Green Light Go favored in Saratoga Special off debut win

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There are a lot of “1s” in the past performance lines of the nine 2-year-olds entered for Saturday’s $200,000 Saratoga Special. But the wagering public is likely to single out Green Light Go as the most likely “one” to win this year’s edition of the tradition-rich Grade 2 juvenile dash.

Green Light Go is one of four undefeated 2-year-olds in the 6 1/2-furlong Saratoga Special, along with Noose, Tuggle, and Long Weekend. The remainder of the field comprises Zyramid, Peruvian Boy, Iberico, and King Snake, the lone maiden in the field.

Green Light Go was arguably the most impressive debut winner of the bunch, surviving an early speed duel before drawing away to a 3 1/4-length maiden special weight victory going 5 1/2 furlongs at Belmont Park on July 4. He earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest of any member of the Saratoga Special lineup. Green Light Go has posted four subsequent works, including a bullet half-mile from the three-eighths pole in 46.19 here Tuesday morning.

“He certainly worked well enough to win the first time, although I didn’t expect him to pop out of there that quick,” said Jimmy Jerkens, who trains the Stronach Stable homebred. “Being by Hard Spun out of a Pleasantly Perfect mare, you wouldn’t expect them to come out running like that.”

Jerkens conceded Green Light Go’s final work earlier this week was “a little faster” than he’d have liked, although it didn’t sound as if he’d likely lose any sleep over it.

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“He’s big and strong and should handle it fine,” said Jerkens. “My biggest concern is the 6 1/2 furlongs, which is a tough distance for a 2-year-old. They pretty much have to run from start to finish. He’s only had the one race and he didn’t get much experience from it outside of just going right to the lead. There’s a lot of gas in this field, although if he breaks as clean as he did the first time, there’s no sense discouraging him from running. But I’d also be surprised if he couldn’t sit off it. We’ve worked him enough times behind horses.”

Junior Alvarado will have the return call.

Noose and Peruvian Boy would likely be the major beneficiaries of a hot pace scenario, both having notched their maiden wins from off the pace. Noose rallied to a five-length victory at Churchill Downs in his only start, while Peruvian Boy ran down King Snake for a hard-fought nose decision to graduate going five furlongs over the artificial surface at Arlington Park four weeks ago.

Toggle led throughout going 5 1/2 furlongs over a wet track to win for trainer Jeremiah Englehart at first asking, while Long Weekend used a similar modus operandi to earn his diploma at Churchill in his career bow on June 23.

Zyramid could benefit as the only member of the field with a race over this track. He rebounded from a disappointing performance as the 2-5 favorite over a sloppy strip in his first start to earn high marks while defeating maiden special weight company here July 13.