Wallyanna seeks stakes double in Saranac
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Michael Pino never had won a graded stakes at Saratoga when the 2014 meeting opened six weeks ago. On Monday, the Delaware-based horseman will seek his second grades stakes victory here in less than a month when he sends out Wallyanna as one of the favorites in the final stakes race of the session, the $300,000, Grade 3 Saranac for 3-year-olds on turf.
Pino saddled Boston Common to finish second in both the Grade 1 King’s Bishop and the Grade 2 Amsterdam here in 2002 and will try to complete the Hall of Fame/Saranac double with Wallyanna on closing day. The well-traveled Wallyanna, who has competed over six different tracks in his first six career starts, rallied near the inside under Irad Ortiz Jr. to a one-length victory over the pacesetting favorite, Bobby’s Kitten, to upset the Grade 2 Hall of Fame at odds of 23-1.
“I’m sure he won’t be 23-1 again on Monday, but he’s doing great, and I’m looking for him to run well again,” said Pino. “He’s getting more mature mentally with every start. Obviously, he’s going to need some pace again, but he can relax and lay closer to the pace if you ask him to. I’ll just leave that up to the rider. He did a terrific job with him last time.”
There is a forecast calling for an 80 percent chance of rain Sunday, but Pino will not be too concerned if the turf course comes up a little on the soft side for the Saranac.
“He ran on a less-than-firm course at Pimlico earlier this year, and he won pretty easily,” said Pino. “The only thing that worries me is if they had to take the race off the turf. In that case, I would not run.”
Ring Weekend, the runner-up in the restricted Sir Cat Stakes in his local debut, could cap off a huge meet for trainer Graham Motion with a victory in the Saranac and appears the one to beat. Ring Weekend ran a solid race in defeat while making his second start on grass in the one-mile Sir Cat and should relish the added ground Monday.
Storm will get a class test when stepping up against stakes competition for the first time and bringing a perfect 4-for-4 record on grass into the race.
Key contenders
Wallyanna (Last 3 Beyers: 89-79-81)
Must not “bounce,” or regress, off far and away his career-best effort returning on just 3 1/2 weeks’ of rest.
He concedes weight to the entire field while toting 123 pounds under the allowance conditions of this race.
Ring Weekend (Last 3 Beyers: 95-86-71)
One of only two graded stakes winners in the field along with Wallyanna, he looks like he’s found his true niche on turf.
Owns the top two Beyers among the non-main-track-only members of the field.
Storm (Last 3 Beyers: 88-88-79)
Paired up career-best Beyers of 88 in his last two starts, usually an indication that another forward move is in the offing.
An extremely versatile sort who has proven he can win either on the lead or from off the pace, as he’s done in each of his last two outings.