Saratoga Dreamer Versatile in Rego Park

 

Under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Saratoga Dreamer broke well out of the gate and tucked into third position as the field was led by pacesetters Regal Minister and Breakin the Fever through opening fractions of 23.56 seconds for the first quarter and the half in 47.29. At the quarter pole, Saratoga Dreamer made his move traveling three-wide to encounter a game Regal Minister in the upper stretch and under a steady urging drew clear in the final stages to win by a neck.

 

"I broke good and he put me in a great position," said Ortiz. "I didn't have to use my horse in the first part of the race, just saving him for the end. He finished good. One thing I like about Christophe Clement is that he trains the babies very good; he puts them behind horses to take some dirt. I was very confident with the dirt, and when I asked him he kicked in."

 

Saratoga Dreamer returned $8.70 on a $2 wager, completing the six furlongs in 1:12.83. The son of Elusive Quality increased his earnings to $120,603 while picking up his first stakes victory for trainer Christophe Clement and owner Peter Deutsch.

 

Previously, Saratoga Dreamer raced twice on the turf, initially breaking his maiden at Saratoga Race Course in a 5 ½-furlong sprint on August 20 before encountering trouble to finish eighth in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack.

"The horse had trained spectacularly on the dirt in Florida," said Clement by telephone from Florida. "I was thinking about a race here for him, but it got cancelled. I saw this race and was able to get him up there to run in it. Before he ever ran, he trained so well on the grass I felt I had to run him on the grass. The second time, I tried stretching him out to a mile but he acted up badly behind the gate. He probably wants to sprint at this stage. He'll come back to Florida for a freshening and return to New York in the spring."