For the first time, Hot Rod Charlie got a look at Saratoga.
The 4-year-old colt, owned by Boat Racing, Antony Beck's Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and William Strauss, set foot on the Oklahoma Training Track just after 8 a.m. Aug. 3 and jogged once around.
Hot Rod Charlie, a son of Oxbow , will make his first start at Saratoga Race Course in the $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) Aug. 6.
Trainer Doug O'Neill will arrive in town Aug. 4 from his base at Del Mar in California. Hot Rod Charlie has been under the care of his long-time assistant Leandro Mora. Mora arrived from California; Hot Rod Charlie vanned to the Spa from Lexington where he has been training this summer.
He arrived at 8 a.m. Aug. 2.
"He shipped pretty good," Mora said after walking Hot Hot Charlie outside the stall area.
Hot Rod Charlie has banked $5,151,200 during his career, which has seen him win four times from 16 starts. He also has five seconds and three thirds.
In three starts this year, he has a win in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Presented by The Longines Record (G2) at Meydan Racecourse Feb. 4; a second in the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) in March, and a second in the Salvator Mile Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park June 18.
He has been training at Keeneland, Mora said, because Hot Rod Charlie's long-term goal this season is the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on Nov. 5 at Keeneland.
"He is still a very popular horse," Strauss said. "Everywhere we go, he just captures the public's fancy. People see he is a blue-collar horse. He doesn't have the greatest breeding, not the most expensive horse ($110,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale), yet when you put him on the racetrack, he gives you his all every single race."
Secret Oath Back to Work for Saratoga's Alabama
Briland Farm's Secret Oath got back to work, recording her first move Aug. 2 since her distant second-place finish in the July 23 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
The daughter of Arrogate went five furlongs in 1:00.29 on the Oklahoma Training Track as she prepares for the Aug. 20 $600,000 Alabama Stakes (G1) and a possible rematch with Nest, who defeated Secret Oath by 12 1/4 lengths in the Coaching Club American Oaks.
"It was a really good work," Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Aug. 3 while sitting in his office outside his barn on the Oklahoma track.
Lukas is chomping at the bit as he looks ahead to the rubber match with Nest. Secret Oath won the first race, the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs May 6.
After the Coaching Club American Oaks, Lukas was less than pleased with the ride he got from Luis Saez.
In the work Aug. 2, Lukas had jockey Tyler Gaffalione on Secret Oath; Saez had worked her July 15 for her first work at Saratoga.
Lukas did say he would likely keep Saez on board for the Alabama. He said after the Coaching Club American Oaks, he and Saez had a 45-minute meeting.
"Let's put it this way; it was a very one-sided talk," Lukas said. "He can make a mistake just like anyone else. But he damn sure would not save that one for the highlight film. Luis is a wonderful guy."
The Heat is on at Saratoga
It's going to be hot at Saratoga Race Course, no doubt about that. But it might not be hot enough to call off the races Aug. 4.
The National Weather Service in Albany predicts the high temperature could reach 97 degrees at the Spa with a heat index between 99 and 101. A heat advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The New York Racing Association has its own weather station at Saratoga Race Course and readings are taken every 15 minutes for temperature, dew point, relative humidity, and average wind gusts and direction.
If the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration heat index reaches 105, Dr. Anthony Verderosa, NYRA's track veterinarian, would contact track management and stewards to advise them of the presence of dangerous weather conditions. Earlier in the meet, when temperatures soared into the 90s, the heat index did not get near the threshold number.
"(Aug. 4) is going to be pretty brutal," said Joe Villani, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Albany. "Anytime the heat index is over 95, we recommend limited time outside and to stay hydrated."
According to Pat McKenna, NYRA's vice president of communications, NYRA and the New York State Gaming Commission work closely with horsemen to ensure that the state's well established heat management protocols are followed.
Also, cooling stations are located throughout the track and veterinarians continuously observe all horses as they approach the paddock, while they are in the paddock, during the warm-up, while racing, and when they leave the track after the race.
"NYRA, the NYSGC, and horsemen are deeply experienced in dealing with hot conditions at Saratoga," McKenna said.
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said he, of course, is concerned about how horses handle the heat. He monitors the horses in his care. As for himself, the 86-year-old Lukas offers this:
"My doctor told me that when it's close to 90 I should not be out and stay in air conditioning," Lukas said. "So, I had to change doctors."
Thin White Duke Coming Back on Short Rest
On July 28, Thin White Duke ran second in an allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon Turf course at Saratoga Race Course. Eight days later, Aug. 5, the 4-year-old son of Dominus is entered to run in the $300,000 Troy Stakes Presented by Horse Racing Ireland (G3T) against the imposing Golden Pal .
"Nobody is beating that horse if he shows up at all," Thin White Duke's trainer David Donk said Aug. 3 about Golden Pal. "I am using the Allen Jerkens rule: never be scared of one horse."
New York-bred Thin White Duke is owned by former trainer Phil Gleaves and his partners Steven Crist, Ken deRegt, and Bryan Hilliard. Donk has no concerns about running the gelding back on short rest.
"He is doing really well," Donk said. "The grass is easy on him. I am a couple generations removed from these younger guys. We don't run enough. This was a last minute decision with Phil. We'll see what happens."
Donk has also entered Yes and Yes, owned by Gleaves, Joseph R. Straus Jr., and Hugh Fitzsimons.
'Baby Bird' Magical Song Stretches Wings With Cox
There may be many talented runners in Brad Cox's shedrow at Saratoga Race Course, but there's only one "Baby Bird."
Her official name is Magical Song, and she's the second foal out of dual champion Songbird, whose exploits included nine grade 1 wins, among them the 2016 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Alabama Stakes (G1) right here at The Spa. Songbird's first foal, a 3-year-old filly by Arrogate named Song Gate, is unraced and has been retired due to injury.
A striking 2-year-old by Tapit , Magical Song made her first appearance on the work tab July 30 with a three-furlong move in company in :38 flat on the Oklahoma training track. She joined Cox's string from breeder Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm.
"She just came in…about 10 days ago, two weeks ago from Mandy Pope… Todd Quast broke her and sent her up," Cox said. "She's a very intelligent filly… Good mover, good mind, good-looking filly that I think's meant to (go) two turns based off pedigree and physical. She's an exciting prospect."
Cox said Magical Song may not be ready to make her debut at Saratoga, but he will continue to build upon the foundation she received with Quast until she is set to run.
"I'm not certain she'll make the meet here at Saratoga, we just got her in," he said. "We'll put the miles underneath of her. She's been to the gate a couple times and those have been positive experiences, so we're looking forward to continuing to work her and go from there."
Cox said Magical Song's first work for him gave positive vibes.
"She was well into the bridle, doing it the right way… I thought it was a very positive move and she was willing and wanted to do more. From a trainer standpoint, that's step one. Next week we'll graduate and do a little bit more, and hopefully she can answer the questions we're asking of her."
Songbird raced to 13 wins and two seconds from 15 starts, with earnings of $4,692,000, and was crowned champion 2-year-old filly in 2015 and champion 3-year-old filly in 2016. She is currently boarded at Wayne and Cathy Sweezey's Timber Town Stable near Lexington, where she dropped a full sister to Magical Song in 2021 and foaled a Curlin colt this year.
"There's a lot of expectation of (Magical Song), and that comes with the pedigree," Cox said. "She wouldn't have to accomplish near as much as her dam to be a successful racehorse. It's an exciting opportunity for us and I know Mandy's excited about her, she likes her. She talked about her before she sent her to us that she thought she was a top prospect for us, and she showed them a lot on the farm, so we'll see where she takes us over the next couple months."
Smile Happy Gets Checked Out in Lexington
Smile Happy, a player on the Triple Crown trail earlier this year, has been given—mostly—a clean bill of health.
Trainer Kenny McPeek said Aug. 3 that the son of Runhappy traveled to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington where he got a complete physical from Dr. Larry Bramlage, an internationally recognized equine orthopedic surgeon.
"He gave him a good going over," McPeek said. "He said to give him 30 more days and then reevaluate. It's nothing major (just) little stuff. He is a little tender here and there and has a pulled muscle in a quad. He is fine."
McPeek said he wanted to have the colt, owned by Lucky Seven Stable, looked at after he didn't seem right while training at Saratoga. Smile Happy hasn't raced since his eighth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on May 7.
Smile Happy will spend the next month at Magdalena Farm in Lexington, a division of McPeek Racing.
"We'll give him some round pen time," McPeek said. "We'll check on him in September and go from there."
Before the Derby, Smile Happy was second in both the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland and the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
