BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Glassman Racing’s Arthur’s Ride, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga Race Course, is set to make his first start of the year Saturday in the fourth race at the Spa, a conditioned $100,000 optional claiming. The handsome 5-year-old all-most white gray horse trained by Bill Mott is the morning line favorite at 4-5 among the six 3-year-olds and older who will go nine furlongs.

This will be the first start for Arthur’s Ride since finishing out of the money in last year’s $6.44 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) won by Sierra Leone at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Nov. 2. In one race between the Whitney and the Breeders’ Cup, he was fifth in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) won by Highland Falls.

Arthur’s Ride has an affinity for Saratoga, where he has two wins and two seconds in five starts including a nearly 13-length romp in winning a second condition $62,5000 optional claiming there last year. That day he covered a mile-and-a-quarter in 2:00.99 for a 111 Beyer Speed Figure.

Bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbazon and Tapit Syndicate, Arthur’s Ride is by Tapit out of the FTBOA 2024 broodmare of the year Points of Grace by Point Given. He has a career record of four wins and two seconds in nine starts with earnings of $804,955.

He was a $250,000 yearling at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale where Donato Lani as an agent selected him out of the Gainesway consignment.

Return to the July 25 issue of Wire to Wire