ITM Watch List - August 5, 2021
Horses To Watch:
Saratoga, Nick Tammaro
Wednesday, July 28 - Race 8 - #2 COLTON'S COMMAND - The jury is still out on whether this Bill Mott trainee can excel sprinting on turf, but he was given no opportunity to prove it one way or the other when stymied inside while trying to rally. His rider had no plan whatsoever and attempted to pick his way through a series of narrow openings before having to hand ride the final furlong. I'd be inclined to tell you to wait for him to go 6 furlongs at Belmont, but a fast-paced 5.5f race at the Spa could do it.
Thursday, July 29 - Race 8 - #1A MOTIVATED SELLER - This was one of the better performances in defeat we will see during the 40-day stand at the Spa. She completely buried the other speed horses and still went on to hang on for 3rd behind two horses who got the best of it lingering behind early. I am hoping the connections are aggressive next time and move her into the stakes ranks so we can get a nice price.
Monmouth, Eric Solomon
Monmouth Park 7/31/21, Race 8: #3 Cobh did get away from the gate cleanly, breaking last of seven. Down the backstretch, he was almost physically pushed into the rail by another, before switching to the outside, and then making a bold move in between horses to challenge the leader. He came close, but Runaway Lute, the 4-5 favorite, had something left after a considerably easier trip as he re-broke to win by 2 and ¼ lengths. Cobh was claimed out of that race, but certainly ran well enough to make you believe he could pay dividends for his new connections.
Monmouth Park 8/1/21, Race 10: #5 Sail By was clearly second best to a nice Wesley Ward filly, Miss Alacrity in the Colleen Stakes. Despite being second best at 5 Furlongs, Sail By passed every horse to win at long odds in her debut, and closed well from last to be clearly second place in her first try against winners. She was floated into the four or five path on the turn, but still accelerated nicely in stretch, while racing at a distance that felt a bit too short for her. Her pedigree suggests that she will improve at longer distances. She has the chance to offer some decent value in a race like the P.G. Johnson at the end of the Saratoga meet.
Monmouth Park 8/1/21, Race 11: #3 Grimgrinnin’ Ghost stumbled to his nose at the break, but regrouped and settled nicely at the back of the field. After saving ground on the first turn, he shifted out to the five path off the second turn and finished well to be second, beaten less than a length in a clustered finish. He was clearly the best horse in that race and would have likely won with a better break.
Woodbine, Drew Coatney
WO: #11 Finalist: VERY oddly ridden down the lane, stalking the pace as they tip for home, eventual winner blows by and this jockey is just wrapped up on the horse at the top of the stretch. Ran on well across the wire and there's still much more.
WO 7/31 #3 Blast in The Snow: sat 3-4L off the front running pack with the slow pace flow, made move into FT going widest of all about 4-5 path, flattened as the ground loss and pace flow was too much to overcome.