Aug 27, 2017
Francesca Le Donne Photo
G3 With Anticipation features wide-open field of 11
by NYRA Press Office
Wednesday's Grade 3, $150,000 With Anticipation has drawn a field of 11, with the two entries from Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and two entries from trainer Todd Pletcher leading the improving 2-year-old crop into the 1 1/16 mile race over the Mellon Turf at Saratoga Race Course.
One of Pletcher's entries is Eclipse Thoroughbred Partner's Earth, who is making his debut at the Spa after breaking his maiden at 5 ½ furlongs at Gulfstream Park in June. The son of Orb out of Speightstown mare Mullins Bay followed up the maiden win with a third in the Tyro at Monmouth Park on August 6, also at 5 ½ furlongs. Pletcher said the added distance should do him good.
"We ran Earth over at Monmouth and he seemed to struggle; he lost his action a little on the turn when the turf seemed to slip away from him, but he came back with a good work here and we think the stretch out should help him," Pletcher said.
Earth will break from post 4 with Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano.
Pletcher has also entered Donegal Stable's Seabhac, who went off at 4-1 in his first start on August 5 at the Spa, and put forth a game second place finish in the 1 1/16 mile maiden race. The Scat Daddy colt made a strong move along the rail turning for home and fought off a game challenger to his outside down the stretch, finishing half a length behind a front-running winner.
"We've been pretty high on him all summer. He thought he ran well in his debut and just missed, so we wanted to take a shot in a stakes," Pletcher said.
Seabhac draws the outside post and will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez.
The horse Seabhac couldn't catch in his debut was Peter Vegso's Trumpi. The Majestic Warrior colt went wire to wire as a 22-1 longshot for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. Also making his debut in the race was Zayat Stable's Irish Territory was sent out at 13-1 in the 1 1/16 maiden race over the Mellon turf, finishing seventh, seven lengths back.
Trumpi breaks from post 11 and Irish Territory gets post 6 with jockeys Junior Alvarado and Jose Lezcano, respectively.
The list of entrants also features three horses coming off maiden wins at 1 1/16 miles over the Saratoga turf earlier in the meet. Mark Casse trainee Machtree scored a half-length win on August 12, and will break from post 7 with Luis Saez in the irons. R and H Stable's Evaluator broke his maiden by four lengths on August 9 and draws the outside post for trainer Michael Dilger with jockey Joel Rosario. Just inside him in post 8 will be West Point Thoroughbred's Untamed Domain, who scored a 1 ½ length win on July 22 for trainer Graham Motion and jockey Jose Ortiz.
Rounding out the field is Morrison for trainer Joe Sharp who draws the inside post with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the saddle; Erin McClellan trainee Nauti Boy will break from post 2 with Kendrick Carmouche in the irons; in post 3 is Catholic Boy for trainer Jonathan Thomas with jockey Manny Franco; and Brad Cox trainee Fort Wise Treaty gets post 5 with jockey Florent Geroux getting the call.
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