Therapist targets Saranac Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Last year, Voodoo Song capped a 4-for-4 summer at Saratoga by winning the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes. This year, Therapist, like Voodoo Song a New York-bred, will attempt to win the $300,000 stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles next Saturday.

Therapist on Friday worked a half-mile in 50.07 seconds over the Oklahoma turf course in preparation for the 1 1/8-mile Saranac.

Therapist, a son of Freud trained by Christophe Clement, is 6 for 8 and is coming off two victories in New York Stallion series races at Belmont and Saratoga.

“I’ve got to give weight to everybody, which annoys me, but I don’t have any other spot,” Clement said.

Separationofpowers has options

Trainer Chad Brown isn’t sure what to do next with Grade 1 Test winner Separationofpowers. He has not ruled out stretching her out in distance in the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx Racing on Sept. 22, when she would meet Monomoy Girl.

“The Cotillion looks interesting,” Brown said. “Depends if there is someone to run with Monomoy Girl. The other side of the coin is to keep her sprinting and point to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. I got to think what we’re going to do with her.”

On Friday, Separationofpowers worked a half-mile in 48.29 seconds, the second-fastest of 29 works at the distance over the Saratoga main track.