Nations Pride, Stone Age should get better trips in Saratoga Derby
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Nations Pride and Stone Age were both trip- and pace-compromised when they finished second and third, respectively, behind Classic Causeway in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby four weeks ago at Belmont Park.
Saturday, there looks to be more pace and there’s an opportunity for a better trip for both horses when Nations Pride and Stone Age again meet Classic Causeway in the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16 miles over the Mellon turf course. The Saratoga Derby drew a field of 11 and goes as race 11 on the 12-race program that begins at 12:35 p.m. It is the first leg of a two-day $1 daily double wager that links to Sunday's Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks.
Nations Pride was the 2-1 favorite in the 12-horse Belmont Derby. Jockey Frankie Dettori said Nations Pride got upset in the gate and broke last in the Belmont Derby. Chris Connet, assistant to trainer Charlie Appleby, also felt Nations Pride got held up behind horses and then had to go six wide in the stretch. He finished three-quarters of a length behind Classic Causeway and a head in front of Stone Age.
“Hopefully, Nations Pride gets a clean run around this time,” Connet said. “It looked like he was going to run a big race there and kind of got stopped at Belmont. If he has a clear run, you’d like to think he’d take a lot of beating.”
Following the Belmont Derby, Nations Pride shipped to Saratoga and has had four works, including two over the Oklahoma turf course.
William Buick, who has ridden Nations Pride to two of his four victories, is in from Europe to ride Nations Pride from post 10.
Stone Age, trained by Aidan O’Brien, broke from the outside in the Belmont Derby. Jockey Ryan Moore was able to save some ground down the backside before tipping wide for the stretch drive. Down the lane, he was directly inside of Nations Pride, who got the best of him late.
“He was a little bit farther back than we would have liked but he was finishing off the race very well,” O’Brien said Thursday from Ireland. “We’ve been happy with him since then.”
With Moore riding for O’Brien at The Curragh on Saturday, John Velazquez has picked the mount on Stone Age, who breaks from post 10.
In the Belmont Derby, Classic Causeway benefited from the raceday scratch of Emmanuel, enabling him to dictate terms and pull off a 26-1 upset under Julien Leparoux.
Emmanuel, a front-running winner of the Pennine Ridge, is back for the Saratoga Derby and will break from post 3. Classic Causeway will break from post 9.
Trainer Ken McPeek dismisses the idea that Classic Causeway is a need-the-lead type.
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“I love the fact we drew outside,” McPeek said. “I think he’s at a stage where he’ll relax off horses if necessary and he is not one-dimensional, I don’t think. He’s a horse that is perfectly capable of rating. Are we going to take his speed away from him? No, but I think we’ve tuned him down a little bit.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher doesn’t label Emmanuel a need-the-lead type either. In the Pennine Ridge, he took advantage of a paceless race to get the victory.
“He had things his own way on the front end. I wouldn’t anticipate him being able to do that in this race,” Pletcher said. “I think he could find himself in a good stalking position.”
Annapolis, also trained by Pletcher, is the major new player in the Saratoga Derby. After he was upset in the Penn Mile – a race run over soft turf – Pletcher opted to skip the Belmont Derby and run him in one-mile Manila Stakes, a race he won by 2 3/4 lengths.
“We certainly felt like he was good enough to run in the Belmont Derby. We just felt like with only one race under his belt, maybe two would put him in a better position for this race,” Pletcher said.
Grand Sonata is Pletcher’s third entrant in the Saratoga Derby. He was fourth, a head and a neck behind Nations Pride and Stone Age in the Belmont Derby.
“He shows up, tries hard every time,” Pletcher said. “If things fall his way he could pick up the pieces.”
Tyler Gaffalione rides Grand Sonata from post 2.
Main Event, winner of the Kent Stakes, is another potential pace player. Stolen Base, cross-entered in Friday’s National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes, Royal Patronage, Sy Dog, and Ethereal Road complete the field.