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The Horses to Watch feature from DRF Simulcast Weekly will be posted every Thursday during the Saratoga meet. Horses from the last four weeks of the Belmont Park meet are below.
Saratoga - DRF Simulcast Weekly August 29
Old Forester
TRAINER: Bill Mott
LAST RACE: Sept. 2, 8th
FINISH: 2nd by 1 3/4
Rated just off the pace, then got caught behind a tiring speed horse and forced to take up sharply approaching the stretch. Finished strongly when clear.
Summer Raven
TRAINER: Todd Pletcher
LAST RACE: Aug. 29, 4th
FINISH: 1st by a nose
After setting the pace and holding for second in her debut behind Spinaway Stakes repeater Sense of Style, she dueled a heavily bet firster into submission through blazing fractions and staved off a late challenge.
- DAVE LITFIN
Saratoga - DRF Simulcast Weekly August 29
Traffic Chief
Trainer: Mike Hushion
Last race: Aug. 19, 8th
Finish: 3rd by 4 3/4
The Albany Handicap winner as a 3-year-old, he had his first start since October - a useful tune-up, chasing a couple of fast New York-bred sprinters.
Run for Mom
Trainer: Russell Mueller
Last race: Aug. 18, 9th
Finish: 3rd by 1 3/4
Stalked the leaders inside, rallied on the rail entering the stretch, and was in tight quarters in midstretch as the winner and runner-up both leaned in.
- DAVE LITFIN
Saratoga - DRF Simulcast Weekly August 22
Doctor Attitude
Trainer: Phil Serpe
Last race: Aug. 11, 1st
Finish: 6th by 2 1/4
Second-time starter stalked the leaders around the turn, and was blocked in traffic through the stretch.
Super Brand
Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin
Last race: Aug. 11, 8th
Finish: 3rd by 1
Group 3 stakes winner in South Africa made her first start since Dubai in February, and raced wide on both turns while just missing runner-up in a division of the restricted De La Rose Stakes.
- DAVE LITFIN
Saratoga - DRF Simulcast Weekly August 15
Tani Maru
TRAINER: Edward Plesa Jr.
LAST RACE: Aug. 4, 3rd
FINISH: 3rd by 9
First-time starter raced far back, next-to-last around the turn, circled very wide into the stretch, and closed for third. Galloped out strongly past the wire.
Caribbean Cruiser
TRAINER: Donna Bireta
LAST RACE: July 30, 4th
FINISH: 1st by 2
Rushed up to contest the early pace between horses, shook free into the stretch, and won the faster division of a split New York-bred dash.
- DAVE LITFIN
Saratoga - DRF Simulcast Weekly August 8
Our Rose
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Last race: July 25, 3rd
Finish: 4th by 12
She railed early while racing greenly, then rallied mildly to finish fourth while on a dead rail in her off-the-turf debut.
Rosie's Big Boy
Trainer: Bruce Levine
Last race: July 29, 7th
Finish: 2nd by a nose
Steadily gained while wide on the far turn, and missed in a head-bobbing finish after a long drive with second choice Don't Knock America in his first start since January.
- DAVE LITFIN
Belmont Park - DRF Simulcast Weekly August 1
Torre and Zim
Trainer: Richard Dutrow Jr.
Last race: July 21, 3rd
Finish: 1st by 4 1/4
Former stakes horse, in for a $14,000 tag, widened under a hand ride over his stablemate, Late Carson. His pace and speed figures indicate he might be set to climb back up the ladder.
Ahpo Here
Trainer: Bruce Levine
Last race: July 17, 9th
Finish: 2nd by neck
Bumped at the start, raced four or five wide, and just lost to a hard-trying favorite when returning from a layoff in a $35,000 turf mile.
- DAVE LITFIN
Belmont Park - DRF Simulcast Weekly July 25
Reggie for Three
Trainer: James Bond
Last race: July 14, 8th
Finish: 4th by 6 3/4
Returned for his first start since opening day of the meet, and raced against the grain of a speed-favoring track in a slow-paced off-the-turf allowance route. Galloped out with good energy past the wire.
Coalition Lad
Trainer: David Donk
Last race: July 15, 9th
Finish: 3rd by 4 1/4
First-time starter broke from the rail, and was stuck down on the inside as part of a five-horse battle for the early lead in what turned out to be the faster division of a New York-bred dash for juveniles.
- DAVE LITFIN
Belmont Park - DRF Simulcast Weekly July 18
Catsgotninelives
Trainer: Carlos Martin
Last Race: July 8, 6th
Finish: 2nd by 6 3/4
Ran into a very impressive debut winner in the much-faster division of turf maiden special weights. Should be very tough right back on grass.
Willy o'the Valley
Trainer: H. James Bond
Last Race: July 5, 8th
Finish: 1st by 7 1/4
Very promising New York-bred earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure, and it will be very interesting to see if trainer Bond takes this one straight into stakes company.
- DAN ILLMAN
Belmont Park - DRF Simulcast Weekly July 11
Personal Touch
TRAINER: Allen Iwinski
LAST RACE: July 1, 5th
FINISH: 1st by 1
This stretch-runner is a terror right now, winning with something left with a 101 Beyer. He despises wet tracks, but respect him if connections step up into stakes competition. He will be a price in such a spot, as many will dismiss the one-time claimer as not being classy enough. With legitimate fractions on tap, he can have an impact in races from six furlongs to one mile.
- PAUL MALECKI
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