Mohaymen, Red Rifle, Mo Tom Try to Rebound in Alydar

A trio of older horses looking to recapture their mojos will face off in the $100,000 Alydar Stakes going nine furlongs at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 6.

Shadwell Stable's multiple graded stakes winner Mohaymen, who hasn’t been the same since Nyquist   blew his doors off in the 2016 Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1), will try to break a seven-race losing streak. His connections sent him to the turf last month in a bid to turn things around, but he weakened late to finish sixth of seven in an allowance optional claimer. He has been losing his races by daylight margins and hasn’t resembled the racehorse who won his first five career starts.

Mo Tom hasn’t had his picture taken since last year’s Ohio Derby, dropping six straight decisions since then. He did make a late bid last out in the Schaeffer Memorial at Indiana Grand Race Course, finishing third while beaten just a head and a nose to Eagle. Red Rifle is shortening up from his usual trip, and he, too, is far removed from his best form two years ago when he took the Bowling Green Handicap (G2T) at the Spa. He is riding an 11-race losing streak but does receive eight pounds from Mohaymen and Mo Tom.

Conquest Windycity has not been competitive in his stakes tries and is winless in three attempts at this distance.

Graded stakes winner Breaking Lucky, third last time out in the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), is cross-entered in the Aug. 5 Whitney Stakes (G1) but could be a no-show this weekend if the main track turns up sloppy.

"We won't run if it's muddy," trainer Reade Baker said. "We could look at the Alydar but if it's muddy for both days, we're going home."

The co-feature Sunday is the $250,000 Troy Handicap for older horses going 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon turf course. Pure Sensation, an impressive last-out winner of the Parx Dash Stakes (G3T), will face many of the same here. He defeated Mongolian Saturday by 5 3/4 lengths at Parx last month, and has earned two of his eight career wins over the Saratoga turf.

Green Mask won the Highlander Stakes (G2T) last out at Woodbine and has been first or second in six straight races. He should be coming late at Pure Sensation. The veteran Undrafted draws the rail here, and is seeking to regain the form the allowed him to win the 2015 Diamond Jubilee (G1T) at Royal Ascot and the  2016 Shakertown Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland.

Long On Value ran well when just missing by a nose in the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Azizi Developments (G1) in Dubai in March but ran poorly in the Diamond Jubilee and makes his first start back stateside here. He took the Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga last summer. Mongolian Saturday is two years removed from winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) and is another 7-year-old who will be trying to find the fountain of youth here.

Alydar S.

Saratoga Race Course, Sunday, August 06, 2017, Race 3

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 2:07 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Mohaymen (KY)	Junior Alvarado	123	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	9/2
2	2Red Rifle (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	115	Todd A. Pletcher	4/1
3	3Mo Tom (KY)	Javier Castellano	123	Thomas M. Amoss	5/1
4	4Conquest Windycity (KY)	Luis Saez	117	Brendan P. Walsh	8/1
5	5Breaking Lucky (ON)	Luis Contreras	123	Reade Baker	7/2
6	6Rally Cry (KY)	John R. Velazquez	117	Todd A. Pletcher	8/5

Troy H.

Saratoga Race Course, Sunday, August 06, 2017, Race 10

• STK
• 5 1/2f
• Turf
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 6:21 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Undrafted (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	117	Wesley A. Ward	10/1
2	2Long On Value (VA)	Joel Rosario	120	William I. Mott	5/1
3	3Pure Sensation (FL)	Kendrick Carmouche	121	Christophe Clement	9/5
4	4Green Mask (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	Brad H. Cox	8/5
5	5Doctor J Dub (NY)	Rider TBA	114	Jena M. Antonucci	4/1
6	6Holding Gold (FL)	John R. Velazquez	122	Mark E. Casse	9/2
7	7Weekend Hideaway (NY)	Luis Saez	114	Philip M. Serpe	2/1
8	8Bold Thunder (KY)	Paco Lopez	119	Patricia Farro	20/1
9	9Mongolian Saturday (KY)	Florent Geroux	119	Enebish Ganbat	15/1