Mi Bago brings speed to Listed $135K Saranac

Gary Barber’s multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Mi Bago will look to parlay his early pace into a first Spa stakes score in Closing Day Monday’s Listed $135,000 Saranac, a 1 1/16-mile Mellon turf test for 3-year-olds which have not won a graded stakes this year, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, the Vekoma bay showcased his talents over firm footing over the winter in Florida. Although he took his first stakes score from off the pace in the five-furlong Listed Algonquin in October at Woodbine, he has since added a trio of frontrunning Listed stakes scores at Gulfstream Park, taking the 7 1/2-furlong Pulpit on firm turf in November, the one-mile and 70-yard Dania Beach in January on Tapeta and the one-mile Colonel Liam in March over firm turf.

Mi Bago [post 9, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 124 pounds] again set the early tempo in his most recent two outings, finishing a two-length fourth over yielding ground in the Grade 3 Penn Mile in June and a distant fifth in the one-mile Grade 2 Hall of Fame over a course rated firm on August 1 here.

“He has been the most unlucky horse of late. He loves rock hard turf, and I think the last time he got it was at Gulfstream. It will probably rain,” said Casse, with a laugh, noting that Mi Bago’s last out start followed a July 31 card here that was taken off the grass.

Mi Bago has trained forwardly out of the Hall of Fame effort, including a half-mile breeze in 48.31 August 22 over the Oklahoma training turf.

“This horse loves to train and I thought this work the other day was really good,” Casse said.

Casse indicated that looking forward, he may consider cutting Mi Bago back in distance when racing returns to Belmont at the Big A in the fall.

“At some point, I’d like to cut him back but 5 1/2-furlongs here is a little short for him. If this doesn't work, we might try him at Aqueduct going three-quarters,” Casse said.

Mi Bago, bred in the Empire State by Highclere, Inc., has banked $535,000 via a 12-5-1-0 ledger.

Bobby Flay and James Ventura’s Crudo [post 7, John Velazquez, 124 pounds], a bay son of Triple Crown-winner Justify, will make his turf debut for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

“It seems like the Justifys are doing pretty well on the grass, so we are going to give him a try,” Pletcher said.

Crudo captured the restricted Sir Barton traveling 1 1/16-miles in May at Pimlico before a distant last-of-8 in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 7 here. He followed last out with an improved effort when a pacesetting fourth in the local restricted Listed Curlin presented by Casamigos on July 24.

Crudo is out of the Deputy Minister mare Blossomed, a half-sister to multiple turf stakes-winner Cinemine – a versatile daughter of Mining that was equally effective on dirt and turf.

Peter Brant and St. Elias Stable’s Asbury Park [post 1, Flavien Prat, 120 pounds] will look to secure his first stakes win for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, who has won this event previously with Raging Bull [2018], Public Sector [2021] and Carl Spackler [2023].

Asbury Park, a $318,576 purchase from Book 1 of the 2023 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, has been the mutuel favorite in each of his three starts. He closed from ninth to finish a two-length fifth in his August 2024 debut here and did not return to action until June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga with a rallying 3 1/2-length maiden win versus elders traveling 1 1/16-miles over good ground.

The dark bay Frankel colt enters from a troubled effort in a local 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on July 18 where he broke awkwardly after hitting the gate and finished a 5 1/2-length sixth.

Asbury Park is a half-brother to dual Group 2-winner Spanish Mission, who captured the 2019 Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park. He is out of the Listed stakes-winning Street Cry mare Limonar – a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Talco.

Arindel’s Florida homebred Tank [post 5, Emisael Jaramillo, 124 pounds] is another potential pace presence, boasting four prominent scores in 12 starts that includes stakes wins at Gulfstream in the one-mile English Channel in May and the 1 1/16-mile Not Surprising in June.

Trained by Carlos David, the Adios Charlie colt attempted to stretch his speed in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational here on July 4 where he showed the way through moderate splits en route to a 1 1/2-length fourth to the victorious Test Score. The runner-up of that event, World Beater, returned to win the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational; while the third-place finisher, Luther, was elevated to victory in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in which Tank as an uncharacteristic last-of-6.

AWC Stables, Gold Square, Paul Braverman and Scott Akman’s New York-bred stakes-winner Leon Blue [post 6, Chris Elliott, 124 pounds] boasts a perfect in-the-money record.

Trained by Melanie Giddings, the Mo Town gelding, who has competed exclusively in state-bred events, finished a half-length second on debut here last July in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint to next-out stakes winner Out On Bail and followed in September at Belmont at the Big A in a 1 1/16-mile turf route with a three-quarter length second to next-out stakes winner Jack and Jim.

Leon Blue closed out his juvenile campaign in November with a distant third in a similar turf route at the Big A but returned victorious in April with a head score versus elders in a six-furlong off-the-turf sprint at Aqueduct.

The $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase has made his last two outings traveling 1 1/16-miles on turf here, missing by a nose to Outsource when facing elders on June 4 ahead of a stalking neck score in the Rick Violette versus fellow sophomores on July 17.

Bred by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, Leon Blue, a half-brother to multiple stakes-winner Allure of Money, is out of the Shackleford mare Alana’s Allure. He has banked $184,200 via a 6-2-3-1 record.

Maple Lane Farm’s Listed stakes-winner Cairo Caper [post 4, Luis Saez, 122 pounds] will make his Spa debut for trainer Phil Schoenthal.

The Cairo Prince grey launched his career with five starts at Woodbine for his former conditioner Nathan Squires, taking the Listed Soaring Free at 6 1/2-furlongs last August. He joined the Schoenthal stable for his current campaign which kicked off in a pair of races won by Dream On, landing a 1 1/2-length seventh in the one-mile Woodhaven in April over good Aqueduct turf and following with a one-length second in the Grade 3 Penn Mile on June 27.

The $50,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase enters from a distant eighth in the one-mile Grade 2 Secretariat on August 9 at Colonial Downs.

The Kentucky-bred Cairo Caper is out of the winning Summer Front mare Summer Clothes – a half-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Bell’s the One and Grade 3-winner King Cause.

Rounding out a talented field are stakes-winner Siesta Key [post 12, Manny Franco, 122 pounds] for dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox; allowance winners Versus [post 10, Jose Ortiz, 120 pounds] for trainer Kelly Breen, Magic Pathway [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche, 120 pounds] for conditioner Michael Trombetta, Stars and Strides [post 3, Junior Alvarado, 120 pounds] for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, and Covert Law [post 8, Danilo Grisales Rave, 120 pounds] for trainer John Ortiz; as well as maiden winner Thirteen Colonies [post 11, Ricardo Santana, Jr., 120 pounds] for trainer Philip Antonacci.

The Saranac is slated as Race 10 on Monday’s 11-race card which also features the Grade 1, $300,000 Spendthrift Hopeful in Race 9. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.

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