Three Alarm Fire, Bay of Plenty on a roll ahead of stakes debut

Seven 3-year-olds will meet in the $200,000 Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct on Saturday, but the focus will be on Bay of Plenty and Three Alarm Fire, two lightly raced but obviously talented runners.

Bay of Plenty has won his last three starts and is 3 for 5. Three Alarm Fire has won his last two and is 2 for 3. Each will be making his stakes debut Saturday in the Grade 3 Discovery, and if the two hook up at some point in the 1 1/8-mile race, something will have to give.

Before that happens, though, it is likely that Three Alarm Fire will have to catch Bay of Plenty, who is naturally quick and can be expected to go to the lead. Three Alarm Fire also has speed but is more likely to take up a stalking position. In his last race, Three Alarm Fire was a bit keen while jockey Joel Rosario tried to get him to settle off the pace.

The field also includes the Jerome Stakes winner Noble Moon, the Smarty Jones winner Protonico, the Spectacular Bid winner Just Call Kenny, and the Calder Derby winner Our Caravan, as well as Away Game, a two-time winner at Saratoga.

Key contenders

Bay of Plenty (Last 3 Beyers: 96-97-93)

* Won his maiden three starts back wearing the silks of his breeder, Darley, but has sported the royal blue silks of Godolphin in his last two races.

* Son of Medaglia d’Oro was off with a foot injury between a first-level allowance victory in May and a second-level optional-claiming win Oct. 8.

* As for the Discovery, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said, “He’s ready.”

* McLaughlin said Bay of Plenty will be taken to Florida after this race. His long-term objective will be a race on the Dubai World Cup card.

* Was not asked for his best in the stretch of his last two wins. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. had him in hand for the final sixteenth of his most recent score at a mile. Junior Alvarado has the mount Saturday since Ortiz will be at Santa Anita.

Three Alarm Fire (Last 3 Beyers: 103-95-90)

* Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Michael Basone and trained by Tom Albertrani, the Discovery will be his two-turn debut.

* After being a little rank early, he blew away the stakes-placed Encryption in his Oct. 1 optional-claiming win at 1 1/16 miles. Encryption came back to win nicely. Liam’s Map, whom he beat two back, returned to win his next start by 9 1/2 lengths.

“The biggest question is two turns,” Albertrani said. “I think he’ll handle it fine if he can relax a little. He was up on the muscle going shorter in his last race, but he acts like he can settle.”

* Manuel Franco will sub for Rosario on Saturday.