Rising Stars Try to Stop ‘Green Light’ in Champagne

[Wandering Eyes]

Stronach Stables’ Green Light Go (Hard Spun) has found no equal in two outings thus far, but will have his hooves full with a trio of ‘TDN Rising Stars’ and an additional impressive debut winner when he goes postward in Saturday’s GI Champagne S. at Belmont, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the GI TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Debuting at Big Sandy July 4, the homebred showed surprising speed and ran away from subsequent stakes winner Another Miracle (American Pharoah) in the stretch to score by 3 1/4 lengths. Favored off of that effort in the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 10, the bay impressed once more, settling professionally off the speed and kicking clear to a wrapped-up 3 3/4-length score. The Jimmy Jerkens trainee has worked six times going as long as seven furlongs since that try, finishing preparations with a half-mile breeze over the local training tack in :48 flat (4/14) Oct. 1.

August Dawn Farm’s Three Technique (Mr Speaker) was runner-up as the favorite in his first two outings, including behind subsequent GI Runhappy Hopeful S. romper Basin (Liam’s Map) July 21 at Saratoga. Heavily backed again Aug. 31 at the Spa, he broke through in a big way, finishing powerfully to score going away by 5 1/2 lengths and earn the ‘Rising Star’ designation.

Zayat Stables and Gary Barber’s Gozilla (Flatter) got his ‘Rising Star’ nod when cruising by 4 1/2 lengths at 3-5 in his career bow upstate Aug. 10. Hammered down to 13-10 favoritism in the Hopeful, he retreated to finish a well-beaten third. The chestnut bounced back to record a five-panel bullet in 1:00 4/5 (1/13) Sept. 22 over the Oklahoma training track.

Paul Pompa, Jr.’s Alpha Sixty Six (Liam’s Map) was also strongly supported first out, getting pounded down to a nickel above even-money going 6 1/2 furlongs here Sept. 7. Hung wide on the turn, he appeared beaten by rail-skimming Hemlock (Into Mischief) through much of the stretch, but found another gear in deep stretch to get up for a ‘Rising Star’-earning graduation.

The top Beyer in the field belongs to Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law (Constitution), who earned a 90 when easily annexing a New York-bred spot Aug. 8 at the Spa for Barclay Tagg. The bay has done nothing in the mornings since to suggest that was a fluke, recording a pair of bullets including a half-mile spin in :46 4/5 (1/16) here Sept. 19.

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