Saturday at Saratoga: Odds, preview for Sanford Stakes 2023

From Rachel Alexandra’s rousing Woodward score in 2009 to becoming North America’s wins leader two years ago, Steve Asmussen boasts a host of memorable Saratoga moments. The Hall of Fame trainer hopes for another successful summer meet as he saddles an exciting juvenile prospect Saturday for his first graded start.

Gold Sweep is the 3-5 morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford Stakes. Post time from Saratoga is 6:19 p.m. EDT, with FS2 showing the six-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds.

The Sanford is the first of three graded stakes for juvenile male runners that will take place over the next two months in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The $200,000 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) is scheduled for Aug. 12, weeks before the $300,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) on closing day, Sept. 4.

Notable Sanford Stakes winners over the last 50 years include Affirmed (1977), Forty Niner (1987) and Afleet Alex (2004).

Gold Sweep earned favoritism for the Sanford’s 2023 running off a second-out, maiden-breaking victory June 11 in the Tremont Stakes. He broke free in the Belmont Park stretch and drew off to win the 5 1/2-furlong sprint by nine lengths.

Jockey Jose Ortiz stays aboard Gold Sweep, who earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 91 from Daily Racing Form for his Tremont score. Asmussen trains the Speightstown colt for owner Mike McCarty.

Call the Cavalry (8-1) was a debut winner June 4 at Belmont for trainer Kenny McPeek. He makes his second start in this spot off that two-length score.

Dickens (8-1) comes north from Gulfstream Park, where he also notched a two-length debut win June 10. Trainer Juan Alvarado seeks his first Saratoga graded-stakes win.

Triple Trea (10-1) makes his first start on U.S. soil and over a dirt track Saturday. Trained by Barbara Minshall, he won his first race June 4 on Woodbine’s all-weather surface.

D. Wayne Lukas has won the Sanford Stakes five times, but not since Time Bandit’s victory in 1998. Market Street (12-1) aims to deliver the trainer a sixth win in this event off a first-out score June 29 at Ellis Park.

1. Call the Cavalry (Kenny McPeek, Irad Ortiz Jr.), 8-1

2. Jive (Phil Serpe, Junior Alvarado), 12-1

3. Dickens (Juan Alvarado, Edgard Zayas), 8-1

4. Yo Yo Candy (Daniel Velazquez, Angel Castillo), 15-1

5. Factor U and Me In (Edward Coletti Jr., Kendrick Carmouche), 30-1

6. Ramming Speed (Kevin Rice, Gaddiel Martinez), 15-1

7. Triple Trea (Barbara Minshall, Luis Saez), 10-1

8. His Rights (Rafael Romero, Javier Castellano), 30-1

9. Gold Sweep (Steve Asmussen, Jose Ortiz), 3-5

10. Market Street (D. Wayne Lukas, Tyler Gaffalione), 12-1

TimeformUS pace projections show Dickens going out to the lead under jockey Edgard Zayas and setting a fast pace. Favorite Gold Sweep is expected to run mid-pack through the early stages of this sprint.

Saturday at Saratoga

Here is a look at other races on the schedule for the first Saturday of the 2023 Saratoga meet. All post times are EDT. Visit Horse Racing Nation’s free past performances page for more information on both the Diana Stakes (G1) and Kelso Stakes (G3).

1:10 p.m. – Race 1, maiden special weight, 2-year-olds, 5 1/2 furlongs, FS1

Pirate (4-5), half-brother to 2023 Preakness Stakes victor National Treasure, makes his debut for trainer Todd Pletcher over the Saratoga track where he has worked since late May. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride the Omaha Beach colt, a $350,000 auction purchase last September at Keeneland. Bill Mott trains first-time starter Special Element (7-2), a son of Omaha Beach’s fellow first-crop sire Copper Bullet. Arteta (4-1), a Take Charge Indy colt, runs his debut race for trainer George Weaver.

2:16 p.m. – Race 3, maiden special weight, 3-and-up fillies and mares, 1 1/16 miles (turf), FS1

Vanished (3-1) switches surfaces and takes her third shot at a breakthrough victory off a third-place finish June 10 at Ellis Park going a dirt mile. Jockey Luis Saez will get a leg up on the 3-year-old Speightstown filly for Pletcher. Jack Sisterson trains Isola (9-2), a first-time U.S. starter whose only other race was a second-place finish April 15 at Fontainebleau in France. The Chad Brown-trained Taciturn (5-1) has been training at Monmouth Park since May toward her debut.

2:46 p.m. – Race 4, $500,000 Diana Stakes (G1), 4-and-up fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles (turf), FS1

In Italian (2-5), the 2022 Diana heroine, has two Grade 1 wins this year, coming in April’s Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland and June 9 at Belmont Park in the Just a Game Stakes. Ortiz has the mount on the 5-year-old Dubawi mare for Brown, who saddles four of the five Diana starters. Brown also trains Marketsegmentation (4-1), who won the New York Stakes (G1) at 1 1/4 miles on the same card in which In Italian took the one-mile Just a Game. Whitebeam (5-1), another of Brown’s entries, scored in the Gallorette Stakes (G3) on the Preakness undercard May 20 at Pimlico.

4:26 p.m. – Race 7, allowance optional claiming, 3-and-up fillies and mares, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf), FS2

Breeze Easy (9-5), whose prior form includes a runner-up finish in a Grade 3 race, was second June 16 at Belmont in an allowance event going six furlongs as an odds-on favorite. Jockey Joel Rosario and trainer Christophe Clement team up with the 4-year-old Bated Breath filly. Wesley Ward trains Playlist (2-1), who arrives at Saratoga after winning an allowance race June 15 at Ellis for her second straight victory. The Carlos Martin-trained Lady Milagro (5-1) exits the same race as Breeze Easy with a third-place finish, 2 1/4 lengths behind the Clement-trained runner.

5:45 p.m. – Race 9, $175,000 Kelso Stakes (G3), 4-and-up, one mile (turf), FS2

Annapolis (8-5), the 2022 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) hero, made his first start of 2023 on May 4 at Churchill Downs, winning the Opening Verse Stakes. Ortiz gets the call on the 4-year-old War Front colt for Pletcher. Bill Mott trains Casa Creed (5-2), a three-time Grade 1 winner who fell short June 10 of winning the Jaipur Stakes (G1) for the third time, running third at Belmont. Filo Di Arianna (5-1), twice a Grade 2 winner for trainer Mark Casse, was second June 10 on the Belmont Stakes undercard in the Poker Stakes (G3).