Savoy Stomp Heads to the Big Easy for Lecomte

Team Valor International and Southern Equine Stable’s regally bred and well regarded Savoy Stomp will look to live up to his hype on Saturday afternoon in the Grade III $200,000 Lecomte Stakes when he ships in for the formidable Todd Pletcher stable. An $875,000 sale purchase, the son of Medaglia d’Oro is out of a full-sister to top sire Majestic Warrior and has three starts to his record – including an impressive victory on debut in September at Belmont Park going seven furlongs. His sale price was the highest of any colt at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga 2013 Select Yearling Sale.

“He’s an extremely good-looking horse” said Barry Irwin, principal of Team Valor. “He’s out of a mare who is from a sprint family and when I bought him I was worried he wouldn’t run that far – but since we put him in training he has more stamina than speed, which is good. He won first time out and when they win like that going seven furlongs on the rail, they’re going to go two turns.”

After said two-length victory in 1:23.37, he was brought back in the one-mile Grade II $250,000 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct over a muddy surface and ran up the track for fifth. Six weeks later, the Kentucky-bred January foal ran third in an allowance as the 7-5 favorite at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 17 – again going a one-turn mile. Racing widely throughout, he ran along for the show behind next-out Listed $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes winner Bluegrass Singer. 

One of the most respected and successful ownerships in the world, Team Valor has not only has annexed two Breeders’ Cups, a Dubai World Cup and an Arlington Million – but it also has an impressive record in the Kentucky Derby with one win (Animal Kingdom), one second (Captain Bodgit) and a fourth (Went The Day Well) from five starters. Needless to say, with 2010 Derby winner and leading national trainer Pletcher now at the helm of many of its young horses – it could be only a matter of time until it is back in the Triple Crown Spotlight.

“Pletcher has always liked the horse,” he continued. “The question with him is what his best trip is. I always thought he wanted to run longer and Pletcher is hopeful he will, but (Pletcher) told me that if he turned out to be a late-running sprinter, he wouldn’t be surprised. You never know which way they’re going to go. It’s a matter of timing and what their progression is. I’ve run five horses in the (Grade I $2,000,000 Kentucky) Derby and the only one I was absolutely sure would love the mile and a quarter was Captain Bodgit (in 1997). He had such amazing stamina.”

Bred by co-owner Southern Equine Stable, Savoy Stomp was so well regarded by principal Mike Moreno’s operation, that they wished to stay involved. “When I bought the horse at the sale (Southern Equine) told me they wanted to stay in, and I said that was fine,” Irwin added.

Savoy Stomp put in his final major work Sunday morning at Palm Beach Downs in south Florida and is scheduled to have Mike Smith in the irons in Saturday’s 71st running of the Lecomte. 

“We’re looking at (the Bradley),” said trainer Dallas Stewart. “He came out (of the Diliberto Memorial) with an abscess, but he worked well two days ago. If he continues to train as well as he has, we’ll maybe run him.”

Second in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, the 5-year-old horse worked four furlongs on Jan. 9 in :49.40 – good for ninth-best of 37 moves at the distance. 

Source: Fair Grounds Barn Notes