Saratoga's Fourstardave H. enters its second year as a Grade I event and the $500,000 race did not disappoint, drawing a diverse field of six entrants in the main body of the field set to contest a grassy mile. When WinStar Farm's American Patriot (War Front) was last seen on American turf, he stormed down the stretch at Keeneland to capture the GI Maker's 46 Mile in April, and following an 11th-place effort in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot, the 4-year-old is set to make his Saratoga debut Saturday for trainer Todd Pletcher. American Patriot was a shade over 10-1 when he upset the Maker's 46–which featured a lively pace–and he will likely need to keep a closer eye on the pacesetters in this compact field.
“He came back from Royal Ascot in good form and he's been pointing for this since then,” Pletcher said. “He's been training well. He seems happy, and he's getting back to what he's best at, which is a two-turn mile.”
Donegal Racing's progressive Ballagh Rocks (Stormy Atlantic) was a close fourth behind American Patriot in the Maker's 46 and enters the Fourstardave off a tally in the GIII Poker S. at Belmont June 18.
Disco Partner (Disco Rico) and Sassy Little Lila (Artie Schiller) undoubtedly represent the two most intriguing storylines in the Fourstardave. The former, a Patricia Generazio homebred conditioned by Christophe Clement, has gone on a three-for-three tear in 2017, highlighted by a world record-establishing performance when he ran six furlongs in a blistering 1:05.67 in the GIII Jaipur Invitational S. at Belmont June 10. Disco Partner navigated a one-mile trip with flying colors in the July 15 Forbidden Apple S. at Belmont, but is still in search of his first success around two turns. Sassy Little Lila, meanwhile, endured a pair of narrow defeats at the Grade I level when second in both the Dec. 31 American Oaks and June 10 Just a Game S. The 4-year-old filly takes on male rivals Saturday and looms squarely as the one to catch on the front end.
“Obviously, there's a couple angles we're hoping work out,” said Sassy Little Lila's trainer, Brad Cox. “We get a weight break as a filly facing the boys, she likes a mile, and she likes this course up here. It's an ambitious spot but she's doing well, so we think she's up for the challenge.”
Juddmonte Farms' Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) shortens up in distance after competing exclusively at distances nine furlongs and longer in the past year and a half. The 5-year-old was a four-time Group stakes winner in Europe, but has yet to break through since arriving to the barn of trainer Chad Brown. Time Test enters off a pair of runner-up efforts in both the May 6 GIII Fort Marcy S. and the June 10 GI Manhattan S.
Last year's GI United Nations S. hero World Approval (Northern Afleet) also cuts back to a mile–the shortest distance he has ever encountered in his career. The gray found the winner's circle in the GII Dixie S. traveling 1 1/16 miles at Pimlico May 20 before reporting home fifth in the 10-furlong Manhattan.
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