NEWS
Forego lures Grade 1 winners Vineyard Haven, Bribon, Warrior’s Reward
Posted: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 6:48 PM
VINEYARD HAVEN
Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
by Mike Curry
The Forego Stakes (G1) drew a deep, powerful field that includes Grade 1 winners Vineyard Haven, Bribon (Fr), and Warrior’s Reward and four Grade 2 winners.
Godolphin’s multiple Grade 1 winner Vineyard Haven enters the seven-furlong race on Saturday on the Woodward Stakes (G1) undercard at Saratoga Race Course off a clear win in his season debut. The Lido Palace (Chi) colt won the James Marvin Stakes at the same track and distance on July 23 in his first start since a third-place finish, beaten by three-quarters of a length, in the Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) on November 28 at Aqueduct.
Last year, he won the NetJets King’s Bishop (G1) and Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G1) Stakes prior to the Cigar Mile for trainer Saeed bin Suroor. Vineyard Haven also won the Champagne (G1) and Three Chimneys Hopeful (G1) Stakes at two and will try for his fifth win at the top level in the Forego.
Bribon won the True North Handicap (G2) in June at Belmont Park and enters the Forego off a third-place finish in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) on August 8 at Saratoga. The seven-year-old Mark of Esteem (Ire) gelding earned his lone Grade 1 win in the 2009 Shadwell Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and has placed in three other Grade 1s. The capable veteran has bankrolled $1,063,763 in six seasons with ten wins from 34 career starts.
Warrior’s Reward won the Carter Handicap (G1) in April and finished second in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G2) in May for trainer Ian Wilkes. He returns from a freshening after a sixth-place finish in the Metropolitan Handicap on May 31 at Belmont.
Grade 2 winner Girolamo is part of a coupled entry with Godolphin stablemate Vineyard Haven. Last year’s Jerome Handicap (G2) winner has not raced since finishing last of 12 in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
Grade 2 winner Big Drama enters off a runner-up finish to Majesticperfection in the Vanderbilt; multiple Grade 2 winner Charitable Man returned from an 11-month layoff with a runner-up finish at six furlongs in an optional claiming race on August 2 at Delaware Park; Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) winner You and I Forever chased home Vineyard Haven in a third-place finish in the James Marvin in his most recent start.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
September 04, $250,000, 3yo & up, 7F, Saratoga Race Course, 5:14 PM ET
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Bribon (FR) 7, g. |
Mark of Esteem (IRE) |
124 |
Garrett Gomez |
Todd Pletcher |
| 2 |
Vineyard Haven 4, c. |
Lido Palace (CHI) |
124 |
Alan Garcia |
Saeed bin Suroor |
| 3 |
Girolamo 4, c. |
A.P. Indy |
124 |
Cornelio Velasquez |
Saeed bin Suroor |
| 4 |
Big Drama 4, c. |
Montbrook |
124 |
Eibar Coa |
David Fawkes |
| 5 |
Here Comes Ben 4, c. |
Street Cry (IRE) |
124 |
Alex Solis |
Charles Lopresti |
| 6 |
Charitable Man 4, c. |
Lemon Drop Kid |
124 |
Ramon Dominguez |
Anthony Dutrow |
| 7 |
Omniscient 4, c. |
Pulpit |
124 |
Calvin Borel |
Steven Asmussen |
| 8 |
Starforaday 7, h. |
Five Star Day |
124 |
Rajiv Maragh |
Gary Contessa |
| 9 |
Warrior's Reward 4, c. |
Medaglia d'Oro |
124 |
Julien Leparoux |
Ian Wilkes |
| 10 |
Checklist 4, c. |
Gone West |
124 |
John Velazquez |
Todd Pletcher |
| 11 |
You and I Forever 5, h. |
A.P. Indy |
124 |
Javier Castellano |
Thomas Bush |
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Bengal Bob, Cincy, OH on September 03, 2010 at 10:50 AM
What a great field. Go Vineyard Haven!
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Posted by: lordderby, san antonio, TX on September 02, 2010 at 03:36 PM
I like big drama in this race, 3-1 should pay $10 here to win
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Posted by: Leonard, Lawndale, CA on September 01, 2010 at 07:02 PM
Vineyard Haven use to be owned and trained by the late Bobby(Robert)Frankle, this one will be the one to beat this year in the B.C.Sprint, this is his year to show why Frankle was so high on him. Don't overlook this one....
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