SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Showcase found a small seam between horses at midstretch and rallied to a convincing 3 1/4-length victory over pacesetting First Resort Saturday at Saratoga in a very eventful renewal of the $200,000 Saratoga Special. The Grade 2 Special is the middle leg of the traditional three-race stakes series for 2-year-olds here each summer that culminates with the Grade 1 Hopeful on closing day.
The 6 1/2-furlong Saratoga Special began poorly when Keep It Easy, the 5-2 second choice in the wagering, stumbled badly at the break then collapsed inwards, colliding solidly with Good Directions, who broke to his immediate inside. Both horses were virtually eliminated at that point, Good Directions finishing eighth with Keep It Easy crossing the wire ninth and last after being eased through the late stages by jockey Junior Alvarado.
Meanwhile, it was First Resort who flashed the best speed, setting a lively pace, 21.85 seconds and 44.79 for the opening half-mile, while prompted by Ace It from the outset. Showcase settled into a nice stalking position just behind the early leaders, under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., and saved ground down the backstretch and around the turn.
Showcase appeared full of run with no place to go behind First Resort and while briefly boxed in by Ace It upon settling into the stretch, before easing out and finding clearance between the leaders a furlong from home. Showcase wore down the tiring First Resort with a rush inside the sixteenth pole before drawing off impressively thereafter. Following a stewards inquiry into the stretch run, the result was allowed to stand as is.
First Resort survived the early duel with Ace It, shook clear after cutting the corner into the stretch but was no match for the winner, while holding off Smoken Wicked by a neck to be second-best. The latter had a bit of a rough trip of his own when bumped and forced inwards by Touchy on a couple of occasions through the early stretch, before running on willingly once recovering, falling just a neck short of the runner-up with his final bid.
Touchy rated off the early leaders, was fanned very wide into the stretch by Smoken Wicked, came back in to bump with that rival a couple of times through midstretch and lacked a closing response, finishing a disappointing fourth as the tepid 9-5 favorite.
Showcase, who won his only previous start, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight dash at Aqueduct by 7 1/2 lengths on July 6, is trained by Todd Pletcher for Harrell Ventures LLC. He completed the distance over a fast track in 1:16.40 and paid $8.70.
“It just looked like we needed to get lucky and find a place to go. I was thinking 'man I don’t know where he’s going to find a seam',” said Pletcher, when asked his thoughts while watching the race unfold through the stretch. “Fortunately, it kind of opened up and he was game to punch his way through there and finish up well."
Pletcher also said he didn’t feel the stewards would take any action while waiting out the inquiry just outside the winner’s circle immediately after the race.
“When I saw the head on, I didn’t think he made contact with anyone when he moved out,” Pletcher said. “I thought the horse next to him kind of over reacted and shied away from us like we thought. The trip unfolded for us the way we thought – we’d be sitting in a pocket behind some speed. He didn’t get any kick back in his debut so we hope he’d react well to that and he did. It was a very professional effort.”
Pletcher said he wasn’t sure at this point if he’d wheel Showcase back in the Hopeful on Sept. 2.
“I don’t know if we want to come back on September 2nd, that’s a little quick,” Pletcher noted. “If not, we can wait for the Champagne or the Breeders’ Futurity.”
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