Pomeroy wire to wire in Vanderbilt

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Reluctant to load into the starting gate, Pomeroy was eager to run once the gates opened in the Grade 2 at Saratoga on Saturday. In a gate-to-wire victory, Pomeroy was a four-length winner over I'm the Tiger.

Pomeroy, ridden by Eibar Coa, covered six furlongs in a sizzling 1:08.69, the fastest time for the distance at the meet, and .65 off of Speightstown's track record set in last year's Vanderbilt. Spanish Riddle co-owns the track record with Speightstown.

Pomeroy streaked to the early lead in the $200,000 Vanderbilt and set wickedly fast fractions of 21.66 and 43.85 seconds over a track that had its condition upgraded from good to fast three races earlier.

I'm the Tiger pressed Pomeroy from the outside for a half-mile, but couldn't keep pace with Pomeroy, who drew clear in upper stretch.

Voodoo finished third, 1 3/4 lengths behind I'm the Tiger. The order of finish was completed by Peeping Tom, Botanical, the favored Kelly's Landing, and Smokume.

"He felt great under me," Coa said. "I wanted to keep him happy, so I let him go and never did anything against his wishes."

The Vanderbilt was Pomeroy's second stakes win at Saratoga. A son of Boundary, he won the Grade 1 King's Bishop last year. Boundary won this race in 1994, when it was named the A Phenomenon.

Pomeroy ($9.40) is trained by Patrick Biancone, who, 22 minutes after winning the Vanderbilt, won the Grade 1 Beverly D. with Angara at Arlington Park.

Biancone said Pomeroy would run next in the Grade 1 Forego here Sept. 3.

Pomeroy, a 4-year-old, is owned by Michael Tabor and Derek Smith. The Vanderbilt win boosted Pomeroy's career earnings to $593,050.