Jerkens has ‘Green Light' for Hopeful

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Jimmy Jerkens may be out of his comfort zone running a 2-year-old back in three weeks and in the Grade 1 Runhappy Hopeful, but when you have a horse as talented as Green Light Go, it eases the transition.

Green Light Go will represent Jerkens’s first starter in the Hopeful when he takes on a trio of maiden winners from the barn of Steve Asmussen as well as Grade 3 Sanford Stakes winner By Your Side in Monday’s $350,000 stakes, the co-feature on closing day at Saratoga. The Hopeful, run at seven furlongs, goes as race 10 on an 11-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m. and includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Green Light Go, a son of Hard Spun, won his debut by 3 1/4 lengths July 4 at Belmont before coming back 37 days later to dominate the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on Aug. 10 by 3 3/4 lengths.

“It looked like he was always there for the jockey. He didn’t mind being down inside or running up against the dirt, which was good to see,” Jerkens said.

Green Light Go, owned by Frank Stronach, has come back with two workouts, including a bullet half-mile on Tuesday in 47.19 seconds over the main track.

“His temperament has stayed the same. We took him over to the gate, took him over to the paddock. He’s going into it as good as you could want,” Jerkens said.

For the third straight race, Green Light Go will break from post 3 under Junior Alvarado. Green Light Go is the only member of this seven-horse field who does not race on Lasix.

Asmussen will send out the trio of Gozilla, Shoplifted, and Basin, all maiden winners at this meet. Gozilla, who won the race right before Green Light Go won the Saratoga Special, may have been the most visually impressive open-company 2-year-old winner of the meet. His race was delayed several minutes due to first, a gate malfunction, and then the late scratch of Moonshine Now, who sat down in the starting gate in the slot inside of Gozilla.

In the race, Gozilla broke running, opened up a four-length lead after a half-mile in 45.55, and then won under a hand ride as jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. looked behind him several times in the stretch.

“Gozilla’s an old soul for sure,” Asmussen said, referring to his temperament. “He’s got gorgeous action. He’s a very efficient-moving horse that looks beautiful on the racetrack. Seven-eighths is well within him.”

Santana, who rode all three of Asmussen’s Hopeful entrants in their maiden wins, sticks with Gozilla, who breaks from post 4.

Shoplifted, a son of Into Mischief, won his debut on July 27 by 4 1/2 lengths. He is stretching out from 5 1/2 furlongs to seven furlongs and will have to navigate a trip from the rail under Joel Rosario.

“Drawing the fence he’s going to have to show maturity beyond his first race, but he is a great mental and if anybody can handle it, he can,” said Asmussen, who trains Shoplifted for Grandview Equine and Cheyenne Stables.

Basin has the benefit of two races entering the Hopeful. He lost a nose decision to By Your Side in his debut at Churchill Downs before coming back to win a six-furlong maiden race here by 1 1/4 lengths with a field-high Beyer Speed Figure of 86.

Basin, a son of Liam’s Map owned by Jackpot Farm, will break from the outside post under Jose Ortiz.

“He broke to the outside first time out, did everything right the second time. He’s a physically capable horse,” Asmussen said. “I think he’s got a great draw for who’s in the race.”

After beating Basin in his debut, By Your Side returned to win the Sanford by a widening three lengths under Irad Ortiz Jr.

“We’re delighted with the horse. He’s had a long gap since the Sanford, but he’s done nothing but good since then,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said. “We’re just very, very happy with how the horse has trained, seems to like the track, and is pretty content in his training there on a daily basis. He’s ready to go.”

American Butterfly was beaten 16 lengths by Basin in his debut July 21. Running on Lasix for the first time, he came back to win a maiden race on Aug. 17 by 2 1/2 lengths for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who has won the Hopeful eight times.

Indian Risk won for maiden $50,000 claiming on Aug. 1 and was taken out of the race by Tom Morley. Dylan Davis replaces Irad Ortiz, and Morley puts blinkers on the son of Street Sense.

There is rain in the forecast, and none of the Hopeful runners have competed on a wet track.