SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - An unexpected mid-afternoon rain shower put a damper on Thursday’s Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion series. But it couldn’t spoil the comeback of George Briggs, who returned from a 5 1/2-month layoff to register a hard-fought neck decision over pacesetting Buttah in a race switched from the turf to a sealed and sloppy main track just a couple of hours prior to post time.
The one-mile Cab Calloway had already lost its marquee attraction, Friend Ofthe Devil, who was scratched Thursday morning by trainer Carlos Martin after developing a slight temperature.
When the rains came, they quickly turning a harrowed main track into a sea of slop, leaving management little recourse but to take the four remaining turf races on the card off the grass.
Buttah came away alertly from his inside post in the Wilson chute but then ducked out sharply causing a chain reaction that caused problems for the remaining five members of the field. He quickly opened up a clear advantage while the majority of the others were forced to check and steady due to the crowding.
George Briggs, idle since finishing third in the Colonel Liam Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 1, settled about five lengths off the early leader once recovering from the eventful start. He advanced to closer contention approaching the stretch, came out to the middle of the track to continue his bid at the top of the lane, and ultimately wore down the game but tiring Buttah in the final strides.
Buttah, one of only two members of the field with any previous experience on dirt, succumbed grudgingly to the winner but easily outlasted the others to be second best.
Moe Eighty Eight loomed boldly while widest leaving the final turn only to flatten out through the final furlong, finishing 2 1/2 lengths further back in third. He was followed by Cast a Coin, I’m Due, and River of Time, who was eased to the wire nearly 48 lengths behind the winner.
George Briggs is a son of Fog of War trained by Chad Brown for owner and breeder Peter Brant. He was ridden to victory by Irad Ortiz Jr. and returned $4.50 as the 6-5 favorite after completing the distance in 1:38.27 seconds over the wet track.
Brown said he was disappointed when the race came off the grass but never gave much thought to scratching due to the surface change.
“This horse has been training so well off the layoff, my crew at Monmouth was raving about his last work, and he’s definitely better on turf,” Brown said. “He ran well against open company on the grass at Gulfstream before I had to rest him after getting sick.
“There wasn’t a whole lot in the race on paper. With the purse the way it is and no guarantee that there will be another turf race the next time you go - maybe it could rain - we briefly discussed it [scratching], but I was always going to stay in.”
Brown also said he wasn’t totally surprised about the incident after the start.
“It got a little rough coming out of that chute but it can get a little crowded coming off that half bend there,” Brown acknowledged. “I’ve seen it many times before.”
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