Saratoga Picks | John Morrissey Handicap 2024

William J. Butler’s graded stakes-placed homebred Rotknee seeks his third state-bred stakes score of the year in Thursday’s $125,000 John Morrissey, a six-furlong handicap for New York-bred 3-year-olds and up, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Morrissey is slated as Race 3 on Thursday’s 10-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.  

Trained by Mike Maker, the 5-year-old Runhappy dark bay has made a splash sprinting in the state-bred program, winning the Say Florida Sandy in January and Affirmed Success in May, in addition to past scores in the Hudson [October 2023], Ontario County [June 2022], Mike Lee [May 2022] and Damon Runyon [March 2022]. 

Last out, Rotknee stalked the pace before finishing fourth in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 True North presented by F.W. Webb on June 8 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. It marked his third career graded-attempt, including show-honors in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap in November at Aqueduct Racetrack and an off-the-board result in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap in March there. 

Maker said he looks forward to Rotknee’s return to state-bred company where he has proven to fit in nicely. 

“The True North [result] was probably just open company and the fast pace last time,” Maker explained. “Looking for a similar trip to the last race this time. He is a very aggressive horse. He’s training forwardly into this.”

Rotknee, who boasts a 20-10-3-1 record with $661,580 in earnings, has worked back at Belmont Park five times since his last effort, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:01.61 on July 28. 

Rotknee is a half-brother to the Maker-trained graded stakes-winner My Mane Squeeze and multiple stakes-placed Lookin for Trouble. The siblings, each Butler homebreds, are out of the Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama – a half-sister to graded stakes-placed A Freud of Mama.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be aboard from post 5 carrying a field-high 126 pounds. 

McRich Stables’ 4-for-5 Light Man will step into stakes company for the first time in his career. Trained by Bruce Levine, the 4-year-old Central Banker gelding won on debut as a juvenile in a local 5 1/2-furlong state-bred maiden tilt in July 2022. 

Light Man did not return until he was a 4-year-old, but came back with a second place effort sprinting six-furlongs in a state-bred allowance in January at the Big A ahead of a one-turn mile score at the same level in February there. 

“He’s been running hard, but this is a step up,” said Levine. “I think he’s a sprinter. The mile, he just won it on class. He was laying down the whole stretch and just gutted it out with class. I think he wants to sprint.” 

Since the one-mile score, Light Man won his two subsequent outings, most recently capturing a six-furlong open allowance versus five foes on July 5 at Belmont at the Big A. 

“It wasn’t a great other-than [allowance], it was just alright. This will be a big step up,” said Levine.  

Bred by Newman Racing, Light Man, out of the stakes-winning Freud mare So N So, is a half-brother to multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Absatootly. He was a $30,000 purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga New York-bred Yearling Sale. 

Kendrick Carmouche will be aboard from post 3 carrying 118 pounds. 

Ten Strike Racing’s dual stakes-winning homebred Looms Boldly enters with a field-high last-out Beyer Speed Figure of 99, earned when defeated a head by Subrogate in an open optional-claimer here on June 8 Belmont Stakes Day. 

Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the 4-year-old Goldencents gelding set the pace before Subrogate took over at the top of the stretch and wouldn’t give up his narrow lead. That rival exited to earn a 106 Beyer in a next-out win before a Grade 1 attempt in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on July 27 here at Saratoga. 

“He ran well in open company last time up here. He is training well,” Cox said of the horse who has breezed weekly at Belmont Park since returning to the tab on June 22. 

Looms Boldly is 2-for-3 in state-bred stakes, taking the Damon Runyon last March at Aqueduct and the Ontario County last May at Finger Lakes– both at Thursday’s distance. 

Looms Boldly, out of the Forestry mare See the Forest, is a half-brother to multiple stakes-winner Critical Value.

Florent Geroux will look to avenge the last-out defeat from the outermost post 6, carrying 118 pounds.

A. Bianco Holding Limited’s multiple stakes-placed Sheriff Bianco [post 2, Jose Ortiz, 120 pounds] has been a regular face in state-bred stakes and will look to get back in the win column for trainer Linda Rice. 

The 6-year-old Speightster gelding hasn’t won in 13 efforts since taking an open optional-claimer in April 2023, but he subsequently hit the board in the 2023-24 Affirmed Success, plus last year’s Commentator, Evan Shipman Handicap and Empire Classic. 

Bred by SF Bloodstock, Sheriff Bianco is out of the Perfect Soul mare Summer Rules, who produced graded stakes-placed Never Gone South.  

Rounding out the Saratoga field is five-time winner Factually Correct [post 4, Flavien Prat, 120 pounds] for conditioner Rudy Rodriguez and four-time victor Ocean’s Reserve [post 1, Manny Franco, 118 pounds] for trainer George Weaver.