Sagamore Farm and DePaz go for more juvenile glory

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Sagamore Farm and trainer Horacio DePaz have won five 2-year-old races from 10 starters this year, including the Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park with He Hate Me. This weekend, they will look for more success with runners in Saturday’s Adirondack and Sunday’s Saratoga Special – Grade 2, $200,000 stakes for juvenile females and juveniles, respectively.

In the Adirondack, Sagamore and DePaz will send out Proportionality and Southampton Way in the eight-horse field.

Proportionality, a daughter of Discreet Cat, was outside in a three-horse speed duel at Laurel Park in her debut. She put her two pace rivals away and then fended off Carson City Coin to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

“She can definitely improve off that conditioning-wise,” DePaz said. “She did a lot of that on her own. She came out of it well, and she should be set up for this race pretty good.”

Southampton Way finished fifth in her debut in the mud at Pimlico in May. DePaz added blinkers to her equipment after that, and Southampton Way responded with a pace-pressing one-length victory at 9-1 here on opening day.

“She was always forward, so we never thought she would need [blinkers],” DePaz said. “Just trying to get her more on her game. We put them on her, and she was working very well with them.”

Proportionality drew post 5 and Southampton Way the outside in an eight-horse field that includes Pure Silver, Stainless, Sly Roxy, Di Maria, Limited View, and Wall of Compassion.

On Wednesday, Stainless worked four furlongs in 48.58 seconds over the Oklahoma turf course in company with Sugar Queen. Stainless is also being considered for next Wednesday’s $100,000 Bolton Landing, a 5 1/2-length turf sprint, according to trainer Todd Pletcher.

In the Saratoga Special, Sagamore and DePaz will be represented by Barry Lee, a 6 1/2-length debut winner at Laurel Park on July 14. He was the workmate of He Hate Me, who has gone 2 for 2 but is getting some time off after getting sick following his victory in the Tremont.

Others expected for the Saratoga Special include Bal Harbour, Copper Bullet, Diamond Oops, Hollywood Star, Mo Diddley, and Vino.

Entries for the Saratoga Special were to be taken on Thursday.

– additional reporting by Mike Welsch

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