Saratoga 2026: Per usual, juvenile stars look to shine bright at Spa
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – One of the best parts of a Saratoga summer is the 2-year-old racing as one never knows when the sport’s next star could debut. Some, like Ted Noffey, who won his first start here last Aug. 2, become champions. Some, like $40,000 purchase Napoleon Solo, win a maiden auction race and go on to win the Grade 1 Champagne and Preakness.
Others, like It’s Our Time, who won his debut by 18 1/2 lengths, become known as one-hit wonders, while the third-place finisher from that race, Renegade, became a Grade 1 winner at 3.
With a whole new cast of first-time stallions such as Flightline and Life Is Good, who knows what this summer will bring when the 46-day meet begins Friday.
Miguel Clement sent out four debut winners at Saratoga last summer, including Bottas and Intricate Spirit who subsequently won stakes.
This summer, Clement has a larger number of babies to unveil during the meet.
Antonelli (Golden Pal) was a $500,000 2-year-old in training purchase who reminds Clement of Bottas.
“Compact, strong, powerful, not the biggest, but a very good mover,” Clement said.
Other colts he’s looking forward to starting include Not Ever (Not This Time), Randee (Cyberknife), Spencer’s Angel (Upstart), Oscar (Oscar Performance), and an unnamed Into Mischief colt out of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Shared Account.
Clement’s fillies to watch include Brickyard Belle (Yaupon), Cyber Baby (Cyberknife), Mandy Steph (Constitution), and Rockabye (Flightline). Graceline is a $2.2 million yearling by Flightline who could show up late in the meet or early in the fall at Belmont.
Todd Pletcher won 19 2-year-old races at the 2025 Saratoga meet, including the Grade 1 Hopeful and Grade 1 Spinaway with two-time meet winners Ted Noffey and Tommy Jo, respectively. He is only 1 for 7 with 2-year-olds this year but appears to have plenty of ammunition to have another successful summer in this division.
The filly Tumoohaat (Into Mischief) is the first foal out of champion mare Malathaat and has shown promise in the morning. An unnamed Into Mischief filly who is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Simplification; an unnamed Drain the Clock filly out of Windsail; an unnamed Munnings filly who is a half-sister to Ted Noffey; and an unnamed Not This Time filly who is a half-sister to Skippylongstocking, who looks turf meant, are other fillies for Pletcher.
Foolin (Practical Joke), an unnamed Into Mischief colt out of the three-time Grade 1-winning mare Ima Chatterbox; an unnamed Gun Runner colt who is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Clairere; and Dallas Star (Flightline), a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Capensis; are some of the males to look for.
Chad Brown had an uncharacteristically poor 2025 Saratoga meet with his 2-year-olds, winning just three races from 40 starters. He has plenty of stock with which to bounce back this year.
His colts include Cost Saving (Munnings), Gaudreau (Nyquist), Namuzu (Epicenter), Revenue Stream (Kingman), an unnamed Uncle Mo out of the dam Full Tap, and an unnamed Gun Runner out of Twenty Carat.
Brown also has Woodburn, a full brother to classic winners Mage and Dornoch and a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Baeza. Woodburn just had his first workout June 26, so if he makes the meet, it will be toward the end.
“Good-looking horse, good mover, so far I’ve been impressed with him,” Brown said.
Among Brown’s filly prospects are Correlation Trade (New Bay); Doves and Hawks (Twirling Candy); Fair Practice (Tacitus), from the family of Bricks and Mortar; Libby Lloyd (Into Mischief); Bridgetown Rose (Speightstown), a sibling to Grade 1 winners Segesta and Salamis; Lorna Doone (Munnings); and Forever Carina (Gun Runner), a full sister to Kentucky Oaks winner Always a Runner.
In 2025, George Weaver won five juvenile races for the second time in three years at Saratoga. Among his stock this year are colts Caena (Munnings) and Lou’s Room (Epicenter), from the family of Sanford Stakes winner Backtalk and graded winner Bsharpsonanta. Revenge of the Sis, a $500,000 yearling purchase, is a full sister to the Weaver-trained Grade 1 winner Dorth Vader. Weaver expects better next time from Extravaganzoo, who bombed at 2-1 in her April 24 debut on turf at Keeneland. Attachment (Vekoma) is another filly expected to debut at the meet.
Bill Mott will look to run the colts Jackpot Rocket (Tapit), Louden (Gun Runner), Apotheon (Gun Runner), Belzoni (Gun Runner), Parkridge (City of Light), Stone Aged (Curlin), and Time Time Time (Not This Time) at this meet. Among Mott’s fillies are Groves (Flightline), Queen’s Love (Flightline), and Royal Victoria (Into Mischief).
Danny Gargan believes, as a group, this is the best crop of 2-year-olds he’s brought to Saratoga. His colts are led by Gorillaz (Bolt d’Oro), who is a half-brother to Dubai World Cup and Stephen Foster winner Magnitude.
“He’s big-time. He’s a serious horse,” Gargan said.
Other colts include Chief of Staff (Nyquist), a sibling to seven winners; Ferrum (Uncle Mo); and a trio of Good Magic progeny – Joven, Mystrix, and Rafferty – who combined to bring $2.1 million at auction. George’s Pal Vinnie (Mind Control) and Honest Won (Honest Mischief) are New York-breds that Gargan is high on.
Among Gargan’s fillies are Meadow Freedom (Constitution), who is out of a four-time graded stakes-winning mare; an unnamed Gun Runner filly out of Coin Broker; and an unnamed Bolt d’Oro filly out of the Grade 3 stakes winner Gas Station Sushi.
Linda Rice has combined to go just 5 for 51 with 2-year-olds the last seven Saratoga meets. She was more of a presence at auctions this year and last and seems to have a chance to have a decent meet with her babies. Dargham (Army Mule) was a $500,000 2-year-old in training purchase, and Sugarman (Keepmeinmind) was a $300,000 New York-bred purchase. Scramjet (Uncle Mo) is a New York-bred who is a half-sibling to three winners.
Rice’s filly prospects include New York-breds Velora (Yaupon), Gabriella (Maclean’s Music), Forecheck (Maxfield), and Sweet Lisa (Twirling Candy).
Jena Antonucci already has two wins, a second, and a third from four starts with 2-year-olds this year. Maiden winners Luminous Beauty (Flameaway) and Goodbye to Romance (Complexity) are contenders in Friday’s Schuylerville and Saturday’s Sanford, respectively.
Antonucci has the first-time starter Girls Wear Pearls (Hard Spun) entered Friday. Ms Liu (Greatest Honour) was third first time out. Unraced Aerial Affair (Flightline) is a half-sister to Grade 1 Test winner Bella Sofia, and the colt Buffalo Sober (Mind Control) is eligible for a New York-bred or maiden auction race.
Whit Beckman has a large number of 2-year-olds stabled at Saratoga this summer. He has an unnamed colt by Corniche out of the four-time graded stakes-winning mare Leigh Court who brought $1.35 million at auction. Other colts he’s looking forward to getting started include Let Em Know (Jackie’s Warrior), Warrior Heart (Mendelssohn), and Vitello (Jackie’s Warrior).
Among his filly crop are Beach Belle (Omaha Beach), Bueckers (Omaha Beach), Lucky Loretta (Life Is Good), and an unnamed Quality Road filly out of American Heroine.
Steve Asmussen believes his 2-year-olds are better second time out, and he has sent horses Grand Yaupon, Decimation, Gun for Glory, and Generational to Saratoga after all lost their debuts at Churchill Downs. He was planning to start Powerline, a $1.8 million Flightline colt at Churchill but scratched him owing to an off track.
Maiden winners Washton and Booked will represent Asmussen in Friday’s Schuylerville and Saturday’s Sanford, respectively.
Brad Cox has won at least three 2-year-old races at each of the last six Saratoga meets. Some of the ones he hopes can continue that trend this summer are the colts The Good Life (Life Is Good) and Yestahal (Drain the Clock) – a $1.1 million 2-year-old in training purchase – and the fillies Angel of Kirk (Yaupon) and Effusive (Into Mischief). Effusive is out of the champion mare Monomoy Girl, who was trained by Cox.
Mark Casse won nine baby races at the 2024 meet but only three last summer. He has several up here already, including the filly Charlotte’s Beach (Not This Time), who is in Friday; Harbaugh (Not This Time), a colt named for New York Giants head football coach John Harbaugh; Greenwell, a Flightline colt who ran second on debut at Churchill; And the Runner Is (Oscar Performance), a half-brother to Burnham Square; Ez Speaker (Speaker’s Corner); and the New York-breds Mindfield (Mind Control) and Tinian Beach (Omaha Beach).
Casse said Pierette, who won Sunday’s Debutante at Churchill Downs, will make her next start in the Grade 3 Adirondack here Aug. 2.
Shug McGaughey’s 2-year-olds include Port in a Storm (Uncle Mo), a half-brother to graded winner Limited Liability; Pass On By (Not This Time); Special Warfare (Violence); U.S.S. Calor (War of Will), a sibling to four winners; and Big Bold Red (Candy Red). His fillies include Ella Forte (Twirling Candy) and Flightress (Flightline)
Cherie DeVaux may run most of her 2-year-old dirt horses at Ellis Park, at least for their debuts, but be more involved in the maiden turf races at Saratoga. Shrugged Off (Upstart), a half-sister to Grade 1 winner More Than Looks; Tasha’s Pride (Frankel); and Revenge Dress (Sioux Nation) are among the ones she is looking to run here. As far as dirt colts, DeVaux mentioned Mamba Strikes (Tapit), a half-brother to Drain the Clock and a $1.3 million yearling purchase.
Imperial Tempo is a half-brother to DeVaux’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo. DeVaux said Imperial Tempo is more precocious than his brother, but she’s still not sure he will make it to the races at this meet.
Tom Proctor went 0 for 21 last year at Saratoga. Don’t see that happening again this year. His 2-year-old crop includes colts Geneva Lake (Life Is Good), Roll Wave (Into Mischief), Hullaballoo Ray Ray (Jackie’s Warrior), and Sultan of Swing (Justify). Isle of Joy (Into Mischief) looks to be his best-working filly.
Jorge Abreu is looking forward to getting Deuce Dancer (Army Mule), Random Recall (Mind Control), and House of War (War Dancer) started at this met.
Chad Summers sent out Napoleon Solo to a debut win in a maiden auction race here last summer. This year, he is looking forward to running Coach’s Pals (Highly Motivated), Gun Flare (Cyberknife), and Avanti Adios (Medaglia d’Oro).
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