Battle of Normandy Aims for First Stakes Win in Pilgrim

After just missing victory in the With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) Aug. 31 at Saratoga Race Course, 2-year-old Battle of Normandy will try to earn his first stakes win in the $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) Oct. 2 in the Belmont at the Big A meeting.

Campaigned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing, Battle of Normandy finished second in the With Anticipation, a neck behind Boppy O, in that 1 1/16-mile test for juveniles Aug. 31 on the inner turf at Saratoga. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the son of City of Light  won his Aug. 6 maiden debut on that course when he rallied from fifth to post a clear victory over six rivals.

Kendrick Carmouche was aboard for both of those starts and is scheduled to ride Sunday.

The owners purchased Battle of Normandy in 2021 for $500,000 at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

"We tried him back in the With Anticipation and we thought he ran a great race," said Woodford Racing partner Ben Haggin. "He was stuck down there on the inside with the inside post and Kendrick told us he thought he ran a better race than his first one. Once he got him in the clear and was able to change leads and fully extend, he came running. Shug agreed that he ran a great race that day."

Haggin, who operates Woodford Racing with Lane's End Farm manager Bill Farish, spoke volumes of the relationship established with West Point Thoroughbreds. The two racing operations have recently joined forces with other partnerships in the purchasing and campaigning of multiple notable horses, such as the sensational grade 1-winner Flightline  as well as graded stakes winners First Captain and Promise Keeper. 

"That relationship with Woodford Racing and West Point has been great for both parties," Haggin said. "We're buying mostly colts, but nice ones. Our investors in Woodford Racing love the action and especially in races like the Pilgrim. That's why we do it."

The 1 1/16-mile test for 2-year-olds on the outer turf Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack has attracted a dozen entries, all looking for their first stakes score. The Pilgrim is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race that awards a fees-paid "Win and You're In" spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) starting gate Nov. 4 at Keeneland.

Spendthrift Farm's Major Dude, a son of Bolt d'Oro , will try the turf for the first time after finishing third in the Sapling Stakes on the main track Aug. 27 at Monmouth Park. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Major Dude rolled to a debut maiden win at Monmouth in June before finishing sixth in the Sanford Stakes (G3) at the Spa.

Sunday's field includes a trio of juveniles entered off debut maiden wins on the turf at the Saratoga meet in New York-breds Vacation Dance and Lachaise as well as Pennsylvania-bred I'm Very Busy. Vacation Dance, a son of The Lieutenant, won sprinting against other New York-breds Sept. 4 for trainer John Kimmel; Lachaise, a son of Oscar Performance , defeated 11 other state-breds in a 1 1/16-mile test Aug. 4 for conditioner Jorge Abreu; and I'm Very Busy, a son of Cloud Computing, rallied from sixth to win an open maiden race at 1 1/16 miles Aug. 13 for trainer Chad Brown.

Campaigned by Team Hanley, Richard Schermerhorn, and Paul Braverman, I'm Very Busy delivered a strong finish under Flavien Prat, who is scheduled to ride again Sunday.