Saratoga: Saginaw doubles Jacobson's joy by repeating in John Morrissey

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Of the previous 13 wins that Saginaw had recorded for him, trainer David Jacobson tabbed the five-length victory in last year’s John Morrissey Stakes here as his favorite.

The fact it was in Saratoga and the race was named after an individual as significant as Morrissey - the bare-knuckle brawler who helped co-found this track 150 years ago - were what made Jacobson pick that race.

Now, when someone asks Jacobson what his favorite race of Saginaw’s is, he will have trouble answering after Saginaw repeated in the Morrissey, taking Thursday’s renewal by 1 3/4 lengths over Mine Over Matter. Saratoga Snacks, the 4-5 favorite, was third, followed by the pacesetting B Shanny. Night Maneuver scratched.

“I don’t know which one I’m going to like better. It’s a tough call, but I’m just enjoying the moment right now,” Jacobson said.

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Since claiming Saginaw for $30,000 on March 8, 2012 there have been many enjoyable moments for Jacobson and the Drawing Away Stable ownership group. Since the claim, Saginaw has won 14 of 17 starts and banked $712,650. His career record is 21 for 40 with earnings of $974,690.

“He just has the biggest heart. He’s out there to compete and to win and he just loves to run,” Jacobson said.

The betting public made Saratoga Snacks the odds-on choice. Saratoga Snacks, owned by soon-to-be-inducted Hall of Fame football coach Bill Parcells, had won 6 of 8 starts and defeated Saginaw last December in the Alex M. Robb at Aqueduct.

Saginaw, under Junior Alvarado, did a good job of keeping Joel Rosario and Saratoga Snacks bottled up along the inside as both chased B Shanny through a quarter in 22.55 seconds over a sealed, muddy main track.

Down the backstretch Irad Ortiz Jr., on B Shanny, left a bit of an opening along the inside and Rosario tried to put Saratoga Snacks through it but “he didn’t want to go in there,” said Rosario, who then had to steady.

That enabled Alvarado to get first run on B Shanny and he collared that rival just outside the eighth pole and began to draw clear. Saratoga Snacks was guided off the rail by Rosario but gave futile chase and lost second by a nose to Mine Over Matter.

Saginaw, a 7-year-old son of Peruvian, covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.47 and returned $7.40.

“I tried to get a good position. I wanted to be clear,” Alvarado said. “I saw that horse he was stuck a little bit inside. By this point I’m next to him holding my horse together, I knew he was going to finish. Things didn’t work out very good for [Saratoga Snacks] - he didn’t have the best trip - but you can’t take anything away from my horse. He ran a hell of a race. He’s such a great horse.”