Early Voting, Zandon, Epicenter battle in Jim Dandy
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Rich Strike, the Kentucky Derby winner, is in training in Lexington, Ky., gearing up for the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers here in four weeks. Mo Donegal, the Belmont Stakes winner, is on the farm, convalescing from bone bruising that, at the very least, has derailed the remainder of his 3-year-old season.
Early Voting, the Preakness winner who skipped both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont, jumps back into the fray Saturday at Saratoga, in an intriguing renewal of the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes for 3-year-olds.
The Jim Dandy at 1 1/8 miles is the local prep for the Travers at 1 1/4 miles here on Aug. 27, a race that, if all the right principals show, should determine the leader of the 3-year-old division heading into fall.
:: DRF's Saratoga headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more
Only five were entered in the Jim Dandy, but the field includes Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner-up Epicenter, and Grade 1 Blue Grass winner and Kentucky Derby show horse Zandon, who like Early Voting is trained by Chad Brown. Ohio Derby winner Tawny Port and recent allowance winner Western River round out the field.
It was the combination of inexperience and the specter of a 20-horse field that prompted Brown and owner Seth Klarman to keep Early Voting out of the Kentucky Derby. The decision paid off with a 1 1/4-length victory over Epicenter in the Preakness, a race that proved Early Voting could be successful stalking another horse.
Early Voting, a son of Gun Runner, is 3 for 4, his lone defeat coming by a neck to Mo Donegal in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 9. Brown believes that in both the Wood and Preakness Early Voting may have gotten a little lost when by himself on the lead in deep stretch.
“He might get a little lonely if he makes the lead,” Brown said. “It is what it is. I think over time he’ll learn to kick on no matter if he has a target or not. He’s still relatively lightly raced, but I see a maturing, more experienced horse every day.”
Jose Ortiz rides Early Voting from post 3.
Zandon, third to Epicenter in the Risen Star at Fair Grounds in February, won the Blue Grass in April and then finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Rich Strike in the Kentucky Derby.
“He certainly got a good trip,” Brown said of the Kentucky Derby. “It looked like he hung a little bit going a mile and a quarter. I have to hope we can regroup at a mile and an eighth where we’ve been successful in a race like the Blue Grass, and then he can use that to try the mile and a quarter again being a few months older.”
Brown said Zandon lightened up on him following the Derby. Brown believes that in the last 12 weeks Zandon “has filled out quite a bit and he looks as good as he ever has.”
Flavien Prat rides Zandon from post 5.
Zandon’s chances in the Jim Dandy likely depend on pace. Early Voting is forward as is Epicenter. The quick pace in the Derby dictated that Epicenter come from off of it and he ran very well.
In the Preakness, a race with less pace than the Derby, Epicenter didn’t break great and he conceded a considerable tactical edge to Early Voting.
“Not in the right place there,” said Steve Amussen, who trains Epicenter for Ron Winchell. “Continued on to be second and have regrouped since, and go into the Jim Dandy extremely pleased with how he’s training and know the Jim Dandy is the prep for the Travers.”
In a compact field and breaking from post 2 under Joel Rosario, Epicenter could very well be the pacesetter.
“The horse seems very sharp this week,” Asmussen said. “I would be surprised if he isn’t away from the gates cleanly and well, and put him in the rhythm that makes him most effective.”
Tawny Port came out of his seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby to win the Ohio Derby over White Abarrio and Classic Causeway. White Abarraio finished last in the Haskell, but Classic Causeway came back to win the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on turf.
Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Tawny Port from post 3 for Brad Cox and Peachtree Stable.
Western River, winner of a 1 1/2-mile allowance at Churchill Downs on June 18, was entered in Friday’s $135,000 Curlin Stakes, which drew a field of nine. Trainer Rodolphe Brisset said he entered here to have options. Brisset remembers five years ago when Good Samaritan rallied from last to beat both the Derby winner Always Dreaming and the Preakness winner Cloud Computing in the Jim Dandy at odds of 8-1.
Ricardo Santana Jr. rides Western River from the rail. Western River is owned by September Farm and Union Park Thoroughbreds.
The Jim Dandy goes as race 9 on an 11-race card that begins at 1:05 p.m. It shares billing with the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, featuring sprint champion Jackie’s Warrior. Both races will be shown nationally on FOX in a 90-minute broadcast starting at 4:30 p.m.