Adirondack

John Ortiz draws the analogy of playing cards to what it feels like going into a stakes race at Saratoga. Everyone keeps their hand close and you never can tell who might be bluffing. But the trainer of Brightwork (Outwork) may have let his poker face slip when he spoke with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the paddock ahead of the GIII Adirondack S. on Sunday. "I walked in there confident and with a smile," Ortiz shared. "Irad had worked her and I said, 'You know what you've got and I...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - After watching GIII Schuylerville S. winner Becky's Joker (Practical Joke) work a bullet half-mile Wednesday, trainer Gary Contessa said he may buck convention, take a step back in time and run her in the GIII Adirondack on Aug. 6. Becky's Joker turned in a stunning performance on opening day, July 13, easily winning the six-furlong Schuylerville by 3 1/4 lengths at 21-1 in the first start of her career. According to Equibase, she is the fifth horse since 1991 to win a graded stakes in her...

A half-dozen 3-year-old fillies, topped by the one-two finishers in the July 9 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S., will do battle in Sunday's GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S., one of three graded stakes taking place on the first Sunday in August. Highly-regarded McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), named after trainer Chad Brown's first employee when he struck out on his own, was an impressive debut winner last summer at the Spa, but went winless in her next three starts while placing in the GII Miss Grillo S., GII Edgewood S. and...

'TDN Rising Star' Thoughtfully (Tapit) continued a red-hot run with juveniles for trainer Steve Asmussen as she powered away a convincing winner of the GII Adirondack S. Wednesday at the Spa. Off since airing by 8 3/4 lengths at odds-on first out at Churchill June 11, the $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase prepped for this by firing a five-furlong bullet in 1:00.91 over the strip Aug. 3 in company with unraced colt Calibrate (Distorted Humor) (XBTV Video). Pounded down to 4-5 from a 2-1 morning line quote, the dark bay tucked...

Magic Dance (More Than Ready), the TDN Rising Star who stumbled at the start of the GII Adirondack S. at Saratoga Sunday, sustained a bone bruise in her left front leg in the incident and will be off for an undetermined amount of time, according to her trainer, Steve Asmussen. "It was a result of the stumble that she had in the Adirondack which broke the skin in the back of her left front ankle," said Asmussen from Saratoga Friday morning. "It was quite a significant stumble. She actually burned...

Tracy Farmer's Perfect Alibi, a beaten favorite last out, made amends in a big way when prevailing in a roughly-run renewal of the GII Adirondack S. Sunday at Saratoga. An impressive first-out victress May 16 at Churchill when dusting a field of maidens by 9 1/2 lengths, the $220,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga pickup was shipped to Belmont for the June 6 Astoria S. and ran in spots before coming up three-quarters of a length short to debuting 'TDN Rising Star' Maryanorginger (Strong Mandate). Let go as the distant third choice here...