Barn Tour: Motion outlines plans for 10 of his top runners

Graham Motion has gone winless in seven starts at Churchill Downs so far this meet, but that doesn’t mean he’s not encouraged by the performances of some of his most talented horses.

He had five entries in graded stakes on Kentucky Oaks and Derby days, coming away with a second and a third.

Motion told Horse Racing Nation on Sunday that one disappointment was with Spendarella, who was second by a length to Fluffy Socks as the odds-on favorite in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on the Derby undercard.

“I was a little disappointed,” Motion said. “I thought she could win that race. But then again, she also ran her best lifetime numbers. She had a little bit of a tough trip where Chad's horses kind of took her on a little bit in the race, I thought, which was a shame, but that's racing. You know, especially when you have a target on your back.”

Chad Brown trains Fluffy Socks and Speak of the Devil, who finished third.

The Distaff Turf Mile was only the second loss in six starts for Spendarella, and it was her first start since winning the Del Mar Oaks (G1) in August.

She is back at Motion’s Fair Hill training center, “and she will most likely run in the Just A Game (G1) on the ninth of June. I did nominate her for the Duke of Cambridge at Ascot, which is on the 21st of June. But I think it's more likely we'd probably run in the Just A Game.”

Motion discussed other top horses in his stable for HRN’s Barn Tour series.

Affirmative Lady. The Arrogate filly broke her maiden in February and then won the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) before finishing 11th in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). “She just had a very rough trip,” Motion said, “but she's back at Fair Hill. I'm going to go easy on her here for probably the better part of this month or the rest of this month. And then with the idea of pointing her for the Alabama (G1) at Saratoga. That's what I would like to do in a perfect world, but we know it's not a perfect world.”

Mission of Joy. The 3-year-old daughter of Kitten’s Joy had won three straight before finishing third in the Edgewood (G2) on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. “She had a terrible trip,” Motion said. “She clipped hills at the eighth pole. And really, I thought she was pretty brave to come back and still only narrowly get beaten. I thought it was a pretty commendable effort, to be honest.” She’s still at Keeneland, he said, “while I decide what to do. She could run back in the Regret (G3) at Churchill on the third of June or, more likely is the Wonder Again (G2) at Belmont on the eighth of June.”

Speaking Scout. The 4-year-old gelding was fifth in the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland and third in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) in his only other start this year and will start in the Dinner Party (G3) on the Preakness undercard. “He's doing well. I actually tried to talk Aaron (Wellman, president of owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners) into running at Churchill. But we were worried that it was a little quick back off the Maker's Mark. He actually ran a big race in the Maker's Mark. I know he didn't have much to show for it, but numbers-wise, he ran a good race. We thought the extra two weeks would probably help him at the Dinner Party. So he's back home. He's going to breeze tomorrow. But I'm happy with him. He's actually a little easier to train at Fair Hill because he can be quite tough on the racetrack. So being back at Fair Hill gives us more options.”

Sparkle Blue. The 4-year-old Hard Spun filly was sixth in the 1 1/8-mile Modesty (G3) on the Kentucky Oaks undercard in her first start of the year. “I was a little disappointed with her run the other day. I thought she was plenty fit to run, she just seemed to run a little flat. I nominated her to the New York (G1) at Belmont, which is a mile and a quarter, and also to the Keertana, which is a mile and a half (at Churchill). I don't know that she needs those distances. But kind of keeping options open. She's also still in Kentucky.”

Nagirroc. The 3-year-old son of Lea was second in the Transylvania (G3) after closing out last year with third-place finishes in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and the listed Eddie Logan Stakes. He’ll start Saturday in the listed James W. Murphy Stakes, also on the Preakness undercard. “I actually thought it was a really good effort coming off the layoff. I'm going to put blinkers on him this time. We kind of feel like that's going to help him, he's trained well in them. And everybody out of that race has come back and run well.” The Transylvania was won by Mo Stash, with Webslinger in third. Webslinger then won the American Turf (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard, with Mo Stash in fourth. Mi Hermano Ramon, fourth in the Transylvania, won the black-type Singletary Stakes at Santa Anita in his next start.

The Grey Wizard. The 4-year-old gelding bred in Ireland won allowance races at Santa Anita and Keeneland in January and April, with a fifth-place finish in the San Marcos (G3) in between. Of the Keeneland start, Motion said, “you don't get the opportunity to run a lot of allowances at that (1 1/2-mile) distance. So it was a super opportunity for him.” His next start likely will be in the June 9 Belmont Gold Cup (G2). “He's still at Keeneland. He's also nominated to the (Louisville, G3) stakes at Churchill next weekend, which is a mile-and-a-half race. But I think it's more likely that he shows up in the Gold Cup.”

Vergara. The 4-year-old Noble Mission filly hasn’t raced since a second-place finish in the Sands Point (G2) at Belmont in October. She resumed training in March at Fair Hill, most recently breezing six furlongs in 1:13.0 on Saturday. “I couldn't be happier. I thought she worked really well this weekend,” Motion said. “She could show up in the Gallorette (G3) on Preakness day or the following weekend at Monmouth, there's the Miss Liberty. But I think there's a good shot I'll put her in the Gallorette.”

Hurricane Dream. The 6-year-old gelding bred in France joined Motion’s barn after racing in France the last three years. He was 10th in the Pegasus World Cup Turf and won a Keeneland allowance by 4 1/2 lengths in April and will run in the Dinner Party.

Sopran Basilea. The 5-year-old, Ireland-bred mare compiled a 15: 5–5-1 record in Italy before joining Motion’s barn. She also will run in the Gallorette on Saturday.