SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Ferocious, arguably the most impressive 2-year-old maiden winner of the meet, will look to validate that performance when he takes on eight opponents in Monday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful Stakes, the closing-day feature of the Saratoga meet.
A son of Flatter who brought $1.3 million at an Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. March 2-year-olds in training sale, Ferocious overcame a slow start breaking from the rail and a sealed, muddy track to win his six-furlong debut by 7 3/4 lengths on Aug. 3. Under Javier Castellano, he reeled in and ran by loose-on-the-lead El Prestigo, covered six furlongs in 1:09.65, and earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest figure earned by a 2-year-old through Aug. 30.
“I don’t care about the time, I just care where he finished,” trainer Gustavo Delgado said, holding up one finger. “He was very professional, talented, relaxed.”
As he watched Ferocious gallop early Saturday morning over the Oklahoma training track, Delgado said, “He has a very good foundation. I’m very happy.”
With Javier Castellano sidelined at least two weeks due to a fractured hand, Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Ferocious in the Hopeful, his connections said Sunday.
Studlydoright is the only stakes winner in the field, having shipped here from Maryland on June 6 to win the Tremont Stakes, a race in which he rallied from 11 lengths back. He made a return trip to Saratoga on July 13, finishing second behind Mo Plex in the Grade 3 Sanford. Mo Plex came back to win the Funny Cide Stakes for New York-breds on Aug. 25.
“I was happy with the performance. He was the only horse that passed a horse all day,” trainer John Robb said of Studlydoright’s Sanford effort.
Robb was surprised to see Studlydoright listed at 12-1 on the Hopeful morning line.
“I’m a little shocked he’s not getting any respect at all,” Robb said. “I don’t see where he’s done anything wrong.”
Xavier Perez rides Studlydoright from post 6.
Trainer Chad Brown sends out a pair of debut winners, Chancer McPatrick and Incentive Pay, in the Hopeful. Chancer McPatrick, a son of McKinzie, rallied from last of 10 to win his debut by a length here on July 27, earning an 81 Beyer Speed Figure. Of the six horses to have run back from that race, Tiztastic is the only one to have won, taking an allowance race on turf Thursday at Kentucky Downs.
Incentive Pay, a son of Volatile, also came from off the pace to win his debut by 2 1/2 lengths on July 20. The time was a relatively slow 1:12.20 for six furlongs, and Incentive Pay only earned a 68 Beyer Speed Figure. Filoso, fourth behind Incentive Pay, did come back to win a one-mile maiden race by 3 1/2 lengths here Thursday.
Chancer McPatrick and Incentive Pay have been workmates leading into the Hopeful, a race Brown won in 2016 with Practical Joke.
“The two are coming into the race the right way,” Brown said. “They both should like seven furlongs.”
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Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Hopeful four times, including in 2022 with Forte, who went on to be named the juvenile champion. Monday, he sends out Mentee, a full brother to 2023 champion 2-year-old male Fierceness.
Mentee set an Aqueduct track record for five furlongs (56.97 seconds) when he won his debut by a nose June 15. Mentee was scratched out of the Sanford after developing a fever and spent several days in a nearby clinic due to the onset of laminitis that was caught and treated early enough not to impact the colt. Mentee has been able to get three breezes in leading up to the Hopeful.
“He’s obviously shown a lot of talent, not only in that race but in his breezes before the race and his breezes after the race,” Pletcher said. “But there are, as you’d expect, some really good colts in there.”
Trainer Dallas Stewart has the uncoupled pair of Tough Catch and Smoken Wicked. Tough Catch was a debut winner here July 13. Smoken Wicked, after a debut win at Evangeline, was moved to Stewart. He finished second in the Bashford Manor and third in the Saratoga Special.
“He’ll match up with [Ferocious] on looks. He’ll be one of the most mature-looking horses in the paddock,” Stewart said. “Whether or not he’s the fastest Monday, I don’t know, but that horse has a future.”
Luis Saez rides Tough Catch from post 4. Tyler Gaffalione is aboard Smoken Wicked from post 5.
D. Wayne Lukas has won the Hopeful a record eight times. On Monday, his 89th birthday, Lukas sends out the maiden Innovator. A son of Authentic, Innovator has twice finished second in maiden races at Saratoga.
The Laurel-based Mr. Mendelslew, who has to yet start, completes the field.
The Hopeful goes as race 10 on a 12-race card that begins at 12:35 p.m. and includes the $150,000 Harvey Pack for turf sprinters.
Following Monday’s card, racing on this circuit will resume with the Belmont at the Big A fall meet beginning Sept. 13.
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