Saratoga: Donegal Momentum steps up in Amsterdam

Lightly raced Donegal Momentum is set for his graded stakes debut in Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomores, at Saratoga.

Trainer Tom Morley, who saddled The Big Torpedo to win the $150,000 Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series on July 18, looks to keep the momentum going as Donegal Momentum makes his third career start.

The Uncle Mo dark bay enters off a last-out runner-up finish versus elders in a one-turn mile allowance on June 27 at Belmont at the Big A. He set the pace under returning Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano before a half-length defeat to 4-year-old Surface to Air.

“This is a big step up in class. From what I’m gauging, it is a very contentious field of unexposed 3-year-old colts who are trying to make a splash on the scene,” Morley said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

In defeat, Donegal Momentum earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form, one point higher than for his 8 1/4-length debut victory sprinting six furlongs May 16 at Belmont at the Big A.

Donegal Momentum completed his preparations for the step up in class with a half-mile breeze in 48.76 seconds Thursday over the Saratoga main track. Morley said the move left a great impression going into the Amsterdam.

“His work was absolutely beautiful over the main track. It was a half-mile by himself, Castellano came and breezed him, off in 24 and four, finished in 48 and two,” Morley said. “He just looks like he does everything so effortlessly. You wouldn’t even know he was breezing, which is normally a sign of a good horse.”

Castellano looks to engineer a winning trip from post 2.

Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Jefferson Street also steps into stakes company for the first time for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. The Street Sense dark bay holds a pair of dominant victories in his two efforts at Friday’s distance, including by eight lengths last out versus allowance-level elders June 7 at Saratoga during the Belmont Stakes racing festival.

There, he traveled five lengths back in third position before surging to the front in the stretch and drawing off impressively to stop the clock in 1:14.96 over the fast going, earning a career and field-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I thought he ran very well. He ran very good,” Mott said. “He’s maintained everything pretty well, I just hope he runs as well as he did last time. They get stronger as they go along, and he’s slowly worked his way to that.”

The victory marked a second much-the-best score to go along with a nine-length third-out graduation over sloppy and sealed footing on April 11 at Keeneland.

When not an open-lengths winner, Jefferson Street has posted a trio of third-place efforts to reputable foes, including next-out Grade 1-placed General Partner on debut in September and dual Grade 1-contestant Be You next in March at Gulfstream. In his first try versus winners, he saw the graded stakes-placed and next-out stakes winner Raging Torrent take a May optional-claimer at Churchill.

Jefferson Street is out of the Bernardini mare Apiary, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Frosted and a full-sister to graded stakes winner Indulgent.

Dual Eclipse award-winning trainer Brad Cox will send out the unbeaten Pure Force, a 2-for-2 Kentucky homebred for Juddmonte. The Constitution dark bay has proven his name in his two starts, winning a 6 1/2-furlong sprint on debut versus elders on the Kentucky Derby card at Churchill Downs ahead of a five-length victory traveling seven furlongs on June 19 there.

Blake Cox, son and assistant to Brad, said Pure Force has trained well as of late, citing a half-mile bullet in 47 seconds flat over the Oklahoma dirt on July 13, fastest-of-64 workers at the distance, and most recently a five-furlong breeze in 1:02.25 Saturday.

“He seems like he likes it up here. He is a horse that always puts a lot into his works. He doesn’t need any company, he knows his job,” said Blake. “Two weeks out, we put a little more into him and today (Saturday) was just maintenance.”

Cox added that Pure Force, out of the Group 3-winning Medaglia d’Oro turf miler Mexican Gold, is built like a true sprinter.

“I think he may be able to get up to one mile. But farther, we’ll see as he gets older and matures,” Cox added.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will saddle multiple stakes winner Valentine Candy, who represents the only member of the compact field with graded stakes experience. The Justify chestnut enters from a fifth in the Woody Stephens (G1) on June 8 at Saratoga. He also finished off the board in the local Hopeful (G1) in September.

Valentine Candy won the six-furlong Listed Bachelor in April at Oaklawn Park over next-out graded stakes-winner Frost Free. In victory, he added a fourth stakes score sprinting at Oaklawn after capturing the Ozark in February, plus the Renaissance and Advent in December.

Rounding out the field is stakes-placed World Record, who adds blinkers for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. The Gun Runner bay was third last out in the seven-furlong Listed Maxfield on June 30 at Churchill, won by Raging Torrent.

The Amsterdam is slated as Race 3 on Friday’s 10-race program. First post is 1:10 p.m. EDT.

Post	Silks	Horse / Sire	Rating	Trainer / Jockey	Last Start / Next Start	HRN
1		World Record Gun Runner	0.00	Rodolphe Brisset Flavien Prat	3rd, Maxfield Overnight S. 2024 Amsterdam G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		3rd, Maxfield Overnight S. 2024 Amsterdam G2
2		Donegal Momentum Uncle Mo	0.00	Thomas Morley Javier J. Castellano	2nd, Aqu Allow (6/27/24-R2) 2024 Amsterdam G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		2nd, Aqu Allow (6/27/24-R2) 2024 Amsterdam G2
3		Pure Force Constitution	6.09	Brad H. Cox Florent Geroux	1st, CD AlwOC (6/19/24-R7) 2024 Amsterdam G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		1st, CD AlwOC (6/19/24-R7) 2024 Amsterdam G2
4		Jefferson Street Street Sense	5.59	William I. Mott Junior Alvarado	1st, SAR ALW (06/07/2024-R8) 2024 Amsterdam G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		1st, SAR ALW (06/07/2024-R8) 2024 Amsterdam G2
5		Valentine Candy Justify	6.15	Steven M. Asmussen Joel Rosario	5th, 2024 Woody Stephens G1 2024 Amsterdam G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		5th, 2024 Woody Stephens G1 2024 Amsterdam G2