Maryland Brando gets ‘acid test' in Sanford Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Gary Contessa returned to training after a brief retirement, he took a private job based at Delaware Park, away from the spotlight.

In buying, breeding, and training horses for Nick and Delora Beaver’s Bell Gable Stable, Contessa is hopeful of finding horses that could get him back to the bigger races. Perhaps he has found one in Maryland Brando, a good-looking, debut-winning 2-year-old at Delaware Park who will run in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga.

“There’s nothing more exciting that running at Saratoga,” Contessa said Wednesday.

Others seem to agree. The Sanford drew a field of 12, the largest field for this six-furlong race in at least 30 years.

Contessa’s last graded stakes win at Saratoga was Sippican Harbor, who won the Grade 1 Spinaway for 2-year-old fillies in 2018.

Maryland Brando, a Maryland-bred son of Flatter, was purchased as a yearling for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Timonium sale last October. On June 2, he chased another horse from second, took over in upper stretch, and while late to change leads, galloped to an 11 1/2-length victory under Carol Cedeno.

“I really expected him to win,” Contessa said. “I didn’t expect him to win that easily. She geared him down the last eighth of a mile and he was drawing off, so he could be a really nice horse.”

A Dangerous Guy, third in that race, came back to win his next start.

Maryland Brando was one of 12 2-year-olds entered in the Sanford, including Wit, who won his debut on the Belmont Stakes Day card by six lengths.

“I can’t judge who this horse beat in Delaware,” Contessa said. “I know we’re going to get the acid test on Saturday. I hope we come away with the win because he’s really a good horse.”

Contessa is sticking with Cedeno, who has ridden only once at Saratoga, a fourth-place finish aboard Mr. Al’s Gal in the 2019 Shine Again Stakes.

“I see no reason not to let Carol ride him,” Contessa said. “She works him for me all the time, she knows him, she won on him. She’s done nothing wrong and she’s a good rider.”

The Sanford field, from the rail out, is Wit, Candy Landing, Catch the Smoke, Trust Our Journey, Dance Code, Maryland Brando, Ottoman Empire, Due Vini, Headline Report, Kavod, Seize the Night, and Lucago.