Full Field Set for With Anticipation

Juveniles take to the turf Friday for the seventh renewal of the Grade 3, $100,000 With Anticipation Stakes, which trainer Todd Pletcher will attempt to win for the second consecutive year.

In 2009, Pletcher saddled Interactif to an eye-catching 4 ¼-length victory in the race after being impressed by the way the colt – whose first two starts came on the dirt, including an eighth-place finish in the Grade 2 Sanford – worked on the turf the week before the race.

He has similar thoughts about Sensational Slam, a Canadian-bred son of Grand Slam who has won two races over the synthetic surface at Woodbine and worked well over the turf (five furlongs in 1:01.10) on August 27. Sensational Slam broke his maiden in the restricted Clarendon Stakes on July 3, then bounced back to win the restricted Vandal over the same oval on July 31. In both races – run at 5 ½ and 6 furlongs, respectively – Sensational Slam stalked the pace and won by narrow margins.

“He’s not eligible to the next Canadian-bred [stake] and we worked him on the turf here the other day and it seemed like he liked it,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains the colt for Bobby Flay. “You literally have to ride him every step of the way in sprint races so I think stretching him out would give him an opportunity to sit against the bridle and he’ll probably appreciate that.”

Made the morning-line second-choice at 4-1, Sensational Slam breaks from the outside in the 1 1/16^th-mile race with John Velazquez up.

Favored in the race is Richlyn Farms’ Powhatan County, whom George Weaver sent out to break his maiden over the Saratoga turf at the With Anticipation distance on July 29, when he overcame a wide trip to win by three-quarters of a length. In his most recent start, the Grade 3 Continental Mile at Monmouth Park, he finished fourth but was placed third via disqualification.

Tabbed at the 3-1 on the morning line, the son of Fusaichi Pegasus again gets the services of Javier Castellano, who was aboard for his maiden victory.

Also proven at the distance and over the Spa course is Stuart S. Janney, III’s Air Support, who won his second start on August 13. The homebred son of Smart Strike was fifth in his first race, a 5 ½-furlong maiden event on the main track at Belmont Park July 15.

“He had a brother that was good on the turf,” said Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. “He worked fine on the dirt and I was hoping he’d run better on it, then I brought him up here, worked him on the turf, and it was like night and day. One of the things that I liked about his last race was that he was up pretty close to a pretty hot pace and was still able to get up. If the pace is hot [in the With Anticipation], I’d rather he be back a little bit farther.”

Rajiv Maragh will ride the 8-1 morning-line fourth choice from post 4.

Trying the grass for the first time is Lou Brissie, who has won on both dirt and synthetic, breaking his maiden at 4 ½-furlongs over the synthetic surface at Keeneland on April 15 before capturing the Grade 3 Kentucky Juvenile over the main track at Churchill Downs just two weeks later. In the latter race, he defeated impressive maiden winner Boys At Tosconova, who is being pointed toward the Grade 1 Three Chimneys Hopeful on closing day.

“He’s in this race more for the distance, but he also is a horse that the way he moves – he’s a very, very smooth-going type of colt,” said trainer Neil Howard. “His pedigree suggests turf a little bit, and he worked well on it this morning.”

Lou Brissie covered a half-mile over the Oklahoma Turf Course Monday morning in 48.40, according to NYRA Clockers. On Friday, the 6-1 co-third choice on the morning line will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez from post 5.

Typhoon Slew, also tabbed at 6-1, exits a 10 ¾-length one-mile maiden win over the Ellis Park turf course on July 16.

Completing the field are Grigio, a maiden who was most recently a nose runner-up to Air Support on August 13, Manchurian High, third in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, recent maiden winners Silver Medallion (turf) and Kid Curry (dirt), and Soldat, who has a pair of second-place finishes on dirt.

Madman Diaries and Running Tap are also eligible to run if the With Anticipation is moved to the main track.

The field for the Grade 3, $100,000 With Anticipation: