Train the Trainer streaks into $200K Albany presented by Albany Distilling Company
Alipony Racing and Saints or Sinners’ Train the Trainer looks to keep his momentum going in Thursday’s $200,000 Albany presented by Albany Distilling Company, a nine-furlong test for New York-bred sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Rob Atras, the Dialed In gelding enters from a pair of pacesetting state-bred stakes wins, including the seven-furlong Mike Lee in June here and the 1 1/16-mile New York Derby last out on July 14 at Finger Lakes Racetrack.
“He’s doing really well,” Atras said. “He came out of his last race good. He handled the two-turn test at Finger Lakes. Now, he has to go a little bit farther. It is another hoop to jump through, but he’s been training really well. We’re happy with him going into the race.”
In the New York Derby, Train the Trainer was pressed by returning rival Hit the Post through a half-mile in 47.60 seconds over the fast dirt but extended from then on to win by four lengths under Irad Ortiz, Jr., in a final time of 1:44.66, registering a career-best and co-field-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure in victory.
The win made the bay 3-for-3 for Atras, having also graduated second-out going 6 1/2 furlongs in May at Belmont at the Big A after a debut runner-up finish sprinting six furlongs in April at Santa Anita Park for trainer Mark Glatt, both versus elders.
“The Saratoga mile and an eighth always seems like a test,” said Atras. “He handled the mile and a sixteenth and seemed to handle it well, which was great. I’m confident he’ll do OK, but it is a tough race at Saratoga and he’s going to face a tough rival in Iron Dome.”
Train the Trainer [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 124 pounds], bred by Hibiscus Stables, was a $52,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase and is out of the winning Forestry mare Heavenly Vision, a half-sister to dual Grade 2-winner and sire Cairo Prince.
L and N Racing and breeder Chester Broman, Sr.’s Iron Dome [post 4, Jose Ortiz, 120 pounds] steps up in class with good reason following two dominant victories over Thursday’s course and distance. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the Into Mischief bay graduated fifth-out by 10 1/2 lengths versus state-bred maidens 3-years-old and up on July 16 ahead of a last-out 11-length allowance victory versus elders on August 7.
Iron Dome earned a career-best 91 Beyer for his recent score, matching Train the Trainer for the field-high. Iron Dome was prominent early in both wins, a contrast to his first four starts where he was at least four lengths back through the opening half-mile.
“He won his last two races by over a combined 20 lengths, but this is definitely tougher company,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to Asmussen. “He’s a big, stout horse, and he seems to be able to take a lot.”
Iron Dome, bred by Chester and Mary Broman, was purchased for $500,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the graded stakes-placed Speightstown mare Speightful Affair, and is a half-brother to the popular New York-bred Mr. Buff – a sizable 17-hands tall graded stakes-placed chestnut that banked more than $1.4 million through a 48-17-8-5 ledger, including 11 stakes wins.
Old Tavern Farm’s homebred Hit the Post [post 6, Chris Elliott, 120 pounds] enters from his aforementioned New York Derby second to Train the Trainer. Trained by Melanie Giddings, the Kantharos gelding was making his stakes debut after a pacesetting fourth-out graduation versus state-bred elders sprinting seven furlongs on a sloppy and sealed oval June 6 here.
Hit the Post is out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Memento d’Oro and his second dam is multiple Grade 1-winner Intangaroo, winner of the 2008 Grade 1 Ballerina here.
Rounding out the field is dual stakes-placed King’s Leap [post 1, Luis Perez, 122 pounds] for conditioner M. Anthony Ferraro; two-time winner Just Licorice [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr., 120 pounds] for trainer Mike Maker; and maiden-winner Sky Masterson [post 3, Katie Davis, 120 pounds] for conditioner Gary Contessa, cross-entered in a turf claimer on August 16 here.
The Albany is slated as Race 9 on Thursday’s 10-race card which also features the New York-bred Fleet Indian in Race 3. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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