Gunite takes another crack at Elite Power in Forego
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In midstretch of last month’s Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes, Gunite looked as though he was going to avenge his loss to Elite Power earlier in the year in Saudi Arabia and end that horse’s seven-race winning streak.
But Elite Power found another gear over the sealed and muddy Saratoga main track and nailed Gunite on the wire, running his win streak to eight over a 13-month period, during which he has won three Grade 1 stakes.
Saturday, in the Grade 1, $500,000 Forego at Saratoga, Elite Power and Gunite will tee it up again as they likely head for an eventual showdown in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November. Elite Power won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint and was subsequently crowned champion sprinter.
Trainer Bill Mott said Elite Power showed him a couple of things in the Vanderbilt that he had not previously shown.
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“He handled an off track,” Mott said. “I think if you look at a lot of his races, he kind of swooped them and was gone. He had to bear down a little more.”
Elite Power, a son of Curlin, is 2 for 2 at Saratoga and 2 for 2 at seven furlongs. Mott has often said that Elite Power doesn’t wow him training in the mornings, but, coming off the Vanderbilt – for which he earned a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure – he didn’t need to do much between starts.
“He looks good, training well, going into it in similar fashion, if not better,” Mott said.
Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Elite Power from post 3.
In the Vanderbilt, Gunite stalked and then dueled with the pacesetting Dean Delivers. He overtook that one in midstretch, ducked down to the inside, and while he fought on, was just nailed on the wire.
It was Gunite’s second consecutive race in which he earned a 108 Beyer. Eight weeks earlier, he won the Aristides Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths at Churchill.
Gunite has won 4 of 6 starts at seven furlongs, including this track’s Grade 1 Hopeful in 2021. He figures to be on or near the early lead, with Pipeline as the potential pacesetter
“Drawn 2 of 5 you want him away from there cleanly and then leave him alone, he knows what he’s doing,” Asmussen said. “Him and Tyler [Gaffalione] are both are in a good rhythm; we’ll see if we’re fast enough.”
Pipeline finished third in last year’s Forego behind Cody’s Wish and Jackie’s Warrior before finishing his campaign with a last-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
In his only start this year, Pipeline finished last in a second-level allowance going a mile, in which he engaged in an early pace duel.
“His first race back didn’t go as planned at all, he was on the rail, wasn’t happy, and just packed it in,” trainer Chad Brown said. “He’s come back and breezed really well since. He ran good in the race last year, we figured we’d take a shot.”
With Luis Saez injured, Joel Rosario will ride Pipeline, Brown said.
Synthesis finished fifth in the Vanderbilt after he had run a solid second to Three Technique in the Grade 2 John Nerud going seven furlongs on July 1 at Belmont.
High Oak is Mott’s second horse in the field. He was targeting a second-level allowance race being run as race 4 on Saturday’s card, but went in here due to the short field. The one thing in High Oak’s favor is he’s run his best race at Saratoga, that being a victory in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special here in 2021.
“If he finished third, Lee would be overjoyed,” said Mott, referring to part-owner Lee Einsidler.
The Forego goes as race 7 (3:07 p.m.) and is the first of five Grade 1 stakes on Saturday’s card, topped by the $1.25 million Travers.
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