Spa wrapup: Randomized wins Phipps to highlight early stakes

A
matchup featuring the top dirt filly-and-mare-division contenders did not
disappoint on Saturday when Randomized went to the lead and did not relinquish
the advantage despite heavy pressure from 3-5 favorite Idiomatic’s outside
charge, holding on for a victory by a head in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Saratoga.

The
56th running of the Ogden Phipps for fillies and mares, 4 years old and up going
1 1/8 miles, offered a win-and-you’re-in berth to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in
November at Del Mar.

Click here for Saratoga entries and results.

Randomized
capped her 3-year-old season with a second-place effort by a half-length to
eventual champion older dirt female Idiomatic in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in
November at Santa Anita. She ran second in her 2024 bow in the Ruffian (G2) in
May at Belmont at the Big A but extracted revenge on Idiomatic after jockey
Joel Rosario sent her to the lead from the inside post.

The
Nyquist filly led the accomplished six-horse field through the opening
quarter-mile in 24.34 seconds and the half in 48.99 on the fast track. Out of
the final turn, jockey Florent Géroux asked Idiomatic for more while racing
five wide, setting up a thrilling stretch drive in which Randomized responded
to Rosario’s encouragement and dug in, completing the course with a final time
of 1:49.58 to win her third consecutive Saratoga start.

Godolphin’s
Pretty Mischievous, the 2023 champion 3-year-old filly and winner of last
year’s Kentucky Oaks (G1), got up for third. Raging Sea, Soul of an Angel and
Tizzy in the Sky completed the order of finish.

Randomized,
off at 6-1, returned $14.00 on a $2 win wager. The Chad Brown trainee continued
to show an affinity for the Spa following wins in both starts during last
year’s summer meet that started in the one-mile restricted Wilton before a
four-length victory in the Alabama (G1). That preceded a win in the Beldame (G2)
in October at Aqueduct before the Breeders’ Cup performance, one Randomized
will look to replicate with another California trip potentially on the horizon.

“She’s
quick out of the gate. She maintained the speed, so that was good,” Rosario
said. “I was begging for the wire because (Idiomatic) was coming. So I was
sweating a little bit, but she got the job done.”

Owned
by Klaravich Stables, Randomized improved to 9: 5-2-1, achieving millionaire
status with career earnings now at $1,258,350. It also marked Brown’s first
Ogden Phipps win.

“She
looked like she was the horse she wanted to be, on the lead and at Saratoga,
where she had her biggest win (the Alabama),” Brown said. “These two were going
at it in the Breeders’ Cup last year, and we came out on the wrong side of that
one. Idiomatic is a deserving champion. She’s an outstanding horse. I think we
were very fortunate to save more ground than her. She was pitched three deep
the whole way and still almost won the race. I’m taking nothing away from her.
She ran an equally good race. We were able to just get our nose down. I’ve said
the photos go both ways, so I keep that in mind when I lose them.”

Juddmonte’s
Idiomatic, who followed her Breeders’ Cup Distaff win with a 3 3/4-length
victory in the La Troienne (G1) in May at Churchill Downs to start her
5-year-old season, finished 4 1/2 lengths clear of Pretty Mischievous. The
daughter of Hall of Famer Curlin once again put in a valiant effort against top-flight
competition for trainer Brad Cox.

“She
ran well and was the best horse,” Cox said. “She lost a tremendous amount of
ground around the first turn and second turn. The winner didn’t really have any
pace pressure. Excited about the rematch. Can’t wait.”

Pretty
Mischievous, trained by Brendan Walsh and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, continued
an impressive run of never finishing out of the money, moving to 12: 7-2-3 and
registering a second consecutive third-place finish to start 2024 following the
La Troienne.

“I
think she ran well enough,” Walsh said. “Tyler said she could have benefitted
maybe from a little more pace. It looked like they weren’t going very fast, and
I don’t think that really helped. She was down inside for a long time. But
listen, we can’t make excuses. Hopefully, she comes out of it OK. We’ll adjust
a few things, and we’ll come back to fight another day. She’s running in the
best of company, and she is the best of company. We got a placing, which is
good, and we’ll go on to the next one.”

Crupi emerges in thrilling
Suburban

A thrilling stretch drive saw six horses across the
racetrack at the top of the stretch in the $350,000 Suburban (G2), but
it was Irad Ortiz Jr.-piloted Crupi who turned back all challengers to capture
the 1 1/4-mile test for older horses.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher for Repole Stable and
St. Elias Stable, the 4-year-old Curlin chestnut posted his first graded-stakes
victory with a well-timed ride by Ortiz aboard for the first time in the
afternoon. The son of Curlin rebounded well from a distant off-the-board finish
in the Dubai World Cup (G1) in March at Meydan in Dubai.

“I said he ran so bad in Dubai it didn’t take anything out
of him. He shipped back really well,” Pletcher said. “We took our time with
him. He probably could have been ready a little earlier, but we wanted to be
conservative and wait for this. Since he got back from Dubai, we’ve been
pointing for this. I’m glad it worked out.”

Crupi emerged from post 6 in the field of seven after the
scratch of stablemate Charge It this morning. He brushed with post-time
favorite Bendoog to his outside before settling in last early as Kuchar rushed
up to take command past the wire for the first time through an opening
quarter-mile in 23.70 seconds over the fast footing. Signator slipped down the
rail in the first turn to take up third position behind the wide-running Good
Skate.

Kuchar bounded through the half-mile in 47.85 seconds and
three-quarters in 1:11.93 with positions unchanged. Bendoog made a swift move
in the four path under José Lezcano to challenge for the lead entering the
final turn. Good Skate quickly retreated and Masqueparade moved in tandem with
Time for Trouble. A patient Ortiz nudged Crupi along to keep up with the early
bids of his rivals but held his charge in reserve through the top of the
stretch as they went widest of all to set up a dramatic six-wide stretch run.

Bendoog stuck his head in front of a stubborn Kuchar as they
straightened for home before ducking inside at the eighth pole in hopes of
warding off the late bids from Masqueparade and Crupi. Then Crupi unleashed a
strong turn of foot and made up ground with every stride down the center of the
course to sweep past his hard-trying rivals and claim the victory by a
half-length at a final time of 2:02.71.

Bendoog held onto second by a neck over Masqueparade with
Time for Trouble completing the superfecta another length back. Kuchar and
Signator completed the order of finish.

Good Skate, who was out of contention before the final turn,
was pulled up in the stretch and vanned off. According to the New York Racing
Association’s veterinary department, Good Skate lost action and was provided a
van ride back to the barn as a precaution. The horse did not present any
obvious or apparent injury upon initial evaluation.

Pletcher, who won his third consecutive Suburban and fourth
overall after winning with Keen Ice in 2017, Dynamic One in 2022 and Charge It in
2023, said Crupi showed courage to win after such a wide stretch run.

The victory marked the fourth Suburban for Ortiz.

Pletcher said future targets for Crupi at the Spa could
include the 1 1/8-mile, $1 million Whitney (G1) on Aug. 3 and/or the 1 1/4-mile
$1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Sept. 1.

“I guess we’ve got the Jockey Club at a mile-and-a-quarter
at the end of the meet. We’ll see what we do between now and then,” Pletcher
said. “I suppose the Whitney is a possibility.”

Bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm, Crupi won a pair of listed
stakes this winter at Aqueduct in the Discovery and Queens County ahead of a
third-place effort in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in January at
Gulfstream Park. He earned $192,500 for his Suburban victory and improved his
lifetime record to 15: 5-2-4 while returning $7.10 on a $2 win ticket.

Ice Chocolat makes every
call in Poker

Ice Chocolat set a solid tempo and turned back all comers
with a stubborn, gate-to-wire score in the $350,000 Poker (G3), a
one-mile, inner-turf test for older horses.

Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse for owners Gary Barber,
Wachtel Stable and Peter Deutsch, the 6-year-old son of Goldikovic utilized new
tactics to make the grade under an aggressive steer by José Ortiz. At 24-1, Ice
Chocolat was the second longest shot on the board behind his 29-1 stablemate
Lucky Score.

“He brought his A game today. It was great,” Casse said.
“You have to give a lot of credit to José. I don’t give instructions. I told
him to just play the break and see what happens. He said he broke running and
from there, catch me if you can.

“This horse doesn’t run on the lead usually, but one thing
about this horse is he does get himself in a little trouble so he’s actually a
better horse than he looks. Today obviously making the lead, José won it in the
first half-mile. And he had nothing to get in his way. He’s a pretty good
horse.”

Ortiz hustled Ice Chocolat to the front from post 4 and set
splits of 24.41 and 48.17 seconds over the firm turf, with Talk of the Nation
stalking to his outside from second position and Mysterious Night saving ground
in third under William Buick.

Irad Ortiz Jr. asked Talk of the Nation for his best
approaching the final turn and advanced alongside the pacesetter, looming as
the one to beat. But Ice Chocolat was not done yet, digging in gamely and
kicking on from the top of the lane as Irad Ortiz implored Talk of the Nation
to go on by. Mysterious Night kept on from his inside position down the lane,
pinned in by Carl Spackler, and closed with purpose when shown to the outside
late but could only manage to land second, one length back of the winner and a
head in front of Talk of the Nation. Ice Chocolat covered the distance in
1:33.97.

Casa Creed was a further length back in fourth with Carl
Spackler, Kubrick and Lucky Score rounding out the order of finish. Front Run
the Fed was scratched.

José Ortiz, who won the New York (G1) on Friday, said he played the break.

“Mark usually doesn’t give instructions, so I see that he
broke clean, so I help him into the turn and see what happens,” he said. “I
wasn’t expecting to be there but how he broke. I would intend to be there. If
they clear me, then I take back, but they left me alone, and the horse took care
of the rest.”

Ice Chocolat made a pair of starts last summer at the Spa,
finishing fourth in the Kelso (G3) and third in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) with
rallying efforts. He shortened up successfully traveling six furlongs in Grade
2 company at Woodbine when a close third in the Nearctic on turf and second, by
a nose, in the Kennedy Road on Tapeta.

Casse said Ice Chocolat could return to the Spa for another
shot at the $500,000 Fourstardave on Aug. 10, a race the Hall of Famer has won
previously with World Approval in 2017 and Got Stormy in 2019 and 2021. The
one-mile test for 3-year-olds and up offers a win-and-you’re-in berth to the Breeders’
Cup Mile in November at Del Mar.

“I would think we’ll see him here back at Saratoga in a
stakes race,” Casse said. “He likes it here. Nothing is in mind right now. We’ll
look. Maybe long term the Fourstardave. We like that race.”

Baby Yoda kicks home a
winner in True North

Baby Yoda didn’t need any extra assistance from the force to
earn his first career stakes score, with his speed and closing kick providing
sufficient assets to pull away a six-length winner in the $350,000 True North
(G2) for 4-year-olds and up sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track.

Baby Yoda, owned by Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, Gary
Barber and Jerold Zaro, previously posted two runner-up efforts and finished
third against graded-stakes competition. The trainee of Hall of Famer Bill Mott
finally broke through, exiting from the outermost post 7 sharply under Eric
Cancel and tracking in second position to pacesetter Gun It, who led the
seven-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 21.94 seconds and the half
in 44.04 over the fast track. In the turn, Baby Yoda split Gun It and New
York-bred Rotknee to take command, with three-quarters in 1:08.13.

Baby Yoda didn’t relent in the stretch, staying close to the
rail and surging to the wire in a final time of 1:14.62, never being seriously
challenged by 16-1 runner-up Ninetyprcentmaddie.

Gun Pilot, the 3-5 favorite, finished one length back of
second and edged Rotknee by a head for third. Twenty Four Mamba, Gun It and
Accretive completed the order of finish.

The 6-year-old Baby Yoda was elevated back to graded-stakes
competition for the first time since 2022 and had competed against allowance
company for his last six races. But the Prospective gelding notched his ninth
overall win in 25 starts and improved his career earnings to $837,220. It
marked his second start in the True North following a fourth-place effort in
2022 at Belmont Park.

“I just tried to sit a patient trip. I had a perfect post
for that, and I just sat the perfect trip and it worked out well,” Cancel said.
“I didn’t want him to get in his way. I wanted to keep him as smooth as
possible, and that is how it went. He was very comfortable where he was, and
when I asked him, he just responded.

“I had a lot of horse. I was just waiting. I didn’t want to
move early, but at the same time, I knew that if they came up to him, he was
going to respond, because he was very comfortable doing it.”

Baby Yoda, off at 9-1, paid $20.40 on a $2 win wager. He previously
finished second in the 2022 Kelso Handicap (G2) at Belmont at the Big A and in
the 2021 Malibu (G1) at Santa Anita. A fondness for Saratoga, where he has won
4 of 6 starts, helped him earn his second consecutive winner’s circle trip.

“He likes this racetrack,” Mott said. “He’s done his best
running up here. I was a little surprised he was as close as he was. I thought
there was maybe a little more speed in the race than that, but he broke well,
and he put himself right there. He didn’t like the Gulfstream track (during the
winter). He likes it here. He’s just like old men. They get better with time.”

Co-owner Adam Wachtel of Wachtel Stable said it is likely
Baby Yoda will now target the six-furlong $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt
Handicap (G1) on July 27 at the Spa.