Saratoga Saturday
11.00 Woodward Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (Grade 1) (3yo+ (Dirt) 1m 1f
“I didn’t agree with Junior’s tactics last time…”
That’s how Jimmy Jerkens described jockey Junior Alvarado’s decision to release the hand brake on Preservationist around the first turn of the Whitney Stakes at the beginning of August.
Preservationist faded to fourth, spent by the audacious early move.
Today is the second Grade 1, the Woodward Stakes and Jerkens is hoping for new tactics aboard the 7/2 second choice.
“Breaking from the outside and getting the lead, they don’t settle after that,” Jerkens said. “When he won the Suburban, he fell out of the gate in front and let the other horse have the lead, there was a lot more rhythm to that race.”
Jerkens will look for rhythm today in the $750,000 Woodward, the feature on a four-stakes day at Saratoga.
Winner of the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes in his previous start to the Whitney, Preservationist will try to add his first Grade 1 score to a stop-and-start career that has produced just nine starts but five wins for Centennial Farm.
Yoshida benefitted from the pace chores of Preservationist in the Whitney, rallying from last to finish second, one and three-quarter lengths behind McKinzie who went back to California and stayed there.
The Japanese-bred son of Heart’s Cry won the Woodward last year in his dirt debut for China Horse Club and WinStar Farm. Trained by Bill Mott, the five-year-old hasn’t won since but has mustered decent efforts in in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Whitney.
Todd Pletcher, second in the Saratoga trainer standings behind runaway leader Chad Brown, rolls out a trio for the Woodward.
Losing streak
Vino Rosso won the Gold Cup at Santa Anita in May before finishing a non-threatening third in the Whitney. Bal Harbour rode a five-race losing streak into his first Grade 1 attempt. Wooderson owns three wins in allowance company and three losses in stakes company.
The talented but fragile Tom’s D’Etat aims to win his second stakes of the meeting after taking the restricted Alydar Stakes on August 2nd. Trained by Al Stall, the six-year-old son of Smart Strike hasn’t quite delivered in a star-crossed career thus far. His Alydar win had Stall thinking big.
“Saving a little something for the you know what,” Stall said, after the Alydar, referring to but not jinxing the Woodward. “It’s been a wild, long ride with him. But right now, he seems to be as good as he’s ever been in his whole life.”
Saratoga Sunday
Spinaway Stakes (Grade 1) (2yo fillies) (Dirt) 7f
The Grade 1 Spinaway anchors Sunday’s Saratoga card. The seven-furlong stakes for two-year-old fillies attracts seven, including the first two from the Grade 2 Adirondack on August 4th.
That day, Perfect Alibi worked out the best route, avoiding a barging match between her rivals, which forced favorite Frank’s Rockette into second.
Perfect Alibi drew outside Frank’s Rockette again this time. Trained by Mark Casse, Perfect Alibi will try to improve her record to three-for-four. Frank’s Rockette, a rangy daughter of Into Mischief, took the worst of it in the Adirondack. Trained by Bill Mott, she should appreciate the stretch to seven furlongs and a clearer path.
As always, impressive Saratoga maiden winners jump straight into stakes. Figure Of Speech was awesome in her debut for Chad Brown. The daughter of Into Mischief drew off to win by five and a half lengths in a maiden on the last day of July.
Shippy finished third in the first two-year-old filly stakes of the meeting, the Schuylerville. The daughter of Midshipman broke her maiden at Laurel Park in June, was sold to Reeves Thoroughbreds and R. A. Hill (Joseph Besecker stayed in) and moved to California-based Doug O’Neill before the Schuylerville. She makes her third start for her third trainer, Kathy Ritvo.