By Christie DeBernardis
Undefeated “TDN Rising Star” Coal Front (Stay Thirsty) looms large as the clear horse to beat in Saturday's GII Amsterdam S. at Saratoga, the local prep for the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., formerly known as the King's Bishop. Tabbed a Rising Star after a 6 1/2-length tour de force on debut at Keeneland Apr. 20, the $575,000 OBSAPR buy followed suit with a decisive first-level allowance victory at Belmont June 8 and looks like he can be any kind.
“He's a big solid, very powerful horse,” trainer Todd Pletcher told the NYRA notes team. “He has a lot of natural ability and had two very good races and trained well since then. We're looking forward to trying the Amsterdam and he seems to be running very well. The Amsterdam sets us up to go in a number of different positions after that.”
Scoring a solid victory in a seven-panel Keeneland allowance Apr. 12, Excitations (Into Mischief) was well beaten in his last two starts, finishing 11th in the GIII Pat Day Mile May 6 and fifth in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Matt Winn S. June 17. However, the bay is two-for-three sprinting and gains the services of Eclipse winner Javier Castellano for this cut back in trip.
“We've tried two turns twice and we're not going to do that,” said trainer Al Stall. “I'm not 100% sure that he just didn't like Churchill Downs too much. His form was good at Fair Grounds, he ran great at Keeneland and he was just like a different horse in his two races at Churchill with no apparent problems to us. Hopefully, a change in environment and maybe that will get him back to his Fair Grounds or Keenland form.”
Rudy Rodriguez saddles an interesting runner in Toga Challenger (Successful Appeal), who makes his stakes debut here. Claimed for $40,000 from Linda Rice and Sacandaga Stable out of his debut win at Aqueduct Jan. 21, he has never finished worse than second in five starts, albeit three of those were in starter allowances. The dark bay stepped up in class last time, clearing his first-level allowance condition at Belmont June 29.
“He ran a good race against older horses and it's straight 3-year-olds,” said Rodriguez. “[At] 6 1/2 , seven-eighths, I think that's what he's looking for. He's a nice, solid horse that we picked up and he is improving every day. He's doing good so we want to try him in a stake and hope for the best.”
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