Blazing Sevens at Pimlico
Rodeo Creek Racing’s Grade 1-winner Blazing Sevens will try to make his Corridor of Fame grandsire proud in profitable the twin Horse of the Yr’s namesake race in Friday’s $135,000 Curlin going 9 furlongs over the principle observe at Saratoga Race Course.
The occasion for non-winners of a graded sweepstakes at one mile or over in 2023 honors the 2007-08 Horse of the Yr, who grew to become the primary North American thoroughbred to succeed in the $10 million earnings mark.
Skilled by four-time Eclipse Award profitable coach Chad Brown, Blazing Sevens is one in every of three contenders within the race that’s sired by Curlin’s 2017 Champion 2-Yr-Previous Colt Good Magic, who additionally was conditioned by Brown.
Brown owns extra Curlin conquests than another coach with 4 wins, together with in 2016 with Curlin progeny Join.
Blazing Sevens, who boasts field-best earnings of $895,250, has not raced since a hard-fought second to Nationwide Treasure within the Grade 1 Preakness on Might 20 at Pimlico Race Course. Within the center jewel of the Triple Crown, Blazing Sevens was huge getting into the primary flip and stalked the tempo down the backstretch earlier than participating with Nationwide Treasure within the stretch drive, arising a head shy of victory.
Blazing Sevens burst onto the scene with a 6 1/4-length maiden victory on debut final July right here earlier than ending a distant third within the Grade 1 Hopeful on the Spa and capturing the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont on the Large A beneath Flavien Prat, who will return to the saddle for Friday’s race from publish 3.
“He is been doing properly and it is good to have the Curlin as an possibility for him. Flavien is obtainable to experience and I am blissful to have him again on,” Brown mentioned.
Corridor of Fame coach Todd Pletcher will search to match Brown’s 4 Curlin wins when saddling blue-blooded Misplaced Ark [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr.].
Owned by Harrell Ventures, the Violence bay is a half-brother to 2022 Champion 3-Yr-Previous Filly Nest. Misplaced Ark enters from his sophomore debut on June 9, when besting older allowance firm going 1 1/16 miles at Monmouth Park.
Final season, he was a powerful debut winner at Belmont Park earlier than capturing the Sapling at Monmouth. He was a distant sixth within the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity in October at Keeneland earlier than being eased within the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which was received by steady mate Forte.
“I assumed it was good,” Pletcher mentioned of Misplaced Ark’s final effort. “I used to be at all times involved about moving into that two-other-than situation with a 3-year-old, however he appeared to deal with it fairly properly. Hopefully, he set himself up for the Curlin.”
Pletcher mentioned he’s hoping to make use of the Curlin as a stepping stone to greater races within the latter a part of the yr.
“We have been a bit of upset with how he ended final season as a result of he was coaching with Forte and holding his personal, so we felt like primarily based on his first couple races and the way in which he was coaching that he belonged in that group [at the Breeders’ Cup] and he did not fairly present up. However, I believe he is benefitted from the time without work now,” Pletcher mentioned.
Woodford Racing, Lanes Finish Farm, Phipps Steady, Ken Langone and Edward J. Hudson, Jr.’s Carry out [post 1, Jose Ortiz], additionally a son of Good Magic, enters from a distant sixth within the Preakness for Corridor of Famer Shug McGaughey.
The bay colt completed second to Misplaced Ark on debut final July earlier than ending behind Kentucky Derby winner Mage in addition to Derby contenders Disarm [fourth] and Elevate Cain [eighth] within the maiden ranks. He broke his maiden in his two-turn debut on March 11 at Tampa Bay Downs earlier than capturing the Federico Tesio on April 15 at Laurel Park.
Carry out is out of the Story of Ekati mare Jane Says, whose dam Judy B is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Mendelssohn, Corridor of Famer and four-time Eclipse Award-winner Beholder in addition to perennial North American main stallion Into Mischief.
LNJ Foxwoods Kentucky homebred Scotland [post 4, Junior Alvarado] rounds out the Good Magic-sired trio as he makes his two-turn debut for Corridor of Famer Invoice Mott, who received this occasion with Hofburg in 2018.
The chestnut gelding got here from properly off the tempo to win on debut going seven furlongs in March at Gulfstream Park earlier than using stalking techniques when second in an April allowance at Keeneland going the identical distance. He enters from a head rating in opposition to winners in June going a one flip mile at Churchill Downs.
Finishing the sphere is Eduardo Soto’s Il Miracolo [post 5, Luis Saez], who will look to get again on observe after a distant seventh within the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes offered by NYRA Bets on June 10. Skilled by Antonio Sano, the son of Gun Runner went gate-to-wire in his two lifetime wins, each of which came about going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park.
The Curlin is slated as Race 4 on Friday’s nine-race program, which additionally options the Grade 3, $175,000 Lake George in Race 9. First publish is 1:10 p.m. Jap.
Saratoga Reside will current reside protection and evaluation of the Saratoga Race Course summer season meet on the networks of FOX Sports activities. For the published schedule and channel finder, go to https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.
