Lukas saddling first American Pharoah progeny to race at Saratoga

The first Saturday of the prestigious Saratoga meet will twice feature juvenile action, as two maiden special weight events on both surfaces have been assembled for the program.

Race 4, a 5 1/2-furlong event on the Saratoga main track, will see a field of eight 2-year-olds going into the starting gate including the well-bred High Tide who breaks from the rail for trainer Todd Pletcher.

The gelded dark bay son of Malibu Moon owned by Bass Racing is out of the Arch broodmare Bauble Queen who was a graded stakes winner on grass.

High Tide is a half-brother to Blitzkrieg, who won the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile over the turf at Golden Gate Fields in April.

"He's been training really well on the dirt, so we'll start there," Pletcher said. "Hopefully he does well there. Turf would be a consideration if he doesn't succeed on the dirt."

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will saddle the first progeny of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah to race at the Spa when Pharoah Cat breaks from post 7.

The dark bay colt has already made one career start when racing a distant fifth at Churchill Downs to runaway winner Long Weekend. 

Bred in Kentucky by Gabriel Duignan, Windmill Manor, Liam Duignan & Tranquility Investments, Pharoah Cat was a $475,000 purchase from last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Eaton Sales.

He is out of the Giant's Causeway broodmare Meerkat Miss, who is a half-sister to 1996 Belmont Stakes winner Editor's Note, also trained by Lukas, as well as 2002 European champion 2-year-old Hold That Tiger.

Pharoah Cat will be guided by jockey Rajiv Maragh.

Zayat Stables' well-bred Zyramid will look for a second-out graduation after a third-place finish at Churchill Downs to stablemate and next-out stakes winner Halfmoon Reef.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the gray or roan City Zip colt is out of the three-time stakes-winning Unbridled's Song broodmare Ravi's Song, whose dam is the five-time graded stakes-winning millionaire Lu Ravi.

Zyramid was purchased for $275,000 from last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Greenfield Farm.

Two races later, a field of nine plus two main-track only entrants have been drawn for the first two-turn maiden race of the meet for 2-year-olds. 

The 1 1/16-mile race over Saratoga's inner turf will feature well-bred Enforceable who will look for a third-out graduation when switching surfaces for trainer Mark Casse.

Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle Decorated Invader for owners West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman and William Sandbrook.

The career-debuting bay son of Declaration of War was a $200,000 purchase from last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Indian Creek.

Decorated Invader is out of the Arch broodmare Gamely Girl and comes from the same family as champion sprinter in Puerto Rico Dr. Arbatach, Grade 1 winner Bandini and multiple graded stakes producing sire Stormy Atlantic.

Stuart Janney III's chestnut Orb homebred Cloudbased will make his turf debut after a first out fifth over a sloppy Belmont Park main track.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Cloudbased is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner on turf Data Link.

Both are out of the Known Fact broodmare Database who is a half-sister to Hymn Book – a Grade 1 winner on dirt.

Fern Circle Stables' Cardiac Kid makes his career debut for trainer Kenny McPeek, who bought the horse at the Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale this year.

The son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is out of the Tale of the Cat broodmare New Wave who is a half-sister to General Quarters – a Grade 1 winner on synthetic and turf and Grade 3 winner on dirt.

Cardiac Kid was purchased for $230,000 from the consignment barn of Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables.