Dr Post heavily favored in Jim Dandy
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Having finished second to Tiz the Law in the Belmont Stakes in June, Dr Post certainly would have been a fit for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
But owner Vinnie Viola and trainer Todd Pletcher elected to wait for another day to take on Tiz the Law again, and instead will now have the heavy favorite for Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga.
The Jim Dandy, typically run in late July as a prep for the Travers, has a new date this year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Jim Dandy, run at 1 1/8 miles, could now be a stepping-stone to the Preakness on Oct. 3 at Pimlico.
Seven were entered in the Jim Dandy, but Happy Saver – also trained by Pletcher – is expected to scratch to run in Monday’s Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park.
Dr Post had yet to run in a graded stakes when he took on the then two-time Grade 1 winner Tiz the Law in the Belmont. He ran a respectable second, beaten 3 3/4 lengths while finishing 1 1/2 lengths clear of Max Player.
Pletcher said the option was to wait seven weeks and run against Tiz the Law going 1 1/4 miles in the Travers or come back in four weeks and run against Authentic going 1 1/8 miles in the Haskell at Monmouth.
In the Haskell, Dr Post broke well but jockey Joe Bravo took him back to fifth. He rallied wide, but flattened out a bit in the stretch, finishing 4 1/2 lengths behind Authentic and Ny Traffic, both of whom are running in the Derby.
“He was in position to secure a better position going into the first turn,” Pletcher said. “Monmouth can be a hard place to make up ground. Really no pace developed, then he was wide on the turn trying to make a late run from a tough position.”
Pletcher loved the way Dr Post had trained going into the Haskell and he has seen similar workouts leading up to the Jim Dandy.
“The way he trained up to the Haskell was as good as a horse could train,” Pletcher said. “He’s continued to be that way. We’ve seen him perform in the mornings at a level that indicates to me he’s in the top 1 percentile.”
Mystic Guide rallied from 11 lengths back to finish third, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Country Grammer in the Grade 3 Peter Pan here on July 16. Trainer Michael Stidham is adding blinkers to his equipment to help him get in the race sooner.
“He’s definitely handier with the blinkers on, he’s more forward,” said Stidham, who has worked him behind horses.
Jesus’ Team finished fourth in the Haskell, then came back to run second to Pneumatic in the Pegasus on Aug. 15. Trainer Jose D’Angelo is adding blinkers to the colt’s equipment. Luis Saez, aboard Jesus’ Team for a victory in a $25,000 claimer at Gulfstream in May, is back aboard.
Rounding out the field are Liveyourbeastlie, an allowance winner going nine furlongs here on Aug. 12; First Line, a maiden winner going nine furlongs on July 29; and Celtic Striker, who won the two-horse Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont before running fourth in the Peter Pan.