Saratoga: Don't be caught looking when these trainers come up to bat

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It will be no surprise when either Todd Pletcher or Chad Brown wins this year’s Saratoga training title. Nor will it be shocking to see Bill Mott, Christophe Clement, Kiaran McLaughlin, and Linda Rice in the top 10.

But they can’t win all the races. Many summers, there are trainers who greatly exceed expectations at Saratoga. Here’s a handful of trainers, listed alphabetically, who might win more races than you’d think.

ROBERT BARBARA: Frankly, Saratoga has been a nightmare for this New York veteran, who has gone 2 for 70 here over the last six years. But Barbara has reunited with owner Joseph Bucci – they sent out the good-looking 2-year-old JC’s Pride here five years ago – and Barbara’s stable is up to 18 head.

He’s made three recent claims – Great Stuff, Comet Sixty Two, and Can Can Babe – and at least the first two will run at this meet. Samadi Sky, who came off a yearlong layoff to run second, should fit in a New York-bred maiden race. Honorable Daniel could knock off a claiming turf sprint.

Barbara will start Dynamo Flotilla on opening day in a $25,000 claimer for nonwinners of three races. Dynamo Flotilla is coming off a win.

“We’re going to be aggressive and run these horses in the right spot,” Barbara said.

Among Barbara’s young horses is Tommy T, a son of Shackleford whose first breeze was a bullet 35.03 seconds for three furlongs. His second dam is the champion turf mare Soaring Softly.

“The last three years, I didn’t go; I didn’t have any stock,” Barbara said. “This year, I want to go because I’m happy with what’s going on.”

BRAD COX: He won four races from just 13 starters at last year’s meet, and with 12 stalls this summer – and plenty of backup ammunition sitting in Kentucky – he could improve on those numbers.

Cox ranks fourth nationally this year in stakes wins with 19, and the star of his Saratoga string will be Spelling Again, the winner of the Grade 2 Princess Rooney at Gulfstream on July 2. She is nominated to next Wednesday’s Grade 2 Honorable Miss, but Cox said he probably will wait to run her in the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 27.

Cash Control, beaten a neck in the Indiana General Assembly Stakes last Saturday, will target the Ballston Spa, also on Aug. 27.

Green Mask, beaten a neck in a Grade 2 at Woodbine in his last start, and Alamsty are stakes-caliber/high-end allowance runners. Sassy Little Lila and Dublinyourmoney should fit in the right maiden races.

Cox won just one race at Belmont, with the good-looking 3-year-old turf sprinter Fournette, who figures to get a start at the Saratoga meet.

Cox said he has a few 2-year-olds to run, including Starr Bear, a daughter of Broken Vow who finished third in her debut.

“We feel like we got young horses that can compete there,” Cox said. “I definitely look at the [condition] book more than I did two years ago. We’re looking forward to the meet.”

JOHN KIMMEL: It’s hard to believe that it’s been 19 years since Kimmel shared the Saratoga training title with Mott, each winning 15 races. Kimmel’s last three Saratoga meets have been disappointing, including a 1-for-20 meet last summer.

But Kimmel’s barn came to life at Belmont, and he believes he can get this meet off to a solid start. Thirst for Glory is scheduled to run in Friday’s opener, a second-level New York-bred allowance. He is coming off a second-place finish in a similar spot at Belmont.

Kimmel also runs Moegan Avenue in a $40,000 claimer on turf that goes as Friday’s last race. Moegan Avenue may appreciate getting back out around two turns.

Kimmel has high hopes for an unstarted 3-year-old filly, Barbie on a Budget, who is a full sister to multiple stakes winner Mineralogist. Kimmel also has the 2-year-old Desert Trial from that same family.

Cloud Control won a division of the New York Stallion Stakes on turf here June 26 and is headed to the Cab Calloway Stakes for progeny of New York-based stallions on Aug. 8. Bar of Gold, second in the Grade 1 Test and Grade 2 Prioress here last summer, is targeting next Wednesday’s Honorable Miss.

MICHAEL STIDHAM: A top conditioner in the Midwest, Stidham is stabling at Saratoga for the first time. He has run only eight horses at Saratoga, without a victory.

Stidham is having a solid meet at Arlington, which has a synthetic surface as its main track. But knowing how difficult it is for horses to make the transition from synthetic to dirt, he is bringing mostly turf horses to Saratoga.

He is starting two horses in a pair of turf claimers on Friday – Siralen, fourth in a stakes at Canterbury last out, in the fifth race and the firster Brotherly in the last.

Full Tap is a New York-bred daughter of Tapit who beat open company sprinting on turf at Arlington. She raced twice here last year, finishing second once when in the barn of Clement.

Sashay, another former Clement trainee, is coming off a maiden win in her 10th start. She got beat a head by the eventual graded stakes winner Rainha Da Bateria in a maiden race here as a 2-year-old.

Tiger Paw, the 9-year-old Trend, and Zubi Zubi Zu are all recent winners whom Stidham plans to run here.

“We’re not coming there looking to hook the heavy heads,” Stidham said. “We’re going to try and fit in where we can, win some races. First time stabling at Saratoga, we’re not going to try and do something that cannot be done. If I could win a few, I’d be very happy.”

GARY SCIACCA: He won seven races at Belmont’s spring-summer meet but went only 2 for 37 over the last six weeks.

Sciacca’s Saratoga high-water mark came in 1995, when he won eight races here. Lately, his meets have been a bit leaner, including a 1-for-35 mark last summer.

However, Sciacca’s stable has increased from 25 head at this time last year to 40, aided in large part by Hall of Fame football coach Bill Parcells, who has 12 horses with Sciacca. One of them, Any Questions, is a 2-year-old by Lookin At Lucky and is a half-brother to the champion sprinter Runhappy. Any Questions, whose last three works have been solid, could debut Saturday.

Sciacca won with a debuting juvenile at Belmont, Tribecca, who was 40-1 when he upset the heavily favored Haul Anchor.

Jet Black, a winner of two straight, is entered in a second-level New York-bred race on Friday that Sciacca hopes leads to a start in the Albany Stakes. Hit It Once More, Sciacca’s other talented 3-year-old New York-bred, is running in the New York Derby on Saturday at Finger Lakes.

Sciacca has made a handful of claims he hopes to run at Saratoga, including Warriors Diva and Tairneach. Sciacca is also looking for improved efforts from Colonel Andy.

“I plan on having a decent meet up there – I hope,” Sciacca said.