Spring to the Sky takes off-the-turf Troy
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Bruce Brown said the decision to leave Spring to the Sky in Wednesday’s $100,000 Troy Stakes, once the race was switched from the turf to a sloppy main track, was a last-minute one. It also proved to be the right one, after Spring to the Sky withstood both a near race-long challenge from Dads Caps and a stewards’ inquiry to register a hard-fought three-quarter- length victory on a bleak and soggy afternoon at Saratoga.
Spring to the Sky has had troubles at the gate in the past but may have won the Troy at the start, breaking alertly to quickly gain the advantage over Dads Caps. Dads Cap, who was entered main track only for the Troy, rushed up to join the leader before the field left the backstretch and dogged the ultimate winner the remainder of the trip. Spring to the Sky, under regular rider Javier Castellano, floated Dads Cap wide leaving the turn then withstood a stretch-long duel before edging away at the end. The winning time for 5 ½ furlongs was 1:04.01.
Dads Caps, who switched back to his left lead near the sixteenth pole, fought on bravely to the wire while narrowly withstanding the late surging Sandy’s Slew by nose to finish second. Choctaw Chuck and Unseen rounded out the complete order of finish.
Tightend Touchdown, equally proficient on dirt as he is on turf and the 7-5 morning line favorite for the Troy, was scratched by trainer Jason Servis after the race was switched to the main track.
The victory was the third in a row, all stakes, for Spring to the Sky and owner Anthony McCarthy. He paid $7.40 and was the second of three wins on the day for leading rider Javier Castellano.
“If Jason’s horse had stayed in, I was going to come out,” said Brown , referring to Tightend Touchdown. “But we had already treated him when they announced the change, so at that point I figured let’s roll the dice. The break didn’t used to be his thing, but he really has been breaking better on this little streak he has, and once he does he can really take advantage of his speed. It wasn’t the plan to fan out off the turn like that, but he has always drifted a bit when he gets tired, and he was getting pretty spent towards the end of the race.”