T. D. Vance holds on in Hall of Fame

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Despite winning a stakes in his last start, T. D. Vance was overlooked in the betting in Monday's $150,000 , which he won by a nose at Saratoga before a crowd of 16,938.

Silver Whistle came with a late run, but had to settle for second.

T. D. Vance ($35) stalked the pacesetter, High Limit, who led through six furlongs in 1:11.32. T. D. Vance drew clear in the stretch and was able to hold off Silver Whistle, who was gobbling up ground with every stride.

Crown Point finished another 1 3/4 lengths back in third. Reel Legend, the 2-1 favorite, finished eighth in the nine-horse field of 3-year-olds. The winning time was 1:48.15 over a firm course.

Jockey Todd Kabel rode T. D. Vance for his first win at Saratoga. Kabel rode T. D. Vance to a victory in the Toronto Cup in his last start, and T. D. Vance's trainer, Graham Motion, said he didn't want to make a change for the Grade 2 Hall of Fame.

"I think it was really key that [Kabel] knew the horse, because the biggest thing is getting this horse to settle," Motion said. "This was a step up, so I'm not overly surprised at the [payoff]."

Kabel said T. D. Vance moved sooner that he preferred.

"When a horse came behind him, he took the bit up with me and he forced me to move a little earlier than I would have liked," Kabel said. "He's a horse that keeps looking around, and the longer you keep him busy, the better."

T. D. Vance, a son of Rahy, is owned by Donald A. Adam.

Jose Santos, who rode Reel Legend, said his mount gave him an abbreviated run.

"They were making a good pace in front, and we were sitting chilly," Santos said. "When I asked him at the three-eighths pole, he ran from there to the quarter pole, and that was it."

Smithwick: No question who's boss

Paradise's Boss showed who was boss in the Grade 2, $79,550 A. P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase, taking the lead over the next-to-last fence and drawing away to win the 2 1/16-mile race by 2 1/2 lengths over Serazzo.

Hirapour, the even-money favorite, finished third, a half-length behind Serazzo.

Ridden by Xavier Aizpuru, Paradise's Boss stalked the early pace set by Party Airs. With a bold move, Paradise Boss surged to a clear lead after sailing over the eighth fence in the Smithwick.

Trained by Jack Fisher, Paradise Boss ($10.60) carried 150 pounds and covered the distance in 3:43.83 over a firm course.

Fisher said Paradise's Boss, who has won three consecutive stakes this year, will run next in the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap on Sept. 1.