Troy Stakes runners at mercy of weather
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The glorious weather that has dominated the first half of the Saratoga meet is expected to take a hiatus to begin the fourth full week of racing, putting in jeopardy Wednesday’s four flat races scheduled for the turf.
Among the quartet of turf races is the $100,000 Troy Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs. On firm ground, the race would have been an intriguing matchup between stakes winners Tightend Touchdown and Spring to the Sky.
On soft ground, trainer Bruce Brown is expected to scratch Lucky Coin Stakes winner Spring to the Sky.
However, Tightend Touchdown, the dead-heat runner-up to Mizdirection in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, will run on the turf whether it is firm or soft, and even on the dirt, according to trainer Jason Servis.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Tightend Touchdown. Trainer Jason Servis is 3 for 9 with a $2.87 ROI over the past five years in turf sprints at Saratoga with a purse of at least $60,000.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Servis was initially planning to wait to run Tightend Touchdown in the Grade 3, $300,000 Turf Monster Handicap on Sept. 1 at Parx, a race in which he finished second last year. But Servis feels Tightend Touchdown came out of his nose loss to Ben’s Cat in the Grade 3 Parx Dash on July 12 so well that he doesn’t want to wait.
“Last year, at Parx, the turf was very soft and he handled it pretty good, and he’s okay on the dirt, too,” Servis said.
Should the race come off the turf, the horse to beat would be Dads Caps, who was entered by trainer Rudy Rodriguez only if the race is run on the main track. Three starts back, Dads Caps won the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct.
Key contenders
Tightend Touchdown (Last 3 Beyers: 98-97-82)
◗ Comes off a nose loss to Ben’s Cat in the Grade 3 Parx Dash Handicap on July 12, a race in which trainer Jason Servis felt the horse was compromised by a troubled trip. “He had to steady on the turn pretty good and just got beat a zop,” Servis said. “It cost him the race.”
◗ The gelding is a multiple winner of the Pennsylvania Governors Cup at Penn National.
◗ He is winless in three starts over Saratoga’s turf course, including an off-the-board finish two years ago in a $35,000 claimer on yielding ground.
Spring to the Sky (Last 3 Beyers: 97-94-82)
◗ The 5-year-old equaled his career-best Beyer Speed Figure last out when he won the Lucky Coin Stakes here on July 20.
◗ Trainer Bruce Brown said he would prefer not to run Spring to the Sky on soft turf, but would consider running him on dirt.
◗ He has won his last two sprints over Saratoga’s turf course, including a second-level allowance last August.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Spring to the Sky. Trainer Bruce Brown is 3 for 9 with a $3.95 ROI over the past five years at Saratoga in turf sprints following a winning effort.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Dads Caps (Last 3 Beyers: 98-72-104)
◗ He will only run if this race is transferred to the dirt, and he would be the horse to catch and beat in that instance, having won the Grade 1 Carter at Aqueduct three starts back.
◗ A four-time winner on dirt, Dads Caps has never raced on a wet surface, though he is bred to handle it.