By Christie DeBernardis
Saturday's GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga has just five runners signed on, but will be one of the most talked about races of the summer as GI Kentucky Derby hero Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) and GI Preakness S. victor Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music) meet again, both making their first start since the May 20 Preakness. An impressive five-length winner of the GI Xpressbet.com Florida Derby Apr. 1, Always Dreaming was sent off as the favorite in the Run for the Roses and delivered with a decisive 2 3/4-length victory over a wet track May 6. Heavily favored to repeat in the Preakness just two weeks later, the dark bay faded to finish a head-scratching eighth.
“It's always a delicate balance when you're trying to freshen a horse up, and have him ready for a race like the Jim Dandy,” Todd Pletcher told the NYRA notes team. “You know you have to be fit and prepared for it, but you also want to hopefully have something to build on, and something left in the tank for the [GI] Travers [S. Aug. 26]. I think we've been able to accomplish that in the time off after the Preakness.”
Following a debut victory at Aqueduct Feb. 11 with a runner-up effort in the GIII Gotham S. Mar. 4, Cloud Computing checked in third behind Sunday's GI betfair.com Haskell Invitational S. favorite Irish War Cry (Curlin) in the GII Wood Memorial S. Apr. 8. Overlooked at 13-1 in the Preakness, the dark bay pushed past champion Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) late to win by a head, providing trainer Chad Brown with his first victory in a Triple Crown race.
“TDN Rising Star” Pavel (Creative Cause) ships in from California for this big step up in class for trainer Doug O'Neill. The Reddam Racing colorbearer has made just one start, but it was an impressive one, winning his 6 1/2-furlong Santa Anita unveiling by 4 1/2 lengths July 1.
Rounding out the field are last term's GII Summer S. winner Good Samaritan (Harlan's Holiday), who is making dirt debut for Hall of Famer Bill Mott; and GII Woody Stephens S. runner-up Giuseppe the Great (Lookin at Lucky), who enters off a fourth in the GIII Dwyer S. July 8.
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