Saranac fills hole in Carl Spackler's schedule; $111,629 pick six carryover

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – If anyone has seen just about enough rain during this year’s Saratoga meeting it’s trainer Chad Brown, whose stable is loaded from top to bottom with talented turf horses, many of whose schedules have been disrupted by the wet weather.

Brown, and just about everyone else participating at this year’s meet, is hopeful the rain will have run its course by the time closing weekend rolls around, starting with the Grade 3, $175,000 Saranac on Friday. The race features the Brown duo of heavy favorite Carl Spackler and Activist Investing, who will face six rivals, weather permitting, in the Grade 3 fixture for 3-year-olds carded at 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf.

Friday’s card will include a pick six carryover of $111,629 after the bet went unsolved Thursday. The sequence begins in the fifth race, one race after the Saranac.

Carl Spackler had his coming-out party earlier in the meet when rallying to a convincing 2 1/4-length victory over stablemate Appraise going a mile in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. The win was the second in four starts for Carl Spackler, an Irish-bred who also finished a narrowly beaten second behind the now Grade 1 winner Far Bridge in his career debut on Jan. 11 at Gulfstream Park.

“The rain has been extremely disruptive for us. We’ve lost a lot of races as a result. It’s the worst summer here I can remember,” said Brown. ”But despite it, we’ve had a very strong meet, so I’m thankful for that.”

Brown said it was very rewarding to see Carl Spackler win off the way he did in the Hall of Fame, considering the talent he’s shown right from the start. Brown has big plans for his rising star as the season progresses.

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“I wasn’t originally planning on running him back on such short rest, but he bounced out of the race so good and had a nice little breeze that went super,” said Brown. “Looking ahead with what I want to do with him, I’m pointing to the Coolmore Mile” – a $1 million Grade 1 on Oct. 7 at Keeneland – “against older horses and I think it might be too long a break if I didn’t run him somewhere first. This still gives him five weeks to that race and for a horse that hasn’t run much this year, it might be the better way to go.”

Although Carl Spackler rallied from near the rear of the field to win the Hall of Fame, he did race forwardly placed in some of his earlier races and could find himself closer to the pace in the Saranac with a dearth of speed signed on.

“He could certainly run on the lead if that’s the case. I’ll just leave that up to Tyler [Gaffalione],” said Brown. “He also handled ground with some give in it last time, so that wouldn’t be a concern either.”

Carl Spackler will carry high weight of 124 pounds under the allowance conditions of the Saranac, conceding from four to six pounds to his rivals.

Activist Investing returned from a 10-month layoff to win a first-level allowance race going nine furlongs here by 1 3/4 lengths on Aug. 13, posting far and away a career-best Beyer, 89, in the process. The win was the second in a row for the son of Kingman, both victories coming since the addition of blinkers for his 2-year-old finale.

“I really think the blinkers have made a big difference,” said Brown. “He’s another coming back on short rest. I entered him in case the race fell apart, and if Carl Spackler runs, he probably won’t.”

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Freedom Trail, who captured the Awad at 2 but is winless in four starts this season, and Lost Ark, who will be trying grass for the first time if the Saranac goes as scheduled, are the only other stakes winners in the field. The remainder of the lineup includes Taking Candy, a game allowance winner here early in the meet; European invader Yacowlef; and the stakes-placed Mendelssohns March.

Grade 1-placed Gilmore, who finished third in the Woody Stephens on June 10 at Belmont Park, is the lone main-track-only entrant. He was also entered for the main track only on Wednesday’s card, so he will scratch if he runs then.

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