Alto Racing LLC's Azar (Scat Daddy) became the sixth horse in the history of Saratoga's GII With Anticipation S. to break its maiden in the event, as the $300,000 Keeneland September graduate sat a ground-saving trip and ran down loose-on-the-lead Next Shares (Archarcharch) to graduate by 3/4 of a length. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to stablemate, 'TDN Rising Star' Unbridled Daddy (Scat Daddy) in third.
Azar debuted in a six-furlong maiden over the Belmont turf July 19, and the form of that test has held its own, as it has since produced four next-out winners. One of those was Azar, who set leisurely fractions in a course-and-distance test Aug. 16 and carried the lead into the final eighth of a mile, only to have to settle for second behind the late-running Unbridled Daddy. The latter was a solid fourth in the aforementioned July 19 maiden before earning the Rising Star designation with a 3/4-length defeat of Azar last time out.
Taken back off the pace this time around, the Pletcher trainee settled along the hedge as Next Shares crossed over to set a good pace from a keen Monster Bea (Hat Trick {Jpn}). Shuffled back a spot when odds-on Site Read (Tizdejavu) launched his bid three wide around the second turn, Azar came under a ride nearing the final corner, slipstreamed Next Shares into the final eighth of a mile, came away from the fence with dead aim shortly after and outfinished the front-runner for the victory. Unbridled Daddy, last into the second turn, rallied deepest into the lane and drifted wide in upper stretch before finishing well for third.
“It worked out better today,” winning jockey John Velazquez explained. “The last time he ended up being on the lead and getting out and looking around and not really focused on what he needed to do. Today he was following somebody and when I pulled him out, he responded right away.”
Wednesday, Saratoga
WITH ANTICIPATION S.-GII, $200,000, SAR, 9-2, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.68, fm.
1–#@AZAR, 116, c, 2, by Scat Daddy
1st Dam: Miss Ocean City, by Mineshaft
2nd Dam: Madam Lagonza, by Kingmambo
3rd Dam: Hire a Brain, by Seattle Slew
($300,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Alto Racing LLC;
B-Mike Connelly (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher; J-John R
Velazquez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 3-1-1-0,
$136,850. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
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2–Next Shares, 118, g, 2, Archarcharch–Two Dot
Slew, by Evansville Slew. ($87,000 Ylg '14
FTKOCT). O-Brous Stable LLC, Gary Barber &
Wachtel Stable; B-Buck Pond Farm Inc (KY);
T-William D Cowans. $40,000.
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3–Unbridled Daddy, 120, c, 2, Scat Daddy–Unbridled
Essence, by Essence of Dubai. O/B-Red Oak Stable
(Brunetti) (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $20,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2HF, 2. Odds: 11.20, 15.60, 3.60.
Also Ran: Site Read, Monster Bea, Runaway King.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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