Art Collector Regroups, Seeks Second Alydar

Bruce Lunsford’s Art Collector  takes on three different graded stakes winners within the $135,000 Alydar Stakes, a restricted 1 1/8-mile take a look at for older horses who haven’t received a stakes aside from state-bred in 2022, Aug. 4 at Saratoga Race Course. 

Grade 1 winner Art Collector, a 5-year-old, boasts a document of 8-1-0 from 17 begins and lifelong earnings of $1,655,305 because the lone millionaire within the subject. Initially educated by Thomas Drury Jr., Art Collector made his debut for Corridor of Fame coach Invoice Mott with a gate-to-wire rating in final 12 months’s Alydar, defeating graded stakes winners Evening Ops  and Math Wizard . The bay son of Bernardini received by 1 1/2 lengths on the pathway to a stable 4-year-old season, subsequently capturing the Charles City Basic Stakes (G2) and the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park en path to a sixth-place end within the Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic (G1) in November at Del Mar. 

Mott stated Art Collector might observe an identical path throughout his present marketing campaign. 

“These are races we’re , however we have now to get by the primary one, first,” Mott stated.

Art Collector returns from a hiatus after a subsequent Twelfth-place end within the Saudi Cup (G1) in February, ending Twelfth. 

“He was up near the lead after which everyone in there, a number of good horses, backed up from the race,” Mott stated. “It is a totally different sort of observe, utterly totally different sort of floor. It was secure, however perhaps a bit of heavy, sticky, or laboring may be one of the simplest ways to place it.”

Luis Saez, final 12 months’s main rider at Saratoga, will retain the mount from put up 5.

FTGGG Racing’s Masqueparade  will make his first begin on the Spa since ending a distant sixth to Important High quality   in final 12 months’s Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) for coach AI Stall Jr., who captured the 2019 Alydar with eventual grade 1-winning millionaire Tom’s d’Etat. 

The son of Upstart   loved a profitable 3-year-old season, which included a third-place end within the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga. He additionally received the Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown, in defeating fellow Alydar aspirant King Fury . 

The Stall-trained Masqueparade was an in depth second in his 2022 debut, a two-turn allowance non-compulsory claimer for non-winners of 4 races Might 13 at Churchill Downs. He earned a victory for a similar situation at Churchill subsequent out on June 23. 

Joel Rosario, who rode Tom’s d’Etat within the 2019 Alydar, will pilot Masqueparade from put up 6. 

Coach Kenny McPeek will saddle Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm’s King Fury , who’s searching for his first win since a 13-length romp in final 12 months’s Bourbon Path Stakes at Churchill. The 4-year-old Curlin   chestnut, out of grade 1 winner Taris , has not raced since ending a distant eighth within the Kentucky Cup Basic on April 2 over the artificial Tapeta floor at Turfway Park, from which he exited with an injured shoulder.

This press launch has been edited for content material and elegance by BloodHorse Workers.