Renown a sentimental choice in John's Call
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Renown will be more than just a sentimental choice in Wednesday’s $100,000 John’s Call Stakes at Saratoga. Renown has a legitimate chance to win the 1 5/8-mile turf race named in honor of the gelding who won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer in 2000 at the age of 9.
Renown is trained by Elizabeth Voss, whose father, Tom, trained John’s Call to a career that ended with 16 wins from 40 starts and earnings of $1.5 million. John’s Call died in 2010. Tom Voss died in 2014.
“It would be amazing to win it,” Elizabeth Voss said.
Renown comes in off a nose victory in the Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park, a race John’s Call won twice. This field includes the top four finishers from the Cape Henlopen, run at 1 1/2 miles.
The Cape Henlopen was run in driving rain that made the Delaware Park turf course yielding, a surface Voss doesn’t feel is Renown’s best.
“We were thinking of sending him over jumps – he’s a beautiful jumper – but I wanted to give him one more shot because he put on weight and he’d been training great,” Voss said. “Of course, that day the skies opened up, poured rain, lightning. He ran awesome. He just never gives up.”
Angel Cruz, aboard for the Cape Henlopen victory, will make his 2016 Saratoga debut in this spot.
Street Fashion, trained by Graham Motion, also ran awesome in the Cape Henlopen, leading every jump of the way but the last one. He is 0 for 10 on turf, however.
Mr Maybe is dropping into this listed race off a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 United Nations, just his second start this year. He ended 2015 with three straight wins, including a 4 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct.
Trainer Chad Brown said Mr Maybe “had a minor issue” coming out of the United Nations that required a stay at the Fair Hill Training Center. Brown said the 5-year-old gelding “is a work or two short of where I’d like him to be, though his last work was very good. It’s worth a gamble to throw him in there.”
Key Contenders:
Renown, by Champs Elysees
Last 3 Beyers: 91-75-75
◗ Has run very well at 1 1/2 miles, and Voss believes the extra furlong of this race will be even better for him.
“He’ll run all day,” Voss said. “I think the farther, the better for him.”
Street Fashion, by Street Sense
Last 3 Beyers: 91-82-91
◗ A consistent in-the-money finisher, he has an aversion to winning, as his 2-4-3 record from 13 starts attests.
◗ Could play out as the primary speed under Joel Rosario.
◗ This will be the seventh straight different surface over which he has raced.
Mr Maybe, by Ghostzapper
Last 3 Beyers: 97-96-104
◗ Drops in class out of three straight starts in graded stakes company.
◗ Has two wins at 1 3/8 miles and is now stretched out a little farther.
“He acts like he’ll run all day when he’s right,” Brown said.