A year ago, Good Samaritan made his dirt debut a winning one, defeating Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and Preakness winner Cloud Computing in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga.
Now, those same connections – trainer Bill Mott and an ownership group that includes WinStar Farm and China Horse Club – are considering a similar surface switch with the 4-year-old Yoshida.
Yoshida, a Japanese-bred son of Heart’s Cry who most recently finished fifth in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, could make his dirt debut in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 4, Mott said Sunday.
“As long as he stays healthy, there’ll be a dirt race on his dance card somewhere,” Mott said. “He’s by a son of Sunday Silence out of a stakes-winning mare on the dirt and works nicely on it.”
Yoshida’s dam is Hilda’s Passion, a five-time graded stakes winner on dirt, including the Grade 1 Ballerina in 2011.
On Sunday, Yoshida worked a half-mile over the Oklahoma training track in 50.28 seconds, going his first quarter in 26.68 seconds and his last quarter in 23.60. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.50.
It was Yoshida’s first work since he lost the Queen Anne by only 1 1/4 lengths. Earlier this year, he won the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.
Mott said Yoshida also will be nominated to the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap, a one-mile turf race here on Aug. 11.
Whichever race Yoshida runs in, Good Samaritan likely will run in the other, Mott said. Good Samaritan is a Grade 2 stakes winner on turf and dirt. Earlier this year, he won the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap on dirt and most recently finished seventh in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park.
Good Samaritan was scheduled to work at Saratoga on Monday.
This story originally appeared on DRF.com.
Visit DRF.com for additional news, notes, wagering information, and more.
