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Sea Foam seeks fourth stakes victory in Saginaw

by Ryan Martin

Waterville Lake Stables' multiple stakes winner Sea Foam will attempt to notch a fourth stakes triumph when he breaks from post 3 in Sunday's $100,000 Saginaw, a 1 1/16 miles test for New York-breds on the Belmont Park main track.

Trained by Christophe Clement, who will look for his fourth stakes win this meet, the 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro bay defeated open company for the first time last out when taking the first race on Belmont Stakes Day, a first-level allowance event on the dirt which earned a career best 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

Last summer, Sea Foam won the New York Derby at Finger Lakes and the Albany at Saratoga - the last two legs of the Big Apple Triple. As a 2-year-old, Sea Foam won the Notebook at Aqueduct in his stakes debut following a maiden win at fourth asking over the main track at the Big A.

"I thought his race on Belmont Day was good," Clement said. "It's a bit of a jump to go from there to the stakes race. He's trained forwardly and looks good. It's the last chance to win a New York bred stake at Belmont this meet."

Sea Foam will be ridden by Joel Rosario, who will attempt his fifth stakes victory this meet.

An Empire State homebred, Sea Foam is out of the stakes winning Unbridled's Song broodmare Strike It Rich and comes from the same family as stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Great Stuff.

Looking for a third stakes victory is Mr. Buff, who was a close third to Pat On the Back in the Commentator last out.

A Chester and Mary Broman homebred, Mr. Buff is trained by John Kimmel, who saddled the gelded chestnut son of Friend or Foe to victories in the Alex M. Robb last December at Aqueduct against state-breds and the Jazil in his seasonal bow at the Big A, against open company.

Mr. Buff will leave from the rail under regular pilot Junior Alvarado.

Completing the field for the Saginaw are Runaway Lute [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], Dynamax Prime [post 4, Manny Franco], Twisted Tom [post 5, Javier Castellano] and Mo Diddley [post 6, Jose Ortiz].

The Saginaw is named in honor of Drawing Away Stable and David Jacobson's 10-time stakes winner who won dual stakes events at all three NYRA tracks. Trained by Jacobson, Saginaw found the winner's circle 21 times in his 41-race career including back-to-back victories in the John Morrissey at Saratoga from 2012-13.

Sunday's eight-race card kicks off at 1:30 p.m. with the Saginaw slated as Race 7.