Hit It Once More can save Sciacca's summer
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Gary Sciacca hopes to turn around a frustrating summer when he sends out the potent uncoupled entry of Hit It Once More and Jet Black in Friday’s $250,000 Albany Stakes at Saratoga.
The Albany, for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles, is the richest race on an 11-race card devoted entirely to New York-breds. There are six stakes worth a total of $1.15 million.
Coming off a solid Belmont spring-summer meet, Sciacca was hoping to continue the momentum at Saratoga. But he’s gone winless with his first 36 starters at the meet.
“It’s a little bit frustrating, but that happens up here all the time,” Sciacca said. “It could be a good summer if he turns around and runs well here.”
“He” is Hit It Once More, a son of Hard Spun owned by Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells. Hit It Once More is coming off a front-running 6 1/2-length victory in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes on July 23. His final time of 1:43.02 for 1 1/16 miles was just 0.12 seconds off the track record.
“I never thought he’d almost break the track record,” Sciacca said. “He seemed to really eat that distance up.”
Hit It Once More won that race at mostly level weights, but now, at 124 pounds, is spotting seven pounds to his six opponents.
Sciacca will also send out Jet Black – also owned by Parcells – who was responsible for two of Sciacca’s seven wins at Belmont. In his one race here, Jet Black finished third, beaten just a length, in a second-level New York-bred allowance at the Albany distance of 1 1/8 miles. Jet Black was up on the pace and near the inside for most of that race, and Sciacca said speed and the rail were not good when Jet Black ran.
Extinct Charm, Taoiseach, and Owner Gentlemen, second, third, and fifth, in the New York Derby, are also back in this field. Eden Ridge and Celtic Chaos complete the field.
In the $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies, New York Oaks winner Super Allison takes on seven, including multiple stakes winner Frosty Margarita, Highway Star, Riot Worthy and Mecke’s Madalyn.
There will be a ceremony after the fourth race Friday to honor trainer Bill Mott and owner Cot Campbell as they are inducted into the New York Racing Association’s Walk of Fame.
ALBANY (RACE 5)
KEY CONTENDERS
Hit It Once More, by Hard Spun
Last 3 Beyers: 102-85-87
◗ He has won three of his last four starts, with the only loss coming to Economic Model in the Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont. Cupid, who finished fifth in the Easy Goer, came back to win the West Virginia Derby.
◗ Though he won the New York Derby on the lead, Hit It Once More has won from off the pace.
Extinct Charm, by American Lion
Last 3 Beyers: 92-91-84
◗ A well-beaten second to Hit It Once More in New York Derby, he now gets seven pounds from that rival.
“We weren’t going to beat that horse, but we had a little bit of a rough trip,” trainer Bruce Brown said. “Down the backside, he ran up into a spot and got bounced around a little bit. He’s a big horse, and I’d almost rather see him lose a little bit of ground and not be stopped.”
FLEET INDIAN (Race 10)
KEY CONTENDERS
Highway Star, by Girolamo
Last 3 Beyers: 61-78-75
◗ Went 2 for 2 on dirt before she ran fourth in a turf stakes here Aug. 11. Trainer Rodrigo Ubillo said he used the turf race as a prep for this.
“It was either breeze her or run her there,” Ubillo said.
◗ This will be her first try at 1 1/8 miles.
“She’s a big, rangy filly,” Ubillo said. “I’m not worried about the distance. I’m pretty confident.”
Riot Worthy, by Patriot Act
Last 3 Beyers: 77-76-74
◗ Wheels back just seven days after winning a first-level allowance race by two lengths, which followed a second-place finish behind Highway Star going a mile at Belmont.
◗ In what will be her 14th start, this will be her first try beyond 1 1/16 miles, a distance at which she finished second during the winter.
“She trains like a she wants to run long,” trainer Charlton Baker said. “Two turns, I think she’ll handle it. For $200,000, I got to take a shot.”
◗ Baker went 8 for 20 through the first 24 days of the meet.
Super Allison, by Super Saver
Last 3 Beyers: 66-75-65
◗ She has won her last two starts – each by a neck – since stretching out in distance.
◗ She has been her own worst enemy at the break.
“She broke with the field last time, she made a decent move, and the filly was able to gut it out,” trainer Carlos Martin said.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Frosty Margarita. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez is 10-0-2-1 over the past five years going turf to dirt in routes in the second start following a layoff of 45 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Super Surprise. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 15-7-2-3 with a $3.59 ROI over the past two years with last-out winners going route to sprint on dirt in the second start following a layoff of 45 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan