Go Deputy wins second graded stakes in a row

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Go Deputy won his first graded stakes doing what he had to do. He won his next one doing what he prefers to do.

Allowed to settle toward the back of the pack early, Go Deputy advanced steadily into contention down the backside, launched a strong three-wide move around the far turn, and took command outside the eighth pole to win the Grade 1, $500,000 by 1 3/4 lengths at Saratoga on Saturday.

Silver Whistle, second in a pair of graded stakes here last year, finished second by 1 3/4 lengths over Grand Couturier. He was followed in the order of finish by Ramazutti, 3-5 favorite Relaxed Gesture, Silverfoot, Crown Point, and Wild Desert.

It was the second consecutive graded stakes win for Go Deputy, a 6-year-old son of Deputy Minister trained by Todd Pletcher. Last month, he won the Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap, prompting the pace when the early fractions were slow.

Saturday, the pace was modest, but it was contested when Relaxed Gesture, under Kent Desormeaux, surprisingly dueled with expected pacesetter Ramazutti.

Meanwhile, Eibar Coa allowed Go Deputy to settle in the back of the pack early on. He moved him between horses down the backside before getting him into the clear entering the far turn. Go Deputy exploded around the turn and easily held Silver Whistle at bay through the lane.

Go Deputy covered the 1 1/2 miles in 2:26.78 and returned $15.40 to win.

Coa said his and Pletcher's main concern early was saving ground.

"He broke kind of slow; I just let him be back there," Coa said. "Everything worked out good the first two turns. On the backside, when I was going a little bit slow and was in traffic, I just wanted to make sure I could get outside. I got clear and I get out of traffic and it worked out good."

Relaxed Gesture, meanwhile, gave Desormeaux a little extra leaving the starting gate and set the early pace while being prompted by Ramazutti. Desormeaux took a strong hold of him entering the clubhouse turn and that was basically it for him.

"He was empty in the end," Desormeaux said.