Liam's Law wins With Anticipation; U. S. S. Valor gets maiden score
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It was pretty evident from the time the entries came out that Todd Pletcher was going to win Saturday’s Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes. It was just a matter of with whom.
Even with scratching the morning-line favorite and the post-time favorite breaking poorly, Pletcher did indeed win the With Anticipation, as Liam’s Law went gate to wire and held off his stablemate Bold Leadership – the 1-2 favorite – to win by a neck. It was 4 1/4 lengths back to Perfect Dream in third in what wound up as a three-horse field.
This was Pletcher’s eighth victory in the With Anticipation, a race for 2-year-olds on turf that was run for the 22nd time on Saturday.
Pletcher scratched High Official, the morning-line favorite, to run him in Sunday’s Grade 1 Hopeful on dirt. Howard’s Hope was scratched by trainer Horacio De Paz, who said the horse was off his feed since Wednesday.
Liam’s Law became the first stakes winner for his sire, Colonel Liam. Liam’s Law is owned by Robert and Lawana Low, who also own High Official.
“Same ownership as [High Official]. We get to run that one today and win. He’s by Colonel Liam and [the Lows] own part of the stallion,” said Pletcher, who won this race for the eighth time from 22 total runnings. “Getting the graded stakes win is big. That was some of the thought process, aside from the fact that the colt is training really well for tomorrow.”
Liam’s Law looked like the controlling speed even in the original five-horse field. Scratched down to only three and with Bold Leadership leaping in the air when the doors opened, Liam’s Law, under Ricardo Santana Jr., was able to dictate terms.
Liam’s Law had some pressure from Perfect Dream but put that one away turning for home. Bold Leadership, under Manny Franco, made a run at Liam’s Law in the stretch, but Liam’s Law had enough to keep him at bay.
“I never thought that horse was going to pass me, whether or not he break good,” Santana said. “At the sixteenth pole, it looked like he was going to blow by me and my horse was waiting for horses all race. When he felt him, he fought back.”
Bold Leadership remains a maiden after two races, despite running two winning races.
“He just misbehaved in the gate. He’s been a little bit of a tough colt that way,” Pletcher said. “I still think there’s a lot of talent there. We just got to get him a little more focused. Credit to Liam’s Law, it looked like [Bold Leadership] had dead aim on him and just dug in and found a little more.”
Liam’s Law covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.59 over firm turf and returned $4.82 as the second choice.
Liam’s Law could make his next start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Pilgrim on Oct. 3 at Belmont.
U.S.S. Valor impresses in second start
Barry Irwin, a longtime owner in the sport, said he always wanted to give a horse to Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.
“I waited 'til I had one that qualified,” Irwin said.
U.S.S. Valor qualified.
U.S.S. Valor, a son of War of Will, gave arguably the most impressive performance seen by a 2-year-old maiden colt at the meet with a devastatingly easy 13 1/4-length score in Saturday’s first race. After dueling on the lead with Gold on Black for three furlongs, U. S. S. Valor edged away from that one entering the far turn before running away from the rest of the field while being taken in hand late by Manny Franco. Still, he ran seven furlongs in a very strong 1:22.04.
U. S. S. Valor is out of the dam Star Spangled, whom Irwin bought and bred to War of Will.
“He’s been spectacular from Day One,” Irwin said after the race. “I called Shug and said, 'Look, I got a horse of my own breeding and I want to send it to you.’ “
U. S. S. Valor finished third with trouble in his debut, where he was beaten three-quarters of a length by Gaudreau on Aug. 8. McGaughey said he planned to wait a little longer to run him back, but he came back in four weeks instead.
“The way he won and the time he ran in, I was pretty pleased,” McGaughey said. “I ran him back a little quicker than I anticipated, but I wanted to see if it opens up some doors down the road.”
McGaughey’s options likely include the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont or the Grade 1, $650,000 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. Both are scheduled for Oct. 3.
