Turf should suit Blame the Booze in With Anticipation
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When trainer Wesley Ward entered Blame the Booze in a maiden race at Belmont Park in July, he did so to help the race fill for another one of his 2-year-olds.
Ward was a bit surprised when Blame the Booze beat that other horse, King of Miami, by 2 1/2 lengths in a race originally scheduled for six furlongs on the turf, but run over a sloppy track.
After a series of turf works at Saratoga, Blame the Booze should get a chance to run on the grass in Wednesday’s Grade 3, $100,000 With Anticipation Stakes, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles.
A field of six was entered in the With Anticipation, but Nathan Detroit, a maiden winner July 25 at Ellis Park, will scratch after developing a cough, according to Shug McGaughey, the father of Nathan Detroit’s trainer, Reeve McGaughey.
Blame the Booze, a son of Blame, is one Ward thinks will appreciate stretching out in distance.
“He’s done everything right training on the grass, and usually slop [transfers] to grass,” Ward, who is 4 for 16 with 2-year-olds at this meet, told NYRA publicity. “I’m excited about this guy, and distance shouldn’t be a problem with his breeding.”
American Monarch, a son of American Pharoah, won his debut at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 8 and returns at the same distance for the With Anticipation. American Monarch worked out a good trip and outlasted Secret Potion to win by a half-length. It was the lone 2-year-old winner of the meet sent out by trainer Bill Mott from 24 starters.
“He did everything we asked him to do,” Mott said. “He had been working well. He’s one of those that showed up in the afternoon. Some do, some don’t. He’s worked back well.”
Fire at Will, trained by Mike Maker, finished sixth to American Monarch in that maiden race. Fire at Will had a bit of a wide trip and then steadied and bobbled at about the sixteenth pole of that race and was beaten only 4 1/2 lengths.
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Both Fire at Will and Winfromwithin are maidens. Six of the first 15 winners of the With Anticipation were maidens.
Todd Pletcher, trainer of Winfromwithin, has won this race six times, twice with maidens. Winfromwithin made two starts on dirt, but after a couple of breezes on turf was entered in a turf race Aug. 22 that was rained off to the dirt. He wound up on the also-eligible list for a maiden turf race Sunday.
“He’s worked well on it,” Pletcher said. “He’s got two races under his belt. It’s not out of line to give it a try.”
Jose Ortiz rides Winfromwithin from post 4.
Zippy Baby has three races under his belt, including a gutsy maiden win here July 18 when stretched out to this distance. He got bumped while rallying along the rail.
Joel Rosario rides Zippy Baby from post 3.