Sanagas Full of Run in John's Call

Sanagas made a four-wide rally through the stretch and went on to post a 2 ½-length victory over Center Divider to take the $81,000 John’s Call presented by Sportech Stakes on Friday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course.

Ridden by Rajiv Maragh, the 5-year-old German-bred gelded son of Lomitas sat well behind fractions of 53.69, 1:16.88, and 1:42.66 set by Viscount, then commenced his move on the final turn of the 1 5/8-mile turf race, going on to hit the wire in 2:41.45 for his first American win.

Sent off at 5-1, Sanagas returned $13.80 for a $2 win bet in making his second start in the United States , having finished seventh in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap on July 9.

“He’s really bred to go the distance” said winning trainer H. Graham Motion of Sanagas, who was 4-1-0 from five starts in Germany . “He was difficult to ride when I ran him in Chicago , so I think Rajiv learned something that helped today.”

Bold Hawk held on for third, a neck ahead of favored Simmard.

Bearpath, who stumbled approaching the stretch for the initial time, unseated jockey Frederic Lenclud and galloped riderless down the outside of the course to the clubhouse turn, where he was subsequently apprehended by NYRA outriders and vanned off.

Lenclud was examined in NYRA First Aid and cleared to ride the eighth race as scheduled. According to NYRA’s chief examining veterinarian, Dr. Anthony Verderosa, Bearpath was lame in his left front leg and had sprung, but not lost, his left front shoe. The horse was to be further evaluated, including X-rays, by a private practice veterinarian on Friday evening.