The sky's the limit for 2-year-olds at Saratoga
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Though Saratoga boasts a rich stakes schedule, it is the 2-year-old program that truly makes this 40-day meet special.
One never knows from where racing’s next star will emerge, but the confluence of top barns from New York and Kentucky make it likely that at least one 2-year-old of significance will emerge from here.
The winners of all three Triple Crown races in 2012 had run here the previous summer. Last year saw the debuts of subsequent graded stakes winners Honor Code, Havana, Sweet Reason and Stopchargingmaria.
In the last four summers, trainer Todd Pletcher has won 72 races for 2-year-olds at Saratoga, including 16 last year. Despite a limited number of opportunities, Pletcher won five 2-year-old maiden races held during the Belmont meet. Fashion Alert, winner of the Astoria Stakes as a first-time starter, will head a small field in Friday’s Grade 3 Schuylerville, and debut winner Nonna’s Boy runs in Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford.
Pletcher’s plethora of maidens is led by Competitive Edge, a son of Pletcher’s 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, whose first-crop progeny have been getting rave reviews. Competitive Edge has put in several strong works, including a 59.97-second move from the gate on Tuesday, easily besting stablemate Dada Maino, a son of Super Saver whose unraced dam is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Paynter.
“He’s trained exceptionally well, probably look to start him off at six furlongs,” Pletcher said of Competitive Edge. “Everything he’s done so far has been very professional; it has come very easy to him.”
Bully Proof, a son of Bellamy Road, is another who has impressed Pletcher in the morning.
“Pretty nice horse,” Pletcher said. “Competitive Edge has been just a little better than him in a couple of his works, but he’s been better than most everybody else.”
Other Pletcher 2-year-olds to look for at this meeting include Reality, second in his debut, Old Mountain Lane, Daredevil, Blame Jim, Malibu Warrior, Designed for War, and Catanova. Khozan, a half-brother to multiple champion Royal Delta, is training here, but Pletcher is not sure if he will make the meet.
On the fillies side, Pletcher entered the highly regarded Overspending for opening day, but the race overfilled and she wound up one deep on the also-eligible list. Other Pletcher fillies to look for include Curalina, Pointe Class, Tybalt’s Queen, and Sierra Olivia.
Chad Brown is usually competitive with 2-year-olds, especially on the turf. This year, he has a three-quarter brother to Tapit named Aldrin, who Brown said is close to making his debut.
“He’s a very nice prospect and is very close to running,” Brown said.
Brown has a pair of 2-year-olds for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Chief Kitten and the filly Kitten’s Roar, who should run early in the meet.
Amazon King, Tracking Stock, and New York-breds Tiz Time to Shine and Startup Nation are Brown-trained colts to watch, while Tammy the Torpedo, Partisan Politics, and Fila Primera are among the fillies Brown figures to unveil at the meet.
Nobody on the grounds will have better bred 2-year-olds than Kiaran McLaughlin, who has progeny out of about a dozen Grade 1-winning mares. The colt Ashland Park is out of 2014 Hall of Fame inductee Ashado and is working steadily, and could be ready to debut early in the meet. Asbaad is out of Grade 1 winner Lear’s Princess. Both are sons of Street Cry.
Frosted is by Tapit out of Grade 2 winner Fast Cookie, who is a half-sister to 2008 champion juvenile male Midshipman.
Marking is out of multiple Grade 1 winner Seventh Street, while Mawthooq is by Distorted Humor out of multiple graded stakes winner Ready’s Gal. Kick Off is the second foal out of Grade 1 winner Game Face.
Among fillies, McLaughlin mentioned Gap Year, out of Ballerina winner Dubai Escapade, and Saifaana, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Alwajeeha, as two of his best.
Cavorting, whom McLaughlin sent out to a sharp debut win at Belmont, is pointed to the Grade 2 Adirondack on Aug. 10.
Trainer Shug McGaughey sent out Honor Code as his only winning juvenile from seven starters here last summer. He has several prospects to run this summer, including Fire Away, a half-brother to Belmont Derby winner Mr Speaker; Command Control, a half-brother to Brooklyn winner Norumbega; and Next Gear, a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Data Link.
McGaughey has two million-dollar purchases: Gold Shield, a half-brother to Hopeful winner Majestic Warrior, and an unnamed filly by Malibu Moon out of the mare Shop Again, making her a half-sister to the Grade 1-winning 2-year-old Power Broker.
Trainer Steve Asmussen won six juvenile races at Churchill Downs and was to send out his most accomplished runner, Bashford Manor Stakes winner Cinco Charlie, in Saturday’s Sanford. Among Asmussen’s top prospects for this meet are Bold Conquest, an unraced son of Curlin; Revolver, second in his debut at Churchill; and Fly Friendly Sky, fourth in his debut.
Linda Rice has a large number of 2-year-olds, including Hot City Girl, a half-sister to Rice’s Grade 2-winning filly La Verdad; an unnamed filly by Freud out of the dam All of Me; the colt Dangerous Cowboy, whose dam is a half-sister to Kentucky Oaks and Alabama winner Farda Amiga; and Charleston Pier.
Gary Contessa has won at least two juvenile races at each of the last five Saratoga meets. He sends out the fast-working Aimone, a daughter of Lemon Drop Kid, in Friday’s second race. Contessa said that while he likes the filly, he doesn’t necessarily view her as ready to win first time out.
In the New York-bred ranks, Contessa is high on The Stone Ranger and False Positive, and expects Navy Blue to run better than he did when beaten 14 lengths in his debut. Drama Dream, a daughter of Bernardini, is one of his better open-company fillies.
Mike Hushion has some high-priced purchases for owner Barry Schwartz, led by Vinegar Joe. Schwartz’s homebred colt Scorecard Harry is out of Schuylerville winner How About Now, who has already produced seven winners.
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Ashado was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2013. She will be inducted this year.