Campbell thinks he's found ideal spot for Patriot Spirit in Vosburgh
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The well-traveled and tried Patriot Spirit comes to New York searching for his first graded stakes win and a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint when he runs in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Vosburgh Stakes at Aqueduct.
Patriot Spirit, a 4-year-old son of Constitution, has raced at seven tracks and at seven distances in his 14-race career. He has won three times at Colonial Downs, with two of those wins coming at seven furlongs, the distance of the Vosburgh.
It was Patriot Spirit’s four-length victory in the listed Reigh Count Stakes, a seven-furlong race on July 26 at Colonial, that helped trainer Michael Campbell choose the Vosburgh over Saturday’s $400,000 Ack Ack, a one-mile race at Churchill Downs. The Reigh Count was Patriot Spirit’s third stakes victory, the other two coming in the 2023 Inaugural, a six-furlong race at Tampa, and the 2024 Illinois Derby, a 1 1/8-mile race at Hawthorne.
“What is he best at? The last race was so definitive in solving that problem, I couldn’t dismiss it,” Campbell said. “I wasn’t surprised he won. It was the way he won, so we’re going to try the seven-eighths and see if we can earn that trip.”
The Vosburgh awards a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at six furlongs on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Patriot Spirit’s victory in the Reigh Count was done in front-running fashion, and he won pretty much in hand, covering seven furlongs in 1:21.01 and earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. The race before that, Patriot Spirit finished second in the Knicks Go, a one-mile race run in the slop at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day. He had 12 weeks between the Knicks Go and Reigh Count and has nine weeks to this race. He has worked three times, according to Campbell, including a six-furlong breeze in 1:10.60 at Colonial.
Campbell described Patriot Spirit as a bit keen in his younger days. But Campbell said he’s more manageable now.
“His best race is just off the pace,” Campbell said. “Age and experience have caused him not to get frightened in the pocket.”
The Vosburgh drew nine, but Super Chow, a three-time graded winner, is expected to scratch to run in Sunday’s $100,000 Wilmington Stakes at Delaware Park.
Crazy Mason won the Grade 2 Carter here in April, his third consecutive victory over Aqueduct’s main track this year. He has spent the summer chasing some of the best sprinters around, twice finishing third behind division leader Book’em Danno at Saratoga while squeezing a cross-country trip to Del Mar in between, where he finished sixth in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby.
Crazy Mason is pace-dependent, and the Vosburgh field appears to lack the type of horses who will run the fast early fractions to which he’s become accustomed.
“There’s a couple of horses I guess could go. Hopefully, something materializes and he has some pace to run at,” trainer Gregg Sacco said. “He’s honest. He’s going to come running despite the pace.”
Scotland, second to favored Mufasa in last year’s Vosburgh, seems to have found his niche as a closing sprinter. He rallied from ninth to finish second, beaten one length by Book’em Danno, in the Grade 1 Forego.
Nash ran a super-fast race winning an allowance at Churchill in June. He then bounced and had a tough trip when finishing last in the Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt on July 19 at Saratoga.
The New York-bred Doc Sullivan finished fourth in the Forego after winning the restricted John Morrissey. Baby Yoda makes his first start since being claimed for $100,000 by Flying P Stable and Robert Falcone Jr. Baby Yoda won that optional-claiming race on Aug. 29 at Saratoga, beating Light the Way, who also is in this field. Golden Gorilla comes out of a second-place finish in the Benny the Bull Stakes on Aug. 24 at Gulfstream.
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