By Tim Wilkin
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–After the impressive win in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course last weekend, the chances of the winner, Fierceness (City of Light) showing up in the $1.25, GI Travers Stakes were–take your pick–slim and none.
Much has changed in the last few days and now Fierceness may very well be on his way to a date with the likes of Dornoch (Good Magic), Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and the filly, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna).
“That is what we are thinking about,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said outside his office at his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track Thursday morning. “So far, all indications are he has come out of (Jim Dandy) very well. His energy level is good, and he galloped great this morning. We will continue to assess how he is doing.”
Pletcher said the plan now is for Fierceness to have “probably” two maintenance half-mile breezes before the Midsummer Derby.
Fierceness led into the winner's circle by Mike Repole (right) | Sarah Andrew
After the Jim Dandy, it appeared that Pletcher and owner Mike Repole were going to shy away from the Travers because they say Fierceness does his best running when he has longer time between his races.
The Jim Dandy and Travers are four weeks apart. Repole said earlier this year that eight weeks was the best spacing for his colt.
The Jim Dandy was Fierceness' first start since finishing 15th as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby–12 weeks between races.
Before the Derby, he won the GI Florida Derby by a record 13 1/2 lengths–five weeks between races.
He won the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile by 61/4 lengths and then had three months before finishing third in the GIII Fountain of Youth.
“He had a fair amount of time from the Juvenile to the Holy Bull and I have said I don't think he ran as bad in the Holy Bull as everyone says,” Pletcher said. “But he didn't run as good as he is capable of either. It might not be as simple as how much time it is between races.”
The only other race for 3-year-old colts left on the schedule is the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept 21. The GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar is the ultimate goal on Nov. 2.
If Fierceness runs in the Travers, Pletcher would have 10 weeks to the Classic.
Mindframe (Constitution), the runner-up in the GI Belmont Stakes and GI Haskell Stakes in just his third and fourth starts, is out of training for the rest of the summer and fall because of bone bruising. Repole, who owns Mindframe with Vinnie and Teresa Viola's St. Elias Stables Inc., told that to Daily Racing Form on Wednesday.
“The horse did a lot in a short period of time,” Pletcher said. “He came a long way from his maiden race on March 30–which is remarkable as a May 13 foal that he was able to do that. We always felt like he was going to get better. The Travers was going to come up too soon (from the July 20 Haskell). If he would have come out of the Haskell in awesome shape, we would have had to think about it, but he wasn't moving like he was going into (the Haskell).”
Pletcher said Mindframe is at a farm in Ocala, Fla. for a freshening and expects he will resume training Oct. 1.
Not Likely To Get 44-1 Odds On The Queens M G In Adirondack
When The Queens M G (Thousand Words) is supposed to win, she doesn't.
When it appears as though she has no chance to win, she does.
The Queens M G | Sarah Andrew
That has been the book on the 2-year-old filly in her first three career starts. She makes her fourth on Sunday who the $200,000, GIII Adirondack Stakes at the Spa.
In her last start, the listed Schuylerville Stakes on Saratoga's opening day, the Queens M G and jockey Dylan Davis were sent off at odds of 44-1–the longest price of any of the 11 juvenile fillies in the race–and won by 2 3/4 lengths.
She had the tough odds because in her prior race, the listed Astoria Stakes at Saratoga in June, The Queens M G was seventh–beaten 18 lengths–as the 2-1 choice. In the Astoria, The Queens M G got bumped coming out of the gate and then got hit again.
“The second bump really twisted her hind end,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Thursday morning on the Saratoga backstretch. “If you watch the head-on, she turned sideways, it was a pretty harsh bump. We don't know if that was the reason, but, coming down the lane, she looked like a drunken sailor. She was on the wrong lead, and she got super tired.”
Despite the horror show in the Astoria, Joseph moved forward into the next spot. He didn't know what to expect in the Schuylerville.
“It was a very loaded race,” Joseph said. “Should she have been 40-1? Probably not, but it was hard to like her. We are around her in the barn every day, and we did not have that much confidence, but we didn't see any reason not to try it again. If you were to tell me we were going to win (the Schuylerville), I would have said it was very, very unlikely.”
In. her first start, The Queens M G did not sway the bettors as she was 45-1 in the maiden event at Keeneland. She got the upset, winning by a head for then trainer Israel Acevedo.
The Queens M G was purchased privately by C Two Racing Stable and Mathis Stable after the debut and went to Joseph's barn.
Now she has a chance to sweep the first two juvenile filly races at the Spa meet.
“She has talent,” Joseph said. “She is a beautiful mover when she gallops.”
Temperature KO's Cugino from Saratoga Derby
Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey had high hopes for Cugino (Twirling Candy) in Saturday's $600,000, GI Saratoga Derby Invitational. Those hopes have been dashed as Cugino, who was the 3-1 second choice on the Saratoga Derby morning-line, won't run.
Cugino (Inside) | Sarah Andrew
“He spiked a temperature on Sunday,” McGaughey said at his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track Thursday morning.
That was enough to keep the 3-year-old, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig LLC out of the Saratoga Derby, which will be run at 1 3/16 miles over the Mellon Turf Course. The Saratoga Derby morning-line favorite is the Aidan O'Brien-trained Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). He is 2-1.
Cugino, who was to have been ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., has one win and three seconds in five starts this year. He has not been seen since winning the listed Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs by 4 1/2 lengths June 1.
McGaughey said that Cugino has recovered and has gone back into training.
“We will get him straightened out,” McGaughey said, “then he will be a big player after that.”
McGaughey has three other horses entered on Whitney Day, including 5-year-old Smokin' T (War Front), who will go for his second consecutive win in the listed Lure Stakes.
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