Aqueduct: Saginaw goes for win No. 11 in Alex M. Robb Stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

Saginaw, winning the Gravesend on Dec. 15, is currently tied for the most wins this season.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – David Jacobson’s 106 wins at the three New York Racing Association tracks have him tied with Richard Dutrow Jr. for most by a trainer on this circuit in 2012. Perhaps Jacobson’s biggest victory this year came at the claim box, where on March 8 he won a four-way shake to take Saginaw, coincidentally trained then by Dutrow.

Wednesday, Saginaw will attempt to become the horse with the most wins in North America for 2012 when he takes on four rivals in the $75,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes at Aqueduct as racing resumes on this circuit following a nine-day break.

Jacobson claimed Saginaw for $30,000 on behalf of himself and his primary client, Drawing Away Stable, on the day Saginaw won a mile and 70-yard race over the inner track by 13 1/4 lengths.

Since then, Saginaw has gone 9 for 11 with six stakes victories and has earned $477,600. His only bad race came in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap in which he was running back on nine days’ rest while facing four Grade 1 winners.

Saginaw’s 10 victories from 13 starts in 2012 has him tied with fellow New York-bred Clean Jean (10 for 20) and Puerto Rico-based Winning Dubai (10 for 20) as the horses with the most wins this year in North America. Clean Jean recorded the majority of his wins at Finger Lakes, while Winning Dubai won all his races at Camarero Race Track.

Saginaw has not only won over all four dirt surfaces at the NYRA tracks, he has won at distances from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. The Robb, restricted to New York-breds, is at 1 1/16 miles.

Saginaw is wheeling back just 11 days after winning the six-furlong Gravesend by a length over Royal Currier on Dec. 15.

“He had to run really hard to beat” Royal Currier, Jacobson said Friday. “I thought it was going to be a little easier race than it was. It turned out he had to run hard. It took a little out of him. Right now, everything looks good. We’ll be there.”

Junior Alvarado will ride from post 5.

Saratoga Snacks, owned by former NFL coach Bill Parcells and trained by Gary Sciacca, is the biggest threat to Saginaw. A 3-year-old son of Tale of the Cat, Saginaw has won 4 of 6 starts and is coming off a 1 1/4-length loss to Lunar Victory in the Empire Classic at Belmont on Oct. 20. He was scheduled to run in the Discovery on Nov. 17, but had to miss that race after developing a foot bruise.

Saratoga Snacks has only one half-mile breeze since the Empire Classic, but Sciacca said the horse has done several “two-minute licks,” strong gallops in which every furlong is run in 15 seconds or faster.

“He’s doing very good,” Sciacca said. “But Saginaw is great right now.”

This will be the first two-turn race for Saratoga Snacks, but Sciacca said, “I don’t think that will make a difference.”

Ramon Dominguez rides Saratoga Snacks, who gets five pounds from Saginaw, from post 3.

Swag Daddy, a two-time stakes winner over the inner track last winter, makes his return off a June layoff for Dutrow. Idle American and Socialsaul complete the field.

Wednesday’s card is the first of seven consecutive days of racing at Aqueduct through New Year’s Day.