27 Horses Nominated For Sanford Stakes

A total of 27 two-year-old Thoroughbreds have been nominated for the 95th running of the six-furlong $150,000 Sanford Stakes (G2) at Saratoga race track on July 30th.

The nominations for the Sanford were closed Saturday. Trainers Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen, D. Wayne Lukas and Wesley Ward lead all nominations with three horses each.

Here are the past performances:

http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=SNPP-SAR-20090730-486879

Nine of the 27 nominations have stakes race experience.

Wesley Ward’s Strike the Tiger, impressive winner of the Royal Ascot Windsor Castle Stakes, and Yogaroo, 9th place finisher in the Royal Ascot Norfolk Stakes (G2), are among the nominations.

Ward is also the owner and breeder of Strike the Tiger (Tiger Ridge-R Lucky Strike by In Excess) who made history when he became the first American-trained horse to win at the Royal Ascot meet defeating Fratellino by a neck.

Goldmark Farms’ Florida-bred Backtalk is also nominated. Trained by Tom Amoss, Backtalk (Smarty Jones-Apasionata Sonata by Affirmed) is a half-brother to Bsharpsonata and the impressive one-length winner of the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs on July 3rd.

Owner and trainer Merrill R. Scherer has Kentucky-bred Flatter Than Me nominated for the Sanford. Flatter Than Me (Flatter-Hannah’s Doll by Boston Harbor) finished second to Backtalk in the Bashford Manor.

Westrock Stables’ Kentucky-bred Soundman and Florida-bred Westrock Gold are also nominated for the Sanford. Soundman (Songandaprayer-Class Choice by Peaks and Valleys) finished fifth in the Bashford Manor and Westrock Gold (Touch Gold-Gray Touch by Entropy) finished sixth in the Bashford Manor. Both horses are trained by D. Wayne Lukas.

Owner and trainer Bernie Flint has Kentucky-bred Vito Filitto nominated for the Sanford. Vito Filitto (Mutakddim-Braggin Rights by Iroquois Park) won the seven-furlong $50,000 Minstrel Stakes on the turf at Louisiana Downs on Saturday and finished in seventh place in the Bashford Manor Stakes.

Dogwood Stables’ Kentucky-bred Bricklayer is nominated. Trained by Frank Alexander, Bricklayer (El Corredor-Miss Brickyard by A.P. Indy) finished fifth in the Victoria Stakes behind second-place finisher Fearless Cowboy who won the $150,000 six-furlong Colin Stakes Saturday at Woodbine.

Flying Zee Stables’ New York-bred Zip Quick rounds out the nominations with stakes-race experience. Zip Quick (City Zip-Senita Lane by Ascot Knight) finished third in the Willard Proctor Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park and he finished second, beaten three lengths by the speedy filly Necessary Evil, in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes.

Nellie Cox first-time starter Mighty Fine Day (Five Star Day-Miss Alethia by T.V. Commercial) and Trade Winds Farm Ryvit (Tapit-Ryvnine by Broad Brush) are also nominated. Both horses are Kentucky-bred and trained William Phipps.