Qurbaan seeks to end losing streak with Bernard Baruch repeat

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Qurbaan won the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch last year on closing day of the Saratoga meet, it looked like the start of big things to come for the son of Speightstown who was making his first start in the United States and first in 11 months.

While Qurbaan has run some very good races since then, he has not won. Monday, he will try recreate last year’s performance when he seeks a repeat in the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch, the co-feature on Saratoga’s closing-day card.

The Baruch goes as race 9 on an 11-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m. and includes the Grade 1 Hopeful.

In seven starts since last year’s Baruch, Qurbaan has two seconds and four thirds in seven graded stakes tries. His lone poor performance came in the Grade 1 Manhattan when he ran off under Mike Smith. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin removed blinkers from Qurbaan’s equipment for his next race, and he came with a strong late run to finish third, beaten a half-length by Mr Havercamp in the Grade 3, one-mile Forbidden Apple here July 13.

“He ran very, very well just a little bit unlucky,” McLaughlin said. “Joel [Rosario] rode him very well last time.”

Rosario will ride Qurbaan again from post 3.

Qurbaan gets an extra sixteenth of a mile and may get a rain-soaked turf course to run over if the forecast is correct. The Forbidden Apple was run over yielding turf. Qurbaan also came within a half-length of Bricks and Mortar – the clear-cut leader of the male turf division – in the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic over softish ground at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.

Trainer Chad Brown entered three of the seven runners in the Baruch. Emaraaty, a son of Dubawi, came off a year layoff to win a second-level allowance race here July 27, beating stablemate and next-out winner Frontier Market.

“He was training well, and I was impressed and very happy to see him to run to his works,” Brown said. “He had thrown a couple of works in there that really caught my eye. He acts like he has a lot of quality.”

Javier Castellano rides Emaraaty from post 2.

Sacred Life was beat a nose by Lucullan in the Lure Stakes, which was Sacred Life’s first start in five months and first in the United States.

“He did everything but win,” Brown said. “He got a good setup, there was a good pace, [Lucullan] really dug in.”

The potential lack of a strong pace in the Baruch “is concerning,” Brown said. “Hopefully, second start in this country, he’ll lay a little closer.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Sacred Life from post 6.

Brown also entered Olympico, who won the Grade 3 Fort Marcy at Belmont over soft ground in May. Brown said he would only run Olympico if there is moisture in the turf.

Olympico breaks from post 7 under John Velazquez.

Dream Friend set the pace in the second-level allowance and was beaten a half-length by Emaraaty. Noble Indy is a potential pace player.

March to the Arch is a stone-cold closer who comes off a fourth-place finish behind his stablemate Got Stormy in the Grade 1 Fourstardave here Aug. 10. He will break from the rail under Tyler Gaffalione.