'Why' wins Sanford

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Whywhywhy proved Thursday that he is more than just a stablemate of Zavata.

Overcoming a slow start, Whywhywhy rallied from last to win the Grade 2, $150,000 Sanford Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths. Wildcat Heir, the 8-5 favorite, nosed out longshot Spite the Devil for second.

It was the second straight stakes win for Whywhywhy, a son of Mr. Greeley trained by Patrick Biancone and owned by Biancone and Fabien Ouaki. Biancone has won all three juvenile colt stakes run in New York this year.

Biancone also trainers Zavata, who won the Grade 3 Tremont in near track-record time in late June at Belmont and who is regarded by many as the top 2-year-old prospect in the country.

Whywhywhy won the Grade 3 Flash Stakes in early June, but some thought he benefited greatly by a spill involving two front-runners. Thursday, Whywhywhy had to deal with his own adversity.

Under Edgar Prado, Whywhy-why broke slowly and was last in the early stages. Prado allowed the horse to settle while Hussar and Run Production dueled through wicked fractions of 21.74 seconds and 44.99.

Wildcat Heir, who was sitting in third under Jerry Bailey, took the lead in upper stretch, but Prado rallied Whywhywhy four wide down the stretch and he drew off in the final sixteenth. Whywhywhy covered the six furlongs in 1:10.40 over a fast track and returned $11.80 as the third choice.

"When the gates opened, I thought he was done," Biancone said. "When I saw 21-and-change I thought now we have a good chance. The plan was to stay behind anyway."

Biancone will keep Zavata and Whywhywhy apart in the next two juvenile stakes here. Zavata will most likely run in the Saratoga Special on Aug. 14 and one of the two would run in the Grade 1 Hopeful on Aug. 31.