Highland Chief Ready to Go in Bowling Green

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Highland Chief Ready to Go in Bowling Green
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Joe Labozzetta
Highland Chief wins the Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park

Fitriani Hay's Highland Chief  has surprised trainer Graham Motion before. Maybe the 5-year-old horse can do it again July 31 in the $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course.

In the $700,000 Man o' War Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park on Mary 14, Highland Chief opened some eyes when he won by a length at odds of 19-1. He was the longest price in the field of five in the 1 3/8-mile race.

"He surprised me because he is not overly impressive in the mornings," Motion said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. "He does what he has to do and is a little bit of a hard read. He is very honest and generous in the afternoons. A very cool horse."

In his last start, Highland Chief, a son of Gleneagles , was still a price (10-1) when finishing fourth in the Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes (G1T) at Belmont on June 11. Motion then decided he would wait until Saratoga before the next start.

"We passed on the United Nations (G1T) because I kind of wanted to run him up here," Motion said. "He finds it quite hard in the heat; I thought the cooler mornings up here would help him."

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Motion is also confident that the Bowling Green distance of 1 3/8 miles will help, the same distance as the Man o' War.

"A mile and a quarter (Manhattan distance) is too short for him," he said. 

Highland Chief is the 5-2 second choice in the morning line made by New York Racing Association oddsmaker David Aragona. The Brad Cox-trained Arklow , owned by Jerry Crawford's Donegal Racing and Joseph Bulger, is the 2-1 favorite.


Entries: Bowling Green S. (G2T)

Saratoga Race Course, Sunday, July 31, 2022, Race 8

  • Grade II
  • 1 3/8m
  • Inner turf
  • $250,000
  • 4 yo's & up
  • 4:59 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1L'Imperator (FR) Manuel Franco 122 Chad C. Brown 6/1
2 2Arklow (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Brad H. Cox 2/1
3 3Highland Chief (IRE) Trevor McCarthy 122 H. Graham Motion 5/2
4 4Cross Border (NY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tyler Gaffalione 122 Michael J. Maker 4/1
5 5Cibolian (KY) Luis Saez 118 Rodolphe Brisset 15/1
6 6Rockemperor (IRE) Flavien Prat 122 Chad C. Brown 3/1