Better Talk Now race shape fits In Effect, who enters off troubled trip

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In Effect outran his 30-1 odds when finishing a rallying third in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes here Aug. 6.

While he doesn’t figure to be nearly as long a price Sunday, he still could offer some value in the $120,000 Better Talk Now Stakes for 3-year-olds going a mile on turf at Saratoga.

In Effect, a son of Dialed In trained by Jack Sisterson for Calumet Farm, is a late-running type, dependent on pace and trip. In the Hall of Fame, he got a decent pace and was getting a ground-saving trip under Jose Lezcano only to be blocked from the quarter pole to the eighth pole while attempting to follow the ultimate winner, Public Sector.

“It didn’t open up at the right time,” Sisterson said. “I was grateful to see him finish up the way he did. I think he could have been second with a cleaner trip.”

In Effect’s lone victory came for maiden $75,000 claiming at Churchill Downs in June. Sisterson said he only ran him for a claiming tag because there wasn’t a maiden special weight race in the condition book.

Jose Lezcano rides In Effect from post 6 in the eight-horse field.

There does appear to be pace in the Better Talk Now with Dreamer’s Disease, Ranger Fox, Dr Jack, and Wolfie’s Dynaghost among those figuring to be prominent early.

Danzigwiththestars, a New York-bred gelding by War Dancer, is seeking his third win of the meet for trainer Dominick Schettino. He was versatile enough to lay close to a soft pace when winning a New York-bred maiden here July 15 and then rallied from 13 lengths back behind a fast pace in a first-level statebred race on Aug. 8.

Schettino said in his first two starts of the year, both in one-turn races at Belmont Park, Danzigwiththestars veered in at the break, which cost him early position.

“We did some work with him in the gate, and [Luis] Saez, the great gate rider that he is, has made a big difference,” Schettino said.

Saez, the leading rider at Saratoga, has been aboard for both of this gelding’s wins and is back on Sunday from post 4.

The white-hot Chad Brown, winner of eight races – including two listed turf stakes – on Wednesday and Thursday, sends out Sifting Sands, a narrow first-level allowance winner here July 24.

Straw Into Gold, trained by Christophe Clement, finished third behind Original and Public Sector in the Manila Stakes two back at Belmont. On July 20, he was fifth as the favorite in a New York-bred allowance where he faced older horses.

Ranger Fox, trained by John Terranova, comes off a 5 1/2-length maiden win at Belmont and now faces winners and tries two turns for the first time.

Dr Jack, a son of Pioneerof the Nile who finished last in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy here July 31, tries turf for the first time for trainer Todd Pletcher.