Saratoga: Hoosier Philly works toward CCA Oaks

Graded stakes-winner Hoosier Philly recorded her first work at Saratoga on Wednesday in preparation for the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 22 for conditioner Tom Amoss.

The daughter of Into Mischief logged a half-mile breeze over the main track in 49.49 seconds with regular pilot Edgar Morales up in her second move since winning the Monomoy Girl on June 17 at Ellis Park.

“It was a typical work for her, and Edgar Morales flew up to work her,” said Amoss, who is in pursuit of his first CCA Oaks victory. “It was a good work with a strong gallop out. That’s her M.O. She’s doing fine, and she came out of it in good shape. Our plan is to run in the Coaching Club.”

Hoosier Philly will vie for the second graded coup of her career after scoring in the Golden Rod (G2) in November at Churchill Downs, which capped a three-race win streak to kick off her career. She followed with a third-place finish in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course and a fourth in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) before a brief respite and subsequent runner-up performance in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course.

“She’s done a great job of getting back on track,” said Amoss. “She had two sub-standard races at the Fair Grounds, and each of them had their excuses. Since then, she’s really been herself.”

Hoosier Philly cut back to one mile in the Monomoy Girl, the shortest distance she had run since graduating in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden tilt on debut in September at Churchill. She set the pace under Morales and drew off in the stretch to win convincingly by 3 1/2 lengths, garnering an 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

Other upcoming Saratoga stakes starters for Amoss could include Sixtythreecaliber, who is nominated to the $200,000 Shuvee (G2) on July 23. The Gun Runner bay was last seen posting a third-place finish in the Lady Jacqueline on June 24 at Thistledown where she stalked the pace and fought down the lane, but could not best her rivals as Le Da Vida crossed the wire first 3 3/4 lengths in front.

“She’s doing good and was in today as a main-track only, but that didn’t work out,” said Amoss. “The Shuvee is a possibility, but it would have to be a race that has a very small field, so we’re monitoring it.”

Sixtythreecaliber’s biggest win came in November at Aqueduct Racetrack when scoring a half-length triumph in the Comely (G3) at odds of 11-1. Her best result this year was a game runner-up effort to Idiomatic in the Shawnee (G3) on June 3 at Churchill.

“That race showed she’s back in form,” said Amoss. “I really liked that race and her last two races, she’s shown she’s rounded back into form as well.”

A new face in Amoss’ barn is 2019 champion 2-year-old colt Storm the Court, who has not raced since finishing a distant fifth in the Tokyo City (G3) on Oct. 2 at Santa Anita Park when in the care of conditioner Peter Eurton. The 6-year-old son of Court Vision won the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile en route to champion 2-year-old honors.

As a sophomore, he placed in the Ohio Derby (G3) and La Jolla Handicap (G3) on turf before an off-the-board effort in the Kentucky Derby and a subsequent move back to turf so close out the year, including a runner-up effort in the Mathis Brothers Mile (G2) when beaten just three-quarter lengths by Smooth Like Straight.

Last year, he ended a more than year-long respite with a pair of off-the-board efforts in optional-claiming company and did not hit the board in five outings. He returned to the work tab in May at Keeneland and trained throughout the spring at Churchill before making his way to Saratoga to breeze a sharp half-mile in 47.69 seconds over the main track Wednesday.

“That was a work where we asked him to be sharp, and there’s many ways to get a horse fit. Sometimes the workouts are based on stamina, and sometimes they’re based on showing quickness and a turn of foot,” said Amoss. “He’s in the process of doing both those things, and he’s doing well.”

Amoss added Storm the Court has made a positive first impression in his barn and that he likely will return to the races at Saratoga.

“I put him about two or three weeks away from a race, but I we’ve made no determination what we’re going to do,” said Amoss. “I’ve had him almost two months and he’s a real physically imposing horse – a very pretty, masculine horse. He moves well over the track, and those kind are always a pleasure to train.”