SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.  - After losing an apparent victory here just three days earlier following the controversial disqualification of Let’s Go Big Blue in the Rick Violette Stakes, one could hardly blame trainer George Weaver from having a few anxious moments until the official sign went up declaring his Amidst Waves the winner following a similarly close nose decision over Crown Imperial in Sunday’s $150,000 Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga. Amidst Waves entered the 5 1/2-furlong Bolton Landing having won both her previous starts on grass, a maiden race at Belmont Park on June 11 and the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park, defeating Crown Imperial by 1 3/4 lengths, six weeks later. The Bolton Landing marked the fourth track Amidst Waves had raced over in as many career starts with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. the fourth different rider to handle the 2-year-old daughter of Midshipman. Amidst Waves broke alertly and was reined back within easy striking distance of the pacesetting Astonethrowaway during the early stages of the Bolton Landing. Amidst Waves fanned widest with her bid into the stretch, lugged in under a right-hand stick to engage and stick her head in front of Crown Imperial at midstretch, maintaining that narrow advantage while coming perilously close to making contact with Crown Imperial and also "intimidating that foe with a left-hand crop in front of her face” in the closing strides according to the Equibase chart footnote. :: Get Saratoga Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day.  Crown Imperial saved ground, readily overtook the leaders nearing the furlong marker, dug in when headed by Amidst Waves at midstretch and just missed in a game effort while clearly best of the others. Gram was steadied back to last in the early going before rallying belatedly down the center of the course to finish third while never menacing the top pair. She’s Fire and a tiring Astonesthrowaway completed the order of finish. Amidst Waves completed the distance over a “good” course in 1:03.38 seconds and paid $5.10. The final time equated to a 70 Beyer Speed Figure. “I didn’t even let myself celebrate because it was hard to see, she had her head cocked, like she was leaning in,” Weaver said. “She was digging in a bit, digging in a bit, trying to get the job done. Irad didn’t come back and say to me she was lugging in bad or anything. She just had her head cocked a little bit. A lot of horses do that. It was a shame the other day (in the Rick Violette), I thought that other horse (Let’s Go Big Blue) won on the square although I know he kind of drifted.  It’s okay, I got left up in the Golden Shaheen a long time ago with Saratoga County, so it’s all right.” Weaver said he felt confident in early stretch that Amidst Waves would be able to run down Crown Imperial, although he admitted to briefly having some doubts as the two leaders got closer to the wire. “I told Irad I thought she pressed a little bit at Monmouth and I preferred the way she ran at Belmont, where she just sat and finished down the lane,” Weaver explained. “I thought she had her measured, but there was a moment when I was wondering if she was kicking in. And then I said 'Oh yea, she is, we’re good.’ ”  Weaver said the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint would be a race he’d likely point to with Amidst Waves. “I got a few of them that might be eligible for the Juvenile Sprint,” Weaver said. “We’ll probably wait until September or October and pick out a path to get her there.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.