Saratoga Notebook: Lewis' Warhol Injured; Dandy Draws 6 Definites; Hennig Has Mares Ready; First 'Chase Mishaps

by Mike Kane
Warhol, a $4 million yearling recently purchased privately by Bob and Beverly Lewis from John Magnier and Michael Tabor, was injured Tuesday while leaving the Oklahoma training track.

The colt is by Saint Ballado and is a 3-year-old half-brother to stakes winner Tout Charmant.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who received the horse Monday afternoon, said Thursday that veterinarians have been unable to determine whether the colt has serious injuries to his hind end.

"We're just trying to get to the bottom of it," Lukas said.

Lukas said the small X-ray machines that have been used didn't show any fractures. Warhol is confined to his stall.

"He's pretty comfortable, but I'm obviously not optimistic that he's going to wake up tomorrow and jog out of there," Lukas said.

Warhol began his career in Europe.

"We'd only had him out of quarantine for 18 hours," Lukas said. "That was his first morning on the racetrack. He went beautifully on the racetrack, was walking home, reared up and lost his balance."

Lukas said he didn't see the incident.

"He was coming off with my assistant," Lukas said. "He had a rider on him and a pony next to him. He was fresh out of quarantine, probably feeling a little bit good.
Hopefully it will right itself.'"

Jim Dandy Has Six Committed
New York Racing Association Stakes Coordinator Andrew Byrnes said that six or seven 3-year-olds are likely to be entered Friday in the $500,000 Jim Dandy (gr.II) to be run Sunday.

The definite starters are Belmont Stakes (gr.I) winner Empire Maker, Dwyer (gr.II) winner Strong Hope, Tafaseel, Swaps (gr. II) winner During and Congrats. The possibles as of Thursday were Nacheezmo and Christine's Outlaw.

Hennig Returns with Veteran Mares
Trainer Mark Hennig is back at Saratoga with Edward P. Evans' trio of stakes-winning mares, Gold Mover, Raging Fever and Sunner Colony. When he left the Spa after the 2002 season, Hennig figured some or all of them might be retired to the breeding shed.

"I assumed that last year and Mr. Evans made the sporting gesture of running them again," Hennig said Thursday morning.

All three remain in training and are on course for stakes at Saratoga. Raging Fever runs in the Honorable Miss (gr.III) Friday, Summer Colony is being pointed for the Personal Ensign (gr.I) on Aug. 22 and Gold Mover is headed for the Ballerina (gr.I) on Aug. 24.

In her last race, the Delaware Handicap (gr.II) at Delaware Park on July 20, Summer Colony had an uncharacterically poor performance, finishing sixth.

"She got off so far behind the field that I think it was just kind of a disaster the way it developed," Hennig said.

"She got in the gate, they had her head turned, and they sprung the latch and she was off behind the field. She was put in an impossible position when you looked at the fractions later of making up any ground."

Hennig said that Summer Colony may have her first breeze since the Delaware Handicap on Friday morning.

Raging Fever's 3-year-old brother, Roaring Fever, has been off since running in the Swale (gr.II) at Gulfstream Park in March. Hennig said the colt is likely to return to action in an allowance race at Saratoga.

"He's just 3 and we gave him a little time on the farm to freshen up a little bit because he hadn't had a break during his 2-year-old year," Hennig said.

Pennant Fever, the dam of Raging Fever, Roaring Fever and the young sire Stormin Fever, produced another full sibling by Storm Cat this year.

Hennig has several of Stormin Fever's first crop of 2-year-olds in his barn.

"We've had a couple of winners already," he said. "It seems like the ones we've got are pretty nice. We should run a few of those before the meet is over. Actually, we have one in Friday in the first race, a filly named Post Op."

Hennig said that the 4-year-old gelding Gygistar came out of his recent allowance victory at Saratoga in good shape and is in course for the Forego (gr.I) on Aug. 31.

No Serious Injury in Steeplechase Mishaps
All three steeeplchase riders who were unseated in the first race Thursday escaped serious injury.

Cyril Murphy, winner of the first two steeplechase races run at the meet, quickly got to his feet and walked off the course after his mount, Major Hero, fell jumping a fence midway through the 2 1/16 miles race.

Regal Again fell going over the final jump, throwing Michael Traurig to the ground. A split-second later, I'm Hit Sarge and rider Danielle Hodsdon went down in the spot where Regal Again landed. Traurig was able to walk away after the spill, but Hodsdon lay on the ground for several minutes before being taken by ambulance to Saratoga Hospital for an examination.

The spills were the first of the steeplechase season at Saratoga.

Bird Town's Half-Brother to Start
Birdstone, a half-brother to Kentucky Oaks and Acorn (both gr. I) winner Bird Town, will make his debut in the fourth race Saturday.

The 2-year-old son of Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone is a Marylou Whitney homebred out of the mare Dear Birdie. Like Bird Town, Birdstone is trained by Nick Zito.

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