Clement sends pair in With Anticipation coming off big weekend

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Coming off three stakes victories on Sunday’s New York Showcase Day program, trainer Christophe Clement will seek to continue his stakes streak when he sends out the uncoupled pair of Carson’s Run and Spirit Prince in Thursday’s Grade 3, $175,000 With Anticipation Stakes for 2-year-olds at Saratoga.

The With Anticipation, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf, drew a field of eight, including the filly Gala Brand. That horse also was entered in Wednesday’s $150,000 P.G. Johnson Stakes, restricted to 2-year-old fillies. Her trainer, Bill Mott, wants to run Gala Brand on turf – and against her own gender – but with thunderstorms forecast Wednesday there is no guarantee the P.G. Johnson remains on the grass.

Spirit Prince is a maiden, having finished second in his lone start. The good news is seven of the first 18 runnings of the With Anticipation have been won by a maiden, most recently, Fire At Will in 2020, albeit on dirt. Fire At Will came back to win the Pilgrim at Belmont and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland.

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The better news is Noted, the horse who beat Spirit Prince in his lone start, came back to win last Saturday’s Sapling Stakes on dirt at Monmouth.

In his debut, Spirit Prince, a son of Cairo Prince, seemed to be getting a sweet trip, sitting third behind dueling leaders. Noted was part of that pace, but he was able to put away his pace-prompter and then hold Spirit Prince off by a half-length.

Spirit Prince had to be hard-ridden for a bit then appeared to stall for a few strides in upper stretch. He got back going late, coming within a half-length of Noted at the wire. Clement is adding blinkers to his equipment on Thursday.

“He was very green, the blinkers might help him a little bit to be a touch more mature,” Clement said.

Carson’s Run, a son of Cupid, came with a nice run to rally from fifth, five lengths back in a seven-horse field, to get up by a neck in a July 29 maiden race over 1 1/16 miles.

“He won well first time out,” Clement said. “I thought about splitting them up, running one here and one in Kentucky Downs, but both are here and doing well.”

Flavien Prat rides Sweet Prince from post 2. Dylan Davis rides Carson’s Run from post 8.

Todd Pletcher has won the With Anticipation six times. Thursday, he sends out Nomos, a full sister to twice turf stakes-placed Soviet Excess. Nomos was a four-length debut winner at Monmouth, hustling out of the gate to get position and then, after dropping back, showing a nice turn of foot in the stretch. Only two horses out of that race have run back, neither very well.

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides from post 7.

Should she run, Gala Brand must be considered. She rallied from far back, albeit behind a fast pace, to win a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race by 2 1/4 lengths on Aug. 3. Mott also entered Get Spooled, who got away with a pedestrian pace when winning debut at 1 1/16 miles, also on Aug. 3.

Trainer Mike Maker ships in British Sea from Kentucky, where he was a front-running debut winner at Ellis Park.

D. Wayne Lukas will try Market Street on turf after a runner-up finish, beaten 9 1/2 lengths, in the Saratoga Special. Wine Collector, a maiden winner on turf at Colonial, completes the field.

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