IT’S a rare occasion that we have a reigning Horse of the Year and the leading contender for this year’s title in action on the same card. But such it is tonight on Saratoga’s highlight five-Grade 1 race card as Thorpedo Anna and Sovereignty are the headline acts.
8.45 Personal Ensign Stakes (Grade 1) 9f
Thorpedo Anna returns in the first of the Grade 1s when she headlines a field of seven for the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes over nine furlongs.
With two wins and one disappointing run this season, she has yet to match the heights of last season and this is the toughest field she has faced this year. She comes off a three-length victory in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs in June. First bend interference was blamed for her defeat behind today’s rivals Raging Sea, Randomized and Dorth Vader in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Todd Pletcher and Irad Ortiz are represented by Leslie’s Rose who had Raging Sea back in third in winning the Grade 2 Shuvee Stakes here last time.
She was no match for Thorpedo Anna last year but Saratoga does have that title “Graveyard of Champions.”
SELECTION: Leslie’s Rose
Next best: Thorpedo Anna
11.14 DraftKings Travers Stakes (Grade 1) 1m 2f
Sovereignty’s star has risen from the Kentucky Derby win through to the Jim Dandy and Belmont wins, beating the best of the three-year-old colts.
Four oppose him tonight and only Magnitude seems to hold any threat and Ben Curtis is in the hot seat to try to bring down the three-year-old champion. Steve Asmussen’s colt was an early fancy for the Kentucky Derby before injury sidelined him following his wide margin Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes win at Fair Grounds in February. He returned to win the Listed Iowa Derby last month. He ran five times at two, with two wins but never managing to go to Grade 1 level.
The question is if the son of Not This Time’s impressive speed figures registered against lesser company will hold up against top-level rivals in the longest race of his career.
His five races have been well spaced out and there seems no reason to oppose Sovereignty, given he has finished strong in all his races.
SELECTION: Sovereignty
Next best: Magnitude
Rest of the card
The seven-furlong Resorts World Casino Ballerina Stakes (9.59pm) for fillies offers the Bill Mott-trained Scylla, a Juddmonte-bred, the chance to follow in the footsteps of her dam, Close Hatches, by becoming a Grade 1 winner at Saratoga. She is seeking her first Grade 1 victory after finishing second in last year’s Ballerina. Despite being winless in three starts this year, she goes off favourite. Two of those losses came over sloppy tracks, including a fourth in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Derby City Distaff Stakes at Churchill Downs, and second to the talented Ways And Means in Saratoga’s Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses Stakes.
Bob Baffert is represented by the well fancied Grade 1-placed and graded stakes-winning Hope Road while Brightwork is unbeaten in three graded race starts at Saratoga.
The Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (9.22pm) for three-year-old colts over seven furlongs and Brad Cox’s Patch Adams heads the market, on a three-timer after winning the Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes on a muddy track here in June. Cox also runs the unbeaten Verifire, three from three this season.
Bob Bafffert’s three runners include Barnes who returns to the track off a spell away since he was beaten in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. Last year’s leading juvenile Chancer McPatrick got back to winning ways in a listed race last time.
The Grade 1 Forego Stakes (10.36pm) for older horses over seven furlongs has one of the biggest fields in 11 runners.
Book’em Danno heads the field off impressive wins this season and a three-for-four record at Saratoga including a win in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Woody Stephens.
Brad Cox again provides the main danger in Most Wanted.