Saratoga 2023: Gold Sweep, 10 other 2-year-olds are in Sanford

Mike McCarty’s talented stakes-winner Gold Sweep will look to build on a stylish maiden-breaking victory in Belmont Park’s Tremont when he takes on nine rivals in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford Stakes, a six-furlong, main-track test for juveniles at Saratoga.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the son of Speightstown enters from a dominant victory in the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont on June 11, sailing home a nine-length winner after pouncing from just off the pace under Jose Ortiz. He crossed the wire first geared down at a final time of 1:03.47 and garnered a field-high 91 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.

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Gold Sweep finished a hard-fought second on debut when defeated a neck by next-out Bashford Manor runner-up Wilson Q in a five-furlong maiden tilt on May 18 at Churchill Downs. The $285,000 Keeneland September yearling-sale purchase is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Wonder Brew, whose dam Ginger Brew was the Sovereign Award-winner in 2008 for Canada champion 3-year-old filly. Ortiz retains the mount from post 9.

Brian Cohen’s BC Racing will have two chances to earn its first graded stakes conquest with Jive, in post 2 with Junior Alvarado for trainer Phil Serpe, and Dickens, in post 3 with Edgard Zayas for conditioner Juan Alvarado.

“We really think a lot of both of these horses,” Cohen said. “We weren’t really looking to run two horses in the same race, but with the lack of opportunities for winning 2-year-olds, we have tentatively planned to run both in the Sanford.”

Jive will vie to provide his freshman sire St Patrick’s Day, a full-brother to 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, with his first stakes-winner as he makes the step up from a gutsy debut maiden win on May 19 at Gulfstream Park. Jive was both the first starter and winner for his sire with a three-quarter-length score in the five-furlong sprint. The effort was awarded a 60 Beyer.

“We had planned to run Jive in the Tremont and he was scratched before the race as a precaution,” Cohen said. “He’s all fine and he’d been training well at Belmont, so we kept him in New York with Phil Serpe.”

Dickens, a Florida-bred son of Adios Charlie, was a convincing winner of a 4 1/2-furlong maiden against fellow state-breds on June 10 at Gulfstream. The bay colt broke alertly from post 6 of eight and battled for the lead into the turn with Catch a Tiger before shaking off his rival and powering home a two-length winner at a final time of 51.64 seconds.

“We’d always been planning for this race with him,” Cohen said. “Hopefully, we’ll have some good opportunity there, and it’s good to run in New York. It’s a fun time for us.”

Out of the unraced Malibu Moon mare Malibu Melody, Dickens’s second dam Sanadaat is a half-sister to the graded-stakes-winning millionaire Super Frolic, as well as graded stakes-placed Stormy Frolic, the second dam of last month’s Woody Stephens (G1) runner-up Drew’s Gold.

Back Racing, Run for LaRoses and Magdalena Racing’s debut maiden winner Call the Cavalry, in post 1 with Irad Ortiz Jr., enters from a two-length victory on June 4 in a five-furlong sprint at Belmont Park for trainer Kenny McPeek. The Khozan bay bobbled at the start from the inside post of the five-horse field, but recovered quickly to stalk 1 1/2 lengths off the pace before rushing up the inside to take a two-length advantage at the stretch call. He maintained that margin down the stretch to post the victory at a final time of 59.06 seconds, garnering a 59 Beyer.

“I loved his first run,” said McPeek. “It was a short field, but he got it done. He's worked well since then, and I think he's a horse we're going to have a lot of fun with. I think he's a horse that wants to go even longer.”

Bred in Florida by Craig Wheeler, Call the Cavalry is out of the winning Songandaprayer mare Song and Delight, a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes-winning millionaire Delightful Kiss, who won races up to 1 1/2 miles and excelled on dirt, turf and synthetic. His third dam, the multiple graded stakes-placed Bishop’s Delight, is the second dam of Grade 2-winner Shadow Caster.

Completing the field are the stakes-placed Yo Yo Candy, post 4 with Angel Castillo, a third-place finisher third in the Tremont who adds blinkers for trainer Daniel Velazquez; debut maiden winners Factor U and Me In in post 5 with Kendrick Carmouche, going with blinkers on for trainer Edward Coletti; Barbara Minshall-trained Triple Trea in post 7 with Luis Saez; His Rights in post 8 with Javier Castellano for conditioner Rafael Romero; Market Street in post 10 with Tyler Gaffalione for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas; and second-out maiden winner Ramming Speed in post 6 with Gaddiel Martinez, trying dirt for the first time after making his first two outings over synthetic for owner-trainer Kevin Rice.

The Sanford is slated as race 10 on Saturday’s 11-race card. The first post is at 1:10 p.m. EDT.