HOTY Sovereignty leads busy Saturday work tab at Saratoga
- HOTY Sovereignty leads busy Saturday work tab at Saratoga
- Ag Bullet breezes for potential G1 Jaipur title defense
- John the Beer Man points to G1 Jaipur
Godolphin’s reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty topped a long list of prominent horses to breeze over the Oklahoma training track on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, posting his first breeze since a second in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 18. The 4-year-old Into Mischief colt covered a solo half-mile in 50.05 seconds under regular exercise rider Jimmy Quispe for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
“He went well – it was good,” Mott said while still on the track atop his pony, Rocky.
Sovereignty – named Horse of the Year for his sophomore campaign that was highlighted by Grade 1 wins in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets and DraftKings Travers – is targeting the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 27 at Churchill Downs, where he is expected to clash with Grade 1-winning stablemate Baeza.
Baeza, owned by CRK Stable and Grandview Equine, worked earlier in the morning under assistant trainer Neil Poznansky, covering a solo half-mile in 48 seconds flat. The breeze was his first since a troubled effort in the Grade 2 Alysheba on May 1 at Churchill where he was away slowly and trailed in last-of-7 before making an impressive late run and finishing a fast-closing third.
That race marked both his 4-year-old debut and his first start for Mott following the death of trainer John Shirreffs, who trained the colt to Grade 1 prosperity in the Pennsylvania Derby in September.
Mott’s busy morning included a return to the tab for Michael Ball and Katherine Ball’s dual graded stakes-placed Chief Wallabee, who was guided by Poznansky through a half-mile in 48.62. The sophomore son of Constitution again wore the blinkers he added for a game fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby last out on May 2. He is eyeing a start in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 6 at the Spa.
A star-studded group of workers for Mott also featured multiple graded stakes-winner Knightsbridge [49.69], graded stakes-winner Grand Job [five furlongs in 1:00.01] and a pair of in-form graded stakes-winning Florida-breds in Nic’s Style [50.45] and Damon’s Mound [48.64].
Before heading to Maryland to saddle Grade 1 Preakness favorite Iron Honor at Laurel Park, five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown was on hand at Saratoga to oversee a large group of workers, led by Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks heroine Always a Runner. The 3-for-3 filly arrived in Saratoga shortly after her 1 1/4-length Oaks win on May 1 and posted her first work since with a solo half-mile effort in 48.86 seconds.
“It went great. She did a little solo maintenance work, obviously it was her first since her win, and she went beautiful,” Brown said. “She's been doing great and she’s emerged from the race as good as you would have hoped.”
Campaigned by Douglas Scharbauer and breeder Three Chimneys Farm, the Gun Runner dark bay’s perfect ledger includes a debut score in February at Tampa Bay Downs and a rallying victory in Aqueduct Racetrack’s Grade 3 Gazelle in early April to earn her place in the Oaks. She is now targeting the nine-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 DraftKings Acorn on June 5 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga.
During that same set, Brown sent out Klaravich Stables’ Grade 2 Louisiana Derby-winner and Belmont Stakes hopeful Emerging Market to work a half-mile in 50.12 outside of 3-year-old colt Tacticality. Emerging Market was last seen finishing an even 10th in the Kentucky Derby, where he gave chase in sixth early under Flavien Prat and subsequently lost a shoe during the race.
“He did a little maintenance work, and I thought he went exceptionally well – he was moving great,” Brown said. “He’s on target for the Belmont. I’m very happy with him. He lost a shoe in the Derby and took a couple days to get himself organized with that foot, but he’s doing well.”
Brown also sent out a host of other top horses for half-mile works over the Oklahoma, including Grade 1-winners Ways and Means [48.81], Segesta [49.03] and Spirit of St Louis [49.08], dual graded stakes-winner Fully Subscribed [49.05] and recent Grade 3 Modesty-winner Kathynmarissa [48.96].
Other graded stakes-winners that got to work on Saturday include Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz Dashing, who won the Grade 3 Hill Prince in November at the Big A and the Grade 3 Canadian Turf in February at Gulfstream Park. The Barclay Tagg trainee covered five furlongs in 1:01.27.
In the Miguel Clement barn, last year’s Grade 2 Ballston Spa-winner Ozara breezed five furlongs in 1:04.09 in company with Samartima. Owned by Cheyenne Stable, she was last seen finishing off-the-board in the Grade 1 Matriarch in November at Del Mar and is yet to make her 5-year-old debut.
Highlighted by the 158th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 6, the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 10 Grade 1 races among 18 graded stakes across five days of world class competition. For more information and to buy tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont-stakes/.
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Ag Bullet breezes for potential G1 Jaipur title defense
Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran’s multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Ag Bullet is training towards a possible title defense in what would be her seasonal debut in the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur on Saturday, June 6, Belmont Stakes Day, at Saratoga Race Course. The 5 1/2-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up offers a ‘Win and You’re In’ berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in October at Keeneland.
Trained by Richard Baltas, the 6-year-old Twirling Candy grey worked five-eighths in 1:02.40 handily over the Santa Anita Park all-weather track in company with multiple graded stakes-placed Scipio – a possible contender for the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker, a one-mile turf test for older horses on Sunday, June 7, Closing Day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
“They went five-eighths together super-easy on the synthetic track and finished up nice. She knows how to run, she doesn't need to work fast,” Baltas said. “Everything with her is just keeping her happy. She's had a rest, now it's time to get her ready.
“I'll give her one more good five-eighths and if she comes back fine, she might be ready to go there,” Baltas added. “We'll nominate to the Intercontinental too, but we'll see how it goes. I don't like to push horses, but she's really close.”
The Grade 2, $250,000 Intercontinental, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares, is slated for Thursday, June 4 at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival – a race that Baltas has circled as a potential target for the appropriately named Saratoga Special.
Ag Bullet, who has banked $2,977,228 via a 17-8-1-3 ledger, was acquired for $220,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She secured her first Grade 1 win last year with a prominent score against the boys in the Jaipur, tracking from third position early before taking over at the stretch call and powering clear to a two-length score over My Boy Prince. The winning effort earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure which equaled her rating from a neck third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November 2024 at Del Mar.
“The Jaipur was a great day. The year before we were trying to win a Grade 1 with her the whole time and just couldn't get that Grade 1-win,” Baltas recalled. “We gave her a rest and brought her back and we never thought we'd run her against the boys and beat them - but we did. I had a wonderful time last year. It was my first time back in Saratoga in umpteen years, and it was a wonderful experience.”
The talented Kentucky-bred, out of the winning Forestry mare Noble Grey, followed the Jaipur with a successful title defense in the Grade 2 Ladies Turf Sprint in August at Kentucky Downs. She completed her campaign with a pair of Grade 1 starts in November at Del Mar with a second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and third when stretched out to one-mile in the Matriarch.
“She has a lot of heart and grit. She's talented and fast - she can carry her speed,” Baltas said. “She's got a lot of quirks. She can be a handful to saddle sometimes, but usually the times she's a handful to saddle, looking back, is oddly the times she runs her best race.
“We'll try one more year with her and then probably end up breeding her,” he added. “We've been very fortunate with her. We bought her as a yearling, and she's given us a lot of great moments.”
Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran’s Scipio, a 4-year-old Caravaggio ridgling, has hit the board in three graded stakes, landing third in the Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf in September 2024; second in the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille in December 2024 at Del Mar; and second in the Grade 3 Transylvania in April 2025 at Keeneland.
The dark bay, who earned a stakes win in the Baffle in February 2025 at Santa Anita, was last seen finishing fifth in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Twilight Derby in October at Santa Anita.
“He's a nice horse,” Baltas said. “He's had a rest as well coming off a layoff and still has conditions, but we'll nominate him for a stake or two. There's a chance he’ll come for the Poker.”
Abbondanza Racing and TCC Stables’ Saratoga Special, a 4-year-old Mehmas bay, launched her career in her native Ireland for conditioner Jessica Harrington. The $451,338 acquisition from the 2025 Tattersalls December Mare Sale has made three starts for Baltas, including a head second to likely Intercontinental rival Gratefully in the restricted Wishing Well in February at Santa Anita.
Saratoga Special followed with an off-the-board effort in the Grade 2 Giant’s Causeway in April at Keeneland and faded to fifth last out in when stretched out to one-mile in an optional-claiming event on May 8 at Churchill Downs.
“I thought it might work because she'd been able to relax going short, but it didn't work. That's [going long] off the table now. She might come for the Intercontinental,” Baltas said.
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John the Beer Man points to G1 Jaipur
Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb’s John the Beer Man is under consideration for a start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur on Saturday, June 6, Belmont Stakes Day, at Saratoga Race Course. The 5 1/2-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up offers a ‘Win and You’re In’ berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in October at Keeneland.
Trained by Rob Atras, the 5-year-old More Than Ready gelding breezed three-eighths in 38.60 seconds May 10 over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
“He had an easy three-eighths last week and might do something tomorrow. We nominated to the Jaipur and will take a look at that and see,” Atras said.
John the Beer Man made three starts for trainer Chad Brown as a sophomore, including a maiden win traveling 1 1/16-miles on firm turf in May 2024 at Belmont at the Big A that earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.
John the Beer Man missed his entire 4-year-old season but is undefeated in two turf sprint starts this year, earning a 100 Beyer for a frontrunning score over next-out allowance winner Murdock in March at Fair Grounds Race Course ahead of a prominent 2 1/4-length optional-claiming win on April 25 here.
Atras said they backed into turf sprinting with the chestnut after a route race at Fair Grounds came off the turf.
“There was only one other turf race for him before the meet was over at Fair Grounds and it was a sprint. I wasn't convinced he was going to be a sprinter,” Atras said. “He worked good in the morning, and you could tell he was a nice horse, but turf horses can be deceiving sometimes in the morning on the dirt.
“I didn't know he was going to go the front in 21 and keep rolling along,” Atras continued, with a laugh. “It was obviously a pleasant surprise.”
Last out, John the Beer Man exited post 3-of-10 over yielding going to validate his strong seasonal debut, while earning a 97 Beyer.
“That race was a deep, tough field. There was speed in there too and we drew inside and the soft turf, so I wasn't sure how he was going to handle all that,” Atras said. “They gave him another big number which was nice to see, and he handled the other speed and the soft turf - he overcame a lot and I thought it was just as good a performance as the first time.”
The $160,000 purchase from the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is out of the winning Giant’s Causeway mare Trophy Wife. His third dam is Pleasant Home, winner of the 2005 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Belmont Park.
Red White and Blue Racing and CMNWLTH’s multiple graded stakes-winner Neat worked a half-mile in 50.26 May 10 over the Belmont dirt training track.
The 5-year-old Constitution horse is looking to get back to winning ways for the first time since taking the one-mile Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame by a neck in August 2024 at Saratoga. He has hit the board once in nine starts since, including a difficult last-of-11 last out under Angel Cruz in the Listed Henry Clark on April 18 at Laurel Park where he was squeezed early and traveled wide throughout.
“He's a very quirky horse,” Atras said. “On paper, it looked like a great spot, but he doesn't handle those tight turns and - where the gate is, and where the turn is, comes up very quick. The rider had problems negotiating with him around the turn, and you can't fight with him at all. No fault to Angel, he's a tricky horse to ride. He bolted on the turn and the race was over for him.”
Neat is nominated to the $100,000 Cliff Hanger, a 1 1/16-mile turf route on May 23 at Monmouth Park with Atras noting the chestnut is also eligible for an allowance try at Saratoga.
“When he's good, he's great and looks like a graded stakes horse, and when he does stuff like last time it frustrates you and makes you scratch your head. But, he came out of the race great and worked really good,” Atras said.
Red White and Blue Racing’s Pashmina was a frontrunning second to eventual Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks-winner Always a Runner here in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Gazelle in April. The Constitution bay pressed the pace in the Oaks before fading to 11th.
“She was close, and the pace was fast. She got a little bothered going over for the race into the paddock - she got pretty anxious and worked up. That said, she's been shipping and running every month and maybe that just caught up with her a little bit,” Atras said.
Pashmina graduated by 10 3/4-lengths at second asking in November at Fair Grounds and followed with a prominent third in the Untapable in December and a stalking fourth in the Silverbulletday in January at the Louisiana oval.
She entered the Gazelle from a troubled third in the Sunland Park Oaks were she was impeded turning for home by the eventual winner Bottle of Rouge.
Atras said Pashmina could come under consideration for the Grade 3, $300,000 Delaware Oaks on June 13 at Delaware Park.
“We backed off on her for about a week and she's back to regular training now. We're very happy with how she came out of it, there's a race at Delaware that would be an option,” Atras said.
Pashmina was a $350,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the Super Saver mare Panthera Onca, who finished second in the Ruthless and third in the Listed Busher in 2020 at the Big A. Her second dam is Grade 3-winner Molto Vita, who was twice Grade 1-placed.
Twin Creeks Racing Stables and CMNWLTH’s Chasing Liberty is the 3-1 morning line-favorite later today in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Laurel Park. Irad Ortiz, Jr. is named to ride.
The 4-year-old multiple stakes-winning Constitution chestnut has banked $976,309 through an 11-4-2-2 ledger with turf scores ranging in distance from 5 1/2-furlongs to one mile.
Last out, he rallied from eighth-of-13 to finish a neck second in his seasonal debut to Outlaw Kid in the King T. Leatherbury on April 18 over firm Laurel Park turf.
“I was very happy with how he ran last time,” Atras said. “Even though he didn't win, he proved he could step up and run with the older boys which is key going from 3-to-4. If he can run like that again, he has a good shot.”
