Up to the Mark wins belated debut by 4 1/4 lengths

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It came a year later than anticipated, but Up to the Mark proved worth the wait when he won his career debut by 4 1/4 lengths Thursday at Saratoga.

Up to the Mark, a son of Not This Time, rallied three wide on the turn and drew away from a field of maidens impressively, covering six furlongs in 1:10.87 and earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure. The race was run over a sealed, sloppy track.

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“We expected him to perform well, but you always worry when you run in a situation like that on a sealed, sloppy track, but I thought he handled it all professionally,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher said Up to the Mark was entered to run last summer, but had to scratch due to a temperature. He then sustained another temperature before having a setback that forced Pletcher to stop on him.

“Next thing you know it’s a year later,” Pletcher said. “It was nice to get him going.”

* Classic Causeway, the upset winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational, worked five furlongs in 1:02.58 over the Oklahoma turf course Friday morning. Classic Causeway is pointing to the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby on Aug. 6.