By Tim Wilkin
SARATOGA SPRINGS – When one of Bob Baffert's horses is doing well, the Hall of Fame trainer expects a big effort.
That's why 'TDN Rising Star' Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) has made his second cross-country trip in the last two months. That's why he is right here, in Saratoga, getting ready to run in the $500,000 GI Allen Jerkens Memorial on Saturday.
“It's a tough race, there are no easy spots,” Baffert said by phone from his summer base at Del Mar in California. “Anytime you have a Grade I, especially at Saratoga, it's a tough race.”
Prince of Monaco is the 4-1 second choice on the morning line, just behind Book'em Danno (Bucchero), who is 7-2. Book'em Danno trainer Derek Ryan had also entered his gelding in Friday night's $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial at Charles Town.
Book'em Danno has won his last two, including the GI Woody Stephens at Saratoga on June 8 when he beat Prince of Monaco by a half-length.
“Oh, this is a competitive field,” Baffert said and then joked, “I think half of the field should go to Charles Town.”
In the Woody Stephens, Prince of Monaco got off to a slow start and then was tangled up before he made strong run late to get second.
He was making his first start since finishing fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita in November.
“I can get them ready off layoffs,” Baffert said. “When you have a horse like that that you know has so much quality and brilliance, I like to pick out sexy races for him. They are going to run just as hard in an allowance race as they will in a stake.”
One thing that will be new in the Jerkens for Prince of Monaco is the rider. Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride him for the first time after Flavien Prat, who has been his pilot for his last four starts, opted to go elsewhere.
Prat had his choice to ride one of four horses in the Jerkens and landed on the Chad Brown-trained Domestic Product (Practical Joke).
“There are so many good riders up there,” Baffert said. “Finding a top rider there is easy.”
Prince of Monaco was a $950,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. He is owned by SF Racing and Partners.
Baffert also said that National Treasure (Quality Road) would likely be pointed to the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and not the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. He had his first work since finishing sixth as the favorite in the GI Whitney Stakes on Tuesday, going four furlongs in :48.00 (3/8) at Del Mar.
His 3-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic), who has not raced since winning the GI Arkansas Derby on Mar. 30, may be on his way to the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 31. Baffert said he might also run 4-year-old Reincarnate (Good Magic) in that spot.
It all depends, Baffert said, on how they work this weekend.
Maybe the Hood Will Help Honor Marie as He Attempts to Upset Travers
The journey through the Triple Crown was a bumpy one for Honor Marie (Honor Code).
Now, with the $1.25-million GI Travers Stakes next on the schedule, trainer Whit Beckman is going to try something different. When Honor Marie and jockey Tyler Gaffalione line up in the starting gate for the Midsummer Derby Saturday, he'll be equipped with blinkers for the first time.
Honor Marie and Tyler Gaffalione outside of stablemate Stowaway and TC Stevens Saturday | Sarah Andrew
“Hopefully, with the blinkers on, he can be a little more responsive in the early parts of the race,” Beckman said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. “He has breezed very well with them. We just want to help his focus. Usually, when you ask him to move forward, it takes him a minute.”
Honor Marie, owned by Ribble Farms LLC, Michael H. Eiserman, Earl I. Silver, Kenneth E. Fishbein and Dave Fishbein, was last seen finishing fourth in the GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 8. He did not have the greatest of trips there, getting bumped at the start. Before that, he lost all hope early in the GI Kentucky Derby as he was jostled hard early on but still ended up eighth in the field of 20.
Beckman is not surprised that Honor Marie is 20-1 on the morning line–he shares those odds with Batten Down (Tapit)–and that he is the longest price on the Travers odds.
“He has always been one of those under-the-radar horses,” Beckman said. “The sales tax on (7-2) Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) was double of what this horse cost.”
Sierra Leone went for $2.3 million; Honor Marie cost $40,000.
“He just comes along without doing anything to turn any heads, which is cool for us,” Beckman said. “He is just one those horses that will show up. His trips have been awful. I guarantee if it happened to any other trainer, a more vocal trainer, they would be crying all day long. I am not one of those guys who is going to whine and complain about spilled milk. It is what it is, and we are going to suit up and try again.”
Casse Will Make a Return Trip to Woodbine But He's Flying This Time
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse has to wait a little longer to see if he can win the prestigious $1-million King's Plate at Woodbine Racetrack.
The race, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown and the oldest annual stakes race in North America, was originally scheduled for last Saturday but was canceled due to torrential rain.
It will be run on Friday (5:34 p.m. post time).
Mark and Tina Casse | Sarah Andrew
“I'm flying,” Casse said Wednesday morning while watching horses train on the main track at Saratoga. “I am not driving this time.”
Casse and his wife, Tina, drove the seven and a half hours from Saratoga and then turned around and came back home on Sunday. While he was in Toronto, Casse did get some work done.
He will run three horses in the King's Plate, including the favorite, My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince), last year's Canadian 2-year-old champion.
On Sunday, he worked the colt as well as his other King's Plate runners: Essex Serpent (Honor Code) and Midnight Mascot (Army Mule).
“I called an audible on Sunday,” Casse said. “Our horses had not breezed for a while. I don't think (canceling the race to Friday) will be a factor.”
Casse said he was not going to allow the cancellation to bother him but he felt bad for everyone else.
“I had Gary Barber (My Boy Prince owner) fly in (from California),” Casse said. “Woodbine worked so hard to make it a great day. They had the Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau). I feel bad for all those people. Don't feel bad for me. As long as everyone is safe, I don't let all that stuff get me too excited.”
Casse said he will fly to Canada on Friday and then return to Saratoga on Friday night.
“The problem is that when I spend seven hours driving, it takes time away from work. I have to get back here; I have a big day Saturday.”
Casse has four horses entered on Travers Day including Full Screen (Big Screen) in the GI Forego and Little Ni (Mohaymen) in the GI Allen Jerkens Memorial.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
