NYRA continues its tradition as a launching pad for 2-year-old talent, with last summer’s maiden winners already making significant impacts across the racing landscape.
Since racing began at Saratoga in the 1860s, the historic track has served as the starting point for countless equine stars. The tradition continued in robust fashion during the 2023 meet, with several maiden winners quickly ascending to racing’s highest levels.
The track’s prestigious history includes maiden winners who went on to become legends of the sport — from Ruthless, winner of the inaugural GI Belmont Stakes, to Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox, and modern champions like Easy Goer and Winning Colors.
Some future stars experienced defeat before glory. Godolphin’s Derby and Belmont winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) finished fourth behind ‘TDN Rising Star’ Tip Top Thomas (Volatile) on Aug. 24 before stringing together four wins and two seconds. Tip Top Thomas captured the GIII Indiana Derby last Saturday, while Amerman Racing’s Test Score (Lookin at Lucky), second in his Saratoga maiden attempt, won the GI Belmont Derby Invitational Saturday at Saratoga.
From the 36 open Maiden Special Weight races with $100,000 purses run during the 2023 meet, graduates have already secured nine Grade I victories — six as 2-year-olds and three this year.
“I don’t think anything’s changed historically there,” said Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. “You come to Saratoga with a 2-year-old, you better have them well prepared, and they better have some talent. You know you can run an awfully good one that might not win first time out.”
Immersive, trained by Brad Cox, parlayed her Saratoga debut victory into wins in the GI Spinaway, GI Alcibiades and GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies en route to Eclipse Award honors as champion 2-year-old filly.
D. J. Stable LLC, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables’ Sandman earned his Kentucky Derby berth with a victory in the GI Arkansas Derby, eventually finishing seventh in the Run for the Roses.
Tracy Farmer’s La Cara collected two Grade I wins this year in the Ashland and the Acorn, while Flanagan Racing’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) followed his maiden win with victories in the GI Hopeful and GI Champagne.
Live Oak Plantation’s And One More Time (Omaha Beach) captured the GI Natalma at Woodbine just a month after breaking her maiden at the Spa.
Leading trainer Chad Brown claimed seven victories in the open $100,000 maiden races, with Chancer McPatrick emerging as his top performer with $623,625 in earnings. Todd Pletcher collected four wins, including Tip Top Thomas.
Mark Casse enjoyed particular success with his 2-year-olds, securing five maiden wins.
“We had a great bunch of young horses,” Casse said. “We have another great bunch of young horses again this year.”
Only one of Casse’s winners, She’s Got Will (who Casse noted is returning from injury), made her debut at Saratoga. His other four winners — all now graded stakes winners — had experienced defeat at other tracks before succeeding at the Spa.
“My friend, Aron Yagoda, who introduced me when I got inducted into the Hall of Fame, he tells everybody, ‘Mark doesn’t train for a race. He trains for a career,'” Casse explained. “When you look at Sandman and you look at La Cara, you can see that’s a little bit of what I do.”
Sandman, who finished third in the GI Preakness Stakes, is expected to make his next start in the GII Jim Dandy as a prep for the GI Travers. La Cara is targeting the GI Coaching Club American Oaks and could face stablemate Nitrogen (Medaglia d’Oro) in the GI Alabama.
Casse’s approach involves testing his maidens elsewhere before bringing them to racing’s most competitive summer meet.
“If you see me run a first-time starter here, he’s really good or he’s a New York-bred, because, if not, I’ve gotten them started somewhere else,” Casse said. “That was the case with Sandman and La Cara. I always say, ‘this is New York. You have to earn your way there.'”
