Happily Unbridled

Today’s the day the multiple-graded stakes winning filly Pure Clan runs in the Grade 1, $250,000 Garden City Stakes for 3 year old fillies at Belmont Park in Elmont New York. Estimated post time is 2:03 EDT. The race is contested over 1 1/8 mile on the inner turf … maybe. Whether or not they even run on the turf is a question mark as the last remnants of Tropical Storm Hanna leave their mark across the east coast.

Pure Clan has won all of her turf races so far, including the Grade 1 American Oaks (Hollywood Park) but they have all been on firm turf and trainer Bob Holthus doesn’t know how she may handle a wet turf.

Pure Clan will be ridden by Julian Leparoux and breaks from Post 5. She is coupled with Ariege who is trained by Bobby Frankel. Both fillies are owned mostly by IEAH Stables.

Raw Silk ridden by Edgar Prado will most likely be the main speed in the race. She breaks from Post 1.

Backstreet Rhythm breaks from Post 4 and is ridden by Javier Castallano. She is 2 for 2 on the Belmont Turf so should be a contender.

The full field of fillies, jockeys, trainers, and their morning line odds are:

Cribnote blew the turn and Vineyard Haven ridden by Alan Garcia reaped the reward. Vineyard Haven captured the gr I, $250,000 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga on Monday. The son of Lido Palace finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Cribnote … yes, in spite of bolting far to the outside at the top of the stretch, Cribnote kept coming, making up an amazing amount of ground and was still gaining on the leader at the wire. He finished 2 lengths ahead of the third place winner, Munnings, who got off to a very poor start and still finished well.

Vineyard Haven, trained and co-owned by Bobby Frankel, covered the 7 furlongs in 1.23:40.

Jockey Alan Garcia used this victory to clinch the Saratoga riding title. This win was also Frankel’s fourth Grade I win of the Saratoga meet. Frankel’s other Grade 1 winners were Ginger Punch in the Go For Wand and the Personal Ensign, and First Defence in the in the Forego.

Vineyard Haven is certainly a colt worth watching as we enter the last few weeks before the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita. However, I was much more impressed by Cribnote, (a son of 2004 Kentucky Derby contender, Read the Footnotes) who, after bolting to the outside, ran much farther than Vineyard Haven so the 1 1/16 mile of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile will not be a problem for him. Cribnote may just be my early favorite in the Juvenile …

Go Baby Go!