Saratoga Snacks gets revenge in Saginaw Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – A change of rider, a change of tactics, and a change in the weights all may have helped Saratoga Snacks to exact some revenge on Empire Dreams in Saturday’s $100,000 Saginaw Stakes at Belmont Park.

In the $200,000 Commentator Stakes here May 25, a stalking Saratoga Snacks finished third, beaten three-quarters of a length by Empire Dreams. Gary Sciacca, the owner and trainer of Saratoga Snacks, felt that jockey Joel Rosario may not have been aggressive enough with his ridgling in that race.

On Saturday, Sciacca made a switch to John Velazquez, who put Saratoga Snacks on the front end, sparring with longshot Eye Luv Lulu through a half-mile in 48.73 seconds. After disposing of Eye Luv Lulu, Saratoga Snacks was confronted in upper stretch by Empire Dreams, who was making a five-wide move under Javier Castellano. Empire Dreams got in front of Saratoga Snacks in midstretch, but Saratoga Snacks battled back and prevailed in the final yards by three-quarters of a length.

Empire Dreams finished second by 4 1/2 lengths over Gridley Here, who was followed by Notacatbutallama and Eye Luv Lulu.

Saratoga Snacks, a 6-year-old son of Tale of the Cat who won for the ninth time in 21 starts, covered 1 1/16 miles over a “good” main track in 1:43.98 and returned $3.80 as the favorite. There was an eight-pound shift in the weights in favor of Saratoga Snacks from the Commentator to the Saginaw.

“I think if he would have run this way last time, it would have been a different ballgame,” Sciacca said. “I was a little disappointed last time; [Rosario] never got after him.”

Sciacca said he was fine with Velazquez’s decision to put Saratoga Snacks on the front end. Velazquez said he was not worried about Eye Luv Lulu.

“I didn’t pay attention to him on the lead. I kept my horse away from him so he didn’t get into a duel,” Velazquez said. “I put my hands down. He was feeling really relaxed. He was never on the bridle.”

Velazquez said he just waited for Empire Dreams to come to him “before I got after him.”

Sciacca said he could run Saratoga Snacks next in the $100,000 Alydar Stakes against open company at Saratoga on Aug. 9 or wait for the Evan Shipman for New York-breds on Sept. 4.