Saratoga: Odds-on Governor Sam cruises to win in Quick Call

Grade 1-placed Governor Sam looked very professional Sunday capturing the Grade 3, $175,000 Quick Call Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong, outer-turf sprint for 3-year-olds at Saratoga.

Owned by Bregman Family Racing and Swinbank Stable and trained by George Weaver, the Improbable bay went 4-for-6 as a juvenile with three turf-sprint stakes scores at as many tracks culminating with a pacesetting one-length third to Magnum Force in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar.

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Sunday precocious Governor Sam used stalking tactics to earn his first win as a sophomore. He entered following a third in the listed, 5 1/2-furlong William Walker in April at Churchill Downs and a last-out fourth in an off-the-turf allowance sprint on June 6 there.

“A lot of people were saying maybe he didn’t come back as good, and that’s a legitimate thing,” Weaver said. “Two-year-old racing is like high-school athletics, 3-year-old is like college, and the older horses are pros. Some horses don’t make that transition, but everything he was telling me is he was bigger, stronger, and he’s been doing really well. I think just the third race of the form cycle (helped). He’s a big, heavy horse, and he really produced a big effort today.”

With Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for the first time in the afternoon since his second-out graduation last July at Saratoga, Governor Sam exited post 2 and settled to the inside of Supersonic Blue. Ortley Avenue, one of his two Weaver-trained stablemates along with Insubordination, established an opening quarter-mile in 21.71 seconds on the good turf.

“He can sit off of the speed, too, and relax and give me that run at the end. I think that works great, so he wasn’t hard to really relax,” said Ortiz, who also won this event aboard World of Trouble in 2018, Golden Pal in 2021 and Uncashed in 2023.

Eric Cancel-piloted Ortley Avenue was pressed by Santa Anita’s listed John Shear-winner Supersonic Blue into the turn while Governor Sam saved ground just off the hedge. Midway through the turn, Ortiz angled Governor Sam three wide in pursuit of the top pair through a half-mile in 44.68 seconds.

Supersonic Blue retreated in the upper stretch, and Governor Sam cruised by Ortley Avenue easily inside the three-sixteenths pole with an eye-catching turn of foot. At that point the race was wrapped up with Governor Sam winning by 3 1/2 lengths over Ortley Avenue, who gamely defended place honors for a Weaver-trained exacta with in a final time of 1:02.68.

No Evidence closed along the inside for third with Insubordination rounding out the superfecta. Slow-starting Jet Sweep Joe and Supersonic Blue completed the order of finish. Grayscale and main-track-only entrant Soontobeking were scratched.

Weaver was pleased to see Governor Sam come from off the pace.

“Irad had great judgment. The horse ran big like that, and it’s nice to know he can do it,” said Weaver, who won turf sprints Thursday with Cy Fair and Devil in Disguise. “I told him in the paddock if he doesn't break, if something happens at the start where he doesn’t break and put you there, you don’t have to hustle him to the lead.”

Weaver said Governor Sam could contest the $175,000 Mahony (G3) on Aug. 10 at Saratoga pending the green light from owner Alex Bregman, the third baseman for the Boston Red Sox.

“That’s the logical spot,” Weaver said. “I would probably vote for that. I’ll talk with Alex. At some point we want to maybe put him in a position to run in the Breeders’ Cup against older. He’ll have to keep stepping it up, but he’s a good turf sprinter, and today we learned he doesn’t need the lead, so we’re excited.

Cancel said Ortley Avenue, the 15-1 longest shot on the board following a second in the five-furlong Roar in May at Gulfstream Park, was game in defeat.

“To be honest I was very happy with the performance that I got out of my horse,” Cancel said. “He faced a really nice horse, and he got beat, but he got beat running. Really happy with the performance, and hopefully he can improve out of this.

A $275,000 purchase at the spring 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales auction of 2-year-olds in training, Governor Sam is out of multiple graded-stakes-placed Into Mischief mare I’m Betty G, who also produced dual graded-stakes winner Pin Up Betty. He was bred in Kentucky by Stoneriggs Farm.

Governor Sam banked $96,250 in victory while improving his record to 9: 5-0-2 and returning $3.50 for a $2 win bet as the post-time favorite.