Too Darn Hot, Sangarius look to stay perfect in Dewhurst Stakes

Too Darn Hot, 3 for 3 to start his career, and Sangarius, unbeaten after two starts, headline a cracking seven-horse field entered in Saturday’s Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse in England.

Also set to line up in the one-mile fixture are Advertise, winner of the Group 1 Phoenix in his most recent race, and Anthony Van Dyck, the most talented among three Aidan O’Brien-trained entrants.

Too Darn Hot won the Group 2 Champagne Stakes over seven furlongs at Doncaster on Sept. 15, one day after Sangarius ran out an easy winner of the Group 3 Flying Scotsman over the same straight-course distance. Both horses have really caught the eye this autumn, but it is Too Darn Hot who is roughly even-money in antepost wagering on the Dewhurst, while Sangarius is a general 7-2 second choice.

Too Darn Hot’s reputation owes a lot to his obvious talent, though carrying the colors of Andrew Lloyd Weber and being a John Gosden-trained brother to the retired star Dar Re Mi and the rising star filly Lah Ti Dar probably has inflated the hype. Too Darn Hot, a relaxed sort, has waited patiently under Frankie Dettori in his two stakes wins before easily closing the deal with a blistering turn of foot. Gosden has warned he might not get farther than 1 1/4 miles next year, but the one-mile Dewhurst should fall well within his scope.

The compact, athletic Too Darn Hot differs drastically from Sangarius, who is trained by Michael Stoute for breeder Khalid Abdullah. Sangarius is taller and longer with a more exuberant and far-reaching – if less efficient – way of going than Too Darn Hot. Once he hit top gear in the Flying Scotsman, however, Sangarius never relented, and he comes into a major class test brimming with promise.

Anthony Van Dyck could be on par with the top two betting choices. He won a pair of group-level races in Ireland before finishing second to Quorto last out in the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, but there is no shame in that defeat. Quorto, put away for the year by Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, has shown as much talent as any 2-year-old in Europe this year, and Anthony Van Dyck fought him tooth and nail through the final furlong in the National.

It’s worth noting that Anthony Van Dyck came under a ride about three furlongs from the finish last out, suggesting his connections feared he could not match Quorto for acceleration. That issue could rise again Saturday against the likes of Too Darn Hot.

Advertise has won three of four starts, including the Group 2 July Stakes and the Group 1 Phoenix, both over six furlongs. He starts for the first time since Aug. 12 and tries to stretch his speed an additional quarter-mile.

Post time for the Dewhurst, the third race on the card, is set for 10 a.m. Eastern.