Perfect-trip Trademark wins Fourstardave

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - For the second straight race, Trademark worked out a perfect trip under Richard Migliore, sitting behind a three-horse speed duel and exploding through an opening turning for home to win Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 by two lengths at Saratoga.

Quest Star, who was part of that early duel with Political Attack and Patrol, did well to hold second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of the slow-starting Tap the Admiral.

Trademark, a 7-year-old South African-bred gelding, became just the third horse to win both the Bernard Baruch and Fourstardave handicaps in the same year at this meet. Steinlen (1989) and Hap (2000) were the others.

As he did in the Bernard Baruch, Trademark sat a perfect inside trip in the Fourstardave.

Quest Star, Political Attack, and Patrol were heads apart after four furlongs in 46.08 seconds. Meanwhile, Migliore had Trademark on the inside biding his time. Turning for home, a large opening developed and Migliore guided Trademark through and the race was over.

Trademark, owned by Darley Stable, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.29, just .49 seconds off the course and stakes record set by Fourstardave in 1991 when this race was known as the Daryl's Joy.

"He'll sit the pocket so well," Migliore said. "He's strong enough to let you know he's all there, but he's not too strong where he's running over the top of horses. I kind of felt pretty confident leaving the three-eighths pole that I had things pretty well under control. I had a lot of stock; I was waiting for a seam. It looked like it was going to happen pretty easily and it did."

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he would likely point Trademark to the Grade 1, $600,000 Shadwell Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 4. Should he perform well there, McLaughlin said he and his owners might considering paying the $300,000 supplemental fee to make Trademark eligible for the Breeders' Cup Mile.