Clearly Now likely to face seven rivals in Forego

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Clearly Now, coming off a 6 1/4-length victory in last month’s Grade 3 Belmont Sprint Championship, figures to be favored against as many as seven rivals in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Forego Stakes at Saratoga.

Among those set to challenge Clearly Now is Capo Bastone, whose last win came in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at 28-1 here last summer.

On Sunday, Capo Bastone worked 48.75 seconds in company with Palace Malice. Capo Bastone was much stronger of the two, particularly in the gallop out where he went five furlongs in 1:01.41 and six furlongs in 1:14.69.

“I thought he worked well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s doing good. Just hoping that going back to seven-eighths and where he had his biggest win, he can get a similar setup and we can get a similar result.”

On Monday, the Barclay Tagg-trained Confrontation worked five furlongs in 1:00.07, shading 24 seconds in the final quarter. Confrontation is coming off a front-running victory in a third-level optional-claiming race here at seven furlongs on Aug. 8.

Others pointing to the Forego, a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, are Falling Sky, Palace, Sensational Slam, Vyjack, and possibly Zee Bros.

– additional reporting by Mike Welsch

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