Litfin's preview: Pletcher, Castellano still atop standings

Wednesday, Aug. 27, preview

TRAINER, JOCKEY RACES TIGHTEN UP

Heading into the final week at Saratoga, Todd Pletcher and Javier Castellano still top the trainer and jockey standings, but they are far from shoo-ins.

Pletcher, who is looking for an unprecedented 11th Spa title, has been mired in a 0-for-25 slump since Stopchargingmaria won the Alabama on Aug. 16 and remains stuck on 22 wins. Meanwhile, Chad Brown, who has been second to Pletcher in each of the past three years, saddled seven winners during that same period, capped by Lady Eli’s debut victory Monday. With 18 wins, he has pulled to within four.

“I don’t know what [Pletcher] has the rest of the way, but I think we have some live horses,” said Brown, a native of nearby Mechanicville, N.Y.

Each trainer has but one bullet to fire Wednesday. In race 2, Pletcher sends out Marsh Creek, the 2-1 second choice on the morning line in a $75,000 maiden-claiming sprint. In race 3, Brown sends out Partisan Politics (5-1 morning line) in the $100,000 P.G. Johnson Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on the Mellon turf.

Defending Saratoga riding champ Castellano posted a three bagger on Travers Day, highlighted by a perfectly timed late run with 19-1 V. E. Day to win the Midsummer Derby. He finished the penultimate week with 50 wins, good for a five-win lead on Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode two winners Monday.

1,000 WINS FOR JUNIOR ALVARADO

It’s been a solid summer for Junior Alvarado, who won the meet’s richest race with a front-running theft of the $1.5 million Whitney on Moreno and posted his 1,000th career victory when Skerkis ($11.80) drew off to beat maiden claimers in Monday’s fourth race for trainer Ken McPeek.

“I’ve been [on 999] since Friday … I wasn’t expecting it at all with this one, but that’s how it worked out,” said Alvarado, a 28-year-old native of Venezuela. “I’ve got to keep riding and winning; that’s how I’m celebrating.”

Alvarado sets sights on his next 1,000 wins with two mounts Wednesday: Gridley Here (4th race), who also is trained by McPeek, and Isn’tlovejustgrand (7th race), who has won or placed in all five of his starts this year for Mitch Friedman.

P.G. JOHNSON TOPS CARD

The feature comes early Wednesday, as the P.G. Johnson is carded as race 3. A field of seven juvenile grass fillies will go 1 1/16 miles, and all are stretching out from sprints except for Flying Tipat, who was a fast-closing third in her debut 17 days ago for Dale Romans.

Rainha Da Bateria is the tepid 3-1 favorite after coming from next-to-last in the final furlong to win first out at 5 1/2 furlongs for Graham Motion. She is a half-sister to Assateague and Kindergarden Kid, who are stakes winners going long on turf.

Sunday Sonnet, who walloped maidens in the mud early at the meet, appears the likely pacesetter from post 2 in her grass debut for Kelly Breen. Her half-sister, Pianist, is a dual Grade 3 winner of $500,000 on the lawn.

HORSE TO WATCH

SLEW’S BREW
Trainer: Jacqueline Falk
Last race: Aug. 24, 6th
Finish: 1st by neck
Beyer: 75
This New York-bred grass horse has improved through the summer, capped by a rail-skimming run to get up in time with a strong finish against New York-bred maidens.