SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Win for the Money has not started since a seventh-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup Turf 5 1/2 months ago at Gulfstream Park, but his trainer, Mark Casse, will be beaming with confidence when he sends the Grade 1 winner out against seven rivals going one mile over the inner turf Saturday at Saratoga in the $175,000 Kelso Stakes.
Win for the Money will be getting plenty of class relief when returning to the Grade 3 level of the Kelso after having faced Grade 1 competition in three of his last four starts. That series of races began last summer with a late-running victory in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile and included a 10th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Win for the Money was given a much-deserved break following a deceivingly strong performance in the nine-furlong Pegasus Turf when beaten less than four lengths despite getting caught up in a torrid pace duel with Formidable Man, who ultimately finished 12th and last.
“He needed a break and we felt like after the Pegasus was the perfect time,” Casse said. “We sent him to the farm at Live Oak and when he came back I was amazed at how good he was. The time off really did him well.”
Win for the Money validated Casse’s impression by turning in a sensational five-furlong work over the Oklahoma turf course on June 23, completing the distance in 59.06 seconds before galloping out three-quarters in 1:11.64, per Daily Racing Form. After the work Casse declared that in his mind Win for the Money appears to be “better now than he’s ever been.”
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Win for the Money, who matched his career best Beyer Speed Figure of 102 winning the Woodbine Mile, will break from the extreme outside, post 8, with regular rider Dylan Davis aboard.
Turning back to a mile, Win for the Money projects to sit off the early leaders with Donegal Momentum and stretch-out sprinters Think Big and Arzak likely to assure honest fractions up front.
Donegal Momentum exits the most important victory of his career, a gate-to-wire, 1 3/4-length triumph over Intellect in the Grade 3 Poker here four weeks earlier. The win was the third in four tries at a mile and second in as many starts over the local course for the Tom Morley-trained son of Uncle Mo.
“I’ve always felt that when he gets his condition, on firm ground and a flat mile, he’s a Group 1 winner in the making. And he’s still a relative baby. A work in progress,” said Morley. “Obviously the race dynamic was in his favor last time and Javier [Castellano] gave him a fantastic ride.
“That probably won’t be the case on Saturday with a couple of sprinters stretching out to a mile in the field. That would normally concern me enormously. But not after talking to Javier, who said this horse doesn’t need the lead, he just needs to be in his rhythm. And he’s already proven in the past he can win from off the pace if need be.”
Intellect will not have to wait long for a chance to avenge his recent setback in the Poker when rallying from the rear of the field to finish second to Donegal Momentum as the tepid 5-2 favorite while making just his second start in the U.S. for trainer Chad Brown. Intellect will receive a six-pound weight shift from Donegal Momentum in the rematch while also likely to get a little more help with the pace scenario the second time around.
A lively early pace should also prove favorable for both Nantasket Beach and Mountain Bear, who finished first and second, respectively, in a high-priced optional-claiming and allowance race going a mile at Churchill Downs on May 25.
Nantasket Beach is a Cinderella story of sorts, having won three of his four starts since being claimed out of a winning effort for $20,000 in January by Lauren Robson, who will be saddling her first stakes starter since taking out her trainer’s license in 2023.
Mountain Bear got within a half-length of Nantasket Beach near midstretch before flattening out to finish two lengths behind that rival while making his first start since a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Turf Mile last October at Keeneland. That outing was the third in the U.S. for Mountain Bear, who also finished second in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.
“He’s a horse that’s got some antics to him, but we learned a lot in his first race,” said trainer Wesley Ward. “It took a lot of getting used to him and hopefully we’ve got his number. He was good last time at Churchill, but with those kind of horses you never know.”
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