Forbidden Apple pace may work in Set Piece's favor
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Set Piece needs pace to be his most effective, and it looks like there is plenty of it in Friday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Forbidden Apple Stakes at Saratoga.
The Forbidden Apple, scheduled for a mile on the inner turf, shares billing with the $150,000 Coronation Cup, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-old fillies, on Friday’s 10-race card. First post is 1:05 p.m.
Set Piece, a 6-year-old gelding by Dansili, got sufficient pace to rally from 11 lengths back to win the Grade 2 Dinner Party Stakes on Preakness Day at Pimlico. It was his 10th victory from 20 career starts, fifth stakes win, and second in a graded race. That followed a two-length defeat when seventh in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland, a race in which Set Piece was a touch rank early coming off the layoff.
Friday’s Forbidden Apple drew a full field of 12 that includes front-running types Wolfie’s Dynaghost, Clear Vision, Analyze It, and Get Smokin.
“I like the way it looks on paper,” said Brad Cox, trainer of Set Piece. “Maybe we could get a good setup and hopefully just get a good clean run down the lane and he should be effective.”
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Cox said the time since the Dinner Party has done Set Piece well.
“He looks amazing, he’s held his weight extremely well, mentally and physically he’s doing good,” Cox said. “I think we’re in a good spot.”
Florent Geroux rides Set Piece from the rail.
Mira Mission finished three-quarters of a length in front of Set Piece when fifth in the Maker’s Mark. He came out of that to run a good second, beaten a neck by Santin, in the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill.
In the Maker’s Mark, Mira Mission lost some position going into the turn when Set Piece made a forward move. Mira Mission was stalled behind horses in the stretch of that race as well.
“Set Piece got in a position where I lost ground and I was stuck in behind and I get beat a length and a quarter, so I kicked pretty good,” trainer Ian Wilkes said. “He’s a plain little horse, knee-high to a grasshopper, you just have to love him.”
Julien Leparoux rides Mira Mission from post 3.
Pubic Sector is 3 for 3 at Saratoga, with wins last summer in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and Grade 3 Saranac. This year, he was scratched out of the Maker’s Mark due to a bad post and was a well-beaten sixth in the Old Forester Turf Classic before finishing third in the Grade 3 Poker on June 18 at Belmont Park.
“I had him ready and I took him out of rhythm a little bit and it’s taken me a little bit of time to get him back,” trainer Chad Brown said. “I really think he’s ready to move forward again. Win or lose, I feel confident he’s going to run well. It was a good step forward for him last time after that debacle at Churchill on a turf course he hated.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Public Sector from post 7.
Atone, third in the Dinner Party and an allowance winner here last September, City Man, Clear Vision, and Sanctuary City are in with an upset chance.
Yes and Yes went 3 for 3 at the Belmont meet, but he is 0 for 4 in his career over Saratoga’s turf.