|
|
Mission Approved, Stacelita drill on the turf Owner-trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul and his Manhattan H. (G1) winner MISSION APPROVED (With Approval) traveled 200 miles to Saratoga early Sunday morning for a workout over the Oklahoma training turf course. With jockey Jose Espinoza aboard, the seven-year-old reformed claimer breezed five furlongs in a quick :57.70 on the firm going. "I had no choice but to bring him to Saratoga early this morning because they are repairing the Belmont turf course," Chatterpaul said. "I really cannot work him on the dirt. He worked good this morning. "I didn't really want him to go that fast, but he did it by himself. He's going back to Belmont and we'll decide where to go from here." One of Chatterpaul's options is the Sword Dancer Invitational (G1) at Saratoga on August 13. Also out for a Sunday five-furlong stroll on the turf were the Chad Brown-trained pair of STACELITA (Fr) (Monsun) and DESERT SAGE (GB) (Selkirk). French highweight and multiple Group 1 star Stacelita stretched her legs in 1:00.95, while Gallorette H. (G3) runner-up Desert Sage completed her move in 1:01.40. Stacelita has a background somewhat similar to Zagora (Fr) (Green Tune), the winner of Saturday's Diana S. (G1) for Brown. Like Zagora, Stacelita was trained in France by Jean-Claude Rouget, who was the trainer of record for her first U.S. start, a third-place effort in the United Nations (G1) at Monmouth Park on July 2. The work was Stacelita's third for Brown, who liked what he saw as the filly prepares for Arlington Park's Beverly D. (G1) on August 13. "She's showing more life this week," Brown said. "I thought the UN race might have just knocked her down -- she was just a little bit quiet last week and they tell me she's normally a high-strung horse. "This week I've seen her squealing and jumping around like they told me she would. I thought she was a little more in the bridle today, I liked what I saw. This filly's overcome a lot, shipping, and running right off the plane in the UN against boys, and had a wide trip. She's a tough one." Desert Sage, who was fourth in the Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap at Parx on July 4, could be headed for the Ballston Spa (G2) on Travers Day, August 27, Brown revealed. "She had kind of a funny trip at Parx last time," Brown said. "The jock pulled her out of cover too early -- I mean, just the way it set up -- and she was a little rank. She runs better in cover and the turns might have just a touch sharp for her over there at Parx. It wasn't her normal race."
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
