2022 Fourstardave Handicap Entries at Saratoga

Fourstardave Handicap is a "Win And You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Mile

Regal Glory, after beating some of the best in her division in three starts this year, will face males for the first time in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap over the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 13.

The one-mile turf test is a Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" qualifier, offering the winner an automatic entry into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile on November 5 at Keeneland.

The Fourstardave is carded as Race 10 on Saturday's 11-race program, which also includes the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special Stakes in Race 4. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, the 6-year-old Animal Kingdom chestnut mare captured each of her three victories this year over different turf courses. Following a triumphant 2022 commencement in the Grade 3 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational on January 29 at Gulfstream Park, she registered a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure with a one-length victory over stablemate Shantisara in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley in April at Keeneland.

She enters off a win in the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game on June 11 at Belmont Park over next out graded stakes winners Wakanaka and stablemate In Italian.

Regal Glory has consistently worked over the Oklahoma training turf, breezing in company with multiple graded stakes winner Technical Analysis. Both horses completed their five furlong moves in 1:00.29 seconds on August 7 - the second fastest of 20 recorded works at the distance.

Boasting an overall record of 19-12-4-0 and earnings of $2,111,009, Regal Glory has won at graded stakes level seven times. Unbeaten in a trio of starts at the Spa, she won the Grade 3 Lake George and Grade 3 Lake Placid in 2019 before returning two years later to win the De La Rose.

"She's having a great year - the best year of her career. At age six, she's been a pleasant surprise," Brown said. "She's in great form and she's run well at Saratoga before so that gives me a lot of confidence."

Regular pilot Jose Ortiz will ride Regal Glory from post 3.

Regal Glory's biggest challenge may come from stablemate and Juddmonte homebred Masen [post 4, Flavien Prat]. The 4-year-old Kingman gelding made his North American debut as the favorite in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile on April 15 at Keeneland, missing by a slim margin to Shirl's Speight. A winner of his last two starts traveling one mile over the Belmont Park Widener turf course, Masen captured the Seek Again on May 22 before securing a graded stakes win in the Grade 3 Poker on June 18.

LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's Casa Creed, a dual Grade 1-winning millionaire, arrives off a repeat victory in the Grade 1 Jaipur on June 11 at Belmont. He has finished third in the last two runnings of the Fourstardave for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, a four-time Fourstardave winner. The 6-year-old son of Jimmy Creed will attempt his first Spa win since taking the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in August 2019.

Luis Saez will pick up the mount from the inside post.

Hall of Famer Mark Casse, who saddled turf distaffer Got Stormy to two non-consecutive victories in the Fourstardave [2019 and 2021], sends out graded stakes winner Get Smokin [post 5, Javier Castellano] for owners Ironhorse Racing Stable, BlackRidge Stables, T-N-T Equine Holdings and Saratoga Seven Racing Partners.

The four-time winner was second twice at graded stakes level this year, making his 2022 debut when a frontrunning second in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay on February 5 at Tampa Bay Downs. After an international engagement when a distant 16th in the Group 1 Al Quoz Turf Sprint on March 26 at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, he was a narrowly beaten second in the Grade 3 Arlington on June 4 at Churchill Downs. He arrives from a fourth-place finish to City Man in the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple on the Spa's opening weekend.

Completing the field is George Sharp's Front Run the Fed, a last out stakes winner for trainer Caio Caramori. Previously conditioned by Chad Brown, the 6-year-old son of Fed Biz made his 2022 debut a winning one in Colonial Downs' Van Clief on July 18.

Irad Ortiz, Jr will have the call from post 2.

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Front Run the Fed Excited for Fourstardave Chance

George Sharp's Front Run the Fed may be listed as the 10-1 longest shot on the board in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave, but trainer Caio Caramori is excited about his chances in the "Win and You're In" event which offers a berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in November at Keeneland.

Front Run the Fed, a 6-year-old son of Fed Biz, enters from a rallying head score in the Van Clief on July 18 at Colonial Downs. With returning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, the talented bay closed from sixth to secure the win while racing from a nine-month layoff.

"He'd had a long layoff, but we were expecting the horse to go over there and take care of business. We were expecting him to run a big race," said Caramori, son of trainer Eduardo Caram  ori.

Front Run the Fed, previously trained by Chad Brown, topped last year's Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale at $440,000. He made three starts last year for his current connections, finishing sixth in the 5 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Troy in August at Saratoga, seventh in the six-furlong Grade 3 Turf Sprint in September at Kentucky Downs, and a close sixth in October in the Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile.

"He ran well last time at Keeneland and it seemed like he handled the distance and galloped out really well that day. I expect him to be able to get a mile," Caramori said. "He's a tricky horse. It's difficult to find the right distance for him. Five-and-a-half [furlongs] is too short and a mile might be a hair too long. You have to find that sweet spot with him. They don't write many races at six or seven furlongs on the grass."

Caramori said he was looking at a number of horses at the July sale, including Stilleto Boy, who sold for $420,000 and recently captured the Grade 2 Californian at Santa Anita; and Fearless [$205,000], who has since won a trio of graded events for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. But Caramori ultimately decided on Front Run the Fed, who had garnered a career-best 101 Beyer with a runner-up effort in the 2020 Grade 3 Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs and had finished a close third in the Grade 3 Poker at Belmont ahead of the July sale.

"I liked him physically. He's a beautiful horse," said Caramori. "He had been running some big numbers and I thought he was the best horse in the sale. Fearless was in there and Stilleto Boy was another we looked at, but we ended up falling for this horse."

Front Run the Fed will leave post 2 Saturday under Ortiz, Jr. and will have to topple a five-horse field led by the Brown-trained duo of Regal Glory, a multiple Grade 1-winning mare; and Masen, who has won four of his last five starts, including the last-out Grade 3 Poker at Belmont. A talented field also includes multiple Grade 1-winner Casa Creed and multiple graded-stakes winner Get Smokin.

"He's a tough horse because he needs the right trip," Caramori said. "I like the five-horse field because he should be able to get a clean run at them and we get Irad, who won on him at Colonial and loved him that day. Getting Irad back on is a big plus."

Caramori admitted that despite the compact field, winning will be a tall order with Brown saddling two top contenders in search of his first Fourstardave coup.

"The filly is probably the best turf filly in the country and maybe the best turf horse in the country. The other horse, Masen, is no slouch either," Caramori said. "We have our work cut out for us, but I think our horse is a better horse than he was last year."

Caramori, in search of his first win at Saratoga, will send out Sharp's Curly Larry and Mo, a New York-bred juvenile son of Mo Town, in Race 6 today sprinting six furlongs over the main track.

"He's a goofy horse and real playful, so it's a good name for him. He was second first time out, and he's doing well. So, maybe that will get the monkey off my back today," said Caramori, with a laugh. "It's a dream to be here and to be stabled up here."

And while a maiden score would be welcome, Caramori can't help but look ahead to Saturday's Grade 1 affair.

"I'm going into the biggest weekend of my training career, so I'm nervous and excited all at the same time," Caramori said. "We've got a good horse and he's going to run well. If he runs third, we'll be happy."