Danny Gargan has had limited success with 2-year-olds at Saratoga. Over the last six meetings, he has won with just 3 of 27 juvenile starters. He is expecting for that to change this summer. Led by Dornoch, a full brother to Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Gargan has more than a dozen 2-year-olds in his care, many of whom will see action this summer at Saratoga. “I’m in a better position with young horses than I’ve ever been in,” said Gargan, who last year won a maiden race with Champions Dream, who would win the Grade 3 Nashua at Aqueduct. Dornoch was purchased at the Keeneland September yearling sale for $325,000. At the time, Mage had yet to make it to the races. Dornoch is owned by Randy Hill, West Paces Racing, and Jayson Werth, the former Major League Baseball player who was a member of the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. “The best horse I ever trained,” Gargan said of Dornoch. Gargan’s 2-year-old roster includes Uncle Bo, a 2-year-old son of Constitution who is likely meant for the turf; Justdeny, a Justify filly who also has a bullet work on turf; Instamatic, a New York-bred son of More Than Ready; and Queen’s Martini, a Mucho Macho Man filly who is eligible for the maiden auction races, those restricted to horses who sold for $50,000 or less at their most recent sale. In order to be successful with 2-year-olds at Saratoga, one has to beat horses from the barns of Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen, and Chad Brown. When Haul won Sunday’s fifth race at Belmont Park, it was just the second 2-year-old winner from seven starters this year for Pletcher, who said many of his babies came in late from the farm. Pletcher’s other debut winner, Wine On Tap, will start in Thursday’s Grade 3 Schuylerville. In Thursday’s first 2-year-old race of the meet, the second race, Pletcher will send out first-time starter Soca (Speightstown), a half to Double Thunder, who won his debut and the Grade 3 Bashford Manor. Pletcher also has Lady Blitz (Audible), a troubled fifth on debut, for that race. :: DRF's 2023 Saratoga headquarters: Previews, past performances, picks, recaps, news, and more. Other Pletcher fillies to look for during the meet include Camera (Curlin), a $1 million yearling purchase; Calle Amada (Street Sense), from a dam who won 13 races and has thrown three winners; and Before You Go Go (Mitole). Among Pletcher’s colts are Pirate (Omaha Beach), who is a half-brother to Preakness winner National Treasure; Protective (Medaglia d’Oro), the fourth foal from the Grade 1-winning dam Grace Hall; Annointed (Justify); and an unnamed colt by Curlin out of the Grade 3 stakes-winning dam Jacaranda. Asmussen has already won 14 juvenile races this year, including a sweep of the Astoria and Tremont stakes at Belmont with Closing Act and Gold Sweep, respectively. Those two will run in Thursday’s Grade 3 Schuylerville and Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford. Edified, a son of Tapit; and Copper Em, a daughter of Copper Bullet; both won their debuts at Ellis Park and are likely to show up in stakes at Saratoga this summer. Among Asmussen’s maidens to look for are Mugen (Into Mischief), an unraced $1.2 million filly out of the Grade 1 Test winner Paola Queen, and Lambo a $950,000 son of Uncle Mo who finished second at 4-5 in his debut at Ellis Park. Gypsy Tales (Munnings), Mystical Chant (Liam’s Map), and Neom Beach (Omaha Beach) are other maidens who figure to get a start at the meet. Brown typically waits until Saratoga to start running his 2-year-olds. He has won 33 juvenile races over the last five Saratoga meets. Among Brown’s maiden colts to look for this summer are Top Conor (Twirling Candy), a $1 million 2-year-old in training purchase, General Partner (Speightstown), Global Perspective (Tapit), Right to Vote (Vino Rosso), Risk Tolerance (Kingman), and an unnamed New York-bred Liam’s Map colt out of the dam Darby Blush. Brown, as usual, has a strong roster of fillies that includes Hard to Justify (Justify), Ways and Means (Practical Joke), Weigh the Risks (Mendelssohn), Oversubscribed (Too Darn Hot), Nikitis (Audible), Fashion Victim (Tapit). and Coif (Into Mischief). Two years ago, Christophe Clement won seven juvenile races before winning just three last year. His 2023 contingent includes Beanpot (Into Mischief), Frosted Victory (Frosted), Kant Call It (Kantharos), The Shoe Lady (Upstart), Sensing Flatter (Flatter), and Strife (War Front). Kenny McPeek said he will have a bigger presence this summer at Saratoga than in previous years, with a large contingent of 2-year-olds. Call the Cavalry, who won his debut at Belmont, will start in Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford Stakes. Among his maidens are Walstib (Unified), Elko County (Gun Runner), Under the Palms (Enticed), and Celestial Joy (Kitten’s Joy). Bill Mott sent out the firster Magic Cross (Good Magic) to win on Saturday at Belmont. He’s got some high-powered pedigrees in his barn, including the filly Kingdom Come (Justify), a half-sister to Art Collector; Munny Rockette (Munnings), a $1 million 2-year-old in training purchase from the female family of Grade 1 winners Chaposa Springs and You and I; and Hunt Ball (Into Mischief), a half-brother to Cody’s Wish. Genetics (Tapit), Inherent Promise (Constitution), Trucker (Flatter), and Reynolds Channel (West Coast) are others Mott hopes to debut at the meet. :: Get Saratoga Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day.  Trainer Shug McGaughey’s 2-year-old roster is full of high-powered pedigrees and big-purchase prices. Sedona (Curlin) was bought for $2 million, Stop the Press (Uncle Mo) for $1.5 million, and Citational (Into Mischief) for $1.3 million. Mystifying (Curlin) is from the family of Heavenly Prize and Dancing Forever. Front Line Warrior (War Front) is the first foal out of Grade 1 winner Shamrock Rose. Wonder Finn (Justify) and Tom Collins (Frosted) are others he hopes to get going at the Spa. Tony Dutrow has had his 2-year-olds training in Saratoga since May, and he’s hopeful that there are a few good one in this year’s crop. Causeway’s Jewel is a full sister to four-time graded winner Emmanuel. Z Train (Churchill) and Izzy Sweet Girl (Kodiak) were purchased at Tattersalls. Past Tense (Ghostzapper) and Curlin’s Girl (Curlin) are others he’s looking forward to getting started. Cherie DeVaux will have about a 19-horse stable in Saratoga this summer, interchanging horses from her Kentucky base. Among the 2-year-olds she plans to run in Saratoga are Candy Lover (Twirling Candy), third first out, and unraced runners Reagan’s Version (Oasis Dream) and Pisciotta (Wootton Bassett). Linda Rice has a handful of 2-year-olds, including New York-breds Wine Responsibly (Vino Rosso), Barron’s Bounce (Flatter), and Jingle Jangle (Big Brown), the latter a sibling to her multiple stakes winner Blindwillie McTell. George Weaver is 6 for 13 with 2-year-olds in 2023, and that doesn’t include Crimson Advocate’s victory in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot. It appears he still has some more bullets to fire at Saratoga with the likes of Modica (Hard Spun), Home Game (Street Sense), Soloshot (Solomini), and unnamed colts by Mitole and Uncle Mo. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.