Favored Saratoga
Snacks scored his first stakes victory Wednesday at Aqueduct Racetrack,
leading every step to beat Socialsaul by a length in the $75,000 Alex M.
Robb for New York-breds.
The 3-year-old son of
Tale of the Cat, owned by Bill Parcells’ August Dawn Farm, was away
quickly under jockey Ramon Dominguez, setting fractions of 24.53 and
49.25 while fending off early pressure from
Saginaw
on the backside. Challenged again on the far turn, Saratoga Snacks
pulled clear approaching the quarter pole and had plenty left to repel
the late run from 27-1 Socialsaul.
His time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:45.21.
“[Saratoga Snacks] was
pressed a little bit, but he doesn’t mind,” said Dominguez, who returned
to riding Wednesday following a month-long break to recuperate from a
bruised foot. “He’s a horse who never seems
to get tired. He handles himself so well. When the other horse was
coming to him [in the stretch] I had a pretty good view on the big
screen television [in the infield] and I knew I didn’t need to ask him.”
The 4-5 favorite,
Saratoga Snacks returned $3.70 for a $2 win bet. The victory was his
fourth in five starts this year and first in a stakes, having finished
second to Lunar Victory in the $250,000 Empire Classic
in October at Belmont
Park last time out. Overall, he is 5-2-0 from seven career starts with earnings of $244,600.
“He may get a vacation
now; we’ll see,” said trainer Gary Sciacca of Saratoga Snacks, who also
owns victories in a pair of allowance races and an optional claimer this
year. “He’s done everything right for us.”
Saginaw, who was bidding for his 11th win of 2012, finished third, 11 ¾ lengths back, followed by Idle American and Swag Daddy.