SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The announcement early Saturday that Mentee was to be scratched from the $175,000 Sanford Stakes due to a fever changed the complexion of the event in more ways than one: It not only took the prohibitive favorite out of the race, but also altered the likely pace scenario. Mo Plex took advantage of those unexpected developments to register a gate-to-wire, one-length decision over Studlydoright. The Sanford was the first of three important juvenile stakes traditionally decided each summer during the six-week Saratoga session. Mo Plex, a New York-bred son of Complexity, came into the Grade 3 Sanford off an eye-catching, 10-length victory against statebreds just 23 days earlier at Aqueduct. He contested the pace from the outset before readily increasing his advantage from the top of the stretch to the wire against his six overmatched rivals. The prospect of being on the lead in the six-furlong Sanford, however, seemed less likely with Mentee in the lineup. His sudden defection opened the door for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to immediately put Mo Plex, who broke very alertly from his outside post, on the front end.  :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Mo Plex set reasonable fractions, 22.51 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.92 for the half while pressed by Mr. Squeaky Wheels from the outset. Mo Plex shook clear when sharply roused upon settling into the stretch before holding off mild late rallies from Studlydoright and Three Echoes. With Mentee on the sidelines, Studlydoright was sent postward the tepid 8-5 favorite in the Sanford on the strength of his come-from-behind, 1 3/4-length upset victory in the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont last month at Aqueduct. Last leaving the backstretch and still about seven lengths behind the leader in early stretch, Studlydoright again surged late after finally switching back to his right lead in deep stretch, overtaking Three Echoes by a half-length to finish second while never seriously menacing the winner.  Mo Plex is trained by Jeremiah Englehart for R and H Stable. He completed the distance in 1:11.72 over a fast track and paid $5.70. “I actually worked this guy solo last week and was apologizing to Todd (Pletcher) because I broke off about two lengths in front of two of his horses," Englehart said. "And after the work I found out one of the two was Mentee. Obviously, we kind of benefitted a little bit from the scratch today.  And Irad rode him really well.” Englehart said he came into the Sanford with a lot of confidence in his horse, although got a little nervous in the paddock prior to the race. “He worried me because he got a little more nervous in the paddock today than at Aqueduct,” Englehart said. “Probably a little different environment. But I’m really excited how he did everything. I usually get a little nervous before a race, whether a maiden $5,000 at Finger Lakes or the Sanford. But I was pretty confident coming in today the way he had been training. I could envision him running this way.” Englehart acknowledged that if all goes well, he would likely point Mo Plex to the main event for 2-year-olds at the meet, the Grade 1 Hopeful, on closing day, September 2. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.