SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. _ In Sidney’s Candy and Aikenite, trainer Todd Pletcher appears to have the horses with the best early foot and closing kick, respectively, in Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Forego Stakes at Saratoga. It is up to the individual handicapper to determine whether Sidney’s Candy possesses enough speed to wire this group or whether he will fold in a potential pace meltdown, thus setting things up for Aikenite. Sidney’s Candy and Aikenite are two of nine horses entered in a seemingly wide-open renewal of the Forego, contested at seven furlongs over the main track. Sidney’s Candy has been hailed as being a very versatile horse, one who handles turf, dirt ,or synthetic equally as well. He does not possess a versatile running style, however, and figures to have to use his speed from post 2 under John Velazquez. In winning the Grade 2 Fourstardave on turf in his last start, Sidney’s Candy got away with pedestrian fractions. “Obviously this is a different race, he’s going to have to be ridden differently to suit the style of the race,” Pletcher said. “From a post position standpoint, I would have preferred to be outside, where we wouldn’t have to commit quite as much, but he’ll have to come out running and see how he handles it.” Your browser does not support iframes Golddidgger’s Boy, who has won five consecutive races, and Escrow Kid, who set the pace in the James Marvin Stakes before finishing third, are among those who figure to challenge Sidney’s Candy for the lead. Aikenite came from off the pace to win the Commonwealth and Churchill Downs – both Grade 2 stakes – this spring. After running fourth in the Metropolitan Handicap, he finished fifth as the 5-2 favorite in the James Marvin, a race in which he was kept too close to the pace according to Pletcher. “I think with Aikenite, regardless of whether they go 21 or 23 he has to settle and make one run,” Pletcher said. “That was the mistake we made last time. We tried to keep him a little closer to the pace.” Javier Castellano will ride Aikenite from post 7. Jersey Town, upset winner of the Cigar Mile last November, will be making his second start of the year in the Forego. In his first, he finished second to Force Freeze in the Teddy Drone Stakes at Monmouth Park, a six-furlong race that was run in 1:07.77, just .30 of a second off the track record. Stretching out to seven furlongs and being reunited with Cornelio Velasquez – aboard for the Cigar Mile win – should benefit Jersey Town, a 5-year-old son of Speightstown trained by Barclay Tagg. Jackson Bend put in a career-best performance when he won the James Marvin by 2 1/2 lengths here on opening day. Trainer Nick Zito believes his horse has maintained his form in the six weeks between races. “He came with his game the whole month,” Zito said. “The main thing is he’s trained great. We just need a little bit of luck. I’m not crazy about the post,” he said of the rail draw. Golddigger’s Boy has won 7 of 11 starts including three wins in four weeks, ending with a score I the $200,000 Don Levine Memorial Handicap at Parx on June 25. “I think he’s ready to play with the big boys,” said trainer Ramon Preciado. “So far, he’s shown us he can run. We’d like to find out what kind of horse we got. He’s training great.” Stewart Elliott, who is 5 for 5 on Golddigger’s Boy, has the call from post 3. Hamazing Destiny, second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, was also second in the James Marvin before finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt. Regal Ransom, who is 2 for 2 at Saratoga, and Rule by Night, who scratched out of Friday’s Island Whirl Stakes, complete the field. Forego Stakes 2011 Purse: $250,000; 7 furlongs; Grade 1 Post Horse Trainer Jockey ML Odds Jackson Bend Nick Zito Corey Nakatani 5-2 Sidney's Candy Todd Pletcher John Velazquez 4-1 Golddigger's Boy Ramon Preciado Stewart Elliott 15-1 Jersey Town Barclay Tagg Cornelio Velasquez 6-1 Hamazing Destiny D. Wayne Lukas Robby Albarado 5-1 Escrow Kid Carl Doran Oliver Castillo 15-1 Aikenite Todd Pletcher Javier Castellano 5-1 Regal Ransom Saeed bin Suroor Ramon Dominguez 6-1 Rule by Night Steve Asmussen David Cohen 15-1 MORE: Full Coverage of the 2011 Woodward Stakes Day card »