Saratoga: Southern Honor preps for Special

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Already this meet trainer Tony Dutrow has won a graded stakes for 2-year-olds with a horse who won its maiden at Parx.

Sunday, Southern Honor will try to follow in the hoofprints of Schuylerville winner So Many Ways when he starts in the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special for colts and geldings.

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Southern Honor set a Parx track record for 4 1/2 furlongs (50.75) when winning his second start by 7 3/4 lengths. On Monday, he breezed five furlongs in 1:01.45 over the Oklahoma training track, getting a final quarter in 24.81 seconds under Ramon Dominguez.

Southern Honor almost appeared to be running off with Dominguez when he was galloping to the pole before his work. But Dominguez said Southern Honor settled right down when the breeze began.

“He was eager, but once he starts breezing he’s pretty easy to slow down if you need to,” said Dominguez, who has worked the colt twice. “Very sensible.”

Southern Honor, a son of Yes It’s True, finished second in his debut at Parx before setting a track record in his second start.

“He was superior to his company that day and ran very good, and I’m happy with the way he seems to relax and be nice about things in the mornings,” Dutrow said. “I don’t know what to expect in the Saratoga Special, but he seems like he’s a horse that will listen to his rider.”