Saratoga Race Course may not get Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, but the old Spa will still have plenty of sizzle this summer.
Many of the winners of the undercard stakes run at Belmont Park June 6 will be pointing for starts at the upstate New York oval.
Grade I winner Wedding Toast is aiming to return to the races in the $750,000 Personal Ensign Invitational (gr. I) at Saratoga Aug. 29.
A seven-time winner from 11 starts, Wedding Toast earned her first grade I score when she took the June 6 Ogden Phipps Stakes by five lengths, defeating Untapable, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2014.
NOVAK: Wedding Toast Gate-to-Wire in Ogden Phipps
“She came out of the race in great shape,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “We’re going to give her some time now to fill up the tank.”
The Phipps marked the fifth start of the season for Wedding Toast, a 5-year-old mare owned by Godolphin Racing.
With the win over Untapable, Wedding Toast may have moved to the top of her division.
“It’s nice to think that way,” said McLaughlin, who has mapped out a schedule that includes the Beldame Invitational (gr. I) at Belmont in the fall, before ending the year in the Oct. 30 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (gr. I) atKeeneland.
Untapable, who now has lost two of three starts this year, will be shipped up to Saratoga at the end of June according to trainer Steve Asmussen and will likely point for a rematch against Wedding Toast in the Personal Ensign.
McLaughlin noted that Frosted, second in the Belmont Stakes Presented by DraftKings (gr. I) behind American Pharoah, exited the race in good order and will be pointed for the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga Aug. 1, before trying his luck in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Aug. 29.
“We made a great run at a great horse,” McLaughlin said. “We were just second-best.”
Another horse looking to start next in the Jim Dandy Stakes is Barry K. Schwartz’s Japan, who is stepping up off of a victory in the June 6 WinStar Farm Easy Goer Stakes, where he scored by 1 1/4 lengths.
MITCHELL: Japan Runs Down Pletcher Pair in Easy Goer
“He’s going well,” trainer Bill Mott said. “We may wait for Saratoga to run.”
When asked specifically about the Jim Dandy, Mott responded, “There’s a good chance.”
Trainer Dale Romans will try a turf work to determine where Belmont Stakes third-place finisher Keen Ice will start next for Donegal Racing.
“I’m going to put a little half-mile in him soon on the dirt and then work back on the turf,” Romans said. “There are a lot of options. We’ll see how he works on the turf and if we like that, he could run in the (Aug. 15) Secretariat (gr. IT, at Arlington International Racecourse). If we decide to stay on the dirt, it could be the Haskell or Travers.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher said that Besilu Stables Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Materiality and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner Carpe Diem are both being pointed for returns in either the Jim Dandy or the Aug. 2 Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park, where they could face American Pharoah again.
Carpe Diem is back in training at WinStar Farm in Kentucky, after being withdrawn from consideration for the Belmont Stakes.
Pletcher did note that Madefromlucky will be pointed for a start in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (gr. II) at Mountaineer Racetrack & ResortAug. 1 off a sixth in the Belmont.
Acorn Stakes (gr. I) winner Curalina is being pointed to Saratoga for starts in both the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) July 26 and the $600,000 Alabama Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 22.
MITCHELL: Curalina Wins First Stakes in Acorn
“Curalina came back well and we want to focus on the 3-year-old races,” Pletcher said. “We’ll see where we are at with her after the Alabama.”
Pletcher also noted that Repole Stable’s Coach Inge exited his victory in the Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (gr. II) in good order and would likely start next in the $500,000 Suburban Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont July 4.
MITCHELL: Coach Inge Outruns V.E. Day in Brooklyn
Robert V. LaPenta’s March, who won the Woody Stephens Stakes (gr. II) June 6, will likely return to action in the $500,000 Dwyer Stakes (gr. III) also at Belmont on Independence Day.
“It’s a little quick for him, but it’s one turn and a big purse,” trainer Chad Brown said of the 3-year-old colt. “The key is he’s a one-turn horse and to keep him against his division.”
MITCHELL: March Wins Woody Stephens by a Nose
Brown also reported that Knob Creel Manhattan Stakes (gr. IT) winnerSlumber will try his luck in the $500,000 United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) at Monmouth July 5.
Slumber snapped a 10-race losing streak in the Manhattan, where he was equipped with blinkers for the first time.
“I wanted to (add blinkers) since I started training the horse, but was hesitant about it, because he was running good numbers,” Brown said. “So I added a little set of blinkers and he really responded.”
The Manhattan was the first grade I victory for the 7-year-old runner from 21 starts.
MITCHELL: Slumber Rouses in the Manhattan Stakes
Tepin exited her victory in the Longines Just a Game Stakes (gr. IT) in good shape and is pointing for a start in the $500,000 Diana (gr. IT) at Saratoga July 25.
“She’s doing well,” trainer Mark Casse said. “She’s had some nagging problems along the way, but has really come along this year.”
Tepin has won all three starts in 2015, also taking the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (gr. IIT) May 2.
BALAN: Tepin Claims First Grade I in Just a Game
Jaipur Invitational Stakes winner Channel Marker will also be given a few weeks off before returning to action at Saratoga in the $100,000 Troy Stakes Aug. 22.
“He came out in really good shape,” trainer Philip Bauer said. “We decided to give him a little freshening.”
Bauer said if everything goes well, he’ll then be pointed for the Woodford Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland on opening weekend before ending the season in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) there.
