The GR II Jim Dandy and The GR I Haskell Invitational

[TJ]

This Saturday's small Jim Dandy Stakes field brings together this years Derby and Preakness winner. On Sunday we get more top 3YO action in the Haskell Invitational. Two really good races that could influence the outcome of the 3YO Eclipse Award Championship...especially if one of these guys can take home the Travers as well. Unless we get more of the same, with the inconsistency we've seen most of this season:>) In any case...they are good races, good horses and top connections with the Travers waiting to be the deciding gem. TJ

10th Race. Post 5:55PM Saturday
THE JIM DANDY STAKES Grade II - $600,000
Purse $600,000 (Up to $52,000 NYSBFOA) One Mile And One Furlong
FOR THREE YEAR OLDS.
1 Always Dreaming(L) Dk B/ Br.c.3 123 Velazquez, J Teresa Viola Racing Stables Pletcher, Todd
2 Cloud Computing(L) Dk B/ Br.c.3 123 Castellano, J Klaravich Stables Brown, Chad
3 Giuseppe the Great(L) B.c.3 117 Saez, L Mossarosa Zito, Nicholas
4 Pavel(L) Gr/ro.c.3 117 Gutierrez, M Reddam Racing LLC O'Neill, Doug
5 Good Samaritan(L) B.c.3 119 Rosario, J WinStar Farm Mott, William

Click on Always Dreaming: http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/briswatc ... ummary.htm

12th RACE. Post 5:47PM Sunday
50th Running of THE HASKELL INVITATIONAL Grade I - $1,000,000
3 YO STAKES 1 1/8 MILES
1 IRISH WAR CRY (L) Motion, H Maragh, R 118
2 BATTLE OF MIDWAY (L) Hollendorfer, J Prat, F 118
3 TIMELINE (L) Brown, C Castellano, J 118
4 PRACTICAL JOKE (L) Brown, C Rosario, J 118
5 MCCRAKEN (L) Wilkes, I Hernandez,Jr,B 118
6 HENCE (L) Asmussen, S Lopez, P 118
7 GIRVIN (L) Sharp, J Albarado, R 118

Click on Irish War Cry: http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/briswatc ... mmary.html

[TJ]

The Jim Dandy:
Always Dreaming
Cloud Computing
Giuseppe the Great

The Haskell:
Timeline
Practical Joke
Irish War Cry

[Cree]

Jim Dandy:
Cloud Computing
Good Samaritan
Always Dreaming

Haskell:
Battle of Midway
Timeline
Practical Joke

[TJ]

The inconsistency continues:>) Here are the results of the Jim Dandy:
Good Samaritan...first try on the dirt a winning one.
Giuseppe the Great...came running for 2nd.
Always Dreaming...a bit lathered up going into the gate held 3rd.
Pavel...ran a huge race to finish 4th in his 2nd career start.

[TJ]

Contining the inconsistency...Here's the Haskell Results:
Girvin
McCraken
Practical Joke
Irish War Cry

[skeenan]

Seems like the ladies are the consistent ones this season... Stellar Wind pulled off her win in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes. Yay!

[Cree]

At this point in time, who would we say is the #1 3-year-old? I really cannot decide!

I've always liked Stellar Wind, she is a class mare. I'd like to see her and Songbird in the same race!!!

[TJ]

At this point in time, who would we say is the #1 3-year-old? I really cannot decide!

I've always liked Stellar Wind, she is a class mare. I'd like to see her and Songbird in the same race!!!

Hi Cree,
Now that Timeline proved he's ordinary....I got nothin' :>) I figure the Travers could decide the 3YO picture so I'll look at what we might have going there. Tapwrit will make his return in the Travers off a long layoff. Classic Empire hasn't had any recent works, so he might not make the Travers. I'd expect Always Dreaming will move forward off his recent race and Good Samaritan, Giuseppe the Great, Girvin and McCraken also threw their hats into the ring over the weekend. Irap and Fayeq are on the improve, so the way it looks it's still wide open....let's not forget Gunnevera who's working lights out in Florida and West Coast who stretched out well for Baffert to win his last start. I'd have to say the two fillies, Abel Tasman and Unique Bella could be the best of the 3YO generation, though it looks like we may not see Bella again...no works for a long time and neither are expected to try the boys anyway?? Looking at the 3YO colts as it recently played out...I'm starting to think if I had to decide now...I'd say Good Samaritan might be the best of them all considering his story? They always thought he was meant for the dirt but circumstances kept them from going that way and they kept him on the turf. Elliot Walden was pushing Mott to switch him over...but Mott wanted to run in the Belmont Invitational on turf before switching to dirt for good...his race in the Jim Dandy was very impressive and could move forward off that win? Cree, do you have any other's in mind that I might have missed for the Travers? TJ

[skeenan]

I've always liked Stellar Wind, she is a class mare. I'd like to see her and Songbird in the same race!!!

I had to go back and watch last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff... Stellar Wind WAS in that race (she broke poorly and finished 4th), but it was all about Songbird and Beholder that day! I had forgotten she was even in it, after that epic stretch run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWgDx2iGE3I

I don't know if Songbird could top her exciting battle with Beholder (my fav race all year!), but it would be great to see a rematch! I was just looking at the win photo the other day, Beholder got her by a nostril. What a stretch run that was!

[TJ]

I've always liked Stellar Wind, she is a class mare. I'd like to see her and Songbird in the same race!!!

I had to go back and watch last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff... Stellar Wind WAS in that race (she broke poorly and finished 4th), but it was all about Songbird and Beholder that day! I had forgotten she was even in it, after that epic stretch run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWgDx2iGE3I

I don't know if Songbird could top her exciting battle with Beholder (my fav race all year!), but it would be great to see a rematch! I was just looking at the win photo the other day, Beholder got her by a nostril. What a stretch run that was!

Hi Skeenan,
If the top fillies and mares make it to the BC Distaff...it should be one heck of a race. Consider Songbird, Abel Tasman, Stellar Wind, Terra Promessa, Paid Up Subscriber, Forever Unbridled, Vale Dori and hopefully Unique Bella will be sound and ready to run by then?? TJ

Update: Paid Up Subscriber's 32 1/2 length win in the recent Shuvee at Saratoga will most likely be retired after coming out of the race with a fractured ankle:>)

Update: Concerning the 3YO boys....Gunnevera will get his prep for the Travers at Gulfstream Saturday.

[Cree]

Unique Bella:

In June, the Cotillion possible - http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... o-training

July, BC F & M Sprint her target - https://www.paulickreport.com/news/bree ... -campaign/

[skeenan]

If the top fillies and mares make it to the BC Distaff...it should be one heck of a race. Consider Songbird, Abel Tasman, Stellar Wind, Terra Promessa, Paid Up Subscriber, Forever Unbridled, Vale Dori and hopefully Unique Bella will be sound and ready to run by then??

Wow, that is quite the line-up! I hope we get to witness it in a few months, that will be a clash of the titans race...
That's too bad about Paid Up Subscriber. I hope she will heal well enough to be pasture sound, anyway.

I admit... not that excited about the Travers. I'd like to see Girvin do a repeat. I was half hoping Hence would finally step it up last weekend, but everyone seems to be fizzling out. Except the ladies, of course.

[TJ]

Unique Bella:

In June, the Cotillion possible - http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... o-training

July, BC F & M Sprint her target - https://www.paulickreport.com/news/bree ... -campaign/

Hi Cree,
Thanks for the update...Makes sense to keep Songbird and Bella away from each other. It will also help bringing her back at a shorter distance, especially since she just started galloping. Choosing the sprint, they won't have to put extra pressure on her to be fit for two turns against the best. Looking forward to see how she does and glad to hear she is doing OK. TJ

[skeenan]

Can we add Carina Mia to the list? Wonder if she will aim for the Breeders' Cup, also?

[TJ]

Can we add Carina Mia to the list? Wonder if she will aim for the Breeders' Cup, also?

Hi Skeenan,
I would think she will find her way into the BC Sprint or possibly the Distaff? Yesterday she won a non graded stakes at Saratoga going 7/8ths, for horses that haven't won a Graded Stake in 2017. It was her first start for her with new trainer Chad Brown, who finished 1st and 2nd in the race. She's had a steady diet of GR I races prior to this win...so Chad will probably point to a graded stake next out (like the GR I Ballerina going 7/8ths or the GR I Personal Ensign going a mile and an eighth) to decide which BC race will suit her best? TJ