Saratoga Daily Notebook

SARATOGA DAILY NOTEBOOK

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2005

by Dick Powell

The stake-a-day program ended today without any stakes races being run. With

the large steeplechase contingent going into the A. P. Smithwick Memorial (NSA-G2)

and the National Museum of Racing's

Hall of Fame (G2) also being held on Monday, Wednesday wound up without a stakes race.

Jerry Bailey recovered from Monday's incident in the post parade when

Performing Diva (Storm Cat) reared and struck him in the face before running off

and needing to be scratched. After getting a couple of stitches on Monday

afternoon and taking off the rest of his mounts, Bailey was back in action today

aboard ARCHER (Arch) in the 2ND race.

In the first maiden claimer for juveniles at the meet so far, Archer, who had

shown good speed in both of his prior starts, was sent off as the 3-5 favorite

and quickly seized command out of the gate. He cruised to a 10 1/2-length win, covering the five furlongs in

:59.06.

It was the sixth winner of the meet for Asmussen and his fourth juvenile

winner - all ridden by Bailey. With Todd Pletcher cooling off with

only two winners in the last eight racing days, John Velazquez's lead in the

rider standing has begun to shrink.

Velazquez now has 18 winners from 86 starters. Edgar Prado has gotten closer

with 16 wins and Bailey owns 13 victories from only 53

starters, a 25 percent strike rate. Eibar Coa and Javier Castellano have 11

winners each.

Pletcher is stuck with 13 wins from 41 starters. Steve Asmussen and

Jimmy Jerkens each have six winners from 13 starters, and Bill Mott has won five

times from 32 starts.

Richard Migliore was the riding star of the day with two winners. In the 4TH race, Richie

was aboard WILLSHEFIRE (Williamstown), who was breaking from post

1 against nine rivals going five furlongs. Not only did she break well, but the

two-year-old filly was able to open up a couple of lengths on the field. Curtana (Lion Hearted)

chased her around the track but was not able to make up any ground.

The 9-5 favorite combined with the 9-2 third choice to give a decent

$22.40 exacta. At the end of day, Migliore teamed up with his main man Kiaran

McLaughlin to upset the finale aboard TROPICAL SNOW (SAf) (Elliodor) at 15-1.

Nature triumphed over nurture in the 6TH race when first-time starter MAMA

THERESA (Carson City) drew off to win by eight lengths. Trained by Dominick Galluscio, who

connects with only 7 percent of his first time starters, she was a daughter of

Carson City, who wins with 19 percent of his first-time starters.

With no rain for eight days, the turf course is as hard as it was for most of

week one. The main track continues to play slower than normal and continues to

favor horses who are running up near the pace.

Graham Motion indicated that Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) winner Better Talk Now (Talkin

Man) is 80 percent to run in Saturday's Sword Dancer Invitational (G1) instead

of shipping to Chicago for the Arlington Million (G1).

"We're going to enter the Arlington Million because we've already paid the

entry fee; it's not going to cost us anything more to get a post position,"

Motion said. "But we're also going to enter him in the Sword Dancer.

"All of us want to run him here for Sword Dancer," Motion continued. "But there's

that 20 percent window we're leaving open if we decide to make a late change.

The biggest factor is going to be the weather and post position. I know there is

a chance of rain for Chicago and he's a superior horse on a soft turf course. If

you combine that with an inside post position, we really need to consider our

plan."

Horses to Watch

4TH - CURTANA (Lion Hearted) chased a runaway speed horse and still held

on gamely to be second. She won't be a maiden much longer.

8TH - PRIVATE GIFT (Unbridled) wound up uncharacteristically on the lead

and stayed on to the wire when beaten by an older rival. She will be a future

stakes winner for Neil Howard.

Thursday's Best Plays

3RD - Tony Reinstedler sends out MOONSHINE GAL (Forest Wildcat), who

ran well in her career debut at Arlington Park going a mile and should improve

with first-time Lasix and a rider switch to Prado.

4TH - PHILLY FRENZY (David) is a first-time starter who is training steadily here

over the past

two months and should be tough if he breaks well.