Ocala Dream gets his ‘Kentucky Derby' in Cab Calloway
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Even before Ocala Dream won the Spectacular Bid division of the New York Stallion Series last month at Belmont Park, trainer Tom Morley was thinking about Wednesday’s $150,000 Cab Calloway Stakes at Saratoga.
“This has been his Kentucky Derby all year,” Morley said. “We ran in the seven-eighths race hoping he was going to be good enough, but really to make sure we were set up properly for this race.”
Morley believes Ocala Dream is set up to give a repeat performance of his Spectacular Bid when he meets many of the same foes in Wednesday’s Cab Calloway, which is run as a two-turn turf mile, compared to the one-turn seven furlongs of the Spectacular Bid.
“He ran really well here in an open maiden last year,” Morley said, referring to a fourth-place finish in the colt’s second lifetime start. “We learned a lot about the horse then because he’s already had a two-turn race. He’s run well over the track here which I think is very important. He’s not an overly big horse, he’ll get around the turns well.”
Junior Alvarado rides Ocala Dream post 4.
Step Dancer finished second to Ocala Dream in the Spectacular Bid, closing from ninth to get beat just one length. Step Dancer won his career debut here at 24-1 last September and also won the Awad Stakes at Belmont last October. Both of those races were run at 1 1/16 miles.
“I’d much rather run him longer,” trainer Barclay Tagg said. “We just think he’s a horse that there’s no bottom to him. He’s got courage and he’s sound and he tries hard.”
After drawing an outside post in each of his last two starts, Step Dancer is drawn in post 6 and will be ridden by Dylan Davis, who won two races here Sunday.
Perhaps the most intriguing horse in the field is Barrage, a gelding by War Dancer who finished third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Ocala Dream at 52-1 in the Spectacular Bid after running second in a maiden $16,000 claimer at Gulfstream Park. Owners Teresa and David Palmer moved the horse to Danny Gargan, who has been training Barrage in blinkers, equipment he will wear for the first time in a race on Wednesday.
“He’s training phenomenal going into the race, looks like a million dollars,” Gargan said. “We decided to put blinkers on him because he ran a little green in his last race. We’re looking for a big performance.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. has the call from post 8.
Devious Mo, It’s Gravy, and Dreamer’s Disease, fourth, fifth, and 11th, respectively, in the Spectacular Bid, are back in this spot. Tales of Saratoga and Gator Bite, both coming out of maiden $16,000 claiming victories, complete the field on turf. Market Alert is entered to run only if the race is transferred to the main track.
The Cab Calloway is carded as the third race on a 10-race card that also includes the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap for female dirt sprinters.