By Alan Carasso
1st-SAR, $136k, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 1:10 p.m. ET
His full-brother Mage is about three hours south at Monmouth Park to contest Saturday's GI TVG.com Haskell S., but DORNOCH (Good Magic) could still represent the family should the Saratoga opener be transferred to the main track. Whereas Mage cost $235,000 at Keeneland September in 2021 (before fetching $290,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale last year), Dornoch was a $325,000 acquisition in Lexington. The pair's dam SW & GSP Puca (Big Brown), a 'TDN Rising Star' and also responsible for MSP Gunning (Gun Runner), is a half-sister to GISW Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt {GB}). Also entered for the main track only is Deterministic (Liam's Map), a $625,000 KEESEP purchase who hails from the Helen Alexander family of champion Althea. TJCIS PPs
7th-SAR, $136k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 4:26 p.m. ET
BC Stables co-principle John Bellinger's name was on the docket when DAILY GRIND (Medaglia d'Oro) was hammered down for $1.35 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, and the dark bay debuts for the operation's Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Lochlow Farm acquired dam Walk Close (Tapit) for $550,000 in foal to Uncle Mo at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale and the mare's value appreciated over the course of the next 12 months, as her foal of 2017 Anneau d'Or (Medaglia d'Oro) was runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GII Los Alamitos Futurity. Daily Grind, whose second dam is SW & GISP Spring Awakening (In Excess {Ire}), is bred on a foal share with Godolphin. Anointed (Justify) is a maternal grandson of Pearling (Storm Cat)–a full-sister to the 'Iron Horse' Giant's Causeway and You'resothrilling, et al–whose son Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was a two-time Group 1 winner in Ireland and victorious at Group 1 level in Dubai. Also in the mix is Dive Bomber (Omaha Beach), a $400,000 KEESEP grad and half-brother to this year's Bourbonette Oaks heroine Botanical (Medaglia d'Oro). TJCIS PPs
8th-DMR, $82k, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, post time: 8:35 p.m. ET
HOPE ROAD (Quality Road) is the first produce from Marley's Freedom (Blame), easy winner of the 2018 GI Ballerina S. for Cicero Farms and Bob Baffert. Connections elected to enter the Jan. 15 foal for last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, but they took her home after bidding fizzled out at $575,000. John Sadler conditions the bay, who breezed a smart five furlongs from the gate in 1:00 flat (5/44) at Santa Anita July 16. C R K Stable's Ashley (Into Mischief) draws the fence for this debut run for John Shirreffs. A $385,000 KEESEP buyback turned $400,000 OBSAPR breezer (see Summer Breezes below), the April-foaled bay is out of a full-sister to Japanese Group 1-winning sprinter Mozu Superflare (Speightstown) and a half to GSW Sacristy (Pulpit). Mocha Grande (Uncle Mo), a $475,000 KEESEP purchase by Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds, is out of a daughter of GSP Stage Magic (Ghostzapper), of course the dam of Triple Crown-winning Horse of the Year Justify (Scat Daddy). TJCIS PPs
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