Saratoga: Bring Theband Home plays on to win the Troy

Bring Theband Home improved his local record to 4-for-4 on Sunday when he won the Grade 2, $300,000 Troy Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for seven 3-year-olds and up at Saratoga.

Trained by U.S. and Canada Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding wired the listed Harvey Pack last out by 4 1/4 lengths with a time of 59.90 seconds over the same course and distance July 4, just off the track and North America record of 59.80 seconds set by Cogburn in last year’s Jaipur (G1) at the Spa.

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On Sunday, Bring Theband Home impressed once again with a winning time of 1:00.38, disproving any thoughts of a bounce off his career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form. He asserted himself as a major player in future turf sprints. His lone previous graded attempt was an eighth in the Nearctic (G2) in October at Woodbine. 

Casse said the bay’s clear goal has become the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. 

"Another one or two races probably, and we’ll try to get there,” Casse said. “He’s got enough now to get in. I think he likes (the turf) the harder the better. He went one-tenth off the world record, so you know it was pretty hard. I think this turf still has a little give in it right now, just a little."

Piloted by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who was winless since last riding this horse in the Harvey Pack, Bring Theband Home exited post 3 and was bumped by Twenty Six Black to his inside. He still made the lead and set an opening quarter-mile in 21.38 seconds on the firm turf.

“Fast horse. He’s able to relax in the lead. He’s not a run-off horse,” Castellano said. “I like that, and he always listens to the jockey. When I asked him, he took off again. Lucky to be around those horses.”

Entering the turn, Bring Theband Home was stalked by Let My People Go with Alogon just outside him and Determined Kingdom saving ground in fourth. After a sharp half-mile in 43.39 seconds, Castellano shook the reins, and his charge immediately separated himself from the field straightening for home. 

Bring Theband Home, with a four-length advantage at the stretch call, was never in doubt. New York-bred Twenty Six Black cut his winning margin to 1 1/2 lengths with a belated run from sixth in the field of seven. 

Determined Kingdom finished one length behind in third with Alogon completing the superfecta. Senbei and Let My People Go rounded out the order of finish. Our Shot trailed throughout and was eased home. Main-track-only entrant Full Moon Madness was scratched. 

Castellano was relieved to be in the win column at the summer meet. 

“Things didn’t go right in the beginning,” he said. “Almost a month I didn’t win races, and that’s the first time that’s happened in my career in 29 years. I never faced a challenge like that, but I’ve been strong, competitive, working hard every single day. Mentally try to reset a little bit and be competitive.”

Live Oak Planatation’s Charlotte Weber was pleased with the performance from her Florida homebred horse, the jockey and the trainer. 

“It means the world to me, especially with Javier,” Weber said. “He’s my neighbor up here in Saratoga and a friend. This makes history for both of us together. Mark is a terrific trainer. I haven’t been disappointed. I have had a good meet so far, so I’m not complaining. I want to keep rolling through the year. This horse is getting better as he’s getting older. He’s getting smarter.”

Trainer Horacio De Paz was encouraged by Twenty Six Black earning a graded placing under Flavien Prat. The 5-year-old War Dancer gelding entered from three stakes fourths, most recently when failing to threaten returning rival Senbei in the state-bred, six-furlong Ashley T. Cole on June 28 at Belmont at the Big A.

“He’s honest. It was a good effort on his part this time. He just ran flat last time,” De Paz said. “Prat just rode his race. He thought they’d go quick up front, and the horse seems to come from behind pretty well on the outside. It was a good trip. Solid group. Now he’s got to step it up himself. It was good to see that today.”

Bring Theband Home is out of Street Cry mare Tizatude. She is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Paynter, sire of 2021 horse of the year Knicks Go. His second dam Tizso is a full-sister to Hall of Famer Tiznow. 

Bring Theband Home banked $165,000 in victory while improving his record to 13: 6-3-1 and returning $3.30 for a $2 win bet as the favorite.