Saratoga 2024: Ferocious returns on closing day in Hopeful

Impressive maiden winner Ferocious, who has most of the same connections as 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, headlines a talented field of nine Monday in the Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful Stakes, the closing-day, seven-furlong feature for 2-year-olds at Saratoga.

Campaigned by JR Ranch, Ramiro Restrepo, High Step Racing and OGMA Investments, the Flatter colt romped to a 7 3/4-length score in his Aug. 3 debut at the Spa under returning Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano.

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The $1.3 million purchase won his debut with a time of 1:09.65 for the six furlongs. The winning effort earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form, the highest for any 2-year-old in 2024.

Gustavo Delgado Jr., son and assistant to trainer Gustavo Delgado, said Ferocious exited his debut in fine fettle having breezed back twice, including a five-furlong effort in 1:02.63 on Saturday over the Spa main track.

“Since his first race everything has been pretty straightforward with him. He’s had a couple of breezes. Both of them very easy and all the signs you want to see with a horse after his first race are there,” the younger Delgado said. “It’s hard to say after a 96 Beyer Speed Figure first time out that he’s going to improve, but it’s more about getting the foundation that young horses at this time of the year need. Everybody is excited to see him run again.”

Delgado noted that Ferocious demonstrated maturity on debut when overcoming a tricky inside post and a wet track on a busy Whitney day at Saratoga.

“He showed to be very professional the first time he ran,” Delgado said. “He handled the track. He’d already breezed over it, but it’s not the same as when they run, and he did that pretty nice. He also handled the surroundings on a crowded Whitney day pretty well, too.

“I think the extra furlong will help him. He will have more time to relax. He seems to be a very nice horse. We don’t know how good he is yet, but it’s just a matter of putting him out there. We’re aware of the horses he’s going to face this time, and there’s a few horses everybody is high on, and they can improve a lot from one race to another. But so far so good, and we’re excited to see him run.”

Ferocious breezed in an eye-catching 9.4-second furlong at his sale, but Delgado said the colt’s demeanor was just as important.

“Everybody, not just us, liked this horse, and that’s why we had to pay that price for our clients,” Delgado said. “Apart from that, he did have one of the best if not the best breeze for that sale. His physique, his conformation and family all suggested he was a really nice horse. He’s got a classy way about him, and when he walks, he’s very elegant.”

Ferocious is out of winning Midnight Lute mare Napier, who is a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes-winning millionaire Obligatory. He will exit post 2 in rein to Castellano.

Mentee, in post 7 with John Velázquez, a full brother to Travers (G1) winner Fierceness, will make his stakes debut for owner Repole Stable and for Todd Pletcher. The Hall of Fame trainer has won the Hopeful with Circular Quay in 2006, Shanghai Bobby in 2012, Competitive Edge in 2014 and Forte in 2022.

The City of Light colt is out of winning Stay Thirsty mare Nonna Bella, who is a half-sister to 2016 Wood Memorial (G1) winner Outwork. He was a gate-to-wire winner sprinting five furlongs on June 15 at Belmont at the Big A under Velázquez in a course-record 56.97 seconds. The winning effort registered an 88 Beyer.

“That horse was gaining on him late, and he maybe got a little complacent,” Pletcher said. “But he was able to hold on in a very quickly run race.

Mentee was scheduled to return in the Sanford (G3) on July 13 here but was scratched with a fever on the morning of the race. He has breezed three times since at the Spa, including a five-eighths effort in 1:01.0 over the main track Monday.

“Hopefully missing that time hasn’t compromised him,” Pletcher said. “It certainly seems like it hasn’t.”

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle Chancer McPatrick, in post 8 with Flavien Prat, and Incentive Pay, in post 9 with Joel Rosario.

Chancer McPatrick, by McKinzie, debuted in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on July 27 at Saratoga. He launched a seven-wide bid from the top of the lane to get up and score by one length with a final time of 1:17.99. The visually appealing score garnered an 81 Beyer.

"Based on his morning works, I expected him to be a mid-pack type of horse if he broke well. But then he got shuffled back and found himself in a very challenging position early,” Brown said. “I was quite impressed with the way he overcame it. Flavien went to plan B and was very patient, and the horse really came through. It’s his talent that really prevailed.”

Chancer McPatrick breezed back three times over the Spa main track including a half-mile in 49.0 seconds Sunday.

Incentive Pay, by Volatile, rallied down the rail to capture a six-furlong maiden special weight on July 20 under Rosario at Saratoga. He scored by a much-the-best 2 1/2 lengths with a final time of 1:12.20. The winning effort registered a 68 Beyer.

“I know he’s really got to come forward on his figures. There are some fast horses in this race, but he ran early in the meet, and I feel I only had the horse 80 percent fit,” Brown said. “I’d never breezed him past a half-mile, and I think there's a lot of room for improvement there.”

Studlydoright, in post 6 with Xavier Pérez, won his first two starts for trainer John Robb. He took his 4 1/2-furlong debut by 1 1/2 lengths in May at Laurel Park before overcoming a bobbled start to rally to a 1 3/4-length score at Saratoga on June 6 in the listed, 5 1/2-furlong Tremont.

He was bumped at the break last out in the six-furlong Sanford (G3) on July 13 here. He launched his trademark strong late bid to finish one length behind front-running New York-bred Mo Plex, who exited that event to win the state-bred Funny Cide.

Studlydoright has worked back twice at Laurel, including a six-furlong effort in 1:14 handily Sunday.

Trainer Dallas Stewart entered Grade 2-placed Smoken Wicked, in post 5 with Tyler Gaffalione, and maiden winner Tough Catch, in post 4 with Luis Sáez. The maiden Innovator, in post 3 with Manny Franco, races for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who has won the Hopeful a record eight times. First-time starter Mr. Mendelslew, in post 1 with José Gómez, is a son of Mendelssohn out of dual graded-stakes-winning turf mare Dynaslew.

Scheduled for 5:43 p.m. EDT, the Hopeful is the 10th of 12 races Monday. The first post is at 12:35 p.m.