6th-SAR, $83,000, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.13, gd.
ENGAGE (c, 2, Into Mischief–Nefertiti {SP}, by Speightstown), a beaten favorite on debut earlier in the meet, scored in his second try despite drifting out badly through the stretch, bringing trainer Chad Brown (39) within one win of Todd Pletcher (40) for the Saratoga training title and clinching the riding title for Jose Ortiz. Dueled into defeat by GI Hopeful S. entrant National Flag (Speightstown) Aug. 5, the $550,000 OBS March buy broke as the 3-5 chalk this time around and settled in third as Pletcher firster Impact Player (City Zip) dueled through a :22.03 quarter. Creeping up to the sparring pair passing a :45.34 half, Engage looked like money in the bank at the top of the lane, but bore out steadily as Impact Player hugged the fence. Those two went at it six or seven paths apart in the final furlong, with the favorite just able to edge out his rival by a half-length. The winner has a weanling half-sister by Will Take Charge and his dam was bred to Quality Road this spring. Second dam Clearly a Queen (Lucky North) was a MGSW on turf. Nefertiti has a weanling filly by Will Take Charge and was bred back to Quality Road. Sales history: $200,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $550,000 2yo '17 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $66,400. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Woodford Racing, LLC; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.[bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”woodsedgefarm-grad”]
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