Under Who's Radar will be left as heavy Futurity favorite

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Under Who’s Radar beat Chasing Liberty on the track in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint last month, but the results were flipped in the stewards’ stand when it was deemed that Under Who’s Radar impeded Chasing Liberty in deep stretch in a 50-50 call that took about 10 minutes to adjudicate.

It looked as though Under Who’s Radar would get a chance to avenge that defeat in Friday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Futurity at Aqueduct, but a rematch will have to wait. Chasing Liberty on Tuesday was cross-entered in Sunday’s $250,000 Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland and his trainer, Rob Atras, said the horse will run in that race.

That scratch figures to only lower the price on Under Who’s Radar, who will look to rebound from that disqualification in the six-furlong Futurity, which offers a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Under Who’s Radar, a son of Violence trained by Mike Maker, won his debut against statebreds on dirt at Saratoga on July 19. Switched to the turf for the lucrative Juvenile Turf Sprint – even though as a non-Kentucky bred he was not running for the entire purse – Under Who’s Radar was part of a moderate pace, opened up a clear advantage in midstretch but came out several paths under Jose Ortiz’s left-handed whip. Under Who’s Radar did not make contact with Chasing Liberty, but that horse’s rider, Florent Geroux, did steady his horse sharply before re-rallying to come within three-quarters of a length at the finish.

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“I think I swallowed it very well,” said Peter Proscia, head of Paradise Farms Corp., which co-owns Under Who’s Radar with David Staudacher. “If I was the other team I’d have expected to be put up. Hopefully, we straighten up on Friday.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher has entered the pair of Mentee and Gate to Wire in the Futurity. Mentee ran fast winning his debut on dirt at Aqueduct in July. After missing the Sanford due to a fever and some additional training time to what was believed to be the onset of laminitis, Mentee was able to make the Grade 1 Hopeful, where he finished sixth, 12 3/4 lengths behind Chancer McPatrick.

Pletcher worked Mentee on the turf at Saratoga and “we liked what we saw, decided to give him a chance see how he runs,” he said. “That could open up a whole lot of options, including the Juvenile Turf Sprint or the Juvenile Turf.

Gate to Wire, a son of Munnings, showed his prowess on the turf wining a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race on Aug. 30 at Saratoga.

“I thought it was solid,” Pletcher said. “He has been training very well, was pretty professional in his debut. Good effort.”

Epitaph pulled a 12-1 upset against New York-breds in his debut sprinting on the turf on Aug. 25 at Saratoga. In the Chase, fourth in the Funny Cide on dirt; I’m Otter Here, third to Chasing Liberty in that one’s debut win at Ellis Park in July; and Joey Muscles complete the field.

The Futurity is carded as race 5.

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