Photo:Eclipse Sportswire
Reigning Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and Eclipse Awardfinalist Master of The Seasmakes his long-anticipated Empire Statedebut as one of trainer Charlie Appleby’s two entrantsin Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave at Saratoga.
The one-mile, inner-turf handicap for 3-year-olds and upoffers a win-and-you’re-in berth to the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 2 atDel Mar.
Click here for Saratoga entries and results.
Stabled at Saratoga’s Godolphin-owned Greentree since latespring, the dyed-in-the-wool miler is a 6-year-old gelded son of Irish 2,000Guineas (G1) winner Dubawi and France 1,000 Guineas (G1) runner-up Firth ofLorne. He has made his last four starts in North America at the distance,including one-sided wins in September’s Woodbine Mile (G1) and April’s Maker’sMark Mile (G1) at Keeneland in his lone start this year.
Training forwardly toward his relaunch to the second-half ofthe season, the Appleby pupil has tightened the screws slowly in themornings, including a four-furlong breeze in 48.0 seconds that was ranked fourthof 75 moves July 26 over the Oklahoma training turf. The eight-time graded- andgroup-stakes winner and earner of $2,520,582 seeks to add to what already has beena prolific career when Flavien Prat rides from post 2 with a field-high 126pounds.
“We’re very happy with him, and he’s a horse who goes verywell fresh,” Appleby’s assistant Chris Connett said. “Ever since he won theMaker’s Mark down at Keeneland, this was always the idea to come to theFourstardave with a fresh horse. He’s been working nicely over the Oklahomatrack. He’s just a lovely horse to be around who keeps it pretty simple forus.”
The Godolphin team also will send in-form Ottoman Fleet topost fresh off a pair of Churchill Downs 1 1/16-mile stakes wins in June,including the Arlington (G3) and Wise Dan (G2). An easy winner of those runs,the $574,516 Tattersalls October 2020 purchase returns to top-level company forthe first time since a runner-up effort to subsequent 2024 Manhattan (G1)winner Measured Time in Meydan’s Jebel Hatta in January. He will drop back toone mile for the first time in his career.
A winner of five graded and group stakes including BelmontPark’s Fort Marcy (G2) last year, the millionaire makes his 20th start, thistime with Hall of Famer Joel Rosario in the saddle from post 6 with anassignment of 123 pounds.
“He’s a horse the team has always liked who’s been prettyconsistent in Dubai and Europe,” Connett said. “This year he’s put together apair of very nice wins cutting slowly back in trip. Last time Flavien got offhim and said, ‘I think he’s getting quicker,’ which is a nice thing to havegoing into a big race like this. We have one horse at proven Group 1 level andanother in really good form who deserves a chance.”
One of the few New York turf Grade 1s to elude Chad Brown isthe Fourstardave, but that could change Saturday, especially with eFive RacingThoroughbreds’ Carl Spackler carrying the flag from post 4 with 122 poundsincluding Tyler Gaffalione.
A son of dual French classic winner Lope de Vega, the4-year-old colt is 4-for-5 at one mile and 3-for-4 at Saratoga, including thecourse-and-distance Kelso (G3) on July 13. The emblazoned chestnut finished uphis prep work with a best-of-six, five-furlong breeze in 1:01.55 on Friday.
“He breezed good,” Brown said. “It was a little maintenancework, and I was real pleased with it. It would be nice to secure him a Grade 1.When he’s on his game, he’s a top-level horse, and he seems to be roundingright back into form. He’s a very solid horse, and I do think he’s got anotherforward move in him at some point. I hope that’s in this race.”
Victory Racing Partners’ Cherie DeVaux-trained Grade 3winner More Than Looks, in post 7 with 120 pounds including Irad Ortiz Jr., makeshis first start of the season in the Fourstardave, one week after beingscratched from the rained-off Lure at The Spa. Sixth in Master of The Sea’sBreeders’ Cup Mile, he rallied to pass seven horses in the stretch and lose bytwo lengths.
“It is not an ideal plan B to come off such a long layoffinto this spot,” DeVaux said. “Ultimately I think he obviously belongs withthese horses, but it’s a tough spot to return to the races. I wouldn’t beopposed to running if the turf had a bit of give in it. We were going to run (Saturday)if it had stayed on the turf.
“The goal is definitely to run him back in the Breeders’ CupMile. He ran exceptionally well in that race last year but just couldn’t get ina position to make his run. He came home in 22 and change after being lastbasically the whole race until the top of the stretch. He does belong withthese horses, but he is coming back from a pretty significant tendon injury, sowe are just hoping we can have him about 80-85 percent ready for this run.”
Striking while the proverbial iron is hot, SpendthriftFarm’s Major Dudein post 3 with 120 pounds including John Velázquezis trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. He was an eye-catching winner in 11/8-mile, optional-claiming company at The Spa on July 20, quickly spurtingclear in mid-stretch to win by two lengths. A triple graded-stakes winner overas many tracks, he cuts back to the same distance over which he won the PennMile (G2) in 2023.
Gary Barber and Kinsman Stable’s dual listed-stakes winnerStrong Quality, post 1 with 119 pounds including Dylan Davis, has failed to hitthe board in three Grade 1 tries and enters off a seventh in the Manhattan. Hehas finished fifth or better in all other stakes attempts. He representsconnections who must be respected, including three-time Fourstardave-winningHall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.
“He loves it up here,” Casse assistant Shane Tripp said.“He’s put on some weight, and I’m looking forward to leading him over. With hisspeed I’m looking forward to running him a mile around those two turns. He’ssuch an honest horse. He shows up every time.”
Jordan V Wycoff’s Money Supply, in post 5 with 119 poundsincluding Manny Franco, seeks his fourth victory of the season when he goes topost for trainer Joe Sharp.
Winner of last month’s listed Jonathan B. Schuster Memorialat Horseshoe Indianapolis, the son of Practical Joke steps up significantly inclass in what will be his second start on turf. A Saratoga winner last year ondirt for his former trainer Brown, he was claimed out of that run for currentconnections and proceeded to win five straight races and six of his last eight.
The Fourstardave is slated as race 10 on Saturday’s 12-racecard.
2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Strong Quality Quality Road | 6.28 | Mark E. Casse Dylan Davis | 8th, 2024 Manhattan Stakes G1 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 8th, 2024 Manhattan Stakes G1 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | |||||
| 2 |  | Master Of The Seas Dubawi | 7.37 | Charlie Appleby Flavien Prat | 1st, 2024 Maker's Mark Mile G1 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, 2024 Maker's Mark Mile G1 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | |||||
| 3 |  | Major Dude Bolt d'Oro | 6.18 | Todd A. Pletcher John R. Velazquez | 1st, Sar AlwOC (7/20/24-R9) 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, Sar AlwOC (7/20/24-R9) 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | |||||
| 4 |  | Carl Spackler Lope de Vega | 7.26 | Chad C. Brown Tyler Gaffalione | 1st, 2024 Kelso Stakes G3 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, 2024 Kelso Stakes G3 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | |||||
| 5 |  | Money Supply Practical Joke | 6.27 | Joe Sharp Manuel Franco | 1st, Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial S. 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial S. 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | |||||
| 6 | | Ottoman Fleet Sea The Stars | 7.40 | Charlie Appleby Joel Rosario | 1st, 2024 Wise Dan G2 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 1st, 2024 Wise Dan G2 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | |||||
| 7 |  | More Than Looks More Than Ready | 6.30 | Cherie DeVaux Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 6th, 2023 Breeders' Cup Mile G1 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | Entered |
| Last Race Next Race | 6th, 2023 Breeders' Cup Mile G1 2024 Fourstardave Handicap G1 | |||||
