West End Kid looks to turn tables on Title Role in Saratoga Derby
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – West End Kid lost the Grade 1 Belmont Derby by the slimmest of margins to Title Role last month. Trainer Will Walden hopes a change of equipment and a little more distance helps turn the tables when those two square off again in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16 miles.
Ten 3-year-olds were entered for the Saratoga Derby, but there will be at least two scratches. Pacific Avenue, a Charlie Appleby trainee who finished seventh in the Bemont Derby, came out of a routine gallop earlier in the week with an unspecified issue that will keep him from running. Bottas, fifth in the Belmont Derby, was scheduled to run in Friday’s Grade 2, $400,000 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes.
West End Kid, a son of Twirling Candy, was a bit keen and then hung on his left lead throughout the stretch when coming up a nose short in the Belmont Derby at 1 1/8 miles here on July 4. Walden is removing blinkers – something he wanted to do earlier this season – to help West End Kid relax a little bit better.
“Part of his [being keen] last race is they were going very slow up in front of him,” Walden said. “The way turf racing’s run, I prefer not to have the blinkers on if I don’t have to, especially if they show they have a little bit of an edge to them.”
West End Kid drew the outside post Saturday, which Walden doesn’t believe will hinder his trip under Flavien Prat, who rides the horse for the first time.
“There’s a possibility it could help. He can break into space and hopefully relax for Flavien,” Walden said. “He’s pretty tactical. The race isn’t super loaded with speed. I imagine he’ll be up there somewhere close and we’ll see how it develops from his inside.”
Title Role, trained by Ed and Simon Crisford, had an outside draw when he won the Belmont Derby in his U.S. debut. He, too, was a bit on the muscle early, giving jockey John Velazquez some trouble before settling. With that race under his belt and an inside draw in post 4, his connections are hoping for a smoother trip from the start.
“Johnny V. gave him a great ride,” said Les Reynolds, an assistant to the Crisfords. “From where his gate was, I think he used a lot of horse to come over. Initially, it looked like he was sort of keen, but then the fractions settled down. He looked to me like he just got to the line, but he used a lot of horse early on. We’re drawn in 4 this time. You’d like to think if we got a lead and we didn’t use so much horse early on, we’d be okay.”
Remember Mamba finished third, a neck behind Title Role and West End Kid, when trying to rally from the outside under Jose Ortiz. Trainer Cherie DeVaux felt a slow pace hindered Remember Mamba that day, but there doesn’t look like there will be much more pace on Saturday. DeVaux is hoping the added distance plays in Remember Mamba’s favor.
“He seems to want more distance,” DeVaux said. “Even if there’s not pace, it gives him a little more time to work out a trip. I think his best races are going farther.”
Trainer Tom Morley said he chose the Saratoga Derby over the Hall of Fame Stakes for Glavine because he feels 1 3/16 miles may be better for him than a mile.
Heeere’s Johnny rallied from last of 11 to win the Saranac Stakes by a neck and is back in here on Saturday.
Glacius, twice Group 3 stakes-placed in Europe from five starts, makes his U.S. debut for trainer Hugo Plamer.
The Big Con, who has not raced since winning the Grade 3 Grey Stakes at Woodbine last November, and McCready, winner of the off-the-turf Kent Stakes at Delaware Park, complete the field.