Henley’s Joy captured the opening leg of the New York Racing Association’s newly implemented Turf Triple series with a career-best effort in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby last out and will look to add the second jewel in Sunday’s first running of the $1 million Saratoga Derby at Saratoga Race Course.

The Turf Trinity for 3-year-old males kicked off last month when Henley’s Joy, off at 20-1, upset the 14-horse field in the $1 million Belmont Derby on July 6 at 1 1/4 miles on the Belmont Park grass. The Mike Maker trainee earned a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort and will now look to go 2-for-2 in the series entering his Saratoga debut, contested at 1 3/16 miles on the Mellon turf course.

The Turf Triple will conclude with the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at 1 1/2 miles on September 7 at Belmont. The Saratoga Derby’s 11-horse field will feature each of the Belmont Derby’s top-5 finishers.

Henley’s Joy notched his first graded stakes win last out. Since finishing 13th in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, the Kitten’s Joy colt has two wins and two second-place finishes in seven starts, all against stakes company, including a victory in the one-mile Pulpit in December at Gulfstream Park and a second-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Transylvania in April at Keeneland.

“He’s doing good,” Maker said. “I think maybe the distance helped him improve. He had some pretty rough trips. Last time, he finally got a clean trip and got to prove it.”

Running at a mile and a quarter for the first time, jockey Jose Lezcano kept Henley’s Joy just off the speed tracking inside before gaining command in the stretch and outkicking fellow Saratoga Derby contender Social Paranoia for the win, returning $43.60 on a $2 win bet. Lezcano will have the return call on Sunday, breaking from the rail.

“He’s a very professional horse,” Maker said. “You can take him anywhere. He’s very mature.”

Henley’s Joy stablemate Kadar will be taking a step up in class after running third in his North American debut against optional claimers on July 18 at Saratoga. The lightly raced son of Scat Daddy ran just twice in Great Britain before arriving to the U.S. and placed in Maker’s care.

Owned by Phoenix Thoroughbred III, Kadar ran at 1 1/16 miles in his Saratoga bow, and Maker said stretching out, and gaining familiarity with his surroundings, was beneficial.

“He got away bad and had a wide trip,” Maker said. “I think the added distance will move him forward as well. I think his last race, being his first start in this country, that was a big factor.”

Jockey Jose Ortiz picked up the mount and will leave from post 6.

A pair of Irish-bred imports for trainer Aidan O’Brien will look to win on North American soil for the first time.

Cape of Good Hope, coming off a 10th-place in the Group 3 Hampton Court in June at Royal Ascot, ran eighth in the Belmont Derby in his first start in the country. A full brother to 2016 Breeders’ Cup Turf-winner Highland Reel, Cape of Good Hope is sired by Galileo.

“He [Highland Reel] was a very good horse and the dam is a very good dam as well,” said O’Brien assistant T.J. Comerford. “He obviously has to go a long way to be as good as Highland Reel, but he’s had a good start. He won a Derby trial at Epsom and he was running well into the turn in his last race at Belmont.”

Julien Leparoux drew the assignment for the first time, drawing post 7.

Mohawk captured the Group 3 Meld in Leopardstown in Ireland last out on July 18, with jockey Donnacha O’Brien piloting him to the two-length win in the 1 1/8-mile route.

“He won it well. Just sat close and came into the turn and Donnacha went in on him and he went well,” Comerford said. “It’s probably a big step up here, but he’s entitled to have a go.”

The Galileo colt raced four times in Group 1 stakes in Ireland, Great Britain and France, with his best finish a fourth-place effort in the Group 1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National in September at Curragh.

Acclaimed international jockey Wayne Lordan will ride from post 10.

Trainer Chad Brown will send out his own Irish-bred colt in Rockemperor, who finished third in the Belmont Derby. Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael Kisber and Bethlehem Stables, Rockemeperor rallied from last of 14 in the Belmont Derby to earn blacktype in his first North American start after making his first seven starts in France.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who was aboard for the Turf Triple opening leg last month, will have the returning engagement from post 4.

Klaravich Stables’ Digital Age also made a strong account in the Belmont Derby, going from 12th at the half-mile mark to fourth with a late kick. Digital Age started his career 3-for-3, winning his debut on January 19 at Tampa Bay Downs before besting Forever Mo by a head in the Columbia on March 9 at Tampa. Stepping up to graded stakes company, he edged A Thread of Blue, who he will rematch in the Saratoga Derby, by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 2 American Turf on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

With Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, Digital Age will depart from post 8.

Leonard Green’s graded-stakes winner A Thread of Blue will be stretching out in distance after running fourth in the Grade 2 Penn Mile on June 1 at Penn National.

The Kiaran McLaughlin trainee has two wins and a runner-up effort in four starts as a sophomore, starting the campaign with a 3 ½-length win in the Dania Beach in February at Gulfstream at one mile before winning at 1 1/16 miles over the same track in the Grade 3 Palm Beach on March 2.

The son of Hard Spun ran second in the Grade 2 American Turf before the Penn Mile. Since his last start, A Thread of Blue has trained at Belmont and then shipped to Saratoga last month, recording three official workouts leading into the weekend.

“He’s doing very well. It’s a tough race, but we think he deserves a chance,” McLaughlin said. “We think with the tight turns on the turf, it should help. It’s also better staying at home, so we don’t have to ship.”

Luis Saez has the assignment from post 3.

The Elkstone Group’s Social Paranoia garnered a personal-best 96 Beyer for his runner-up finish in the Belmont Derby. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Social Paranoia has never been off the board in nine starts [1-4-4 record] but is looking for his first stakes win after earning black type in all four of his graded stakes appearances. Manny Franco, aboard for the Belmont Derby, will ride again from post 2.

“He’s knocking on the door and it’d be great to win a race like that,” Pletcher said. “I think he’s in good form and ran well here last year. Hopefully, he keeps moving forward.”

Rounding out the field is Seismic Wave, fifth in the Belmont Derby, for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott [post 9, Joel Rosario]; Eons, winner of the Grade 3 Kent last out on July 6 at Del Mar, for trainer Arnaud Delacour [post 5, Trever McCarthy] and Flying Scotsman, winner of the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille in November at Del Mar and conditioned by Jack Sisterson [post 11, Ricardo Santana, Jr.].

Carded as Race 9 with a 5:48 p.m. Eastern post time, the Saratoga Derby is one of four stakes on the 11-race card that also includes the rescheduled $100,000 John Morrissey, the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack for 2-year-old fillies and the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. First post time is 1 p.m.

Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing’s three-time graded stakes winner Concrete Rose will look to capture the first two legs of NYRA’s first-year Turf Tiara series as part of a talented six-horse field of 3-year-old fillies competing in the inaugural running of the $750,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational on Friday at Saratoga Race Course.

The Turf Triple, featuring the Turf Trinity for 3-year-old males and the Turf Tiara for sophomore fillies, kicked off with the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, which Concrete Rose won in surging 2 ¾-lengths clear of Just Wonderful at 1 ¼ miles on July 6. That marked the third consecutive win for the Rusty Arnold trainee, who has earned a trip to the winner’s circle in five of her six career starts.

The Twirling Candy filly won her debut last August in a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint at the Spa and followed with a three-length win in the Grade 2 Jessamine in October at Keeneland. She capped her 2-year-old year with her only off-the-board finish, running eighth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Churchill. After a four-month freshening, Concrete Rose has not been beaten, taking the Grade 3 Florida Oaks in March at Tampa and the Grade 3 Edgewood in May at Churchill, both at 1 1/16 miles, before stretching out in distance to win the Belmont Oaks on firm turf.

A contender for divisional honors, Concrete Rose will be running at 1 3/8 miles for the first time in the middle jewel of the Turf Triple. The series’ conclusion will take place with the $750,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational on September 7 at Belmont.

“Right now, she is [the best 3-year-old turf filly in the country], but we’re halfway through the year and hope we continue on,” Arnold said. “She won at five-and-a-half furlongs, a mile-and-a-quarter and in the middle, so it’s not an issue. I think the mile and three sixteenths is well within her ability.”

Jockey Julien Leparoux, aboard for all three wins this year, will have the return call from post 5.

Saratoga leading trainer Chad Brown will saddle Olendon, who made her North American debut in the Belmont Oaks, finishing eighth. Prior to that, the French-bred Le Havre filly won two races with a runner-up effort in six starts in her native country.

Owned by Wonder Stables, Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Chris Mara and Robert Masiello, Olendon was second in the Group 1 Prix Saint Alary in May at Longchamp before arriving to the United States.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will pick up the mount from post 1.

Albert Frassetto’s Her Royal Highness will be taking a step up in class following her best stakes effort, running second to Valiance in the Open Mind at 1 1/16 miles on June 30 at Monmouth Park.

After making her first four starts on the main track, trainer Graham Motion moved her to the grass in March, where she ran seventh in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks. After finishing out of the money in both the Memories of Silver [fifth] in April at Aqueduct and the Boiling Springs [fourth] in May at Monmouth, Her Royal Highness earned a career-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure in the Open Mind.

“She’s been a little unlucky. She had a little bit of trouble two starts back at Monmouth. She probably should have hit the board in that race,” Motion said about the Boling Springs. “She was running very well at the end last time. I think she handled the dirt, but she’s risen to another level on the grass.”

After making her last four starts at 1 1/16 miles, she will be stretching out to the Saratoga Oaks distance for the first time. She will arrive at the Spa from her training base in Fair Hill, Maryland.

“She’s doing great and I plan to breeze her before shipping her up to Saratoga on Tuesday,” Motion said. “I always thought [about stretching her out]. We’ll find out, but it’s always been on mind. She can be a bit of a tough filly to be around, but I think she’ll handle it.”

Joel Rosario will pick up the mount, breaking from post 6.

The Saratoga Oaks will feature a pair of European shippers for trainer Aidan O’Brien, with Coral Beach returning to the U.S. for a second time after running seventh in the Belmont Oaks. The Irish-bred filly has won twice in 18 career starts, including the Grade 3 Killavullan in Dublin’s Leopardstown in her home country last October.

Jockey Wayne Lordan will make the cross-Atlantic trip, drawing post 3.

O’Brien will also send over Happen, who raced three times as a juvenile, breaking her maiden at third asking in October at Leopardstown. Following a six-month break, she started her sophomore year back at Leopardstown with a runner-up finish in the Group 3 Priory Belle in April before winning the seven-furlong Group 3 Coolmore Gleneagles Irish EBF Athasi over good-to-yielding turf on May 6.

One month later, she stepped up in class, finishing sixth in the Group 1 Coronation at Royal Ascot on June 21. She will now make first North American start, having accomplished international jockey Ryan Moore in the irons from post 2.

Kelsey’s Cross, owned by Sanford Bacon and Patrick Biancone, her trainer, has finished in the money in each of her four starts. Bred in Florida by T. Wynn and Mary Jolley, Kelsey’s Cross did not race until April, when she ran second in her debut on April 21 at Gulfstream before breaking her maiden at second asking on May 19 over the same track.

Stepping up in class, she ran third in both the Grade 3 Wonder Again and the one-mile Martha Washington on July 6 at Gulfstream.

“She shows up and she’s improving. We gave her plenty of time before we started to run her. Now, she has great form,” Biancone said.

Florent Geroux has the assignment from post 4.

Carded as Race 9 with a 5:51 p.m. Eastern post time, the Saratoga Oaks is one of three stakes on the 10-race card that also includes the $100,000 Alydar and the Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. First post time is 1 p.m.

Bloom Racing Stable’s Henley’s Joy was a three-quarter length winner of the first leg of the newly minted Turf Triple series, the $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational, at odds of 20-1. With Jose Lezcano up, Henley’s Joy rated in third position and found his best stride down the lane in the 10-furlong test, overtaking Social Paranoia in the final furlong and hitting the wire in 1:58.29.

After seeing his charge finish second in a trio of graded events by narrow margins, Maker was resolute in his estimation of the best part of the Grade 1-winning performance from Henley’s Joy.

“The way he finished,” said Maker. “There were a few races there where he had a less than ideal trip, and hopefully he’ll get another good trip in the Derby.”

On Saturday, Henley’s Joy breezed for the second time following his breakthrough score, covering five furlongs on the Saratoga main track in 1:01.95.

“He worked well and is on target for the Derby,” said Maker.

Phoenix Thoroughbred III’s Kadar, a dark bay son of Scat Daddy, graduated on debut in September in a one-mile turf allowance at Haydock under the tutelage of Karl Burke. In April, Kadar finished fourth in the Feilden at Newmarket before shipping to North America.

Kadar made his North American debut on July 18 at the Spa, rallying from last-of-10 to finish third, defeated just a head, in a race won by the well-regarded Chad Brown trainee and fellow Saratoga Derby invitee Value Proposition.

“He ran a really good race. He didn’t get away very good and was carried extremely wide. He finished strong and just missed in a very competitive allowance race,” said Maker.

Maker said the 1 3/16-mile distance of the Saratoga Derby will suit the lightly-raced colt.

“I got him with orders to stretch him out, which I totally agreed with,” said Maker. “I look forward to running him in the Derby as well.”

The third leg of the Turf Trinity, the $1 million Jockey Club Derby at 1 1/2-miles, is slated for September 7 at Belmont Park.

By Bill Finley

For one weekend, it seemed like the good old days for the Aiken, South Carolina Training Center. In fewer than 24 hours, starting with the July 5 evening card at Prairie Meadows, horses that had trained at Aiken won the GIII Cornhusker H., the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational, the GI Belmont Derby Invitational and the GIII Kent S.

For a training center whose horse population now peaks at about 110, it was a tremendous accomplishment. But such a run of success was not unusual. That is if you take a trip back in time.
There was a period when Aiken was the winter home of some of the top trainers and owners in the country, many of them the so called “society stables” that were such a force in New York in the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Rokeby Stable, Greentree, the Phipps Family, King Ranch, C.V. Whitney and Claiborne Farm were among the owners who had stalls at Aiken. So, too, did trainers like Woody Stephens, Mack Miler, John Gaver and Mike Freeman.

Aiken opened in 1941.

“It was a private club for a long time and really there was no initiative for Aiken to step up and bring new people in,” said Cary Frommer, a consignor who also breaks and trains horses at Aiken. “They were quite happy to have their private little paradise to train in.”

But times change in racing and Frommer admits that Aiken failed to adjust. The role of private trainer for a wealthy owner-breeder largely disappeared and the training center found itself hard-pressed to replace the outfits that began to disappear from racing.

In the meantime, Ocala became the place of choice for many horsemen who were either getting horses ready for the sales, breaking them in preparation for their 2-year-old seasons or laying up horses that needed rest. That Ocala is closer to Gulfstream and stabling facilities like Palm Meadows and Palm Beach Downs than Aiken is, gives it an advantage over the South Carolina facility.

According to Frommer, Aiken once had the capacity to house 350 horses. That changed when several barns were turned over to people who were training non-race horse and focusing on other equestrian pursuits. Aiken now has room for 200 Thoroughbreds, but Frommer said the population dipped to about 110 during the winter and early spring months. With the recent death of owner Gustav Schickedanz, Aiken’s population could be even lower next year as he had one of the larger stables at the facility with 25 horses.

“We’re not going to close any time soon, but it’s certainly not where it once was,” Frommer said.

Yet, Frommer says that an invigorated Aiken management team is determined to see to it that not only will the training center survive but that it will begin to grow again. A new Chairman of the Board, Chad Ingram, has been brought in and he is spearheading the effort to get the word out the Aiken has assets that can’t be found at any other training center in the country.

“The situation isn’t that bad,” Ingram said. “We have a wonderful track. We’re not about to close the doors. That’s not the case at all. We’ve got some new board members who are putting a lot of effort and energy into bringing the training track back to a thriving status.”

Frommer said she believed they were now doing a better job of getting the word out about all that Aiken has to offer. That four Aiken graduates, including GI winners Concrete Rose (Twirling Candy) and Henley’s Joy (Kitten’s Joy), won graded stakes earlier in the month is part of a story Frommer and others are trying to get out. Frommer says that based on her experience, horses thrive in the type of climate Aiken has. During the winter and spring, it is never too hot or cold and there is a change of seasons. The same can’t be said for Florida.

“I think horses need to have a change of season,” she said. “It’s good for them. They need to grow a little coat, they need to do all the natural things that they’re supposed to do. Florida is a great place, but that just doesn’t happen there. I think this is all an important part of a horse developing and growing.”

She lists Aiken’s other major asset as the town itself.

“I think we should reach out to young trainers who have a family and want a life and want to settle in rather than moving around all the time,” she said. “This is a really great town for a family and place for people to raise kids. The thing about Aiken, when somebody comes here they love it. It’s just getting them here.”

Ingram says that the annual Aiken Trials, held each year in mid-March, bring in a substantial amount of revenue, which has helped keep the training center afloat. But he wants something better for Aiken. He wants it to once again be a major training center with stalls filled with horses that will flourish when they make it to the races.

“I think we have the best possible climate to train in the country in the wintertime,” he said. “We think the surface of the track is as good as any track in Southeast. We think we’re a hidden gem. We just need more people to understand all that we have to offer.”