Forego Stakes (Grade 1)

THE horse was called Win Win Win but it was rain, rain, rain that was the order of the day as last Saturday’s Saratoga feature was run in an absolute downpour, and five minutes before its scheduled time.

Out of the gloom, Live Oak Plantation’s home-bred Win Win Win came with a withering run from way off the pace to splash through the mud and catch Complexity by a half-length to record his first Grade 1 win in the Forego Stakes.

The Hat Trick colt had not run over a trip as short as a seven-furlong sprint on dirt in over 19 months. Trainer Michael Trombetta said afterwards “A one-turn seven-eighths race was something I wanted to revisit at the right time.

“I couldn’t see him until the quarter pole. I thought it was absolutely hopeless, to be honest. He was completely off the screen. Then all of a sudden, I figured out who was who and it was nice to see him running so hard.”

The colt was unplaced in last year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes though he had set a seven-furlong track record of 1m20.89secs on his previous dirt win in January 2019 in the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Last season he had also finished second in the Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and won the graded Manila Stakes on turf.

The 11-runner race had an open look to it with Funny Guy and Whitmore the market leaders while Complexity, Whitmore (seventh), Mind Control (eighth) and Firenze Fire (11th) were all Grade 1 winners.

Over the sloppy, sealed Saratoga track, Complexity and True Timber battled for the early lead to a half mile in 44.63secs. They looked to have the race between them with the Chad Brown-trained Complexity getting the upper hand until the eye picked up the red and white colours of Win Win Win making a move on the wide outside.

He was sixth with a furlong to run as Complexity had a length lead but Win Win Win and Javier Castellano were surging forward and passed Complexity in the final strides for a half-length win in 1m 21.71secs, with True Timber three quarters back in third.

Jockey Javier Castellano said: “What an amazing horse. I was a little concerned at the eighth pole. I didn’t have any contact with the field. I was way too far back. I felt like I wasn’t going to get there, but the horse put in a lot of effort from the quarter pole to the wire. He made me look good.”

A next start has yet to be decided for Win Win Win, now a stakes winner on dirt and turf.

Sword Dancer Stakes (Grade 1)

LATER on the card, the weather had improved but the underfoot conditions were still testing for the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes on turf.

Most of the leading contenders had run in previous renewals of the race and it was the six-year-old English Channel gelding Channel Maker, second two years ago and fourth last season, who went to the lead under Manny Franco and was never challenged, running out a five and three-quarter-length victor. Cross Border took second, followed by stablemate Aquaphobia in third, ahead of Sadler’s Joy.

Channel Maker won the Grade 1 Man O’ War Stakes last year and the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes at Belmont Park in 2018 and that race is his likely next start.

Jockey Franco, who rides favourite Tiz The Law in the Kentucky Derby tonight, moved forward and as the other riders choose not to go with him, the pace slowed from a half-mile in 51.14secs and a mile in 1m 42.33secs.

“I made the lead and tried to open up to let them know I wanted to go, and they let me go. It worked out good for me,” Franco said.

“What people didn’t realise is that he loves soft ground,” part owner Randy Hill told Bloodhorse. “He was three-for-four on a soft turf, and today is four out of five. I thought it was a spectacular run by the horse.”

Steve Asmussen’s Uncle Mo colt Yaupon made it three wins from three in a front-running two-length win of the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes earlier on the card.

Unraced as a juvenile, he won his maiden at Churchill Downs in June, and stepped up to an allowance race win here on July 18th.

Joel Rosario sent him straight to the front of a six-horse field and went on to victory in the six-furlong sprint in a final time of 1m 08.50secs for the $350,000 Keeneland 2018 graduate.

“He’s extremely fast. He’s got an elite amount of speed,” said Steve Asmussen, who trained Mitole for the same owners.