Expect Award Winner on the lead

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The connections of Award Winner may try to ration out the 3-year-old’s speed a little differently in Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga than was done in the Kent Stakes at Delaware Park four weeks ago.

In other words, catch Award Winner if you can.

“He’s probably a bit more a free-running horse so that if he inherits the lead and doesn’t have to be strangled back he can keep going as opposed to trying to slow the pace down and then try to find another gear,” said Erin Lynch, assistant trainer to her husband, Brian.

In the Grade 3 Kent, Corey Lanerie put Award Winner on the lead, but tried to slow the early pace down. He was ultimately run down by Eons, a horse who was winning his fourth consecutive race, and lost by a neck.

“If he got to do it on his own terms and opened up on them a little bit they probably wouldn’t have caught him,” Lynch said.

Friday, Award Winner, a half-brother to graded stakes winners Oscar Performance and Oscar Nominated, will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for the colt’s maiden win on dirt last December.

With the introduction of the $1 million Saratoga Derby, to be run Sunday at 1 3/16 miles, the Hall of Fame Stakes has been shortened to a mile on turf from 1 1/16 miles.

Moon Colony and English Bee finished ninth and 10th, respectively, in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at 1 1/4 miles. Both are 2 for 3 at the mile distance.

Moon Colony won the Grade 2 Penn Mile two starts back and was compromised by being in a speed duel in the Belmont Derby, according to trainer Mark Casse. He breaks from post 8 under Julien Leparoux.

“Julien’s going to have to work out a trip,” Casse said. “He’s training well. To me, he looks like the horse to beat.”

English Bee, trained by Graham Motion, won the James Murphy Stakes on Preakness Day at Pimlico.

Global Access won the Grade 3 Marine Stakes over Woodbine’s synthetic surface before finishing a late-running third in the Charlie Barley Stakes going a mile on Woodbine’s turf on July 29.

“There was a little bit of a slow pace and when he started to make his run the other horses had a little something left,” trainer Michael Trombetta said.

Casa Creed, second in the Penn Mile and third, beaten a half-length, in the Manila, is another contender in this spot.

Sombeyay, Swamp Rat, and Limonite complete the field.