Sisterson sends three in Forego looking for his second Grade 1 upset of meet

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Jack Sisterson sprung arguably the biggest surprise of the 2020 Saratoga meet when he sent out Vexatious to upset Midnight Bisou in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign. On Saturday, Sisterson will take three swings at a second Grade 1 win here this summer when he starts the Calumet Farm trio of Everfast, Lexitonian, and True Timber in the seven-furlong Forego, which shares top billing on the 11-race card with the Grade 1 Sword Dancer.

The other two stakes on the card are the Grade 2 Amsterdam for 3-year-olds going six furlongs on dirt, and the Grade 3 Saranac for 3-year-olds going a mile on turf.

A field of 11 was drawn for the Forego, led by Whitmore, Mind Control, and Firenze Fire, who finished second, third, and fourth behind the odds-on Volatile in the Grade 1 Alfred Vanderbilt five weeks ago. Trainer Chad Brown also will be well represented by the pair of Complexity and Fortin Hill.

:: DRF's Saratoga headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more

Multiple New York-bred stakes winner Funny Guy, Win Win Win, and Majestic Dunhill round out a well-matched lineup.

Weather could play a deciding factor, with an 80 percent chance of rain in the forecast as of midweek.

Sisterson acknowledges that one of his horses will need to step up if he’s to win the Forego.

“On paper, they’re all a little light on numbers compared to some of the others, but training-wise they’re all doing very well,” Sisterson said.

Lexitonian is likely the most highly regarded of the threesome, exiting a nose loss after rallying from the rear of the field in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby going six furlongs on Aug. 1 at Del Mar.

“I was shocked how far back he was early,” Sisterson said. “His best races have always come when he’s forwardly placed. It was nice to see a new dimension from him, although I promise that won’t be the plan Saturday. He couldn’t be going into this race any better, and I’m pleased he gets to go seven-eighths this time.”

Everfast, second in the 2019 Preakness with trainer Dale Romans, turned back to seven furlongs from a series of one-mile races to win an allowance race in impressive fashion here Aug. 1. Sisterson is hoping that win boosts Everfast’s confidence.

“He’s actually run well in all his dirt races this year, and the timing back to the Forego off his earlier win here is perfect,” Sisterson said. “On his best day, he competes with Grade 1-type horses, and this is also the best he’s come in to a race since I’ve had him.”

:: Get DRF's Betting Strategies for Saratoga's weekend cards

True Timber placed twice in Grade 1 races for former trainer Kiaran McLaughlin in 2019 and enters the Forego off a much-needed third-place effort against allowance company July 12 at Keeneland. The race was his first in 4 1/2 months.

“We weren’t expecting him to win his last start off the layoff, but he came out of the race very well and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the lead here,” Sisterson said. “The plan with him may be to play catch me if you can.”

Whitmore won the Forego two years ago for trainer Ron Moquett and has not seemed to have slowed down much in the interim, even at the age of 7. A winner of more than $3.1 million, Whitmore turned in another solid effort to finish second in the Vanderbilt, 1 1/4 lengths behind Volatile, who got away with a pedestrian pace.

Mind Control and Firenze Fire also were victimized by the pace scenario in the Vanderbilt. Mind Control suffered his first local defeat after having won a pair of Grade 1 races at seven furlongs here, the Hopeful in 2018 and the Allen Jerkens in 2019.

The 4-year-old Complexity also is a Grade 1 winner, having captured the Champagne at 2. He’s started just once this season, registering an easy 2 1/4-length victory over Win Win Win going a mile under allowance conditions two months earlier at Belmont Park. His stablemate Fortin Hill has started just four times and will be making his stakes debut in the Forego. He is coming off easily his best effort yet, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for capturing a seven-furlong allowance and optional-claiming race July 4 at Belmont.

Funny Guy has never been better, having won the Commentator and John Morrissey against statebreds in his two most recent starts, but he will be facing open company for only the second time in his career.