Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Next Up for Next: Going for Back-to-Back Wins In Spa's Birdstone

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–Here is what's next at Saratoga Race Course.

Next (Not This Time) is.

The 6-year-old gelding is the best long-distance dirt horse in the country, and, on Sunday, he'll attempt to prove it again when he runs in the $150,000 listed Birdstone Stakes at the Spa. If you want to see it, get to Saratoga early. The Birdstone is race No. 2 and has a scheduled post time of 1:44 p.m. A field of five is entered in the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone and Next is the overwhelming 1-9 favorite on the morning line.

Next doesn't just win these marathon races. He pulverizes his competition. He has won his two starts this year by a combined 20-1/2 lengths. Dating back to last year, he has won five in a row by a combined 59-1/2 lengths. His personal best was a 25-length romp in the GIII Greenwood Cup at 1-1/2 miles at Parx last year. That came after he won the Birdstone for the first time, by 11-3/4 lengths.

“He is so good at going that far,” trainer Doug Cowans said by phone from his base in Kentucky. “He doesn't really get into gear until later in the race. The further the better. He just runs them off his feet the last quarter of a mile. I have never had a horse like that, and I have been training since 1993.”

In his 21-race career, Next has won 11 times. Cowans, who claimed the horse in 2022, has had him for his last 11 starts. The dominating wins for the grey flash have almost come to be expected, although Cowans knows there are no guarantees.

“There are times when we think this will be his test,” Cowans said about Next's past starts. “There have been situations where he'll be tested but he just seems to overcome all the things that come into play.”

Fatigue has never been an issue for Next, who is owned by Michael Foster and will be ridden by Luan Machado, one of the leading riders at Ellis Park.

“No,” Cowans said with a laugh when asked if Next ever gets tired. “I tell people he is the best horse I have ever trained and the most unusual horse I have ever trained.”

As Next continues to flourish with the marathon distances, Cowans said there is no thought of shortening him up.

“(Foster) is all on board,” Cowans said. “Look, you run him at a mile and a quarter and he is on a different path the rest of his life. Some of the plan is just to have fun with the horse. We claimed the horse for $62.5 and he doesn't owe us anything. It would be nice to have him around for another two or three years.”

Arcangelo-06-11-2023-SA6_8393-PRINT-Sarah-Andrew-1.jpg" alt="" width="1155" height="840" /> Jena Antonucci | Sarah Andrew

Antonucci Hoping For Better Luck For Whatintheliteral In Adirondack

Whatintheliteral (Lord Nelson) had plenty of luck in the opening day Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga.

All of it was bad.

Trainer Jena Antonucci is hoping for better on Sunday when she saddles Whatintheliteral in the $200,000, Grade III Adirondack Stakes, the second stake for 2-year-old fillies at the meet. It will be run at 6-1/2 furlongs.

“She is great,” Antonucci said outside her barn on the Oklahoma Training Track Friday morning. “She is such an honest filly, that is the cool part of her. She shows up any time she is running. I'm excited to get her back in the game and take a crack at it.”

In the Schuylerville, Whatintheliteral had no chance as she stumbled after the gates opened and jockey Javier Castellano was pitched over her head. The filly ran all the way around riderless and was ok.

Now, she gets another chance.

“It sucks,” Antonucci said about the Schuylerville. “It's a lot like golf. Once you hit the ball, it's out of your hands. We can't go back and put the milk in the container.  We are moving forward.”

Whatintheliteral broke her maiden in her third start, the Astoria Stakes during the Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga in June at 13-1. Despite that win, she was dismissed at 25-1 in the Schuylerville. Her morning-line odds for the Adirondack are 8-1. She drew the rail for the third time in five career races.

Whatintheliteral is owned by horseOlogy Racing and Craig Steinhart. Katie Miranda, co-owner of horseOlogy with Antonucci, is also looking forward to seeing what her young filly can do.

“We are thrilled she is ok and was athletic enough to get herself out of a sticky situation in the last race,” Miranda said at the barn. “We're ready to go.”

John Velazquez will replace Castellano in the saddle for this one. Both jockeys are in the Hall of Fame.

Castellano chose to ride another horse, Aguas de Cristal (Volatile), in the Adirondack. Castellano had ridden Whatintheliteral in her first four starts.

“Having Johnny is definitely not downgrading,” Antonucci said.

Despite His Recent Dominance At Saratoga, Irad Ortiz Does Not Feel Pressure

One thing Irad Ortiz Jr. will not do is put pressure on himself.

He has been the most consistent jockey on the Saratoga circuit the last half dozen summers. And, as the 40-day Saratoga meet gets closer to the halfway point, he is putting himself into position to get his sixth career riding title.

“So far, so good,” Ortiz said on the backstretch at Saratoga Friday morning. “I would say we have had a great start. I'm glad for all the support I have gotten from the owners and trainers.”

Ortiz has won the last two Saratoga riding titles and has claimed the top spot in four of the last six years. Ortiz won three races on Friday and now has 22 winners, two more than Flavien Prat.

“Whatever has happened already, we just try to turn the page and try to win another title,”  Ortiz said. “I don't feel any pressure.”

Ortiz respects the jockey colony in Saratoga, which is arguably the best in the country. Besides Prat, Ortiz deals daily with the likes of Tyler Gaffalione, Luis Saez, Manny Franco, his brother Jose, Junior Alvarado and the up-and-coming Dylan Davis. And there is also the veteran presence of Hall of Famers John Velazquez and Javier Castellano as well as Joel Rosario, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday.

“We all want to do the same thing, we all want to win,” Ortiz said. “I have had success the last few years, but I don't think there is a target on me. I just go out and do my job.”