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    • SARATOGA SPRINGS — Anyone who went by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's barn on the Oklahoma Training Track Friday morning did a double take. A jumbo-sized maple tree, which has stood tall for years outside Mott's office, was no more. Thanks to a violent display of weather Thursday night after Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course, the tree was uprooted and came crashing down. Part of the tree came to rest on the roof of Mott's office. Miraculously, there was no damage done to the office, which was unoccupied when the storm hit shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday night. “It was coming down and I was trying to hold it up, and I couldn't hold it up,” Mott said Friday morning, showing some levity over the situation. Mott was eating dinner with his wife Tina at Pennell's Restaurant, not far from the track when the storm hit. “We were sitting on the patio, and we were just finishing and the winds started blowing and just about everyone moved inside,” Mott said. “I drove over to the harness track to see (if horses) were ok and it was. There was some water, and I thought, 'if they are ok over there, they are probably ok over here.'” Paul Caiano, the chief meteorologist at WNYT-13, the NBC affiliate in Albany, said just under an inch of rain fell in Saratoga in the 45-minute storm. He also said that radar indicated wind gust of over 50 miles an hour was recorded during the storm. “That's what knocked that tree over,” Caiano said. The horses at Mott's barn–including GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief)–did not seem bothered at all. The tree that fell came very close to hitting a two-horse open air stall next to the office. It did not and the horses there were not in any distress. About the only damage that could be seen at the barn was a couple of Adirondack chairs that were outside the barn got hit. Interestingly enough, a hanging flowerpot outside the office, which looked to be in harm's way of the tree, was intact Friday. Mott said the tree will be taken care of in the next day or so via chainsaws. When it is chopped up, it will make for a lot more sun outside of Mott's office. Mo Plex Likely to Stay Put for Jim Dandy Trainer Jeremiah Englehart said Friday that it looks more likely that his 3-year-old Mo Plex (Complexity) will stay home and run in the GII, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 26. Englehart said that after watching his New York-bred go four furlongs alone in :49.25 (46/92) on the main track with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard for the second straight work. Mo Plex | Sarah Andrew “We are leaning towards the Jim Dandy,” Englehart said. Last week, Englehart said he might prefer to run Mo Plex, who won the GIII Ohio Derby in his last start, in the GI, $1-million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park next Saturday. Mo Plex is owned by Rick Higgins of Saratoga and Howard Reed of Albany (R & H Stable). Englehart said he originally tried talking his owners out of the Jim Dandy, but, after doing some thinking, decided that being at home was more of an advantage than heading out of town. “If you go to the Haskell, you could have Journalism (Curlin); if we run here, you have Sovereignty and a couple other real nice horses,” Englehart said. “Any time you run in any of these races, you are going to have tough horses to run against.” Englehart is hopeful that Ortiz will ride Mo Plex in the Jim Dandy. “I am hoping,” Ortiz said after the work. “There has been no decision made yet.” Ortiz rode Hill Road (Quality Road) in his last start, a fifth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes. He could be pointed to the Jim Dandy for trainer Chad Brown. “I would love to have Irad,” Englehart said. “But if we can't, there are a lot of good riders in that room.” Fierceness Works Towards His Date in Whitney When 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), works, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher expects good things. Pletcher wasn't disappointed Friday when he watched the 4-year-old work five furlongs in 1:01.60 (4/10) with exercise rider Danny Wright on board, as usual. He worked in company on the main track with stablemate Dreamlike (Gun Runner), a 5-year-old gelding. Fierceness (outside) & Dreamlike breezing Friday | Sarah Andrew “It was typical of what we always see from him,” Pletcher said outside his office on the Oklahoma Training Track. “I thought he was very impressive; he did it in hand throughout. We wanted a good, solid work without overdoing it and that is what he did.” This was his second work since finishing second in the GI Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga on June 7. The Saratoga target for Fierceness is the GI, $1-million Whitney Stakes on Aug. 2. Pletcher is still mulling over whether Fierceness, owned by Repole Stable, Derrick Smith, Michael B. Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier, will have company in the Whitney. He could also run 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution), unbeaten in three starts this year, in the Whitney. Mindframe, owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC, won the GI Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs in his last start on June 28 and will return to the work tab next week, Pletcher said. “We will continue to monitor how both are doing and wait as long as we can to make a decision,” Pletcher said about running both in the Whitney. “If you run them both against each other, barring a miraculous dead heat, one of them is going to get beat.” The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Mott Dodged a Bullet When Strong Storm Hit Thursday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • Newmarket's July Festival winds up on Saturday, with the feature G1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup the stage for the potential reinvention of Godolphin's Notable Speech (Dubawi). Luckily for him and unfortunately for the rest of us, he has no international heavyweights to deal with in a renewal that looks a bit light on its usual quality. With the main protagonists of the Commonwealth Cup, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and King's Stand all absent, this looks one of the most winnable editions for some time and it will be deflating if last year's 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes hero doesn't at least make it into the thick of the action. Lack of true depth in the sprinting ranks may account for the recent plunge on Ballydoyle's Whistlejacket (No Nay Never), who remains a smart colt having won the Prix Morny and the course-and-distance July Stakes last term. Nevertheless, he has contested four other top-flight contests in his career and been beaten in all, starting odds-on in two of them. Needless to say, he has yet to convince that he belongs in the top echelon the way that the stable's former July Cup winners Stravinsky, Mozart, Starspangledbanner, U S Navy Flag and Ten Sovereigns clearly did. Weak in the betting at present, Godolphin's Sandy Lane Stakes winner Symbol Of Honour (Havana Grey) could surprise a few in his solid, unflashy style while like all of the above Wathnan Racing's consistent Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes third Flora Of Bermuda (Dark Angel) fits the age profile. Only one horse aged older than four has prevailed since 2009 and the way the Al Quoz Sprint-winning five-year-old Believing (Mehmas) flopped at Royal Ascot, she hardly inspires hope that she can turn around that trend. Charlie Appleby said of Symbol Of Honour, “When he gets on the racecourse he's just tough–he gets out on the pace and grinds it out.” Will We Be Reaching For Superlatives? As usual, the card's G2 Superlative Stakes has the potential to promote something exciting and in Wootton Bassett's Italy Ballydoyle have a colt who carries all the right vibes into the early Classic pointer. If you were going to draw up a fantasy list of Triple Crown hopes on breeding, connections and early ability, this relative of Serpentine et al would definitely be on it. Crazy, I know, but that is what this meeting is about really. Prospecting for Classic winners and that ultimate dream horse. Now that we know that the sire is capable of producing class acts over all distances, this relative of Serpentine with Epsom in his blood has Derby potential as well as Guineas. Okay, it is the longest of all longshots at this juncture, but he has the right blend of speed and stamina to at least start the conversation. Aidan O'Brien never gives much away prior to a race, but there was a sense of excitement in the way he said, “We're looking forward to him.” Firstly, Italy has to get past the Charlie Appleby duo and the trainer who excels in this race seems to favour the Sandown winner Saba Desert (Dubawi) over TDN Rising Star Wild Desert (Too Darn Hot) if jockey bookings are a guide. The latter is a grandson of the Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Gossamer, from that wonderful Gerald Leigh family and therefore is one with a future and not just about now. Six For Grand Prix De Paris Sunday's G1 Cygames Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp is staged a day before the Fete Nationale and the 12-furlong feature sees Aidan O'Brien looking to extend his five renewals with the G3 Hampton Court winner Trinity College (Dubawi). Supplemented for the race, fellow Prix du Jockey Club also-ran Leffard (Le Havre) and G3 Prix du Lys runner-up Surabad (Bated Breath) shore up the French defence along with the eye-catching Derby fourth New Ground (New Bay). The post July Cup Is Notable Speech’s To Lose appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
    • Explosive debut winner Ewing may point to a next start in the Aug. 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2), according to trainer Mark Casse. View the full article
    • Ka Ying Rising's outstanding performance during the 2024-25 racing season saw the record-breaking speedster earn the Hong Kong Horse of the Year title at a special presentation held in the Rosewood Hotel in Hong Kong July 11.View the full article
    • Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a daughter of Group 2 winner Indie Angel. 1.40 Newmarket, Mdn, £25,000, 2yo, f, 7fT DARKWING (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is one of the key players in this maiden won in recent times by Ballydoyle, Poetic Charm and Desert Flower, being the first foal out of Cheveley Park Stud's G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes winner Indie Angel (Dark Angel). John and Thady Gosden introduce the homebred in a fascinating affair which includes Sky Racing Club's fellow newcomer New Vega (GB) (New Bay {GB}), a Simon and Ed Crisford-trained €450,000 Arqana May Breeze-Up graduate from the family of the triple Group 1 winner Ervedya (Siyouni).   The post Newmarket Debut For Frankel’s Darkwing, Daughter Of Indie Angel appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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