French import Ectot starts second act in Lure Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown may have the numbers, but his colleague Todd Pletcher may have the most intriguing runner in Saturday’s $100,000 Lure Stakes at Saratoga.

Pletcher sends out the Britain-bred Ectot for his 5-year-old and North American debut in the Lure, a 1 1/16-mile turf race restricted to horses who have not won a graded stakes in 2016.

Brown sends out the trio of Shining Copper, March, and Offering Plan.

Ectot, a Group 1 winner in France at age 2, was entered in a third-level allowance race last Sunday that was rained off the turf. He shows nine works leading up to this race, his first start since last October.

“He’s got a pretty good turn of foot,” Pletcher said. “I’d expect him to do better down the road going longer, but this seemed like kind of our best option right now to bring him back in.”

Offering Plan was also in that allowance race. He is a two-time winner over the Saratoga turf, though both of those wins came against New York-breds.

March is making his first start since getting beat a head in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby last November.

Shining Copper takes a class drop after running in five consecutive Grade 1 races, including a neck loss in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in February.

Bill Mott sends out Full Mast, who was very good in winning an allowance going seven furlongs at Belmont before finding traffic trouble when fourth, beaten two lengths, in the Grade 2 King Edward at Woodbine. This will be his first attempt beyond a mile.

“It’s a new challenge,” Mott said. “It looks like he’s really good at seven-eighths. It’s not a slam dunk. We got to see, but if he can get a mile, mile and a sixteenth over here, there are a lot more opportunities for good races.”

Conquest Typhoon, Bigger Picture, Solemn Tribute, and Jay Gatsby complete the field for the Lure, which goes as race 7.

De La Rose: Brown’s latest turf star?

Roca Rojo made quite the U.S. debut this summer at Belmont Park, coming off a 13-month layoff to win an allowance race by 2 1/4 lengths while coming within 0.03 seconds of a 16-year-old Belmont turf-course record for seven furlongs.

On Saturday, the Irish-bred daughter of Strategic Prince will look to remain unbeaten when she faces 11 rivals in the $100,000 De La Rose Stakes, the finale on an 11-race card.

Roca Rojo has won all three of her starts, including two in Ireland last year.

“It took a long time to get her to the races,” Brown said. “When we bought her, we gave her time, but she’s been worth the wait. She was real impressive, and I’ll tell you, since she won that race, she’s trained even better.”

In her Belmont win, Roca Rojo had an outside post. On Saturday, she breaks from the rail, but Brown is hopeful that she will get cover and come with a late run under John Velazquez.

Brown also sends out Zindaya, who won the Intercontinental going seven furlongs and will now try a two-turn mile from post 10.

“Tough post, but she’s really relaxed for us, and I think she’s switched off and can go two turns,” Brown said.

Christophe Clement has a solid uncoupled duo in Stormy Victoria and Akatea, each coming off an allowance win at Belmont.

Two starts back, Stormy Victoria finished fifth in the Grade 2 Nassau at Woodbine. Clement said Stormy Victoria “came back with a huge cut on her mouth.”

“The jock found it very difficult to use her,” he said.

Robillard, coming off an allowance win at Belmont, will try to take this field gate to wire under Kendrick Carmouche. The horse she beat in her last race, Itsonlyactingdad, came back to win the Grade 3 Matchmaker last Sunday at Monmouth.