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Saratoga - Race 2
#3 Memorized (8/1 ml)
2yo firster for Tagg comes into this turf route off a heads-up drill with Palanka City on grass just a couple of days ago. Palanka City is a 3yo multiple stakes winner for Tagg who most recently set the pace for a half-mile in the Grade 1 Test Stakes. What originally piqued my interest here is that i know Tagg had won a turf route @ Saratoga last year with a very impressive 2yo firster named Rebounded. That one stumbled and nearly went down coming off the turn, but recovered to win going away with Coa in the irons. Coa is aboard this one as well, and it's worth noting he also got the call on Tagg's impressive first-out winner Tale of Ekati last year. Another positive is that Rebounded was Tagg's only 2yo firster to run on grass @ Saratoga in the last 5 years. So i'm guessing Tagg must have a good reason for starting Memorized here. Along those lines, i should mention that Memorized worked a slow 10.4 at the Fasig-Tipton under-tack show, yet still brought $160,000 at the sale. He must've been recognized as a route-type horse, probably a large-bodied individual who needed some time to grow. I assume that's the reason for his entry around two turns. Expecting a good showing here.
HRT record:
48 for 153 (31%)
$413.40 mutuels ($8.61 avg)
#3 Memorized (8/1 ml)
2yo firster for Tagg comes into this turf route off a heads-up drill with Palanka City on grass just a couple of days ago. Palanka City is a 3yo multiple stakes winner for Tagg who most recently set the pace for a half-mile in the Grade 1 Test Stakes. What originally piqued my interest here is that i know Tagg had won a turf route @ Saratoga last year with a very impressive 2yo firster named Rebounded. That one stumbled and nearly went down coming off the turn, but recovered to win going away with Coa in the irons. Coa is aboard this one as well, and it's worth noting he also got the call on Tagg's impressive first-out winner Tale of Ekati last year. Another positive is that Rebounded was Tagg's only 2yo firster to run on grass @ Saratoga in the last 5 years. So i'm guessing Tagg must have a good reason for starting Memorized here. Along those lines, i should mention that Memorized worked a slow 10.4 at the Fasig-Tipton under-tack show, yet still brought $160,000 at the sale. He must've been recognized as a route-type horse, probably a large-bodied individual who needed some time to grow. I assume that's the reason for his entry around two turns. Expecting a good showing here.
HRT record:
48 for 153 (31%)
$413.40 mutuels ($8.61 avg)
Comments
You are correct....here is the information on this baby.....
3. Memorized (Touch Gold - Best of Memories, by Halo)
Trainer: Barclay Tagg
- Foaled February 22, 2006 in Kentucky
- three-quarter brother to stakes-winning router Best Minister (20-4-5-0, $254,220, 0-2 at two, 0-3 on turf, 2-4 in mud/slop)
- $65,000 RNA yearling (Keeneland September 2007)
- $160,000 juvenile (Fasig-Tipton February 2008)
- out juvenile (Keeneland April 2008)
- sire was a multiple Grade 1 route winner (15-6-5-3, $1,679,907, 1-4 at two, won debut, unraced on turf)
- sire is 22-210 (10%) with juvenile debut runners
- sire is 16-199 (8%) with first-turf runners
- sire is 3-37 (8%, $1.62 ROI) with all debut runners in 2008 (one juvenile debut winner, one winner on turf)
- dam was a winner (7-3-2-0, $75,229, 0-1 at two, unraced on turf, 1-1 in mud/slop)
- dam has seven runners, four winners, five juvenile runners, one juvenile winners, four turf runners, two turf winners, two mud/slop runners, one mud/slop winner
- Halo is 3-29 (10%, $2.10 ROI) as the broodmare sire of debut runners in 2008 (one juvenile debut winner)
- dam a half-sister to juvenile Grade 2 turf winner Memories (3-1-1-0, $92,540, 1-2 at two, all races on turf)
-dam a half-sister to stakes-placed turf runner (Ireland) Childhood Memories (17-2-3-4, $54,265, 0-2 at two, all races on turf)
- dam a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 turf winner Memories of Silver (16-9-3-5, $1,448,715, unraced at two, 9-16 on turf, first-turf winner)
- dam a half-sister to stakes-winner Memories of Gold (8-4-0-1, $114,589, unraced at two, 0-1 on turf, 1-1 in mud/slop)
- dam a half-sister to stakes-placed (Japan) Spark Hawk (21-5-3-2, $964,793, unraced at two, turf winner)
- trainer is 1-12 (8%, $0.85 ROI) over the past five years with juvenile debut runners on turf
- trainer is 1-1 (100%, $10.20 ROI) over the past five years with juvenile debut runners on turf at Saratoga
- trainer is 2-41 (5%, $0.55 ROI) with all debut runners in 2008 (both older winners with Lasix on, one with Eibar Coa aboard)
- worked one furlong in 10.4 prior to the February sale
- June 16 workout matches barn's five-year-old mare Kats Golden Ways (87 Beyer top on turf)
- June 22 workout went .01 faster than barn's three-year-old Dirty Water Dog (finished first in $35,000 'N2L' claimer on turf at Belmont on July 9 with 83 Beyer)
- August 18 workout matches barn's three-year-old filly Palanka City (96 Beyer on dirt, 72 Beyer on polytrack)
Regarding Colonel John, i'm not currently of the opinion that he's a "synthetic" horse. According to the clockers @ Churchill Downs during Derby Week, Colonel John was training exceptionally well on the natural dirt surface. Of greater concern (to me, anyway) is his current condition. He flamed out pretty bad in his most recent start, won by the big longshot Tres Borrachos. That race came on synthetic, btw. Obviously, he was coming off a layoff in that race, and he's had another break coming into this one. So i don't know how he stacks up form-wise and conditioning-wise, the latter being very important considering the Travers is run @ 1 1/4 miles. I'll need to do some reading and keep my ear to the ground (not to mention looking at the rcae on paper) before i can form any real opinion on him. I do think he's catching a somewhat suspect field here, and he deserves a look on that basis alone. Especially when some will be throwing him out on the synthetic angle you mentioned.