Swansea Mile pulled off an 28-1 upset of last month’s A.P. Smithwick Memorial (G1) over the favorite Modem, but trainer Elizabeth Voss hopes for a different result when the pair face off again in Thursday’s $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup (G1) at Saratoga.
The 5-2 favorite in what was his U.S. debut, Modem was a couple of lengths behind Swansea Mile in upper stretch of the Smithwick, but could make up no appreciable ground on the longshot, who was registering his first victory since his importation last fall.
“Coming from Europe and finishing second, I was really [pleased] with him,” Voss said of Modem. “He’s been doing well. I wish it was three weeks between the races instead of four. It’s just a little more than they’re used to, but knock on wood, everything is [fine].”
The likely pacesetter in the Turf Writers Cup is 2016 winner Portrade. Also trained by Voss, he’s winless in four interim starts and weakened to fourth of 10 in the Smithwick last time.
“He put in a nice work the other day; he’s a horse who just doesn’t want to get beat and he tries his heart out,” Voss said.
“He needed that race this year so hopefully with that under his belt will help. Jumping is his strong suit, so it doesn’t help that we don’t have the last fence, but he’ll give it his all. He started kind of fading down the backside [last out] but he ran well. I was happy with him.”
The contentious field also includes Diplomat, a distant third in the Smithwick; Grade 1 veteran Mr. Hot Stuff, who was pulled up when last seen in the Iroquois (G1) in May; Show Court, recent winner of the $75,000 Jonathan Kiser Novice; and 2015 Smithwick victor Choral Society, who captured an August 9 handicap at Saratoga over the same 2 3/8-mile trip as the Turf Writers Cup.
Three of the 12 entrants in the Turf Writers Cup are making their first start in America, thus are potential threats to improve dramatically on their European form. They include Three Kingdoms, Casino Markets, and the mare Colla Pier. The last two mares to win the race were Footlights in 2007 and divisional champion Life’s Illusion in 1975.
