Great Races Will Again Draw Great Racers to Saratoga | |
| By NYRA Press Office | June 25, 2008 |
While the racing world kept its eyes on the Triple Crown trail this spring, a lot of other horses were running. And a lot of horses were coming up with some big victories in big races. Now, just a few weeks away, on Wednesday, July 23, comes the opening of Saratoga Race Course’s 140th season, and plenty of horses will be out to take their game to a higher level and perhaps get a leg up on the competition for divisional honors. The most noticeable of these is Robert V. LaPenta’s Da’ Tara who ruined Big Brown’s Triple Crown bid by leading all the way to win the Belmont Stakes on June 7. Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito is looking for Da’ Tara to follow Saratoga’s traditional path for three-year-olds by running in the 45th running of the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy at nine furlongs on Sunday, July 27 and then return for Saratoga’s biggest race, the 139th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Travers presented by Shadwell Farm. The ten-furlong “Mid-Summer Derby,” the oldest stakes race for three-year-olds, will be run on Saturday August 23 and televised nationwide by ESPN, and Da’Tara is out to become the fourth consecutive horse to sweep the Jim Dandy/Travers double, joining Flower Alley (2005), Bernardini (2006) and Street Sense (2007). The Travers will be the lead race on a stakes-packed day that will also feature the 24th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 NetJets King’s Bishop for three-year-olds at seven furlongs, the 50th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap at nine furlongs on the turf; and the sixth running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Victory Ride for three-year-old fillies at six furlongs. Saturday, July 26, is the first huge day of racing at Saratoga Race Course, with a card featuring four major races that are part of the Breeders’ Cup Championships “Win and You’re In” Challenge. The races will be televised by ABC Sports. The winners of the 81st running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap at nine furlongs; the 55th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Go for Wand for fillies and mares at nine furlongs; the 70th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana for fillies and mares at nine furlongs on the turf, and the 24th running of the Grade 2, $250,000-added Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at six furlongs that day will automatically qualify for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Ladies’ Classic, the Filly & Mare Turf, and Sprint, respectively. Those races will be held during the Oak Tree at Santa Anita Meet, October 24-25. The Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational for three-year-olds and up at a mile and a half on the turf has been moved from its traditional spot in the middle weekend of the meet to Saturday, August 16. The 34th running of the Sword Dancer, whose winner will automatically qualify for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, will share the card with one of Saratoga’s more popular races, the 128th running of the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama for three-year-old fillies at a mile and a quarter. The two-year-olds hold a special place in the hearts of Saratoga’s fans who are always on the lookout for the next year’s Classic winners. The fillies start their series on Opening Day, Wednesday, July 23, with the 90th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Schuylerville at six furlongs, then progress to the 92nd running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Adirondack at six and a half furlongs on Wednesday, August 13, and end with the 117th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Spinaway at seven furlongs on Sunday, August 31. The juvenile colts and geldings will stretch out in the same manner, starting with the 94th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Sanford on Thursday, July 24; followed by the 105th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Saratoga Special on Thursday, August 14 and the 104th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Hopeful on Closing Day, Labor Day, Monday, September 1. The 55th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward at nine furlongs on Saturday, August 30 will team with the 29th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Forego Handicap at seven furlongs to add punch to the final weekend of the meet. In other changes this meet, the $150,000 Lake George for three-year-old fillies on the turf on Friday, July 25 was upgraded to Grade 2 status, while the $100,000-added Yaddo for New York-bred fillies and mares at nine furlongs on the turf will take the Sword Dancer’s traditional spot on Saturday, August 9. Thursdays will remain steeplechase days, with the top prize the 67th running of the Grade 1, $150,000 New York Turf Writers Handicap for older horses at two miles and three-eighths on August 28. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott reclaimed his leading trainer title at Saratoga last summer, saddling 27 winners from 95 starts. It was his ninth Spa title. He was trailed by Gary Contessa, Todd Pletcher, Richard Dutrow Jr. and Linda Rice, who all tied with 13 apiece. Cornelio Velasquez won his first Saratoga jockey title in 2007 with 44 wins, edging Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux who had 43. Garrett Gomez (29), Ramon Dominguez (28) and Edgar Prado (22) trailed. Trainers at
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