Saratoga 2-year-olds: Weekend winners Breeders' Cup-bound?
Last weekend’s winning 2-year-olds at Saratoga included exciting
possibilities for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Turf, along with the 2020
Triple Crown trail. How far will they want to go? Here's a look...
GREEN LIGHT GO
(Hard Spun - Light Green, by Pleasantly Perfect)
In the 6 1/2-furlong Saratoga Special (G2), Green Light Go stalked a speedy :21.71 first quarter and :44.16 half-mile. The Jimmy Jerkens trainee swung three wide around the turn but bore in slightly bumping with Tuggle to his inside. Green Light Go responded to a right-handed smack from Junior Alvarado and opened up. Green Light Go coasted under the wire 3 3/4-lengths in front of Noose. The final time for 6 1/2 furlongs was 1:15.68 with Belmont Park's Champagne (G1) likely next on the agenda.
Pedigree: Green Light Go is bred to run all day, as Hard Spun’s progeny don’t have distance limitations. Green Light Go’s dam is won the Fall Aspen Stakes at six furlongs, and she won or placed in all seven starts. There’s a light scattering of blacktype in the distaff line. Green Light Go’s second dam, Green Light, captured the Just Smashing Stakes, and she placed in the Distaff Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2) at seven furlongs. The third generation is international, including French, Irish and Australian blacktype earners. This is the distaff line of Grade 1 winner and sire Jade Hunter.
DECORATED
INVADER
(Declaration of War – Gamely Girl, by Arch)
On Saturday, Decorated Invader made his second start over the turf course a winning one. The Cristophe Clement trainee saved ground early in mid-pack, gradually moved up through the backstretch and went three wide around the turn. Junior Alvarado gave the colt a hand ride to the finish, and Decorated Invader won by an easy 3 1/4 lengths. The final time for the 1 1/16 mile race 1:41.34, setting him up for either the Aug. 28 With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga or Summer Stakes (G1) on Sept. 15 at Woodbine.
Pedigree: Decorated Invader is a big, rangy colt with the pedigree and conformation to relish middle to classic distances. He’s a half-brother to stakes wining turf sprinter Jubliant Girl, who bore a French listed winner, and to restricted stakes-placed turf miler Cabral. Decorated Invader’s distaff line produced the stakes winners and sires Stormy Atlantic, Bandini, plus Grade 1-winning miler Out For A Spin, and many other stakes winners.
GOZILLA
(Flatter - Atlantic Dream, by Stormy Atlantic)
He made it look easy in his Saturday debut. Although the Steve Asmussen trainee broke in the air, he quickly established control under the guidance of Santana Jr. The pair lead through solid fractions of 22.46 and 45.55 and they stomped the competition by 4 1/2-lengths. The final time for six furlongs was 1:09.59, with this well-touted winner a possibility for the Hopeful Stakes (G1) on closing day of the meet.
Pedigree: Godzilla has the conformation and pedigree to handle middle to classic distances, and turf could be an option down the road. His dam is a full sister to multiple graded stakes turf miler/middle distance veteran Icy Atlantic, who earned almost $1 million in 47 starts. Atlantic Dream is a half-sister to Grade 3-winning turf mare Wild Promises and to stakes-placed turf miler Frosty Friday. This is the female family of sires Southern Image and Jolie’s Halo.
TUMBLING SKY
(Competitive Edge - Tareks Dream, by Distorted Humor)
In his debut Saturday, the Steve Asmussen trainee pressed the early pace on the outside. After going three-wide on the turn, Ricardo Santana Jr. shook the colt up, and the pair opened up to win by 1 1/4 lengths. The final time for 6 furlongs was a sharp 1:09.86. Tumbling Sky was tough to pull up and looked ready to go around again, with this another potential Hopeful runner.
Pedigree: Tumbling Sky has a smooth gait and good leg extension. Thanks to that, even with a miler’s pedigree he may handle 1 1/8 miles with maturity. First crop sire Competitive Edge captured the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at two as well as the Pat Day Mile (G3) and the seven furlong Tamarac Stakes as a 3-year-old. There’s no blacktype in the first two generations of Tumbling Sky’s distaff line, but the third generation includes multiple graded stakes-winning sprinter Forest Music, who bore Grade 3-winning sprinter Kentuckian and Grade 3-winning miler Electric Forest. Others in the family include Shooter, winner of the 2000 Sapling (G3), and multiple stakes-winning turf miler Baffle Me.