Fort George seeks stateside success in G2 Bowling Green

Mrs. Fitriani Hay’s Fort George brings significant form to Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green presented by Emerald Ecovations, an 11-furlong inner turf test for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Bowling Green is slated as Race 10 on the 11-race program, which also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Caress in Race 5. First post is 12:35 p.m.

Trained by Ed Walker, who is based in England at the historic Kingsdown Stables in Upper Lambourn, Berkshire, Fort George [post 4, Kieran Shoemark, 122 pounds] arrives from a successful quartet of races over good turf at Meydan Racecourse, posting a 4-1-2-0 record while capturing the Group 3 Dubai Millennium in brave fashion on January 30.

Fort George is by Territories, sire of Rougir, who won the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont Park and Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine in 2022. Walker said the 4-year-old gelding has reportedly settled in well since arriving at Saratoga on June 26.

“He’s quite used to travelling now, he had a winter in Dubai and that was successful,” Walker said. “He’s becoming a bit of a pro on that front, and he’s adapted to training on the dirt, which he hasn’t done before. So far, so good.”

Fort George, with returning rider Kieran Shoemark up, was a stubborn winner of the 10-furlong Group 3 Dubai Millennium when pestered through a prominent trip by longshot Miss Of Change. Fort George took over at the top of lane with the Charlie Appleby-trained Arabian Light making a wide run and looking to have a narrow advantage in the final jumps only for Fort George to thrust his nose down to secure the win.

“He’s a very tough horse, very genuine,” Walker said. “I think he’s improving. He’s a tall, leggy horse. He was very backwards at two; there wasn’t much of him and now he’s filled his frame. He’s still narrow and gangly, but he’s improving all the time, and he’s got the right temperament for it.

“We thought with him being a Group 3-winner that life might be a bit tough at the highest level here,” Walker continued. “So, we thought we’d explore options abroad and hunt around for prize money.”

Fort George stepped up to 12 furlongs for the first time in the Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold in February and squared off with the formidable Rebel’s Romance, a 21-time winner from 31 starts with more than $15 million in purse earnings.

Fort George broke outward from the outside post 8 and raced in fourth position on the outside as Kihavah led in front of the Godolphin-owned tandem of Passion and Glory and Rebel’s Romance. William Buick gave Rebel’s Romance, the 2024 Champion Turf Male, his cue in the final turn with a hard-ridden Fort George in full pursuit. The two foes battled to the wire with Rebel’s Romance prevailing by 1 1/2-lengths.

“For a few strides, we thought we were going to give Rebel’s Romance a bit of a fright,” Walker said. “Rebel’s Romance is a legend of international horse racing, so it was amazing to be in the same competition as him, let alone finish second. He’s a cool horse.”

Walker intended to bring Fort George home to England following the Dubai City of Gold as the chestnut was not nominated to the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic, which was captured by Calandagan, who defended his title earlier today in the Group Grand Prix Saint-Cloud. Instead, Fort George tried his luck in the Group 1 Dubai Turf last out on March 28, finishing a 5 3/4-length ninth in a race won by highly-regarded Ombudsman.

“We were going to bring him home and then the war kicked off and we couldn’t leave, so we thought we’d have a go in the Dubai Turf,” Walker said. “The tempo of the race at that level was very strong. He’d been on the go for a little while, so he’s had a break and a freshen up. We’re looking forward to seeing him back on the racecourse.”

Walker said he is cautiously optimistic that Fort George is handy enough to adapt to the tighter turns at Saratoga and potentially swifter early pace.