Copper Bullet puts in golden effort to win G2 Saratoga Special

by Brian Bohl

Copper Bullet handled the step up in distance and class with aplomb, gaining the lead heading into the stretch and sprinting away to win the 112th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special presented by Coors Light by four lengths on Sunday at Saratoga Race Course.

Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing, Copper Bullet put in an impressive effort in the 6 ½-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds, gaining the lead near the quarter pole and outkicking Hollywood Star to capture his first career stakes win, hitting the wire in 1:16.45 on a fast track for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Copper Bullet broke well from the outside and stayed off first-time stakes starter Mo Diddley's early fractions of 21.73 seconds for a quarter-mile with the half going in 44.72. Under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Copper Bullet moved three-wide out of the turn before drawing clear of the nine-horse field.

"He ran a good race today, he really did," said Asmussen, who won his fourth Saratoga Special and first since Kantharos in 2010. "It was an excellent draw for him. He was a little playful in the paddock and stuff, but once he got on the track, he was all business. He broke very sharply, [they went] 21 and three[-fifths] down the backside, so I was a little concerned with how fast they were going, but I think the racing experience that he's had showed up.

"He broke well today; settled off of those horses that were going very fast and he went through the wire with good energy and in a nice final time," he added. "He's looked like the real deal and it's good to see him win a race at this level."

Copper Bullet built on a runner-up effort in his stakes debut when he finished second to Ten City in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor on June 30 at Churchill. The More Than Ready colt improved to 2-2-0 in four starts and won at his first attempt over six furlongs, more than tripling his previous career earnings to $177,800 in the process.

"I had a good post. He broke good and put me in perfect position," Ortiz said. "Last time he missed the break, but this time I was in the clear. I let him be comfortable and when I asked him, he was there for me. The other horses had a little bit more speed than me, but he's a big horse. He's fast, but I didn't want to go that fast early. I just wanted to stalk and the trip worked out perfectly. When I asked him, he responded and did a great job. He finished good and I think he can go farther. We'll see what Steve and the owners decide from here."

Off at 7-2, Copper Bullet paid $9.10 on a $2 win bet. In winning his Saratoga debut, he also added his name to an impressive list of recent Saratoga Special winners that includes last year's winner and Grade 1 Travers contender Gunnevera and Exaggerator, whose 2015 win propelled him to a runner-up finish in the 2016 Kentucky Derby and a win in the Preakness.

Copper Bullet was all business after acting fractious in the paddock, Asmussen said.

"He was being awfully sharp; Saratoga will bring that out," he said. "You walk over to the holding barn, you walk through all those people, with a 2-year-old who's very happy about who he is to begin with, and sharp enough to be racing and then you put them through the parade, they'll show a little bit of emotion."

Hollywood Star, a $550,000 Keeneland September acquisition, finished two lengths clear of Tempestad for second in his stakes debut for trainer Dale Romans.

Bal Harbour, who like Tempestad is trained by Todd Pletcher, finished fourth. Crea's Bklyn Law, Diamond Oops, Mo Diddley, Barry Lee and Vino completed the order of finish.