Blazing Fury explodes to Saranac win

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - What Blazing Fury lacked in experience he made up for with sheer explosiveness, finishing full of run once settling into the stretch to dominate Sunday's $100,000 Saranac Stakes by four and three quarter widening lengths before a crowd of 63,186 on the penultimate day of the 2001 Saratoga meet..

Blazing Fury entered the Saranac with just four previous starts under his belt. Allowed to settle well off the honest early pace of Please Me Doc, Blazing Fury moved to within striking distance around the second bend, eased out for clearance leaving the final bend then blew by the field at midstretch to win off by himself. Fast City rallied along the hedge after checking briefly in early stretch to finish second, one length in front of Rapid Ryan. Proud Man, the 9-5 favorite, lacked a final bid and finished fourth just ahead of Strategic Partner who was blocked behind horses while attempting to rally through much of the stretch.

Blazing Fury is a gelded son of Dynaformer and Blazing Kadie. He is owned by Caesar Kimmel and Ronald Nicholson, trained by James Toner and was ridden to victory by Javier Castellano.

Blazing Fury paid $15.40 after covering 1 & 3/16 miles in 1:54.88 over a "good" turf course.

"I was reaching a little today running him in a stakes," said Toner. "I was hoping he'd run well but didn't expect him to run like that. Actually I was just looking for him to finish good because I want to run him next in the mile and one half Lawrence Realization(Oct. 13). He's always shown a lot of ability but his mind just seemed to go the other way during the spring. That's why I had to cut him and since then mentally he's finally been able to put everything together."

For Castellano, the Saranac was his first stakes win at Saratoga. He had finished second earlier this meet in two Grade 1 races.

"This horse loves the long distances," said Castellano. "He just needed time to mature."