Horses to Watch: These 8 runners return at Saratoga
Upcoming entries
Capture the Flag
Capture the Flag showed promise in his debut at Saratoga just over one year ago, tracking the pace in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for juveniles before kicking clear to win by three lengths. Unfortunately, Capture the Flag hasn’t run since, but the beautifully bred son of Quality Road out of War Flag has turned in 10 timed workouts in advance of Saturday’s 11th race at Saratoga, a seven-furlong allowance (post time 6:16 p.m. EDT) and is well worth watching. A competitive comeback effort could be a sign of big things to come from this Shug McGaughey trainee.
Carl Spackler
Carl Spackler showed promise in his first two starts against maiden special weight competition at Gulfstream Park, finishing second by a head against future Belmont Derby (G1) winner Far Bridge before breaking his own maiden by 8 3/4 lengths. Carl Spackler subsequently faltered in a remarkably tough edition of the American Turf (G2), finishing eighth, but he enters Friday’s eighth race at Saratoga, the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2, post time 5:08 p.m.) off a pair of bullet workouts over the Saratoga training track turf course and figures to fire a competitive shot.
Cody’s Wish
After rattling off four consecutive Grade 1 victories, including decisive triumphs in the Churchill Downs (G1) and Metropolitan Handicap (G1) to start 2023, Cody’s Wish is a heavy favorite to win Saturday’s 10th race at Saratoga, the Whitney (G1, post time 5:42 p.m.). The 1 1/8-mile distance is a new challenge for Cody’s Wish (he’s yet to run farther than 1 1/16 miles), but he won around two turns in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and should be up to handling Saturday’s challenge.
Copper Em
Copper Em was much the best in her debut sprinting five furlongs at Ellis Park last month, leading all the way to win a maiden special weight by 4 1/4 lengths with a flashy 90 Brisnet speed rating. This sharp effort stamps Copper Em as a logical win threat while stepping up in class for Sunday’s eighth race at Saratoga, the Adirondack (G3, post time 5:10 p.m.).
Far Bridge
After rallying decisively to win the Belmont Derby (G1) against a strong field led by international invader The Foxes, Far Bridge is the 2-1 morning line favorite to add Saturday’s ninth race at Saratoga, the Saratoga Derby (G1, post time 5:01 p.m.) to his tally. The 1 3/16-mile distance should suit Far Bridge just fine, and he’s already beaten a couple of his key Saratoga Derby rivals, so a second straight Grade 1 win may be in the offing.
Maple Leaf Mel
Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Pretty Mischievous is the morning line favorite to win Saturday’s eighth race at Saratoga, the Test (G1, post time 4:26 p.m.), but Maple Leaf Mel looks ready to put up a fight. The speedy daughter of Cross Traffic has yet to be headed in five starts, including victories in the Miss Preakness (G3) and Victory Ride (G3), and her strong sprinting form may give her an advantage over Pretty Mischievous in the seven-furlong Test.
Saratoga Secret
Another logical contender in the Adirondack is Saratoga Secret, an Ellis Park debut winner who came back to finish second in the Schuylerville (G3) on opening day at Saratoga. The 2-year-old daughter of Arrogate has shown signs of talent for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, whose infrequent debut winners regularly develop into graded stakes horses.
Signator
Another McGaughey trainee making a comeback in Saturday’s 11th race at Saratoga is Signator, who charged to victory in a one-mile maiden special weight at Aqueduct last October. The stoutly bred son of Tapit finished fast (running his final quarter-mile in about 23.7 seconds) but hasn’t started since, so Saturday’s seven-furlong allowance is an opportunity for Signator to get back on track and hopefully pick up where he left off. As with Capture the Flag, any sort of a competitive performance could be indicative of a bright future.
Worth another try
War Like Goddess
War Like Goddess didn’t run her best while trying to win Saratoga’s Glens Falls (G2) for the third straight year, but she didn’t get an ideal trip either. She was extremely rank while racing inside and behind rivals around the first turn and had to steady at a key point around the final turn. Once War Like Goddess got in the clear, she forged to a narrow lead but got outkicked in the final strides by deep-closing McKulick, finishing second by a neck.
After two straight defeats, it’s possible War Like Goddess has lost a step at age 6. But it might be premature to make that call, given what a challenging trip she endured in the Glens Falls.
Off the watch list
Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace gained ground down the homestretch of the Glens Falls to finish third by 2 1/2 lengths, but at this point she’s lost three straight Grade 2 races, suggesting she may need a class drop to get back on a winning track.
Which horses do you have your eyes on?
In this biweekly series, racing analyst J. Keeler Johnson shares promising horses from his handicapping watch list, reviewing runners who have recently caught his eye and previewing horses scheduled to run back in the near future.