Godolphin‘s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) headlines Saturday’s GII, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, the traditional prep for the GI, $1.5 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 23.
The Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott-conditioned colt enters the race as the undisputed top 3-year-old in the country, installed as the 2-5 morning line favorite by New York Racing Association oddsmaker David Aragona.
Jockey Junior Alvarado, who has partnered with Sovereignty in six of his seven career starts, dismisses any notion of pressure heading into Saturday’s contest.
“It’s not pressure,” Alvarado said while sitting outside the jockey’s room. “I don’t get any pressure from Bill or Godolphin. We have already won the biggest race in the United States already. If there was going to be any pressure it was going to be in the Derby.”
Sovereignty has demonstrated a devastating turn of foot in both Triple Crown victories, particularly when passing rival Journalism (Curlin) — who was favored in both races.
“The last time it was easy, to be honest,” Alvarado said of the Belmont Stakes victory. “He put himself very close to the pace and, after that, it was just a matter of time when I got in the clear and asked him to go for it. Really, he is a pretty easy horse to ride, nothing complicated.”
The Jim Dandy field includes four challengers, three of whom — TDN Rising Star Baeza (McKinzie), Sandman (Tapit) and Hill Road (Quality Road) — have already fallen to Sovereignty. New York-bred Mo Plex (Complexity), fresh off a win in the GIII Ohio Derby, faces his toughest test to date.
“He is a star, and I have to ride him like he is,” Alvarado added. “I hope he comes with his normal ‘A’ game. He has figured out how to do it and what he is supposed to be doing. There could be room for him to keep improving.”
Baffert Maps Out Saratoga Plans
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert confirmed Thursday that TDN Rising Star Goal Orientated (Not This Time) is targeting the GI, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 23.
“That is the plan… today,” Baffert said from his Del Mar base. “It changes every week.”
Goal Orientated, owned by a partnership including SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, and Stonestreet Stables LLC among others, has returned to California following his third-place finish in the GI Haskell Stakes at Monmouth, where he finished just a neck behind Gosger (Nyquist). Both were caught late by Journalism (Curlin).
Baffert opted to bring the colt back home rather than ship to Saratoga five weeks ahead of the Travers.
“He is improving,” Baffert said. “This is the time of year when these horses start catching up. Turning for home [in the Haskell], I thought he was going to win it. He is improving, he is maturing.”
Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach), who won the Los Alamitos Derby by 4 1/4 lengths on June 28, is also under consideration for the Travers.
“I’m going to see how he works out these next couple weeks,” Baffert explained. “He is a nice horse; he could go (to Saratoga) or he could end up in Pennsylvania (for the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept. 20). I am going to watch the Jim Dandy. I’ll figure out a lot after that.”
The seven-furlong GI, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, also on Aug. 23, could see three Baffert trainees: Madaket Road (Quality Road), Gaming (Game Winner), and Barnes (Into Mischief).
Casse Has High Hopes for Ewing
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse wasn’t surprised when TDN Rising Star Ewing (Knicks Go) broke his maiden by 12 lengths at Saratoga on July 5.
“He sure looks like he is something special, everything he does,” Casse said Thursday morning outside his Saratoga barn.
Owned by D. J. Stable LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds and Kenneth Freirich, the 2-year-old colt will make his second start in the GII, $200,000 Saratoga Special next Saturday. He prepared with a half-mile work in :48.66 (14/46) on the main track Thursday.
“He was not supposed to dazzle us this morning,” Casse said. “He is ready; he doesn’t need much. Once they are at the top of the mountain, we just stay there and that is where we are at.”
The $585,000 OBS Spring Sale purchase is named after Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing, though Casse isn’t sure if the former New York Knick is aware of his equine namesake.
“No idea,” Casse said. “I just train them. I watched Patrick Ewing play but I don’t watch a lot of basketball. My dad always said, ‘if they don’t whinny, I don’t know much about it.'”
Casse was immediately impressed when he first saw the horse, giving him one of only three or four “A” grades he handed out.
“One of our strongest deals is recruiting and finding the young horses,” he said. “I know what I like, and I know what I don’t like.”
The Saratoga Special field is expected to include tough competition, including the Steve Asmussen-trained Obliteration (Violence), winner of the GIII Sanford at Saratoga, and Tom Amoss-trained Dazzle d’Oro (Bolt d’Oro), who won his Churchill Downs debut by three lengths.
“Allen Jerkens always said you can’t judge a horse until he runs five times,” Casse said. “I’m going with three. There will be some good horses in there, but we’ll be tough.”
