Clearly Now, Lynch going well entering Forego

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Clearly Now looks to put an exclamation point on a fabulous summer for trainer Brian Lynch when he seeks his first Grade 1 victory in Saturday’s $500,000 Forego Stakes at Saratoga.

Lynch has already won five graded stakes in 2014, the most he’s won in any single year. Three of those graded wins came in New York, including the Grade 1 Just a Game with Coffee Clique and the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint Championship with Clearly Now in July. Lynch also recently won two listed stakes at Woodbine, where he is based.

Coming off his powerful 6 1/4-length victory in the Belmont Sprint Championship, Clearly Now was pointed to the Forego, which gave him eight weeks between starts and kept him at his favorite distance of seven furlongs.

“It’s been one of those rarities in this business – a hiccup-free preparation,” Lynch said Thursday from Canada. “Things have gone so well going into the race. Each work’s been a little better than the previous one. Hopefully, with the little bit of a break we gave him, he should be a nice, fresh horse. He was acting like he was looking for the entry box.”

Clearly Now likes to have pace in front of him, and he should get it with Weekend Hideaway, Confrontation, and Big Business in the field. Clearly Now is drawn in post 8, with Weekend Hideaway and Confrontation directly to his outside.

“The pace should be genuine here, and definitely seven furlongs I feel like is his best distance,” Lynch said.

Clearly Now is a three-time graded stakes winner at seven furlongs, including last year’s Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream and last fall’s Grade 3 Bold Ruler at Belmont.

Though 10 were entered in the Forego, not all will start. Falling Sky, a two-time stakes winner at seven furlongs, will scratch after getting loose during training hours Thursday morning and getting scraped up, according to trainer George Weaver.

Palace, trained by Linda Rice, is also questionable to run. He finished second to Clearly Now in the Belmont Sprint before coming back to win the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt here Aug. 2. Rice is worried about a potential bounce, and she may wait to run Palace in the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont on Sept. 27.

An intriguing horse is Weekend Hideaway, who would be running back on 15 days’ rest if he stays in the race. He is 3 for 4, including a two-length victory in the John Morrissey Stakes for New York-breds.

“When a horse is doing well, you got to take a shot,” trainer Phil Serpe said. “I understand it’s a whole different quality of horses. He’s doing well, and he likes it at Saratoga.”

The Forego is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

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Key contenders

Clearly Now (Last 3 Beyers: 113-101-103)

◗ Is a three-time graded stakes winner at seven furlongs, including a career-best performance in winning the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint Championship on July 5.

◗ Was given two months between races on purpose by trainer Lynch.

“He deserved a little bit of a break between races and not to be rushed back,” Lynch said. “You always like to see another peak performance.”

Big Business (Last 3 Beyers: 92-97-103)

◗ This New York-bred gelding would be making his third start in 31 days if he runs in this spot.

◗ He is 3 for 3 at seven furlongs and ran second to Weekend Hideaway at 6 1/2 furlongs when carried out wide in the stretch in the John Morrissey on Aug. 15.

◗ His trainer, David Jacobson, won the Grade 1 Forego last year with Strapping Groom.