Touch of Fire cuts back for G2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame

Juddmonte’s Kentucky homebred Touch of Fire cuts back one furlong in search of returning to his winning ways in Friday’s Grade 2, $400,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, a one-mile inner turf test for sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the Constitution dark bay made his first three career starts at 1 1/16 miles, winning his debut by seven lengths in January at Fair Grounds Race Course ahead of a second in the Black Gold in February there. Touch of Fire then captured an allowance in April at Keeneland before trying nine furlongs in his last two starts. 

“We’re cutting him back a little and we’re hoping there’s a little pace in there and there’s a horse he can track,” Cox said. “He may finish up a little better with a target. I thought his race last time was a good run, I just think the cutback might mean more pace in the race.”

In the Listed Audubon in May at Churchill Downs, Touch of Fire, with returning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, stalked-and-pounced to win by three lengths. Most recently, he was a pacesetting 1 1/4-length fourth to Title Role in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby from the outermost post 10 under Flavien Prat on July 4 here. 

“He was comfortable enough last out and the winner sat right off of us,” said Cox. “We just thought we would try something a little different than the Saratoga Derby and this is it.”

Touch of Fire [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] is out of the Group 1-placed Medaglia d’Oro mare Mexican Gold, a winner over the Saratoga turf in her American debut for Juddmonte in 2016.

“He’s done nothing wrong, and there were subtle things to make me think he was a grass horse, so we just kept him there,” Cox said. “I was kind of mixed about what to do with him, but when it was time to start him, that’s what I decided.”

Gary Barber and Peter Deutsch’s Blinging It Back [post 8, Edgard Zayas] was a neck second last out in the restricted Listed Saranac on July 3 here and a half-length better than returning rival Glavine in third. Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Volatile gray traveled off-the-pace in fifth under Edgard Zayas in the 1 1/16-mile event for non stakes-winners, rallied to the lead in the stretch, but couldn’t hold off a last-to-first rush from Heeere’s Johnny, who is targeting Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby presented by Qatar Racing.

Blinging It Back is untested at one mile among his 10-1-3-2 record, which features a fifth-out graduation when making his turf bow going 6 1/2 furlongs in September at Kentucky Downs. He has run exclusively in stakes since, including a neck third in the 7 1/2-furlong Cutler Bay behind returning rival Immortalised in March at Gulfstream Park. 

"I've always felt that he was a miler. He got nailed right at the wire going a mile and a sixteenth. Edgard gave him a good ride in the Saranac,” Casse said. “He's training really well, and he'll like the mile. He's versatile. If they’re not going too fast, he'll be close, and if they are going fast, he'll be back a little."

The $80,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, a half-brother to multiple stakes-winner Ima Discreet Lady [51-15-11-9, $700,670], is out of the multiple stakes-placed Too Much Bling mare Ima Three Blinger.

Trainer Brendan Walsh entered JDT Racing’s Vasy [post 3, Tyler Gaffalione] as well as Feld Family Racing and Starry Night Racing’s aforementioned Immortalised [post 7, Jose Ortiz]. 

The Irish-bred Vasy was a distant eighth last out in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 American Turf last out on May 2 at Churchill Downs. The Space Blues chestnut was previously a close third to Remember Mamba in the Grade 3 Transylvania in April at Keeneland after a fourth-out graduation and subsequent one-mile Listed Colonel Liam win to start his year at Gulfstream Park. 

The French-bred Immortalised won the Cutler Bay at Gulfstream following an optional claiming score over that same course and distance. The Romanised bay exited to post consecutive stakes seconds behind Alpyland in the Grade 3 Penn Mile in May and the Listed American Derby last out on June 27 at Churchill. 

Trainer Miguel Clement said Dahman’s Grade 2-winner Bottas [post 9, Manny Franco], will be cross-entered in Saturday’s Grade 1 Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16-miles. The Vekoma dark bay figures to have a fair chance in either race, last out closing for a 1 1/4-length fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby. 

West Paces Racing, Rainbow's End Racing Stable and Michael Lyden’s Glavine [post 5, John Velazquez] was a three-quarter-length third last out in the Saranac. Trained by Tom Morley, the Not This Time chestnut went off favored in that race and rallied along the rail from eighth to show honors. 

Glavine previously was a rallying 1 3/4-length third to West End Kid in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Pennine Ridge in June here after a second-out graduation versus elders in May at Belmont at the Big A off an eight month layoff. 

Rounding out the field are stakes-winner Third Coast [post 4, Jose Lezcano, Blinkers ON], who was a last-out sixth in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby for trainer Tom Proctor; Arizona Territory [post 6, Flavien Prat], entering from a fourth in the Saranac when 1 1/2 lengths back of Glavine in third for five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown; and maiden winner Print [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] for trainer Robert Ribaudo. 

The Hall of Fame is slated as Race 9 on Friday’s 11-race card, which features the Grade 2, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks in Race 10. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live presents daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.