Citing a desire to give his star filly a break, trainer Bobby Frankel said Sunday morning that beaten Alabama favorite You will not race again this year.
Back in Saratoga after spending Saturday at Arlington Park, Frankel said You came out of her third-place finish to Farda Amiga in good shape, but he
felt she had done enough to earn a vacation.
"She's through for the year," he said. "She's fine, I'll just give her time to mature, grow, fill out. She deserves it. She's run hard every race since she was 2 years old. She's the only one that's still around that ran as a 2-year-old."
Frankel said You will remain in Saratoga until he ships back to California after the meet ends Sept. 2.
In her first attempt at a mile-and-a-quarter, You finished 3 1/2 lengths behind Farda Amiga in the Alabama (gr. I) as the 8-5 favorite. Jockey Edgar Prado, subbing for the absent Jerry Bailey, said You never really got a hold of the main track, which was listed as good.
"He said she didn't feel comfortable. She didn't like the mud," Frankel said. "A wet-fast racetrack is one thing, but the track they had here yesterday was kind of greasy. It might have been a little too long, but the main thing he said was that she wasn't comfortable. He's ridden her before, so he knows."
You has four wins in six starts this year, all grade I races, and one third, raising her career totals to 12-7-2-1 and $1,251,045 in earnings. Her only two defeats in 2002 have each come to Farda Amiga.
"I thought she might handle the mud, but she ran hard. She's honest," Frankel said. "She never lets you down. We'll give her off and we'll have a nice 4-year-old next year."
Frankel's 'Great Day' Began 'As a Disaster'
Frankel began Saturday by running last of six, beaten only 4 3/4 lengths, in the Beverly D. (gr. I), but followed with wins in the Arlington Million (gr. I) with Beat Hollow and the Secretariat (gr. I) with Chiselling in Chicago, as well as 3-year-old colt Inesperado in the La Jolla (gr. III) at Del Mar.
"It was a great day," Frankel said. "It started out as a disaster, but it worked out."
Jim Dandy winner Medaglia d'Oro went five furlongs in 1:00 3/5, handily, on the main track Sunday morning in preparation for the Aug. 24 Travers.
"He looks good, he acts good, but you never know," Frankel said. "I just think if he runs his race, we've got nothing to fear."
Celebrating the Alabama
The celebration had subsided but trainer Paulo Lobo was still excited Sunday morning about Farda Amiga's dramatic Alabama victory.
"The Alabama is one of the most important races for fillies," Lobo said. "I am very happy. I think she done a tremendous job."
Coming off a 106-day layoff, Farda Amiga rallied from well back on a demanding main track to catch pacesetter Allamerican Bertie past the sixteenth pole for a three-quarter length victory.
It was Farda Amiga's second straight win, following the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) on May 3. After that race, the filly spiked a fever and was confined to her stall for a month before returning to training.
"More than one hundred days from that race to go a mile and a quarter is very difficult, and she ran super," Lobo said. "I was very concerned about the weather here, about the rain. She has never run on mud. The first time was yesterday. She only go to the track two times. Many, many people, when I decide to come here, many people say, `Please be careful of Saratoga.'"
Lobo said Farda Amiga, which means "friendly silks" in Portuguese, will ship back to California on Monday. He plans to train the filly right up to the Breeders' Cup championships Oct. 26.
"I think we are going directly to the Breeders' Cup," he said. "She likes to run fresh."McPeek's Stable Stars Work
Trainer Ken McPeek had both Repent and Take Charge Lady out for works on the main track Sunday morning.
McPeek said Repent went four furlongs in :47 2/5 and galloped out in 1:00 2/5, while he got Take Charge Lady in :46 2/5 and 59 seconds.
"Maybe I'll run her in the Travers," he said.
Exercise rider Lorna Vanderford termed Repent's work "orgasmic," McPeek said. She was also up for Take Charge Lady's move.
"She's being silly when she says that, but it's her way of describing it," McPeek said. "It was a good, solid breeze. I can't complain about that."
His steady, sometimes spectacular, work pattern has Repent right on schedule for the Travers, which will be his first race since having a chip removed from his ankle in April.
"I don't go to bed at night dreaming of the Pennsylvania Derby," McPeek joked. "He's doing really well. It's not that ambitious. If there's a horse that can do it, it's him.
"We, by no means, forced the issue here. He pretty much told us he wanted to do something. You can't deny him the opportunity. You only get one chance."
The comeback trail for Take Charge Lady will wind through either Chicago, for the Arlington Matron (gr. III) Sept. 2, or New York, for the Gazelle (gr. I) at Belmont Park Sept. 7.
"It depends on how she's doing. She's doing really well right now," McPeek said. "I'd have to work her one more time to run her in the Gazelle, so that might factor into the decision."
McPeek said that Pisces won't make his next start in the Fourstardave (gr. II) Aug. 24.
"I didn't like the way he worked this morning. He acted like he needed the work pretty bad," he said. "I'm just inclined to wait."
Gander OK After Saturday Stumble
Gander, who stumbled and went to his knees one step out of the gate in Saturday's Saratoga Breeders' Cup (gr. II), came back with only some bumps and bruises, trainer John Terranova said Sunday.
The 6-year-old gelding banged his head in the dirt when he fell, tossing jockey Mike Smith. Gander got right up and continued with the field, actually finishing several lengths in front of winner Evening Attire.
"He's OK. He's fine," he said. "There's a little bit of bruising around one eye and on his nose from when he hit the ground there, but he doesn't have a scratch on him other than that."
Terranova said Gander may have outbroke himself, getting away so well that he surprised himself.
"He pushed off so sharp out of the gate, he couldn't get his feet back up underneath him quick enough and just tripped over himself," he said. "Luckily, he didn't grab himself anywhere or hit himself anywhere hard. And thank goodness nothing happened while he was running free. Basically he did everything right, just without the jock."
Prior to Saturday, the original plan was to point for the Meadowlands Cup (gr. II) on Oct. 2 with Gander, which Terranova still hopes to make.
"Right now we're going to sit tight and see how he is," he said. "So far, so good. It kind of screws things up a little bit, but more than likely that will be his next possible start."
Spa Notes
Puzzlement walked the starting gate Sunday for Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, who said the colt will work once more prior to the Travers..... Quest and Nothing Flat will work Monday morning for trainer Nick Zito, while D. Wayne Lukas will send out Shah Jehan in their final Travers tuneups.... Trainer Todd Pletcher reported Sunday that Left Bank, who suffered a bout of colic after winning the Whitney (gr. I) Aug. 3, may be released from a Massachusetts clinic on Monday, where he had surgery last week. He also said tests for Potomac horse fever came back negative on 3-year-old colt Warners, who became ill last week but is recovering well... Jockey Edgar Prado rode four winners on Sunday to tie Jerry Bailey atop the standings with 32 vict