The opening leg of the New York Racing Association's Turf Triple for 3-year-olds turned out to be an international success.
Horses who shipped in from Europe won both of the rich July 10 stakes, with Bolshoi Ballet taking the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) and Santa Barbara proving best in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T).
Bolshoi Ballet came back to contest leg two in the Aug. 7 Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T), where he finished fourth, but on the fillies' side, rivals will be happy to know they do not have to contend with Santa Barbara Aug. 8 in the $700,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course.
Still, there will be a foreign presence in the Saratoga Oaks, though if one of them wins it will set off an All-American celebration after the 1 3/16-mile stakes.
Owner Peter Brant has enjoyed tremendous success buying horses overseas, either privately or at auction. His champion mare Sistercharlie and 2020 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner Sottsass vividly reflect that assertion.
In Sunday's Saratoga Oaks, Brant and trainer Chad Brown will unveil their latest European import in Rocky Sky, a 3-year-old daughter of Rock of Gibraltar who won the April 25 Irish Stallion Farms E.B.F. Salsabil Stakes at Navan in her last start.
"She had good form over in Europe and was running with some very good horses over there. Her last race was very good," Brown said about the winner of two of four career starts. "I really like what I see from her. She's an exciting prospect for the Oaks and hopefully she can fill the shoes of some of the top horses we've lost. I like her quite a bit."
Brown had originally hoped to run Rocky Sky in the Belmont Oaks, but the timing did not work out.
"She took a little extra time to acclimate and I started her work schedule a week later than I wanted to, so we skipped the Belmont Oaks," Brown said. "I just wanted to get her coat looking good and give her time to get over the trip here. Now I love the way her coat looks. She's put together some nice works, especially since she moved to Saratoga. Last Sunday's work (five furlongs in 1:01.75) here was the best I've seen from her."
Brown will also send out Higher Truth, a daughter of Galileo who was third in the 1 1/4-mile Belmont Oaks, a half-length behind Santa Barbara while trying to close into a slow 1:16.40 split for six furlongs on good turf.
Owned by Mike Ryan, Jeff Drown, and Team Hanley, she was bought for $645,273 from the Churchtown House Stud consignment at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. She made her stakes debut in the opening leg of the Turf Triple after winning two of her first three starts.
"With her pedigree, you would think she would get better with experience and she certainly has," the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer said. "I've been impressed with her. She's really coming into her own now. A really nice filly beat her last time, and, yes, I wish there was more pace in the Belmont race, but she got a great trip and I can't make excuses. I think she ran great and has really moved forward off it."
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Eric Nikolaus, Del Toro, and Troy Johnson's Con Lima, a Texas-bred daughter of Commissioner, set those slow fractions in the Belmont Oaks and finished second, a nose ahead of Higher Truth. Though the fractions should be quicker in Sunday's 1 3/16-mile test, with a lifetime record of six wins and five seconds in 12 career starts, she figures to be a formidable foe once again.
"Turf is not obvious in her pedigree but she has done well on it," Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said about the filly bred by Lisa Kuhlmann. "She will appreciate the tighter turns here at Saratoga like she did at Gulfstream Park. She's doing good and we're looking forward to trying her again."
Europe will also be represented by two other starters in the field of eight.
Godolphin's Creative Flair, a homebred Dubawi 3-year-old, will make her debut in America after finishing third beaten a head and nose in the Prix Chloe (G3) at Chantilly for trainer Charlie Appleby. Blue Devil Racing Stable's Messidor, a daughter of Vadamos trained by Joseph O'Brien, was third in the Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot.
The field also includes Gam's Mission and grade 2 winner Plum Ali, who were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Belmont Oaks, and Christiana Stakes winner Out of Sorts.
Saratoga Race Course, Sunday, August 8, 2021, Race 9Entries: Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Higher Truth (IRE) Jose L. Ortiz 121 Chad C. Brown 5/1 2 2Messidor (IRE) John R. Velazquez 121 Joseph Patrick O'Brien 12/1 3 3Gam's Mission (KY) Luis Saez 121 Cherie DeVaux 8/1 4 4Plum Ali (KY) Joel Rosario 121 Christophe Clement 5/1 5 5Con Lima (TX) Flavien Prat 121 Todd A. Pletcher 7/2 6 6Rocky Sky (IRE) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 121 Chad C. Brown 3/1 7 7Creative Flair (IRE) Mike E. Smith 121 Charles Appleby 7/2 8 8Out of Sorts (KY) Sheldon Russell 121 Brittany T. Russell 15/1