Litfin's preview: Last day at the Spa
Getaway Day
The 40-day Saratoga meet comes to a close with a 10-race Labor Day program that will bring the total number of races run to 413, including a dozen steeplechase races.
The must-pay pick six spans races 5 through 10, and the entire pool will be distributed regardless of whether there are any perfect tickets.
After a three-day break, Belmont Park’s 38-day fall meet begins Friday.
Hopeful Stakes is race 4
The feature comes early, as the Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful Stakes for 2-year-olds is race 4, with a scheduled post time of 2:36 p.m. Eastern.
Two pricey colts by freshman sire Super Saver who are graduates of the Fasig-Tipton March sale - Competitive Edge ($750,000) and the appropriately named I Spent It ($600,000) - are the strongest contenders in the seven-furlong race, based on their performances earlier at the meet.
The highly touted Competitive Edge was bet to 4-5 for his debut at six furlongs on the second Saturday of the session, and flicked off some early pace pressure to widen steadily by better than 10 lengths, earning a 90 Beyer Figure.
“From the beginning, he’s not only been talented and fast, but he takes everything in stride,” said Todd Pletcher, who has horses in five races as he looks for an unprecedented 11th Spa training title.
I Spent It followed a maiden win at Belmont with a terrific effort to win the Grade 2 Saratoga Special despite encountering traffic from the rail, and comes off a bullet five-furlong workout last Tuesday for Tony Dutrow.
Signature Cat stretches out after a show of blazing speed first time out for Moreno’s connections, when he was run down late by the well-regarded Blofeld at five furlongs.
Seize the Day
Among Pletcher’s entrants on the second half of the card is Carpe Diem, a 2-year-old first-time starter purchased at the Ocala Breeders March sale by WinStar Farm and Stonestreet Stable for $1.6 million.
Carpe Diem breaks from the rail in a maiden special at 5 ½ furlongs that goes as race 7.
Carpe Diem, a 2-year-old colt by Giant’s Causeway, is a half-brother to three winners, topped by J.B.’s Thunder, who won the 2010 Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland after winning his turf debut at Saratoga.
Ring Weekend and Wallyanna head competitive Saranac
Ring Weekend looks for his first win since the Tampa Bay Derby when he breaks from the rail in the Grade 3, $300,000 Saranac Stakes (race 9).
After three disappointing efforts on dirt following the Tampa Bay Derby, Ring Weekend went back to turf opening day, and finished a solid second in the Sir Cat Stakes behind Tourist, who subsequently just missed in the Grade 1 Secretariat.
“I had always had in my mind that we might get him back on the grass because his numbers on the grass were very good, and I always thought he handled the grass very well,” said trainer Graham Motion.
Wallyanna, a $35,000 claim in March who upset the Grade 2 Hall of Fame here for Michael Pino last out, breaks from the far outside under Irad Ortiz Jr., who will finish second in the standings to 2013 Spa champ Javier Castellano.
Castellano rides Storm, who has been perfect through four starts on turf for Todd Pletcher.
“He went through his New York-bred conditions and then won the open race [Aug. 9], so we feel like he continues to make progress,” said Pletcher. “This will be the toughest test to date, but so far he’s handled everything we’ve thrown at him on the turf.”
Horses to watch
FRAMMENTO
Trainer: Nick Zito
Last race: Aug. 30, 2nd
Finish: 4th by 5
Beyer: 66
This $260,000 March purchase was off a step slow, saved ground rallying inside to miss third in a photo, and galloped out strongly past the wire in a promising debut.
LOVE AND MARRIAGE
Trainer: Chad Brown
Last race: Aug. 30, 7th
Finish: 4th by 2
Beyer: 73
First-time starter raced toward the inside and near the rear of the field for six furlongs, swung out into the stretch and finished strongly making up ground behind winning stablemate Hope Cross.