his

credit.

The improving Holiday Star is probable for trainer Graham Motion. The

four-year-old gelding finished a late-closing third in the 1 1/2-mile Cape

Henlopen at Delaware Park in his most recent outing.

Also probable for the race are Bohemian Dance, Ducks Dock and Horvat Clan,

while Manacor, Manchurian High, and Seton Hall are possible.

Dirt marathoners will gather Thursday for the $100,000 Birdstone at 1 3/4

miles, headed by Repole Stable's Micromanage, who missed by a neck when second

in the Brooklyn Handicap at 1 1/2 miles. The Birdstone is also expected to

attract the veteran gelding Don Dulce, who would be making his 38th career

start; Shadwell Stable's Irsaal, who will be making his first stakes appearance

since finishing third in the Easy Goer in June 2013 at Belmont; and More Hundred

Acre, making his stakes debut. Peyton and Seton Hall are questionable.

Friday's $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame will likely

see Bashart, who broke his maiden and won the With Anticipation last

summer at the Spa; Bobby's Kitten, winner of the Penn Mile on May

31; Can'thelpbelieving, who beat older horses in an allowance on opening day; the

Irish-bred Craftsman, who took the Nick Shuk Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park

last time out; Long on Value and So Lonesome, most recently second and third,

respectively, in the Manila at Belmont Park; and Smooth Daddy, making his graded

stakes debut.

Multiple Grade 2 winner Silver Max, who is rapidly closing in on the $2

million mark in earnings, makes his second start of 2014 in next Saturday's

$500,000 Fourstardave Handicap at a mile on the inner turf. Trained by Dale

Romans, the five-year-old son of Badge of Silver was a front-running victor in

the Firecracker on June 28 at Churchill Downs; in his only appearance at the

Spa he took the Bernard Baruch over a yielding course last summer.

The Fourstardave also is expected to attract Jack Milton and Big Screen, who

were first and second, respectively, in the Poker on May 26 at Belmont; Grand Arch, no worse than third in 14 career starts and winner of the

King Edward at Woodbine last time out; Sayaad, who stretched his winning

streak to three with a lifetime-best 104 BRIS Speed rating in the Forbidden

Apple on July 4 at Belmont Park; and Seek Again, who in three American

appearances won the Hollywood Derby in December 2013, finished second in

the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic in May at Churchill Downs, and checked

in third in the Manhattan on June 7 at Belmont.

A trio of sensational debut winners at Belmont Park are likely to contest the

$200,000 Adirondack for two-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs next Sunday.

Leading the charge is the Leah Gyarmati-trained Wonder Gal, who was unveiled in

the Lynbrook for New York-breds at six furlongs. After lagging behind the early

pace, Wonder Gal made a powerful move around the far turn and drew off in the

stretch to win by 14 1/2 lengths.

Cavorting won by a similarly large margin in her debut for trainer Kiaran

McLaughlin. The bay filly broke sharply and went straight to the front, leading

the field gate to wire en route to an 11-length score in a six-furlong maiden

race.

Pletcher sent out the third, Angela Renee, to a 2 1/2-length debut

win on June 27 in a five-furlong dash. Angela Renee, owned by Siena Farm, is a

half-sister to multiple Grade 1 victor To Honor and Serve.

Also probable for the race are Take Charge Brandi, runner-up in the Schuylerville on

opening day at the Spa; Vivian Da Bling, winner of the fillies' division of the TTA Sales

Futurity in her latest outing; and Phoenix Park, who debuted a winner in a 4

1/2-furlong sprint on June 9 at Parx.

Coco's Wildcat and Empressive Humor are possible.

Tough-luck loser of the Sanford, Mr. Z, and 8-5 favorite in the Sanford, Nonna's

Boy, are likely to meet each other again in the $200,000

Saratoga Special also at 6 1/2 furlongs next Sunday.

Mr. Z, trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, missed by a neck in the Sanford

despite a rough stretch run, while Nonna's Boy moved early into a quick pace and

tired to finish fourth, beaten two lengths.

Texas-bred W V Jetsetter is probable to join the Sanford for trainer Bret

Calhoun. W V Jetsetter is coming off consecutive victories at Lone Star Park,

including a 1 1/2-length score in the TTA Sales Futurity for colts and geldings.

In addition to Nonna's Boy, Pletcher is likely to send out Blame

Jim, who broke his maiden impressively for owner Mike Repole on July 19 at

Saratoga, and Stanford, who enters off a maiden win on June 29 at

Monmouth Park.

Others probable for the Saratoga Special are Cleveland Sound, I Spent It, Rod McLeod and Tizcano. Lord

Tyrion is possible.

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