Tenfold swerves to dramatic Jim Dandy Stakes win

A day after Hofburg emerged as a top Travers Stakes contender at Saratoga, Tenfold did the same, but only should he get over the deep stretch issues displayed in winning the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes.

Tenfold won by 3/4 of a length Saturday after bearing out in the stretch under jockey Ricardo Santana. Otherwise, the margin would have been much larger going nine furlongs at the Spa.

"Turning for home, he sure opened up," Santana said. "He saw the TV -- first time he's run here -- and he was scaring me, too. He got out a little bit, and then I didn't know what to do.

"...Thank God we passed the wire first. That's one of my favorite horses. It's amazing winning with one of your favorite horses, especially at Saratoga."

A Steve Asmussen-trained son of Curlin, Tenfold pressed Flameaway until the stretch drive when the Winchell Thoroughbreds charge was set down. He finished up in 1:50.49, while Flameaway prevailed in a photo for second over the late-charging Vino Rosso.

Reride was fourth, with Sporting Chance completing the running order of a compact field.

"Ironically, he has jumped back to his left lead and laid in in his previous races," Asmussen said of Tenfold's late antics. "It's obviously concerning. I'm glad he still won the race. But we all know he can do better and we have work to do."

Hofburg won a much more minor stakes, the $100,000 Curlin, to secure his Travers candidacy. Also expected to contend Aug. 25 is the Belmont Stakes runner-up, Gronkowski.

Alpha, in 2012, is the last Jim Dandy winner to also prevail in the Travers. He took the Mid-Summer Derby in a dead heat with Golden Ticket.

Tenfold struck Saturday as an 8/5 second choice in the field of five. It was his first start since a fifth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes, and the colt remains lightly raced, with this just his sixth start.

"I think we've got a bright future with this horse," Santana said.

Tenfold went by Flameaway after opening fractions of 23.90 for the quarter mile and 47.16 for the half. Vino Rosso, who ducked in at the start and trailed by 10 lengths up the back stretch, made an inspired run for third that could set up up to stretch back out in the 1 1/4-mile Travers.

"The biggest key now," said Vino Rosso's co-owner, Mike Repole, "if we decide to go the Travers, is to get him to run 100 percent of the race and not 50 percent of the race."