This is the lightest stakes Saturday on the calendar until May 9, and even beyond that, it’s an odd collection of races. But surely somewhere within a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma there is a fair-priced winner.
Wishing Well
Gratefully is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in this restricted turf-sprint stakes. Sign me up – to side against her.
You couldn’t draw up a better trip than the one Gratefully got last out, where she sat third behind dueling leaders, no rival anywhere near her, before attacking in upper stretch – hard ridden – and drawing away while facing just five foes. The California-bred runner-up returned with a flat fifth, while the third-place horse’s connections have no problem taking Gratefully on again here.
Nay V Belle – fine, capable, we know her ceiling. Egyptian Mau – fine, capable, we know her ceiling. Jungle Peace is slow on the figures but quick into her races. Her presence assures a good pace.
I like the fresh face, the Irish export Saratoga Special, a 4-year-old with upside.
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Saratoga Special showed at least a glimmer of real talent at age 2, went through a fallow period, but suddenly found herself last summer, hitting a much higher level in June and sustaining that through her final start for trainer Jessica Harrington in August.
Maybe other behind-the-scenes changes helped boost the filly’s form, but what we can see in public-facing space is the addition of cheek pieces June 21 at Ayr, where Saratoga Special won at 50-1. And won convincingly, surging clear at the wire.
She got the wrong trip in her next start at Sandown. Saratoga Special wants to close or stalk yet was sent up to press the pace in a race won by a deep closer. And while fourth last out at York, there were 19 in that high-quality Class 2 handicap. Saratoga Special made a nice mid-race move, lost by only 1 1/2 lengths, and gave a lot of weight to the second- and third-place finishers.
We have one workout video for her, from Feb. 7, an excellent drill. Saratoga Special picked up unexpected company who broke off several lengths ahead of her, a Doug O’Neill team that included graded stakes-placed 3-year-old Civil Liberty: She could have inhaled them at the three-eighths, but the rider asked her to wait, which she did before burying that pair in the homestretch.
Budding star? Probably not. But special enough for the Wishing Well.
Gulfstream Park Sprint
When I found myself working hard to make a case for Rolando, a quite limited sprinter, I realized that this race was open to a truly under-the-radar horse – a horse like Jack’s Promise.
I know of Jack’s Promise because of the Kentucky Derby. Up in the fifth-floor Churchill Downs suites watching Derby workouts early on April 27, a non-Derby horse came whizzing past the wire and galloped out with flames flowing from his tail. That was Jack’s Promise – who raced May 3 and lost by 41 lengths.
Fair to say the fellow was going through some stuff, since 22 days later he turned in a similarly dismal showing. But aside from one last flub, a Churchill one-turn mile in November, Jack’s stock has risen sharply. He has won 3 of 5, and notably, ran the best race of his career Dec. 24 despite getting the wrong trip as a horse who would prefer to stalk and pounce locked on the rail in a pace battle.
Jack’s Promise will revert to stalking tactics here, should get a good trip, and workout video from Feb. 8 was at least vaguely reminiscent of the April 27 breeze that first caught my attention.
Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes
Two 6-year-olds, four 7-year-olds, and an 8-year-old – fair to say the Arkansas-bred sprint division cries out for young legs. Touchdown Arkansas might be 5, but the Nodouble is only his sixth start, and he stands a decent chance of notching his first stakes win.
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Touchdown Arkansas showed so little in his 2025 finale that I’m ignoring the race. Other than a career debut in stakes competition, his other three starts were all good, including his comeback run Feb. 6, which looked very much like a prep for this.
The barn excels with second-time starters, and Touchdown Arkansas, who struggles with lead changes, changed leads more effectively last out than in 2025. His wins came with outside-pressing runs – just the trip he’s going to pull Saturday against these old-timers.
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