NY Breds Square Off in Affirmed Success

The 8-5 morning-line favorite is Saginaw, who has won four straight, including three since being claimed for $30,000 by David Jacobson, who owns the 6-year-old in partnership with Drawing Away Stable.

“My brother, Doug, does most of the claiming and he looked at [Saginaw],” said Jacobson. “His form was good, and he’s a big, good-looking horse. He looked the part, and we grabbed him. I claimed him from a really good trainer, Rick Dutrow, and we’re just keeping it going.”

In his most recent start, the 1 1/16-mile Carr Heaven overnight stakes on April 29 at Belmont, Saginaw contested the pace from the outside, took a clear lead inside the three-eighths pole, and drove clear to prevail by three lengths and earn his first stakes triumph in 26 career starts.

The Affirmed Success will be Saginaw’s first start in a sprint since a fourth-place finish in an optional claimer during the 2011 Saratoga Race Course meet.

“I love the cutback, especially at Belmont,” said Jacobson. “I think he’ll run a good race.”

David Cohen will ride Saginaw from post position 3.

Four-time stakes winner Law Enforcement made up 12 lengths when he rallied from last of seven to take Aqueduct Racetrack’s Hollie Hughes on February 20, his first victory since the 2010 John Morrissey at Saratoga. Trainer Mark Hennig said he is employing a new strategy this year with Law Enforcement, a 7-year-old son of Posse.

“We’ve learned he likes a little more time between races,” said Hennig, who trains the homebred for Camelia Casby. “He had some issues and ailments when he was younger that kept him from being his best, but now he seems to be past them.”

Hennig admits the Affirmed Success’ seven-furlong distance is a bit longer than Law Enforcement prefers.

“He’s probably best at 6 ½ furlongs,” said Hennig. “Six is can be a little short, and seven can be a little long. It all it depends on the set up as he likes to have a good pace in front of him.”

Law Enforcement, 5-1 on the morning line, will leave from post 5 with Alan Garcia aboard.

Also looking to post consecutive stakes scores is Chester and Mary Broman’s Mine Over Matter, victorious in the Fabersham overnight stakes, contested in the slop on April 22 at Aqueduct. In the Fabersham, Mine Over Matter trailed the compact field in the early stages before making a five-wide rally to nip Uncle T Seven by a nose.

“We’re hoping for the same thing,” said Hushion. “It was such a close finish, and we’ll probably get another one here. It’d be nice if he took another baby step forward. I think he ran run the same kind of race on a dry track.”

Rajiv Maragh has the assignment aboard Mine Over Matter, 7-2, from post 6.

Hushion will also be represented in the Affirmed Success by Rising Graph Stable’s Spa City Fever, who in his two most recent starts was second by a head in the Bryan G overnight stakes on March 11 at Aqueduct and fifth in the Carr Heaven. Spa City Fever, who has raced primarily in routes, previously competed for trainer Pat Kelly, for whom he won the 2011 Alex M. Robb at the Big A.

“That last race was very disappointing. “I think the mile and a sixteenth [of the Carr Heaven] and seven furlongs [of the Affirmed Success] are comparable. [The cutback] never bothered me at all. I know it would bother some people, but I kind of like it. Seven eighths is a tough race, and horses get tired in the last part.”

Uncle T Seven, second to Mine Over Matter in the Fabersham, and Wee Freudian, complete the field.

The field for the $100,000 Affirmed Success (NYB):