SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While Palace Malice, Verrazano, and Orb will garner most of the attention coming into the Grade 1 Travers, a couple of 3-year-olds who figure to be flying under the radar, Moreno and War Dancer, had their final tune-ups for Saratoga’s marquee event here on Saturday.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Fordubai, it’s fair to say, is not the most willing racehorse. Three furlongs from the finish of the $66,800 Straight Line Stakes, the opening race on Arlington Million Day here, Fordubai held perfect position down at the rail and just behind battling leaders. The horse had no great interest staying there.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Eric Guillot sent out his top 3-year-old sprinter Salutos Amigos to work five furlongs 1:02.52 at Saratoga early Saturday. The Grade 2-placed Salutos Amigos, who ran third in the Amsterdam earlier in the meet, broke off two lengths behind stablemate Crawford the Crook, an unraced 3-year-old, and pulled well clear in late stretch without being asked before galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.79.
RACE 1
6 1/2 Furlongs
Maiden Special Weight
2-year-old fillies
Purse $80,000
Saturday Nite Ride had an easy time winning the $75,000 City of Edmonton Distaff at Northlands Park on Saturday. She paid $3.90 as the heavy favorite in the three-turn 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares that drew five horses.
With Aaron Gryder aboard, Saturday Nite Ride broke on top leaving from the rail and was never under any pressure while coasting through moderate fractions of 24.00 and 48.20 seconds. She was in complete control after six furlongs in 1:13 and went on to win by 5 1/2 lengths. The final time was 1:45.60.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Sarach is headed to Keeneland this fall after winning her second stakes of 2013 in Friday’s $95,700 Sandy Blue Handicap at Del Mar.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In winning her last two starts, both overnight stakes restricted to New York-breds at seven furlongs, Clear Pasaj was able to secure a comfortable early lead and had enough to hold on at the wire.
Easy Crossing and Anyriderill Do, both of whom have picked up small pieces of stakes purses at least twice in their careers, will look to regain some confidence by dropping in class for Tuesday night’s $41,000 turf feature at Indiana Downs. They top a 12-horse field in the fifth race, a one-mile grass race open to second-level allowance runners and $40,000 claimers.
Sharp Act didn’t break as sharply as usual and ended up being stuck behind a slow pace when she finished fourth as the favorite in a $12,000 claiming race for 3-year-old fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs at Northlands Park on Aug. 12. She could make amends when she returns in a similar spot in the first race at Northlands Monday.
Post time for the first of seven races is 1 p.m. Mountain.
South American import Brujo de Olleros just missed in a $100,000 stakes while making his first start in 9 1/2 months. Given ample time to recuperate from that effort, he will look to build upon his solid performance for new Team Valor International trainer Rick Mettee in Monday’s $50,000 Carl Hanford Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park. The Hanford was orignally scheduled for last Wednesday but that card was canceled due to local flooding.
