Cadillac among Euros taking a shot at Saratoga Derby
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Cadillac had run well enough in Ireland to be sent off the 6-1 third choice in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last November at Keeneland. The colt didn’t have the smoothest trip finishing fourth behind longshot winner Fire At Will.
Cadillac ran well enough in his one and only start this year in Ireland to convince trainer Jessica Harrington to ship him back to the U.S. for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational. While fellow Ireland-based Bolshoi Ballet is likely the horse to beat in the 1 3/16-mile turf race, Cadillac may be the best alternative.
The Saratoga Derby will be Cadillac’s second start of the year, owing to a few minor issues that forced Harrington to back off the colt’s training. On June 26, Cadillac faced older horses and was able to extricate himself from traffic and outfinish the older Group 3 stakes winner Dawn Patrol to win by a nose.
“He hadn’t had a run this year – he met with a bit of a setback early on in the year – and we were delighted with it,” Harrington said of his effort in the ARM Holding International. “He was gutsy and our feeling was whatever he did there he was going to come on from it.”
Reflecting on last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, Harrington felt Cadillac had a difficult trip.
“He got carved up in the first furlong, which was a pity – there were pictures of him getting bashed from both sides but he stayed on strongly,” Harrington said. “He ran a good race there. If he got a smoother passage it would have been better. He’s a good, battle-hardened horse.”
Cadillac drew post 4 and will be ridden by his regular jockey, Shane Foley, who is making his Saratoga debut.
Bolshoi Ballet was sent off the favorite in the Epsom Derby, but finished seventh after getting hit in a hind leg early on in the race. He rebounded from that effort with a professional victory in the Belmont Derby, though his final time was slower than Santa Barbara’s for winning the Belmont Oaks at 1 1/4 miles.
T.J. Comerford, an assistant to O’Brien who has traveled to the U.S several times, said he’s not sure Bolshoi Ballet has to improve off his last race to win Saturday, “but I think he has.”
“The big thing with him is he’s come here before and he’s learned plenty and more importantly he takes it well. I suppose it’s a tighter track here, the bends are tighter . . . this lad, I’m sure he’ll be okay. As long as he gets a good jump from the gate we should be okay.”
Ryan Moore is back to ride Bolshoi Ballet from post 6.
England-based trainer Charlie Appleby won the Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont and Grade 1 Diana here earlier in the meet. Saturday, he sends out Secret Protector, who is coming off a third, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, in the Group 3 Hampton Court at Ascot on June 17.
“He was badly drawn that day and ended up having to [drop] back a little farther than we really wanted,” said Chris Connett, an assistant who has traveled here for Appleby. “He finished off the race really well. Other than winning, he ran a really big race.”
Mike Smith is in from California to ride.
State of Rest, trained by Joseph O’Brien, is another European-based runner in for the Saratoga Derby. He is 1 for 7 but did finish third in a Group 1, albeit at seven furlongs.
Cellist and Du Jour finished third and fourth, respectively, behind Bolshoi Ballet in the Belmont Derby.
Trainer Rusty Arnold felt Cellist was a bit on the muscle while racing on the lead in the Belmont Derby.
“He was pulling a little harder than you’d like,” Arnold said. “He doesn’t pull in the morning. He gets revved up in the paddock. I’d like to get him calmed down.”
Du Jour had a three-race winning streak snapped when he was fourth, beaten 2 1/4 lengths, in the Belmont Derby. Trainer Bill Mott felt the softer ground may have taken away from the son of Temple City’s closing kick.
“I’m hoping if the ground is a little firmer than it was at Belmont and a tick shorter [distance] might be in his favor,” Mott said.
Soldier Rising, a son of Frankel who went 2 for 4 for trainer Andre Fabre, is making his first start in the U.S. and first for trainer Christophe Clement. Palazzi encountered traffic when sixth in the Belmont Derby.
Yes This Time has won five in a row, including the Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park. Flashiest, 3 for 4 in California for Leonard Powell, will stretch out off his victory in the one-mile Oceanside Stakes.
King Fury is running here after being forced to miss the Jim Dandy due to a quarantine situation involving his barn. This will be his turf debut.