Wise Dan holds off Optimizer by nose in Bernard Baruch

Less than four months after it appeared that Wise Dan’s glorious career might be over, the two-time reigning Eclipse Award champion added yet another chapter to his ever-growing legacy when he held off a late bid from Optimizer to post a heart-stopping nose victory in Saturday’s Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga.

Wise Dan not only won his first start back since undergoing colic surgery May 16, he did so while conceding 11 pounds to the runner-up and while coming within 0.17 seconds of equaling the legendary Fourstardave’s 23-year course record of 1:38.91 for 1 1/16 miles on turf. The win was the third in as many starts this season for Wise Dan and the 22nd of his career.

With regular rider John Velazquez aboard, Wise Dan delayed the start of the Baruch briefly when rearing up in the starting gate. Velazquez quickly climbed back aboard, and once the field was dispatched, he guided Wise Dan into perfect early position, about seven lengths off the blistering pace of Five Iron.

Wise Dan advanced outside horses while commencing his rally on the final bend, forged to a short lead near midstretch, and then narrowly outlasted Optimizer. Optimizer raced well placed throughout, angled five wide in early stretch, continued on with good determination, and just missed. Five Iron gave way gradually once he relinquished the lead inside the eighth pole, outlasting Sayaad by a nose to finish third.

“To carry all this weight, off of this layoff, with the operation he overcame, I got to tell you, I was pretty happy with him,” said trainer Charlie LoPresti. “He was on the engine a little in the paddock and at the gate. That’s why I didn’t wait [for the Woodbine Mile]. You can overcook something too long, and I had him about well done for this race.

"I didn’t know what the right thing was to do, wait, go to Canada and run in a Grade 1. Then I started to weigh it out, and I knew I was pushing for the Fourstardave, and the more he trained and the better he got, it was so much easier to run him here. I know it’s a handicap, I know it’s not a Win and You’re In, but it’s not about that with this horse now. It’s about what’s right for him, and this was what’s right for him.”

LoPresti said he believes Wise Dan will only get better off the race, with the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 4 his next objective.

“He should be great for the Shadwell,” said LoPresti. “He’s going to get five or six weeks. He can chill out here two or three days, go home, relax a little bit, then we’ll get him ready for Shadwell. I got to think he’s going to build off this. He’s a trooper, man, he really knows how to win races. Johnny said he was tired, but that’s the difference, that’s the way he wins races. He’s just an amazing horse.”