By Christina Bossinakis
Saratoga's opening weekend kicks off with a trio of graded stakes Friday–the GI Belmont Derby, GII Suburban Stakes and GIII Manila Stakes. Saturday's card features three additional graded tests, including the GI Belmont Oaks. The day's undercard is highlighted by the GIII Sandford and GIII Kelso.
The Belmont Derby offers a salty assembly of turf horses, including European invader Luther (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is trained by Charlie Fellowes.
In three starts this term, Luther was runner-up on the synthetic at Chelmsford in April before finishing fourth behind winner Henri Matisse–beaten only 1 1/4 lengths–in the French 2,000 Guineas, the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulins, at Longchamp in May. The sophomore looks to get back on track following a 15th in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly June 1.
Final Gambit (Not This Time) was third on the sod at Churchill Downs last November before finishing a close-up second going a mile over Turfway's synthetic Jan. 4. Winning his next two over that track, including the nine-furlong GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks in March, the grey came home a bang-up fourth behind Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and subsequent Preakness hero Journalism (Curlin) in a wet renewal of the GI Kentucky Derby. The Juddmonte homebred finished in that same spot June 8 in the 8 1/2-furlong GIII Matt Winn Stakes and gets another try on the grass here.
GIII Transylvania scorer Test Score (Lookin At Lucky), runner-up in the GI American Turf last time out, makes his first start back since as does GISW New Century (GB) (Kameko), who was third in the American Turf.
Cutting back from his last out victory in the American Turf, Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) appears hard to beat in the one-mile Manila. A winner in his sole start in France for Andre Fabre last term, the Irish-bred is four for five since joining Chad Brown stateside. Winner of the GII Pilgrim and GIII With Anticipation over this surface at two, the bay took the one-mile Columbia Stakes at Tampa earlier in March.
Locked Looks for Redemption in Suburban
'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) took plenty of money in his latest start in the GIII Alysheba at Churchill Downs on May 2 when finishing a fair bit behind his winning stablemate Fierceness (City of Light). Despite that tough beat that day, the lightly-raced chestnut has shown he is more than up to the task despite the recent defeat.
Victorious in the GI Breeders' Futurity at two, the colt also finished third in that season's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Winning both starts at three, including the GII Cigar Mile at the Big A in December, he closed well to be runner-up behind White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream in January before galloping home an 8 1/2-length winner in the 10-furlong GI Santa Anita Handicap. Jose Ortiz gets the return call here.
Saturday's Graded Action Led by Belmont Oaks
While there certainly are some nice fillies ready to lineup in Saturday's featured Oaks, Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) seems to breath different air than her rivals in Saturday's GI Belmont Oaks.
Trained by Mark Casse, the D J Stable homebred has proven unbeatable so far this season, winning all five starts, including a quartet of graded stakes. Grade I placed in a pair of starts at two, Nitrogen won this season's Ginger Brew Stakes, GIII Florida Oaks and GII Appalachian before cruising home a confident winner of Churchill's GII Edgewood Stakes May 2. With only two others daring to face her in the rained-off GIII Wonder Again Stakes at this venue on June 7, she was all alone at the wire, winning by double digits. Regular rider Jose Ortiz gets back on board here.
Looking to stand in the way of the morning line favorite is Fionn (Twirling Candy), who herself has shown consistency, winning four of her last five starts, including the nine-furlong GIII Regret Stakes at Churchill on May 31. Trained by Brad Cox, the dark bay gets the services of Flavien Prat for the first time. The jockey-trainer combo are pure fire, having connected at almost a 50% strike rate at the Spa so far this year.
The juvenile division also gets some play Saturday with six entered for the six-furlong Sanford.
'TDN Rising Star' Obliteration (Violence) ran off to an embarrassingly easy victory in his Churchill debut going 5 1/2 furlong June 12 and gets jumped into graded company for his follow-up swing.
Mark Casse offers up two viable options, however, with runaway debut winner Strategic Risk (Noble Bird) and morning line favorite Blinging It Back (Volatile), who finished third in the Tremont Stakes at the Spa June 5. A homebred for John Oxley, Strategic Risk faces opening company here after his debut win over fellow Florida-breds June 7. His stablemate, who is still a maiden, was third in his career bow in Louisville May 1. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides the former while his brother, Jose, is named on the latter.
The GIII Kelso has attracted eight, including a handful marked for main-track-only. Among the main contenders, Donegal Momentum (Uncle Mo) comes into this off a 1 3/4-length score in the June 5 GIII Poker Stakes over this course. He faces Poker third-place finisher Intellect (Fr) (Intello {Ger}), in addition to dual graded stakes winner Think Big (Twirling Candy).
Graded Action From Coast to Coast
Horseshoe Indianapolis has its day with a pair of sophomore tests–the GIII Indiana Derby and GIII Indiana Oaks. Though still a maiden, Publisher (American Pharoah) has spent much of the season knocking heads with the current Triple Crown class. Promoted to sixth via DQ in the GIII Southwest in January, he ran fourth in the GII Rebel Stakes before finishing second to Sandman (Tapit) in the GI Arkansas Derby. he hasn't seen racing action since finishing 14th in the Kentucky Derby.
Victorious in the aforementioned Rebel, Coal Battle (Coal Front) was third in the Arkansas Derby before coming home 11th in the Derby. He most recently finished third in the GIII Matt Winn.
Likely favorite in the card's filly counterpart, Clicquot (Quality Road) tries to collect her first taste of black-type following a pair of Kentucky wins. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the grey was a six-length winner going seven panels at Keeneland in April before taking her two-turn bow at Churchill May 31.
Also featured Saturday, Woodbine offers the GIII Hendrie Stakes, while Los Alamitos presents the GII Great Lady M Stakes, which features the returning Grade I winners Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca) and Kopion (Omaha Beach), winner of her three latest starts including the GI Derby City Distaff in May. Delaware's Saturday card is highlighted by the 11-furlong GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial while Prairie Meadows showcases the GIII Cornhusker Handicap.
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