Half Is Enough Takes a Chance on the Turf in Galway

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Half Is Enough Takes a Chance on the Turf in Galway
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Joe Labozzetta
Half Is Enough (left) finishes a close second to Hot Peppers in the Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park

Ironhorse Racing Stable's Half Is Enough  will try grass for the first time in the Aug. 11 $150,000 Galway Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint over the Mellon turf for sophomore fillies at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Michael Trombetta, the daughter of Frosted   was handed her first loss in four starts last out when a game second to Hot Peppers  in the July 9 Victory Ride Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park. There, she stalked 2 3/4 lengths off the pace under Irad Ortiz Jr. and swung three-wide in the turn to make a run at Hot Peppers, but came up just shy and lost by three-quarters of a length.

"It was a very nice race," Trombetta said. "That last race was by far the toughest of what she's done and we didn't know how it would shake out."

Half Is Enough streaked into the Victory Ride with a perfect 3-for-3 record that began with an impressive debut maiden victory last September at Monmouth Park.

Trombetta said Half Is Enough has continued to improve with each of her outings.

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"She's done well. After her first start, we brought her back and were able to get a few starts under her belt against a couple of stakes-caliber horses before trying the big ones," Trombetta said.

The Galway will be the first time Half Is Enough has stepped on a turf course in the afternoon. She had her first and only work over the grass July 31 at the Oklahoma training track, breezing a half-mile in :50.82.

Half Is Enough has a pedigree rich in both dirt and turf talents, hailing from the family of turf graded stakes winner Filimbi. Her dam, the Indian Charlie mare Morea, is a half sister to 2018 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3T) winner Current .

Along with a new surface, Half Is Enough will cut back a furlong from her last outing to run the shortest race of her career, something Trombetta said he is not concerned about.

"The cutback shouldn't be a problem, it's just whether or not she handles the surface," Trombetta said.

Ricardo Santana Jr. picks up the mount from post 5.

Augustin Stable's Empress Tigress , winner of Saratoga's Coronation Cup going the Galway distance last out July 15, is one of two entrants for trainer Jonathan Thomas. Undefeated through two starts, Empress Tigress debuted in May over the all-weather track at Woodbine before making her way to the Spa for a successful stakes debut in the Coronation Cup.

"She's always trained like she's a talented filly and obviously it's great seeing it replicated in the afternoon," said Thomas. "She's an exciting little filly and we were thrilled."

Thomas' other entrant, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Benbang , was entered and scratched from the Coronation Cup to make a successful trip to Monmouth Park to take the Blue Sparkler Stakes just one day later

Arnmore Thoroughbreds' Poppy Flower  returns to the scene of her narrow defeat last out in the Coronation Cup for Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott.

A chestnut daughter of Lea  , Poppy Flower attempts her second stakes victory two starts after taking the Stormy Blues by 1 1/4 lengths in June at Laurel Park. She followed with her game runner-up finish behind Empress Tigress in the Coronation Cup.


Entries: Galway S.

Saratoga Race Course, Thursday, August 11, 2022, Race 9

  • STK
  • 5 1/2f
  • Turf
  • $150,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 5:39 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Poppy Flower (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose L. Ortiz 122 William I. Mott 5/1
2 2Delmona (IRE) Luis Saez 118 James Bentley Begg 15/1
3 3Benbang (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Manuel Franco 122 Jonathan Thomas 10/1
4 4Have A Good Day (IRE) Javier Castellano 122 Gustavo Delgado 10/1
5 5Half Is Enough (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Ricardo Santana, Jr. 120 Michael J. Trombetta 15/1
6 6Breeze Easy (GB) Flavien Prat 118 Christophe Clement 4/1
7 7Empress Tigress (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate John R. Velazquez 122 Jonathan Thomas 5/2
8 8Makin My Move (NY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 John C. Kimmel 10/1
9 9Artos (IRE) Julien R. Leparoux 118 George R. Arnold, II 15/1
10 10Derrynane (NY) Joel Rosario 122 Christophe Clement 5/1
11 11Freedom Speaks (KY) Manuel Franco 118 Jeremiah C. Englehart 15/1
12 12Mystic Eyes (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Rider TBA 122 Todd A. Pletcher 6/1