Saratoga 2024: Appleby has new prospect in With Anticipation

Godolphin’s U.K. homebred Cavallo Bay brings the most experience with a 2-for-3 record into Thursday’s Grade 3, $175,000 With Anticipation Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf route for 2-year-olds at Saratoga.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, who has won 12 graded stakes in North America this year, the Pinatubo bay was a winner at second asking in a 7 1/4-furlong allowance over the all-weather surface June 20 at Wolverhampton, England, besting next-out winner Brindavan by a half-length.

The talented colt followed with another half-length score when making his turf debut in a seven-furlong allowance July 4 at Haydock, England. Cavallo Bay rallied in the final quarter-mile to get up just in time and score the victory over stablemate Olympus Point with a final time of 1:30.64 without a run-up over good footing.

Chris Connett, traveling assistant to Appleby, said he was pleased with the first workout the colt posted since clearing quarantine. Cavallo Bay covered a half-mile in 52.52 seconds over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training turf Friday in company with Al Qudra.

“He’s a lovely, big animal, and he’s taken to it really well,” Connett said. “He’s well-placed, and Charlie has picked a great spot for him. Whatever he does, he’ll be learning on the job a little bit. He’s run three times and won twice, and he deserves a step up to graded races.”

Cavallo Bay is out of the Grade 1-winning Godolphin color-bearer La Pelosa, who won Woodbine’s Natalma (G1) in 2018 for Appleby.

Dylan Davis has the call from post 8.

Zulu Kingdom, in post 7 with Flavien Prat, provides additional European interest. Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael Caruso, he makes his North America debut for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown off an impressive 3 1/2-length debut graduation June 4 at Saint-Cloud, France.

Previously trained by Andre Fabre, the Ireland-bred son of Ten Sovereigns bested a field of 12 in his debut, drawing away handily in the final stages of the seven-furlong test over soft footing. He has posted five works since over the Oklahoma training turf, most recently covering a half-mile in 50.25 seconds Friday in company with maiden winner Clever Mischief.

“I’ve been pleased with how he’s been coming along,” Brown said. “He fits into our program, and he’s ready to run.”

Ken Ramsey’s stakes-placed homebred Reach for the Rose, in post 6 with Édgard Zayas, returns to stakes company for conditioner Saffie Joseph Jr. off a 5 1/2-length graduation traveling one mile in an off-the-turf event Aug. 3 at Saratoga.

The Audible dark bay finished a 1 1/2-length second on debut in the five-furlong Royal Plam Juvenile in May at Gulfstream Park. The race was won by the impressive Gabaldon, who went on to finish a good second in the listed Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher entered two in search of a record-extending seventh win in the With Anticipation. He will be represented Thursday year by Tenacious Leader, in post 9 with Irad Ortiz Jr., and the maiden Nudge, in post 1 with Ricardo Santana Jr.

Tenacious Leader makes his turf debut off a second-out graduation going one-mile in an off-the-turf maiden Aug. 10 at Saratoga. The Not This Time dark bay owned by Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable won with relative ease over a six rivals, working an in-and-out trip under Ortiz to draw clear by 4 3/4 lengths over Clock Tower. The effort was awarded a much-improved 74 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form, after earning just a 44 Beyer for a dismal debut sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs in July at the Spa.

Pletcher said he also is considering the listed $1 million Juvenile Mile on Sept. 8 at Kentucky Downs for Tenacious Leader after a half-mile work in 48.0 seconds over the Oklahoma turf in company with multiple graded-stakes-placed Talk of the Nation on Friday.

“I thought he looked pretty good,” Pletcher said. “We were originally looking at the Kentucky Downs million-dollar race, but I will talk to the connections and make a decision here shortly.”

Repole Stable’s maiden Nudge showed great improvement last out when stretched out to the With Anticipation distance and switched to turf for the first time, running third in a July 20 maiden at Saratoga. The race was won by returning rival Without Caution. The Uncle Mo gray was a distant fourth on debut when sprinting five furlongs in June over the Aqueduct main track.

John Gunther’s Kentucky homebred Without Caution, in post 2 with Manny Franco, steps up off his aforementioned maiden win July 20 at the Spa for trainer Cherie DeVaux. The Without Parole bay upset the nine-horse field at odds of 13-1 after a stalking trip engineered by José Lezcano.

Without Caution is out of the Indian Charlie mare Mama Tembu. She is a half-sister to Stage Magic, who produced 2018 Triple Crown hero Justify.

Completing the field are the New York-bred maiden-winner Dancing Bear, in post 5 with Romero Maragh for trainer Carlos Martín; maidens Test Score in post 3 with Júnior Alvarado for trainer Graham Motion and George Weaver-trained Good Long Cry in post 4 with Eric Cancel. Uncaged and Joey Muscles were entered for the main track only.

The With Anticipation is slated as the 10th of 11 races Thursday with a scheduled start at 6:16 p.m. EDT. The first post is at 1:10 p.m.