Songbird's brother Galt makes first start
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Galt, a 2-year-old full brother to multiple champion filly Songbird, will make his career debut in Saturday’s seventh race, which appears to be coming up one of the stronger maiden races of the meet.
In the summer of 2015, Songbird won her debut by 6 1/2 lengths on her way to a career in which she won 13 of 15 starts including nine Grade 1 stakes. She was a champion at 2 and 3 and earned $4.69 million for owner Rick Porter while being trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.
Galt, like Songbird by Medaglia d’Oro out of the mare Ivanavinalot, was purchased for $400,000 out of the Keeneland November 2019 sale by Larry Best’s OXO Equine. He is trained by Bill Mott.
“Great big horse, lot of scope, lot of size,” Mott said. “The type you would look at and say may develop into a nice horse. Is he the type that has be to ready the first time? Probably not. We’re trying to build a foundation here with him. If he’s on the board I’ll be delighted; if he wins that’s a bonus. We’re here, he’s been training here. I feel even though it appears he’ll be better a mile, mile and a sixteenth, I want to get him started.”
Galt drew post 8 in a field that will be limited to 10 starters going seven furlongs. Among the first-time starters are Misbehaved, an $875,000 son of Into Mischief trained by Todd Pletcher and a half-brother to Into Mystic, a three-time stakes winner who finished second on debut at Saratoga in 2018; Classic Causeway, a son of Giant’s Causeway who is a sibling to four winners; and Trafalgar, a son of Lord Nelson who has a solid work tab leading to his debut.
Brigadier General will have the benefit of having two starts, while Ten Gauge was second in his only start.