I Spent It meets Competitive Edge in Hopeful Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In the end, Saratoga is about 2-year-olds. Arguably, the best two juvenile males to perform here this summer were I Spent It and Competitive Edge.
In a delicious ending to the 146th Saratoga season, I Spent It and Competitive Edge – both sons of the stallion Super Saver – will meet in the Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful Stakes, the main event on Monday’s 10-race closing-day program. Fearful that I Spent It would scratch, thus leaving Competitive Edge an overwhelming favorite, the New York Racing Association carded the Hopeful as the fourth race (2:36 p.m. Eastern).
I Spent It, trained by Tony Dutrow, is 2 for 2, with a maiden win at Belmont and a rail-rallying, 2 3/4-length score in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on Aug. 10. Competitive Edge, trained by Todd Pletcher, was the most impressive debut winner at the meet, taking a six-furlong race by 10 1/4 lengths July 26.
“It sure looks like Competitive Edge is a good horse,” said Dutrow, who trains I Spent It for owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong. “I think not only us but everybody in horse racing is looking forward to these two getting together. But it’s not about our horse running against that horse. Now seems like a very good chance for success in a Grade 1.”
Dutrow has done a 180-degree turn when it came to the Hopeful. Initially, he was going to wait to run him in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park on Oct 4. But he believes the horse is doing too well right now to leave him in the barn.
“Everything just seems so good,” Dutrow said before watching I Spent It school at the starting gate without incident Saturday.
In recent years, Pletcher has won the Grade 1 Champagne with Saratoga debut winners Uncle Mo and Havana. Competitive Edge was able to win his debut much earlier in the meet and has been pointed to the Hopeful ever since.
“This horse has trained like a special colt,” said Pletcher, a two-time winner of the Hopeful. “I’m not worried about the class jump so much, just the experience factor; this is only his second start.”
Though Competitive Edge won his debut on the lead, Pletcher has worked him behind horses in the morning.
“He took dirt like it didn’t bother him at all,” Pletcher said. “Everything he’s done has been very, very professional, everything we could ask for so far.”
Competitive Edge was originally purchased by Nancy Favreau and Kathy Psoinos. The Coolmore connections of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier have bought a stake in the colt since his debut.
John Velazquez will ride Competitive Edge from post 7.
Requite, another good-looking debut winner here Aug. 9, is the main challenger to the top two.
Dekabrist, a minor stakes winner at Gulfstream, and maidens Signature Cat, Sharm, and Maratik complete the field.
Key contenders
I Spent It (Beyers: 85-75)
* Overcame some traffic to win the Grade 2 Saratoga Special in a very professional manner, galloped out extremely strong after the wire, and worked very well in the interim.
“The horse loves the main track here at Saratoga,” Dutrow said.
Competitive Edge (Beyer: 90)
* Lived up to the prerace hype when he romped to a 10 1/4-length debut victory, running six furlongs in 1:09.89 and earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 90. Two horses from that race, third-place finisher Bayerd and sixth-place finisher Thirtysilverpieces, came back to win their next starts.
* Pletcher won the Hopeful in 2012 with Shanghai Bobby and in 2006 with Circular Quay.
Requite (Beyer: 77)
* Flashed good speed in winning his 5 1/2-furlong debut here Aug. 9. Two Weeks Off, the runner-up from that race, came back to win Saturday’s second race.
“I thought he ran a nice race; it’s time to step up,” said George Weaver, who trains Requite. “There’s only one thing you can do, is step up. The horse is training well, we’re here, we thought we’d give it a shot.”