Sunday, August 14, 2011

Saratoga Special Racing Roundup

Trainer Todd Pletcher will be looking for his first win Monday in the $150,000 Three Chimneys Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) when he sends Stat, the prohibitive 7-5 morning line favorite, to the starting gate.

Stat is stepping up in class and comes into the race with a 2-length maiden win in a 5½-length sprint race at Belmont Park on July 9. Stat earned a 95 Brisnet Speed Figure for that effort, which is the highest of all six horses entered in the race.

If Stat repeats the form of his maiden win, he should be competitive.

Stat is a descendant of the Mr. Prospector sire line and since 1990 that line has produced seven winners of the Saratoga Special: Run Away And Hide (2008), Chace City (2006), Cuvee (2003), City Zip (2000), Bevo (1999), Prime Directive (1998) and Tactical Advantage (1992).

Unbridled’s Song, the sire of Stat, won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1), Florida Derby (G1) and Wood Memorial Stakes (G2). Some of his best two-year-old runners were Eclipse Champion Midshipman, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1) and Del Mar Futurity (G1), Rockport Harbor, winner of the Remsen Stakes (G2) and Nashua Stakes (G3) and Remsen Stakes (G2) winner Old Fashioned.

Unbridled’s Song has yet to have a two-year-old crack the top 100 in career earnings of the Thoroughbred Times 2011 Juvenile Sire List but a win by Stat could change all that.

Undefeated in three starts, Banner Bill (6-1) already has a couple of stakes wins to his credit and he looks like he will be competitive. Banner Bill comes into the race with a 5¾-length win in the Victoria Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack on June 18 and almost a month later he returned to Woodbine and won the Colin Stakes by one length.

Banner Bill is also a descendant of the Mr. Prospector sire line and with $220,815 in career earnings he is the third best runner for his young sire Rockport Harbor who is ranked fifth on the Thoroughbred Times Juvenile Sire List.

Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Summer Squall, the damsire of Banner Bill, was precocious as a two-year-old in winning the Hopeful Stakes (G1), Saratoga Special Stakes (G2), Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) and Kentucky Juvenile Stakes (G3).

So it will be interesting to see if Banner Bill continues his winning streak and lives up to his breeding.

Trainer Josie Carroll ships maiden winner Indian Evening (5-1) in from Woodbine for chance to earn Graded Stakes honors. On July 10, Indian Evening broke his maiden by 1½-lengths going 6-furlongs in a quick 1:09.91.

Indian Charlie, the sire of Indian Evening, won the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and finished third in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Unbridled’s Song is the damsire of Indian Blessing.

A couple of Indian Charlie’s best two-year-old runners were Eclipse Champion Male Uncle Moe, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes and Champagne Stakes (G1) and Eclipse Champion Female Indian Blessing, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes (G1) and Frizette Stakes (G1).

If Indian Evening repeats the form of his maiden win, he should be competitive.

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