Fighting Seabee battles all the way in With Anticipation Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Fighting Seabee validated his debut win at Ellis Park last month and continued trainer Ken McPeek’s strong Saratoga meet with his 2-year-olds as he recorded a front-running, one-length victory over Field Pass in Wednesday’s Grade 3, $150,000 With Anticipation Stakes.

Andesite finished third, a neck in front of 6-5 favorite Our Country, who broke poorly and was hard to handle early on. Fly Fly Away and Tuggle completed the order of finish. Eagerly and Jack the Ripper scratched.

The win was the fifth of the meet for McPeek, all with 2-year-olds.

“We brought our best ones,” McPeek said.

Fighting Seabee debuted on July 6 at Ellis “because he was ready and this meet hadn’t opened yet,” McPeek said. That day, in a two-turn mile race, Fighting Seabee rallied from 7 1/2 lengths back to win by two lengths.

Wednesday, with nobody seemingly eager for the lead, Brian Hernandez Jr. put Fighting Seabee on the front end, slightly ahead of Fly Fly Away to his inside. Fighting Seabee maintained a narrow advantage over Fly Fly Away through a quarter in 24.21 seconds, a half-mile in 50.50, and six furlongs in 1:14.97.

Going into the second turn, Fighting Seabee tried to open up a little bit and while he had put away Fly Fly Away, he was confronted by Field Pass.

Having been able to get away with a slow early pace, Fighting Seabee had enough to fend off Field Pass and earn the victory.

“I just wanted to make sure he got away from there and put himself in a nice spot and having the confidence in him knowing if I gave him a good trip going into the first turn he can kind of take care of the rest for us,” Hernandez said. “Going into the second turn I let him out and pick it up on the inner turf, let him get moving and let those horses run to him and he was able to hold them off.”

Fighting See covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.34 and returned $12.60 to win.

“I was surprised that he was up close early but usually mine improve a bit from first to second start anyway,” McPeek said. “I told him to make sure you get away good and take it from there. I thought there’d be more pace in the race.”

McPeek said Fighting Seabee would most likely be pointed to the Grade 3, $250,000 Bourbon at Keeneland on Oct. 6.

Fighting Seabee is a son of Summer Front owned by Scott Leeds’ Walking L Thoroughbreds. He is named after Leeds’ grandfather, who was a naval Seabee in World War II. Leeds donates some of this colt’s earnings to the PTSD Foundation of America.

Our Country, the 6-5 favorite, broke awkwardly under Manny Franco, then became hard to handle as he seemed be fighting the bit into the first turn. His action carried out Tuggle into the clubhouse turn.

“I think it was something with the bit, he’s never done that before,” Franco said. “I had no control.”