SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Governor Sam gave George Weaver the 999th victory of his training career when proving a popular winner of the Tyro Stakes at Monmouth earlier this month. The speedy youngster also might have the opportunity to provide Weaver with his milestone 1,000th win as well, wheeling back on relatively short rest Friday at Saratoga in the $150,000 Skidmore Stakes for 2-year-olds going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.
Governor Sam will be making his third start within a four-week span, going postward the likely favorite in the Skidmore.He won his maiden as a 3-5 favorite in wire-to-wire fashion here July 19 before coming back 15 days later to register a hard-fought neck victory as an even more prohibitive 1-5 choice in the Tyro. In his only other start, Governor Sam, a son of Improbable, finished sixth after contesting a lightning-fast pace with Gabaldon in Gulfstream Park’s Royal Palm Juvenile.Gabaldon flattered the effort by returning to finish second at Royal Ascot in the Windsor Castle Stakes.
“He didn’t get the lead in the Tyro, but I was kind of glad about that. I don’t think he’s the kind who needs the lead,” Weaver said. “The horse ran very well. He was leaning in a little bit and I feel like the margin of victory doesn’t really reflect how easily he won. Paco [Lopez] was just being conservative. He didn’t want to risk having his number taken down. He knew he had the other horse measured.”
As for coming back a second time on only two weeks’ rest, Weaver said he believes in running a horse when they’re doing well and the right opportunity presents itself.
“The reality is he’s a big, solid, heavy horse and he’s bounced out of each race really well,” Weaver explained. “There were other options out of town, but he’s doing good, the forecast looks good, and he’s won over the course. I believe this is a really nice spot for him and I’m looking forward to running him.”
In the unlikely chance of rain here Friday, Weaver also put in Soontobeking as a main-track-only entrant. Soontobeking is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Sanford, a race in which he had his chances compromised when bumped solidly between horses at the break.
Jet Sweep Joe, who contested the pace every step of the way before finishing second, a neck behind Governor Sam, in the Tyro, also wheels back for the Skidmore. He is expected to again force the early issue along with trainer Wesley Ward’s speedy maiden winner Raise the Bar. The latter won his only previous start as an even-money favorite going 4 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy main track during the Keeneland spring meet. Ward has worked Raise the Bar four times over the Oklahoma turf course in preparation for his grass debut, including five furlongs in 1:01.20 on July 28.
The remainder of the field includes popular last-out maiden winners Out On Bail and Classic Time along with Spiralizer, another trying turf for the first time while exiting a distant seventh-place finish in the Bashford Manor on June 30 at Churchill Downs.
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