The $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) can't get here fast enough for trainer Kenny McPeek.
He can't wait to let his 4-year-old colt Rattle N Roll run in the 1 1/4-mile race Sept. 2 at Saratoga Race Course.
"I think he is like a stick of dynamite ready to go off right now," McPeek said outside his barn at the annex across the street from the Oklahoma Training Track. "He is ready to go."
Rattle N Roll, owned by Lucky Seven Stable, worked five furlongs in 1:01.01 on the main track Aug. 20 with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. on his back. It was the sixth fastest of 33 at the distance.
The son of Connect worked for the fourth time at the Spa since arriving here from Kentucky in late July.
"He is a pro," McPeek said. "He goes out there every day and makes our job easy. He does his work, comes back and does his thing. He is a real special horse to be around."
Rattle N Roll hasn't run since finishing second, beaten a half length by West Will Power in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs July 1. He won his two prior starts, the Blame Stakes (G3) at Churchill June 3 and the Pimlico Special Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course May 19.
He has three wins in five starts this year; overall, Rattle N Roll has eight wins, two seconds and two thirds in 19 career starts and earnings of $1,697,741. Earlier this year, he had a stretch where he ran three times in 55 days.
"We have been pretty clear that we wanted to space out his races," McPeek said. "He ran hard all spring, even into the summer and our goal has always been the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1)."
When Rattle N Roll arrived in Saratoga, he came up with stablemate Smile Happy, who was being pointed to the Whitney Stakes (G1). Smile Happy did not make the race and McPeek decided to keep Rattle N Roll on course for the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
"He could have run in the Whitney and I think he would have run well in the Whitney," McPeek said. "I think he will run even better in the Jockey Club Gold Cup."
Smile Happy was ruled out of the Whitney July 30 when McPeek said the colt had a bruised foot. He was then checked out at the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga Springs.
The 4-year-old Smile Happy, also owned by Lucky Seven Stable, is at the Spa in McPeek's barn but the trainer said there is no race on the horizon for the son of Runhappy .
"Smile Happy has been a problematic horse," McPeek said. "He is physically fine, but training him has been complicated. He gets on the track and he gets balky. We have been scratching our heads with him. We can't force him to do anything. We need to get him back happy and galloping and then back in a work routine. We might have to send him back to Kentucky to do it."
Adirondack Winner Brightwork on Target for Spinaway
The dominating win by Brightwork in the Adirondack Stakes (G3) wasn't unexpected by trainer John Ortiz. The second graded stakes race for 2-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course went the way Ortiz thought it would.
Brightwork, a daughter of Outwork, romped to a five-length victory for owners Bill and Tammy Simon's WSS Racing. Next up will be the $300,000 Spinaway Stakes (G1) Sept. 3.
On Sunday, Brightwork, with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. on board, worked four furlongs in :52.11, her first work since winning the Adirondack.
"It was just a nice maintenance half," John Ortiz said outside his barn on the Saratoga backstretch Sunday. "She galloped out another half mile after that. She is feeling great."
When Brightwork came to Saratoga, she had won a maiden race at Keenland by three lengths April 26 and then the listed Debutante Stakes at Ellis Park by a half length July 2, She has not been favored in any of her three starts.
In the Adirondack, she was sent off as the 5-1 fourth choice in the field of eight.
"Just what happened," John Ortiz said when asked what he expected going into the race. "We were very confident going in there. We knew what we had. This is a good horse."
The victory was the first graded stakes win for Simon, the former Walmart CEO. He has been involved in racing since 2017.
Last year, his Barber Road was a player on the Triple Crown trail, finishing second in the Southwest Stakes (G2), third in the Rebel Stakes (G2), and second in the Arkansas Derby (G1). He was sixth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and seventh in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
"It's really nice to break through," Simon, who was at the barn Sunday, said. "This has really been an interesting adventure."
Ortiz, who is based in Kentucky, has seven horses stabled at Saratoga.
Brightwork has already shown what she can do sprinting. When she gets to two turns, things could get even better.
"She could really shine when she gets two turns," said Simon, who puts the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) as the endgame for the season. "When I was talking to Johnny before (the Adirondack), I told him I was nervous. He said to me that when you play poker, you never know what the other guy has, but you know what you have. We've got a good hand."
"We think the sky is the limit," John Ortiz said. "Everything about her...she has a really good frame for a race horse. Her mind is incredible and is very smart and friendly. I told Bill the other day that we have fillies and they are sassy. She has sass, but is a lot kinder than some of the others. She loves life."
Delgado's 2-Year-Old Hurricane Nelson Sold to Reeves
The promising 2-year-old maiden Hurricane Nelson already has a new home.
Though owner-breeder-trainer Gustavo Delgado planned to enter the Florida-bred son of Khozan in the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age Digital Sale, he has worked out a private sale to owner Dean Reeves, who has sent the colt to trainer Christophe Clement.
Clement said he would monitor Hurricane Nelson for a few days before deciding on plans for him.
Hurricane Nelson, out of the Political Force mare French Politics, finished second by a half-length at 24-1 odds in an Aug. 12 maiden special weight race at Saratoga Race Course won by Deterministic. Bought for $625,000 as a yearling, Deterministic is trained by Clement and owned by St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker, and Vicarage Stable.
