Frankie Dettori partners with Joseph O’Brien, eyeing a high-grade victory in Saratoga on Friday evening. O’Brien has enlisted the accomplished Italian jockey to handle American Sonja for the upcoming $750,000 New York Stakes on grass. This strategy is in preparation for the Irish trainer’s bigger, Grade One aspirations the following day.
Joseph O’Brien’s horse, Al Riffa is set to make a significant impression in Saturday’s $1 million Manhattan Stakes, part of the Belmont Stakes’ line-up of races. Renowned American jockey Johnny Velazquez has been chosen to partner Al Riffa in this 9½-furlong contest, which precedes the final stage of the Triple Crown.
Due to ongoing renovations at the Belmont racecourse, their flagship race as well as several other esteemed ones have been shifted to Saratoga. This geographical adjustment means that the conventional distance of the Belmont Stakes has been decreased from 1½ miles to merely 10 furlongs.
Dermot Weld’s Go And Go, the 1990 Belmont victor, remains the solitary European-trained horse to have claimed one part of the US Triple Crown. However, this time round, O’Brien’s duo might pose substantial competition. Al Riffa, especially, who triumphed in the National Stakes at two years old, has run twice unsuccessfully last year. This means that he carries a significant 7lb less than some competitors like the Godolphin duo Nations Pride (ridden by Dettori) and Measured Time (guided by William Buick).
Al Riffa last showed his mettle in 2023 when he came second to the formidable Arc winner Ace Impact. His recent race in the previous month’s Prix Ganay earned him a fourth-place finish, outdone by Haya Zark.
O’Brien hasn’t tasted high-grade flat racing success since Al Riffa’s National Stakes victory in 2022. However, American Sonja, a 10/1 prospect in the morning line betting, might alter that record. Her challengers comprise of Godolphin’s English Rose and the previously Fozzy Stack-trained horse, Aspen Grove.
With his triumphant performance at the Derby in Epsom over the weekend, City Of Troy may find himself racing in Saratoga come August.
Expectations regarding the next appearance of the horse, labelled as the finest ever trained by Aidan O’Brien, could continue to build this week. However, a potential bid for the Travers Stakes, taking place later this summer on a dirt track, remains a strong possibility.
It was revealed on Monday by O’Brien that a decision about City Of Troy’s next race might be finalised by the Coolmore owners sometime in the coming week.
The narrative surrounding the Travers tournament could get more convoluted if Sierra Leone, who is also owned by the Coolmore team, manages to win Saturday’s Belmont as the top favourite. Having narrowly lost to Mystik Dan in the Kentucky Derby, Sierra Leone is the frontrunner for the Travers according to certain firms.
City Of Troy has been marked as a 4/7 early favourite for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby later this month, a display previously won by Auguste Rodin last year after securing a victory at Epsom. Aidan O’Brien has secured a record-breaking 15 victories at Curragh classic.
The final decision of whether City Of Troy will bypass the Curragh and wait for a transatlantic bid at the Travers still hangs in the balance. O’Brien commented, “He has a broad range of choices and could really enter any race. I anticipate that a plan will be developed towards the end of the week.”
If City Of Troy decides to skip the Curragh, his stable mate Los Angeles, who came third at Epsom, might take his spot at HQ. Nevertheless, O’Brien emphasised that City of Troy has “priority and first call on everything.”
Elsewhere, City Of Troy’s potential participation in next month’s Eclipse at Sandown is firmly on the cards for Dancing Gemini, who came sixth at Epsom. Having finished runner-up last month in the French 2,000 Guineas, the Roger Teal-trained colt experienced a setback at the Derby due to jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle’s high draw, and is anticipated to shorten the trip to a mile and a quarter.
“He managed to close a significant gap, but we found ourselves in a disadvantageous position on the track which required a considerable amount of effort from the horse to recover, resulting in him weakening near the finish line.”
Teal indicated that, despite a herculean effort, things didn’t go quite as planned in the race. Notably, the horse found it challenging to navigate the crowded field around Tattenham Corner causing it to take a wider path than intended. However, he believes the horse demonstrated its ability to compete in such high caliber races without shaming us, running creditably with potential for a better placement given a less obstructed course.
Regarding future strategies, Teal is of the opinion that the Eclipse appears to be the most suitable race at present. Previously, the St James’s Palace was considered, but he was withdrawn fearing it could prove strenuous following the Derby. The Eclipse offers a wider window to rejuvenate the horse and is therefore our primary aim.
As for the current winner, there’s speculation that the next target might be the Irish Derby. Dismissing the lackluster performance at Newmarket, Teal believes it was just an off day for the horse and refuses to believe it has declined in training.
Ironically, if the horse had secured a win in the Guineas, the Derby might have had fewer contestants, which would have been more favorable. However, the loss resulted in added competition, the trainer from Epsom added.