It was de ja vu in the opener at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday afternoon when Curtain Call powered to an 8 1/2-length maiden triumph.
For the second straight Saturday, a 2-year-old colt jumped to the forefront for the team of trainer Mark Casse, jockey Jose Ortiz and West Point Thoroughbreds. Like Ewing the previous Saturday at Saratoga, Curtain Call earned “Rising Star” status from the Thoroughbred Daily News.
Coming off a second-place debut, Curtain Call stumbled at the break but recovered well and tracked patiently along the rail before pouncing and opening up daylight. The 6-furlong event was contested on a sloppy and sealed dirt surface.
While Ewing will likely aim for the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, Curtain Call will point for the $300,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) going seven furlongs on Labor Day, Monday, September 1 at the Spa.
Casse said, “He is going to get better and better with more ground. I’ll keep my fingers crossed because I think he is a Breeders’ Cup horse. We just have to figure a way to get there.”
West Point acquired Curtain Call at the OBS March sale of two-year-olds in training from the consignment of Steve Venosa’s SGV Thoroughbreds.
