Four of the nine 3-year-olds entered in Saturday’s renewal of the Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby ran in the July 4 Belmont Derby, including Test Score, the decisive winner. But that doesn’t mean coming up with the winner is easy. The eclectic lineup includes local runners, all of whom have potential vulnerabilities; some familiar names from the Kentucky Derby trail; and a trio of international travelers, including the morning-line favorite.
Test Score has had a consistent campaign. He won the Grade 3 Transylvania on April 7 at Keeneland, then was second in the Grade 1 American Turf at Churchill Downs on May 3 to divisional standout Zulu Kingdom. His next start came at Saratoga in the Belmont Derby, where he recovered from a minor bobble at the start to race a bit closer to the pace than normal, then finished strongly for a 1 1/4-length victory, earning a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure.
The Belmont Derby was 1 1/8 miles. Test Score’s strong finishes, plus a number of classy turf routers in his pedigree, suggest the 1 3/16 miles of the Saratoga Derby will be well within his scope.
Test Score not only puts a good deal into his races, he is a colt who can be brash in the paddock. Both the Transylvania and Belmont Derby wins came off roughly two-month breaks, and because of that, trainer Graham Motion did not initially commit to the Saratoga Derby.
“It’s a Grade 1 and he just won up here on the course,” Motion said of deciding to run back. “I also think the added distance here will help.”
If you believe Test Score is the class of the race but might falter coming back more quickly, those who finished behind him merit a look. However, all could struggle with the race shape, as it is not clear who will go for the lead.
World Beater has improved his Beyer in every race since moving to turf in his 3-year-old debut for Riley Mott, and his best efforts have come at 1 1/8 miles. After rallying to win the Audubon at Churchill, he was second in the Belmont Derby.
Final Gambit and New Century finished in a dead heat for fifth, beaten just two lengths, in the Belmont Derby. Late-running Final Gambit was improving his position in a move to turf after finishing fourth in both the Kentucky Derby and Matt Winn at Churchill. New Century was one-paced in the lane after stalking in second, closer than usual, which Brendan Walsh said was a failed strategy.
“We wanted to get him a little closer. He ended up being too close and the pace crumbled,” the trainer said. “It was just one of those things. We’ll change it around and hopefully that will work better.”
If New Century returns to the form he showed last year winning the Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine before finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf to Henri Matisse, he merits a look. The colt was sent to Walsh after Qatar Racing and trainer Andrew Balding parted ways in April. After only about three weeks in the barn, he was a creditable third in the American Turf.
Capitol Hill finished second to Zulu Kingdom in the Grade 3 Manila at Saratoga on July 4.
Tiztastic, a stakes winner on turf last year, won the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby and was 10th in the Kentucky Derby. Moved back to turf last out, the late runner was victimized by no pace in a five-horse field in the American Derby.
The European invaders are Hotazhell, Juwelier, and Tiberius Thunder. Hotazhell has kept elite company that has made him the morning-line favorite. He won last year’s Group 1 Futurity Trophy over Delacroix, took two other group stakes in Ireland, and was second to Henri Matisse in the Group 2 Irish EBF Futurity. This year, he finished third in the Irish 2000 Guineas won by the stellar Field of Gold, then was fifth in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse won by Delacroix.
“Overall, we’ve been delighted with him,” Kate Harrington, assistant to trainer Jessica Harrington, told Saratoga’s publicity department. “He came out of Irish Guineas very well and ran very respectably in the Coral-Eclipse, coming back at them at the line. He seems to have traveled over to the States very well.”
Hotazhell is likely to get a firmer course than he has ever seen. After some chance of rain on Friday in Saratoga Springs, Chamber of Commerce weather is in store for Saturday’s big card, with sunshine and highs in the 70s.
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