Todd Pletcher will be trying
for his first win in the Saratoga Special as he doubles up with
Starlight Racing’s Shanghai Bobby and Michael Tabor’s Drum Roll.
Shanghai Bobby, a son of Harlan’s Holiday, broke his
maiden on April 19 going 4 ½ furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack and two
months later at Belmont Park added the 5 ½-furlong Track Barron
overnight stakes to his resume.
“Shanghai Bobby got started very early,” said Pletcher.
“We found over the years that a lot of times, our most successful
horses are the first ones ready. I suppose it just speaks to their
natural ability and talent level, their professionalism, and those
kinds of things that ultimately make a lot of them good.”
Rosie Napravnik will be aboard Shanghai Bobby, who drew
post position 6 as the 2-1 morning-line favorite. Drum Roll, a maiden
winner on July 8 at Monmouth Park, is 5-1 on the morning line, and
will leave from post position 7 under John Velazquez.
The 5-2 second choice on the morning line is Spurious
Precision, a good-looking winner first time out at the Spa on July 21.
With Alan Garcia aboard, the High Cotton colt sat just off the pace and
pulled clear through the stretch to win by 3 ½ lengths, earning a 91
Beyer in the process.
“It’s a little bit quick back, not ideal, but he’s doing
very well,” said trainer Rick Violette of Spurious Precision, who
carries the colors of Klaravich Stables. “Some of the horses in the
race have beaten nice horses, and others, we don’t know what we’ve
beaten. We have an opportunity to run here, and if the stars align,
look ahead to a race like the [Grade 1 Foxwoods] Champagne [October 6,
Belmont Park]. Plans are great, but you’ve got to get to Square One,
and Square One is Sunday.”
Garcia will be back aboard Spurious Precision, who drew post position 3.
Rounding out the field, from the rail out, are recent
maiden winners In Harm’s Way, He’s So Fine, Southern Honor, and Dan the
Tin Man.
The field for the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special:
PP
|
Horse |
Jockey |
Wgt |
Trainer |
Odds |
1 |
In Harm's Way (NY) |
E S Prado |
118 |
M E Hushion |
6-1 |
2 |
He's So Fine (KY) |
D Cohen |
118 |
K G McPeek |
20-1 |
3 |
Spurious Precision (FL) |
A Garcia |
118 |
R A Violette, Jr. |
5-2 |
4 |
Southern Honor (PA) |
R A Dominguez |
118 |
A W Dutrow |
5-1 |
5 |
Dan the Tin Man (FL) |
J Castellano |
118 |
R Griffith |
8-1 |
6 |
Shanghai Bobby (KY) |
R Napravnik |
122 |
T A Pletcher |
2-1 |
7 |
Drum Roll (PA) |
J R Velazquez |
118 |
T A Pletcher |
5-1 |