SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Rohan Crichton said to just put a line through Macho Music’s last start, a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens. Those heeding that advice likely will find themselves leaning toward the speedy 3-year-old as the horse to beat when he drops back to the Grade 2 level for Friday’s $200,000 Amsterdam at Saratoga.
Macho Music is a Grade 2 winner, and in fact the only graded stakes winner in the 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam, having captured the Pat Day Mile by a widening 3 1/4 lengths at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He earned a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.
Unfortunately, Macho Music could not duplicate that effort over a muddy strip five weeks later in the Woody Stephens when he set a rapid pace into the stretch before faltering to finish 6 1/4 lengths behind race winner Patch Adams. Macho Music had his best chances compromised when off a bit awkwardly at the break.
“I think there were a cascade of issues that contributed to his race last time,” Crichton said. “First, the track definitely changed its course, after having been sealed all day, then opened up right before our race. It was definitely not the same track as the one they raced on a few hours later in the Belmont Stakes. And unfortunately he didn’t break sharp, then took off a little too strongly to make the lead.
“It was an entirely different trip than he had winning the Pat Day Mile.”
Crichton shipped Macho Music back to the Churchill training center after the Woody Stephens and said he loves what he has seen since his horse returned locally for the Amsterdam.
“He’s got more energy and is a lot more focused now,” said Crichton. “The Woody Stephens was definitely one of the toughest sprint races for 3-year-olds this year. This looks like an easier spot and the race flow should be more conducive for him, as long as he breaks sharp from the one-hole.
“And I believe if he runs his best race, he’s going to be awfully tough to beat.”
Javier Castellano has been Macho Music’s regular rider for much of the year, but Irad Ortiz Jr. will be aboard for the first time on Friday.
Macho Music is one of four members of the Amsterdam lineup exiting the Woody Stephens, along with T Kraft, Gate to Wire, and Gunmetal, the respective fifth-, sixth-, and 10th-place finishers.
T Kraft had a modest three-race win streak snapped after racing forwardly near the inside before tiring to finish six lengths behind the winner in his graded stakes debut. Despite suffering his first defeat of the year, T Kraft was award a lifetime top 88 Beyer Speed Figure.
Gate to Wire was fanned wide into the stretch and rallied mildly down the middle of the strip to finish a nose behind T Kraft and just in front of the tiring Macho Music. Gate to Wire defeated Macho Music decisively when he upset the Swale Stakes in the pair’s first meeting at Gulfstream Park.
Gunmetal raced midpack in the Stephens and was never a serious factor while failing to replicate his well-graded and easy entry-level allowance win at Keeneland two months earlier.
Gate to Wire is one of two 3-year-olds trainer Todd Pletcher entered in the Amsterdam along with Uncaged, who was also a member of the potential starting lineup for the nine-furlong Curlin Stakes here Thursday. Uncaged, whose two career wins both came over muddy racetracks, finished a distant seventh in the Belmont Stakes in his most recent start.
Garamond finished a disappointing sixth trying a wet track for the first time in the Pegasus at Monmouth Park after posting a solid 99 Beyer Figure in just his third lifetime start winning a first-level allowance going a mile at Aqueduct on April 27.
“He’s coming off a race at Monmouth where he got dirtied up on a wet track and couldn’t get to the lead and this looks like a spot that’s not overly tough for that level of race just to see where we’re at cutting back,” trainer Chad Brown said.”
– additional reporting by David Grening
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