Governor Sam looms large in G3 Mahony

Bregman Family Racing and Swinbank Stables’ Governor Sam looks to double up on local Grade 3s in Sunday’s $175,000 Mahony, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by George Weaver, the Improbable bay went 4-for-6 as a juvenile with three turf sprint stakes scores at as many tracks, culminating with a pacesetting one-length third to the victorious Magnum Force in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar.

Governor Sam kicked off his current campaign with a third in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed William Walker in April at Churchill Downs and a fourth in an off-the-turf allowance sprint in June there. He rebounded last out with a facile 3 1/2-length score over re-opposing stablemate Ortley Avenue in the local Grade 3 Quick Call presented by Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation on July 13. 

Governor Sam [post 9, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], competing over Sunday’s course and distance in the Quick Call, closed from two lengths off-the-pace under returning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr., earning a career and field-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure in victory. He won from off-the-pace for the first time since the Tyro last August at Monmouth Park, which he exited to wire the Rosie's and Listed Indian Summer, at Colonial Downs and Keeneland, respectively. 

“He’s doing fantastic,” said Weaver. “We’ll let Irad ride the horse how he wants. Hopefully, if he duplicates that performance, he’ll do good in there. His breezes have been good and he continues to maintain good form. He’s doing good and we are expecting him to run well.” 

Weaver also entered Bona Venture Stables’ Irish-bred Ortley Avenue [post 5, Eric Cancel], who was the 15-1 longest shot in the Quick Call and kept on for a respectable pacesetting second to Governor Sam. The Bungle Inthejungle bay earned his second consecutive stakes placing after a runner-up finish in the five-furlong Roar in May at Gulfstream Park.

“He’s going to get another crack at ‘Sam,’” Weaver said. “I think he probably likes to run away from there [the gate]. Whether that puts him back on the lead or not, we’ll see.” 

A winner of his 5 1/2-furlong debut in April on the Gulfstream Tapeta, Ortley Avenue is out of the Titus Livius mare Titian Saga and is a full-brother to 2021 Group 1 Nunthorpe-winner Winter Power.

Soldi Stable and Qatar Racing’s Gabaldon [post 8, Jose Ortiz] graduated on debut last May in the Royal Palm Juvenile at Gulfstream Park, where Governor Sam also debuted and landed sixth. Trained by Jose D’Angelo, the Gone Astray gelding exited to run a one-length second in the five-furlong Windsor Castle last June at Royal Ascot. 

Gabaldon, who led deep into the 27-horse Windsor Castle, was originally a $9,000 purchase at the 2023 OBS October Yearling Sale to Soldi Stable. His price increased to $300,000 at the 2024 Inglis July Digital Sale and he is now campaigned in partnership with Qatar Racing, returning to D’Angelo’s care for his current season. 

“He’s a special horse for me,” D’Angelo said. “We ran him at Ascot last year and almost got the victory over there. It was a nice moment. We gave time off for him and he improved and grew. I’m sure he’s going to be tough here.”

In his lone effort this year, Gabaldon was a pacesetting 1 1/4-length third in the five-furlong Texas Glitter on March 22 at Gulfstream. 

“He’s grown a lot,” said D’Angelo. “He’s not a baby anymore and he knows what he’s doing. He always was a smart horse, but now more so.”

Mrs. Fitri Hay’s filly Saturday Flirt [post 3, Frankie Dettori] will look to beat the boys for trainer Wesley Ward. The Mendelssohn bay enters from a closing 3 3/4-length victory over females in the off-the-turf Listed Soaring Softly sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on June 8 here. 

Saturday Flirt, despite making her first dirt start, improved to 2-for-2 on the year after a 5 1/2-furlong turf allowance score versus female elders in April at Keeneland, both with blinkers off. She raced twice as a juvenile, graduating over that same course on debut ahead of a tenth in the five-furlong Group 2 Norfolk versus males last June at Royal Ascot. 

Bred in Kentucky by Ward, Saturday Flirt is out of the dual stakes-placed Broken Vow mare Dragic, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winner and 2021 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Echo Zulu and Grade 1-winner Echo Town. 

BC Stables’ Innovator [post 1, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] makes his first start for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen after 12 starts for the late Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas and a most recent runner-up effort for former Lukas-assistant Sebastian Nicholl. 

The Authentic dark bay was a close third in the Grade 3 Lecomte going 1 1/16 miles on sloppy and sealed dirt in January at Fair Grounds, and has shown recent promise at 5 1/2 furlongs on grass when hitting the board in a pair of allowances versus elders in Kentucky. Said allowances were won by next-out winner Litigation and next-out stakes-winning filly Mae Town. 

Rounding out the field are Grade 3 Quick Call-third place finisher No Evidence [post 6, Manny Franco] for conditioner Miguel Clement; multiple stakes-placed Jet Sweep Joe [post 2, Joseph Bealmear] for trainer Paul McEntee; dirt stakes-placed Ancient World [post 7, Luis Saez] for conditioner Joe Sharp; and maiden-winner Spiced Up [post 4, Junior Alvarado] for Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

The Mahony is slated as Race 9 on Sunday’s 10-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

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