SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The rematch of Breeders’ Cup Classic one-two finishers Sierra Leone and Fierceness in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Whitney at Saratoga will have an added element, as the late-running Sierra Leone will have a pacemaker in the field in recently purchased Contrary Thinking.
Contrary Thinking, previously owned by Seth Klarman, was purchased by Peter Brant, part-owner of Sierra Leone. The lightly raced 4-year-old is coming off a front-running victory in a one-mile allowance at Aqueduct on June 29. He was trained by Chad Brown when owned by Klarman and stays with Brown, who is also the trainer of Sierra Leone.
“His only time running long is a fast number and I’ve always liked the horse so I think he can serve two purposes - [set an] honest pace, and I do think he can get a piece of this race,” Brown said.
The pace was hot in the Classic when Sierra Leone swept by Fierceness, who attended the early pace. The result helped carry Sierra Leone to an Eclipse Award as North America’s top 3-year-old colt. Fierceness had defeated Sierra Leone in the Jim Dandy and Travers last year, while Sierra Leone finished second in the Kentucky Derby, a race in which Fierceness was 15th.
Sierra Leone drew post 5 and Fierceness got post 9 in a field of 10 entered Sunday for the Whitney, a race which provides a fees-paid berth into the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Fierceness is trained by Todd Pletcher, who also trains Mindframe, who was also entered in the Whitney but is not expected to run. Mindframe, coming off a win in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 28, would run only if something happened to Fierceness. Mindframe drew the rail. Jose Gomez was named.
Contrary Thinking drew post 8, but he may not even be able to make the lead as the very fast New York-bred Mama’s Gold drew post 4.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. also entered two horses, White Abarrio, the 2023 Whitney winner, and Skippylongstocking, a nine-time graded stakes winner who is 0 for 9 in Grade 1 stakes. Joseph said the major goal for Skippylongstocking is the Grade 2, $1 million Charles Town Classic on Aug. 22, a race he has won each of the last two years. Joseph will evaluate whether or not he feels starting in the Whitney would inhibit that bid.
White Abarrio, in addition to winning the 2023 Whitney, won that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. He is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Metropolitan Handicap. White Abarrio drew post 7.
Also entered in the Whitney were Highland Falls, last year’s Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, Post Time, third in last year’s Whitney, and Disarm, fourth in last year’s Whitney and third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Spirit of St Louis seeks rebound in Fourstardave
Spirit of St Louis, a two-time Grade 1 winner this year, will seek to rebound from a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Manhattan in June when he runs as part of a 10-horse field in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Fourstardave Stakes.
Though Spirit of St Louis has won at Saratoga - a 2023 allowance against New York-breds - Brown isn’t sure this is the preferred course.
“I don’t think Saratoga is his favorite course,” Brown said. “But I’ve seen with Saratoga over the years the course can change a lot with weather, so you don’t necessarily have the same course every time.”
Spirit of St Louis won the Grade 1 Pegasus at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, both run at 1 1/8 miles. The Fourstardave is run at a mile, a distance at which Spirit of St Louis is 3 for 4, albeit with all those wins against New York-bred company.
Brown will also send out Intellect, who is coming out of runner-up finishes in the Kelso on July 5 and the Poker on June 5, both one-mile races here. Intellect drew post 6 and Spirit of St Louis post 7.
The Fourstardave marks the seasonal debut of Johannes, the Tim Yakteen-trained runner who went 5 for 6 last year and went to the sidelines earlier this year due to bone bruising. Johannes will break from post 3.
Think Big, who successfully stretched out to win the Grade 3 Kelso here at one mile, and Deterministic, who won the Manhattan, drew posts 4 and 8, respectively.
Also entered in the Fourstardave, which awards a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile, are Cugino, My Boy Prince, Win for the Money, Lagynos and Net.
Euro invader Hotazhell tops Spa Derby
Hotazhell, a Group 1 winner in Europe, heads a field of eight 3-year-olds entered in the Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby scheduled for 1 3/16 miles on turf.
Hotazhell, trained by Jessica Harrington, won the Group 1 Futurity Trophy at Doncaster in fall 2024, capping a juvenile campaign in which he went 4 for 6. Hotazhell is 0 for 2 this year in Group 1 company, having finished third in the Irish 2000 Guineas in May and fifth in the Coral Eclipse at Sandown in July.
Regular rider Shane Foley is name to ride from post 5.
Juwelier, an Irish-bred trained by Alessandro Botti, and Tiberius Thunder, trained by Adrian Murray, are other European-based runners in this field.
Test Score, World Beater and Final Gambit, 1-2-4 finishers in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby held here at 1 1/8 miles in July, lead the North American contingent. Tiztastic and Capitol Hill complete the field.
Minaret Station, winner of the American Derby at Churchill last out, was not entered due to a setback that will sideline him for a while, trainer Will Walden said Sunday.
California dreamin’ in Test
It remains to be seen if trainer Michael McCarthy ships his 3-year-old colt Journalism back to Saratoga for the Travers, but he is shipping the 3-year-old filly Look Forward here for Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Test Stakes at seven furlongs.
The day before Journalism finished second in the Belmont Stakes, Look Forward finished second to La Cara in the Grade 1 Acorn. That race was at 1 1/8 miles. The Test is at seven furlongs, a distance at which she won the Grade 2 Eight Belles at Churchill and the Santa Ynez at Santa Anita in January.
“We believe this is more in her wheelhouse,” McCarthy said of the seven furlongs. “We’re not sure if the second-place finish in the Acorn was aided by the off track, which she seemed like she loved last time, as she did in the Eight Belles.”
On Saturday, Look Forward worked a fast five furlongs in 58.60 seconds, due in part to unplanned company joining up with her during the work.
Look Forward drew post 3 in a field of eight that has two other California-based runners in it. Cash Call, winner of the Grade 3 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita on June 7, turns back to seven furlongs for Bob Baffert. Artisma, second to Look Forward in the Sana Ynez, came off a layoff with a second-place finish behind Me and Molly McGee, a filly trained by Peter Eurton who is also in this field.
Rusty Arnold sends out the pair of Echo Sound, dominant winner of the Grade 3 Victory Ride, and Kilwin, winner of the listed Leslie’s Lady Stakes at Churchill. Trainer Bill Mott has the pair of Ragtime, who is 2 for 2, and Beauty Reigns, runner-up in the Victory Ride.
Ewing, Obliteration meet in Saratoga Special
Ewing, who won his maiden by 12 lengths on July 5 and Obliteration, who won the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes by 10 1/2 lengths two races later, square off in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special for 2-year-old colts at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Ewing, trained by Mark Casse, will break from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr. Obliteration, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Flavien Prat, will break from post 6.
In between those two, in post order, are Comport, Thunder Chuck, and Camigol. Dazzle d’Oro was entered but broke down Monday during a workout and was euthanized.
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