Prospect Watch: 6 noteworthy debuts at Saratoga on Saturday
There are plenty of established stakes stars slated to race during Saratoga’s action-packed Saturday card, but the first two races of the afternoon are dedicated to 2-year-old maidens.
A dirt sprint and a turf route open the card, and the entries are stacked with promising prospects. Let’s highlight half a dozen of the most noteworthy names to know.
Saturday
Saratoga race 1: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 11:35 p.m. EDT)
No. 1 Game Warden
Age: 2
Pedigree: Tapit–Glory and Power, by Medaglia d’Oro
Purchase price: $400,000
Trainer: Bill Mott
A son of three-time leading North American sire Tapit, Game Warden is bred top and bottom to thrive running long, considering his dam sire is successful stallion and stamina influence Medaglia d’Oro. Game Warden breezed a quick five furlongs from the Saratoga starting gate in 1:00.09 last week and looks like one to watch in the long run for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
No. 3 Verifying
Age: 2
Pedigree: Justify–Diva Delite, by Repent
Purchase price: $775,000
Trainer: Brad Cox
Arguably the most exciting horse slated to debut this week is Verifying, a son of Triple Crown winner Justify. Dam Diva Delite already has achieved impressive success as a broodmare, foaling champion and 13-time graded stakes winner Midnight Bisou. Whether Verifying can live up to his lofty lineage remains to be seen, but he breezed a quick half-mile in 47.40 seconds at Saratoga last week and has hot jockey Joel Rosario named to ride, stamping this $775,000 yearling acquisition as an exciting prospect.
No. 6 King’s Glory
Age: 2
Pedigree: Speightstown–Jax El, by Unusual Heat
Purchase price: $575,000
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Sold for more than half a million dollars as a yearling, King’s Glory might be destined for glory under the care of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. The chestnut colt is a son of successful sire Speightstown out of Jax El, previously the dam of Californian (G2) winner and Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) runner-up Dr. Dorr. This is a pedigree with potential, and King’s Glory has cranked out sharp workouts at Saratoga, so don’t dismiss him from win consideration.
Saratoga race 2: Maiden special weight (1 1/16 miles on turf, 12:08 p.m.)
No. 2 Highland Lord
Age: 2
Pedigree: Lord Nelson–Kristy With a K, by Petionville
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Barclay Tagg
Although Highland Lord’s sire was a three-time Grade 1-winning sprinter, there’s quite a bit of turf potential in Highland Lord’s pedigree. The bay gelding was produced by Kristy With a K, previously the dam of turf stakes winners Highland Glory and Highland Sky. Both of those runners were trained by Barclay Tagg, who likewise conditions Highland Lord. Tagg’s 6 percent win rate with first-time starters isn’t remarkable, but Highland Lord is eligible to progress forwardly in the long run.
No. 4 Triple Start
Age: 2
Pedigree: American Pharoah–Just Reward, by Deputy Minister
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
You might be a little surprised to see Triple Start debuting on turf, considering sire American Pharoah swept the Triple Crown on dirt and dam Just Reward is best known for foaling Personal Ensign (G1) winner Persistently. But American Pharoah has sired plenty of good grass runners, and Triple Start is bred top and bottom to run long, so tackling 1 1/16 miles on turf might suit this Todd Pletcher trainee just fine. Triple Start did take a spin over the Saratoga turf training course last week.
No. 7 Take Me to Jimmy
Age: 2
Pedigree: Kitten’s Joy–Search and Seizure, by War Chant
Purchase price: $335,000
Trainer: Chad Brown
It’s safe to say Take Me to Jimmy is bred to excel on grass. Sire Kitten’s Joy was a turf champion who led the North American turf sire rankings on many occasions, while dam Search and Seizure has foaled Tammy the Torpedo and Seek and Destroy, both victorious in multiple graded stakes on grass. Trainer Chad Brown excels at conditioning turf horses, and Take Me to Jimmy has breezed three times over the Saratoga turf training course, suggesting this $335,000 auction acquisition is a threat to win on debut.