News and STORIES

Nine Sophomores Set to Run at Curlin Stakes on Friday

Author: Don Mckee
Published: Tuesday July 23, 2019

Nine sophomores, all without a graded stakes win in 2019, are set to run in the $100,000 Curlin on the main track at Saratoga on Friday. The race is for 3-year-olds, and it will be nine furlongs.

Out of the field of horses, there are three to keep an eye on.

Cairo Cat

Walking L Thoroughbreds’ Cairo Cat will be running for the first time since winning Churchill Downs’ Iroquois (G3) in September 2018. He is the only graded stakes winner running in the Curlin. Trainer Kenny McPeek was looking towards the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile before the horse suffered an injury that required him to take time off.

Cairo Cat will be ridden by Julien Leparoux, and they’ll be breaking from post 2.

Looking at Bikinis

Allowance winner Looking at Bikinis is trained by Chad Brown, and his career record is 2-2. He debuted at a sloppy main track at Belmont Park in September, where he beat Cutting Humor, a graded-stakes winner who also ran in the Kentucky Derby.

After spending some time away, Cutting Humor returned to beat Not That Brady, a graded stakes-placed horse. It was a first-level allowance at Belmont on June 27. It was there that Cutting Humor received an impressive 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

Looking at Bikinis is owned by Long Lake Stable, Madaket Stables, Thomas Coleman, and Doheny Racing Stable. His jockey will be Javier Castellano. The Hall of Fame rider and the horse will break from post 3.

Intrepid Heart

Intrepid Heart will make his first start since the Belmont Stakes (G1) presented by NYRA Bets on June 8. In that race, the Todd Pletcher horse finished eighth. He is owned by Robert and Lawana Low.

Intrepid Heart is the half-brother of Commissioner, a three-time graded-stakes winner. The last time Intrepid Heart won was at Keeneland on April 5.

Todd Pletcher spoke on the horse.

“He has been doing well since the Belmont, and watching his works, he’s been progressing. We’ll take our shot in here with him and see how it goes,” Pletcher said.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will be the jockey; he is a four-time leading jockey at Saratoga. They will break from post 1.

Rest of the Field

The rest of the field includes Endorsed, Grumps Little Tots, Rowayton, Feel Glorious, Hotsy Totsy, and Panther Hit.

Endorsed has only gone longer than six furlongs one other time. He had a winning 3-year-old debut on June 23 in allowance optional claiming company at Belmont Park. He recorded a 92 Beyer Speed Figure in that race, and it was his first start since the Champagne (G1), where he crossed the line 11 lengths behind Complexity.

He is the son of Medaglia d’Oro, out of Grade 1-winner Dance Card, and he is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. Endorsed will be ridden by Joel Rosario, and they will be breaking from post 7.

The remaining horses and their posts are Grumps Little Tots (post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.), Rowayton (post 5, Joel Rosario), Direct Order (post 6, Luis Saez), and Mo Gotcha (post 9, Junior Alvarado).

The $100,000 Curlin at Saratoga will be the ninth race on Friday. The first post of the 10-race card will be at 1 pm.

Jim Dandy

The anticipated Jim Dandy is also coming up on Saturday at Saratoga. The race will be 1 1/8 miles, and probables include Preakness Stakes winner War of Will, Belmont Stakes runner-up Tacitus, Global Campaign, winner of the Peter Pan (G3), Preakness runner Laughing Fox, and Tax, who ran in two legs of the Triple Crown.

It’s looking to be an exciting weekend at Saratoga.