With Speaker's Corner going to Del Mar, Mott will enter Cody's Wish and Baby Yoda in Forego
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While Bill Mott decided to send Speaker’s Corner to California for Saturday’s Grade 2 Pat O’Brien at Del Mar, he will still have two horses to run against Jackie’s Warrior in Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Forego Stakes at Saratoga.
Mott plans to enter both Cody’s Wish and Baby Yoda in the Forego, which could draw as many as seven horses when entries are taken Wednesday.
Cody’s Wish, a son of Curlin, has won five of his last six races, including the Grade 3 Westchester at Belmont Park and the Hanshin Stakes at Churchill Downs on July 4.
“He deserves a shot at a Grade 1, he’s a nicely bred horse, he’s a Grade 3 winner, now the idea would be to see if we can get him some big black type. It doesn’t make Jackie’s Warrior any slower, it just means I’m not chasing him with [Speaker’s Corner].”
Baby Yoda is 3 for 3 at Saratoga. He beat Olympiad in a first-level allowance with a 114 Beyer Speed Figure. He is coming off a three-length win in a second-level allowance here on July 16.
“If he jumps up and wins I’ll give [the owners] all the credit,” Mott said.
Gufo seeks Sword Dancer repeat
Gufo, neck winner of last year’s Grade 1 Sword Dancer, will seek a repeat in the $750,000 race scheduled for 1 1/2 miles here on Saturday.
In order to win this race for the second straight year, he will have to defeat the horses that beat him in his last two starts. In the Grade 1 Manhattan in June, Gufo finished third behind Tribhuvan. In the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park on July 23, Gufo finished fifth to Adhamo.
Tribhuvan, Adhamo, and Rockemperor are all expected to start in the Sword Dancer for trainer Chad Brown.
Also likely to run are Broome, Channel Maker, and Mira Mission.