Double Thunder has no problem with two turns, takes Sapling
Todd Pletcher won a pair of 2-year-old maiden races Sunday at Saratoga with sharp-looking youngsters, and the 2-year-old he sent from Saratoga to Monmouth for the $200,000 Sapling Stakes performed well, too.
Double Thunder closed strongly under Paco Lopez and swooped past American Sanctuary to win the one-mile Sapling by a half-length. The margin would have been greater had Lopez not eased up on his mount the final 25 yards or so, at which point Double Thunder completely shut it down, allowing the runner-up to narrow the gap very late.
Double Thunder, who paid $4.20 as the favorite, made an early debut at Monmouth, winning a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race June 5 before capturing the six-furlong Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs and closing mildly for a distant fourth Aug. 16 in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special. Still, Double Thunder’s connections believed the colt, a son of Super Saver and the Tapit mare Rappataptap, would enjoy racing over a route of ground.
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“I don’t think there was any concern about going two turns for the first time,” said Pletcher’s Monmouth-based assistant, Anthony Sciametta. “If you look at all of his races it seems like he breaks a little slow, a step slow, but he always seems to come running. So, I didn’t think that would be an issue. We were actually waiting for him to go longer.”
Double Thunder broke decently from the rail but was quickly put in tight quarters by longshot Buff Hello going into the first turn as Under the Gun went up to lead and Chancellor Bay, the 3-1 second choice, cornered poorly into the bend. Double Thunder sat fifth on the rail as Under the Gun went the opening half in 47.54, shuffled back to second-last and locked inside.
Going into the far turn, Lopez went into the no. 2 path and came outside Buff Hello as American Sanctuary made progress just outside Double Thunder, both horses closing on the leaders. Sophie Doyle steered American Sanctuary to the far outside approaching the quarter pole, the pair making the front as the field turned into the homestretch. American Sanctuary opened a lead of a few lengths and appeared to be on his way to victory, but past the eighth pole he threw his head up in the air and lost momentum as Double Thunder and Lopez, who had shadowed American Sanctuary’s move, swept to the lead.
Midnight Worker, also trained by Pletcher, held on for third, 2 1/4 lengths behind American Sanctuary. Double Thunder was timed in 1:38.76 over a fast main track.