Foster (Grade 2) (BC)- $750.000 Purse
CD- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
July 2, 2022

At eight years old, Saturday Khartoum would have an excuse if his form started to decline, but that isn’t anywhere close to happening right now. In the Foster Handicap, which was the 41st start of his career, this gelding came from off the pace to beat a strong field at the Grade 2 Foster. He’s already earned two triple digit SRF’s this year, and while we don’t know yet if this will be the third, it was certainly an impressive victory. He is the stable star for Rousee, and gives the trainer their second win the race. You have to go back fifteen years for the prior win, which came with Vee Day. T Gaffalione is the winning rider, his first in the Foster. Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 1:47.42. Let’s take a look!

(½ Mile- :47.21)- Crack Dab will jump right out to the lead for Gdp Inc., and opens up a two lengths advantage pretty quickly down the front stretch. This would hold steady while moving around the turn and for the first half mile of the race. They are lined up behind him in a familiar manner, with a group of four right behind him. Charleys Latte, who is in the third lane for Fractious is a half length ahead of High Voltage’s First Sargent, who’s on the role. In the mix here as well are Maxmillion Farm’s Gran Z and Arindel’s Toxic Personality. Our next group of four features our eventual winner, Saturday Khartoum, who runs on the rail for Rousee. To his outside are Contradiction (Aer Stables), Sports Page (John Henry), and Mintmach (Nakamura Stables). Behind them are Night Creature (D J C Racing Stables) and Home Spirit (Night Rider Stables), and at the back, it’s Z Trippi One (TwinTowersRacing).

(3/4 Mile- 1:10.60)- Crack Dab leads the way down the backstretch and early into the turn by a length and a half over Charleys Latte. That one has cleared the others that he had been racing with and was now running by himself. Those others are still third through fifth, with First Sargent still on the rail, with Gran Z and Sports Page to his outside. Toxic Personality looked to make a four wide move while Saturday Khartoum and Contradiction remained patient to his inside. Night Creature, Home Spirit, and Mintmach did a lot of side by side movements, but didn’t make any progress. Z Trippi One had the best seat in the house for all the action.

(Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Crack Dab has not faced any challenges yet and continues to run all by himself at the front. Charleys Latte is still by himself in second, but has not made any progress on the leader. Sports Page was starting to look good now while running in the third lane, and moved into the third position. Saturday Khartoum would need to move down a lane to make the pass on First Sargent, and would want to get that done quickly. First Sargent and Gran Z still had a shot but needed to get moving. Others had a bigger task and were running out of time.

(Finish- 1:47.42)- It would have seemed like Crack Dab was in good shape, especially in regards to Saturday Khartoum, but he ran out of steam in the stretch and would be hoping that his big advantage could keep him getting a good finish. But they were coming at him on both sides, as Saturday Khartoum was running well on the inside, Sports Page on the outside, and the more consistent stride of Charleys Latte getting him into contention. Saturday Khartoum, like the old veteran he is, would bear down on the pacesetter and not give in, and would end up getting the win by half a length. Crack Dab, in a tight photo, gets second over Sports Page. Charleys Latte holds off the late running Contradiction for the final piece of the purse. Home Spirit ran well late, but is only sixth. The second half of the final running order will be Gran Z, First Sargent, Night Creature, Toxic Personality, Mintmach, and Z Trippi One.

About The Winner- Saturday Khartoum, trained by Rousee and ridden to victory by T Gaffalione, is an eight year old gelding by Hong Kong Phooey, and is out of the late Utica Girl. He was bred as a third quarter two year old by Rousee in Florida, the only trainer for which he has ever known! Congratulations to the connections! The win is his twelfth in 41 starts, his eighth stake win, and fifth graded win. His career earnings are now $1,794.810.

Track: Fast
Time: :47¹  1:10³  1:34⁴  1:47²

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 9 Paid 71.50
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 9 – 13 Paid 1,382.20

Scratched: Quality Art, Tempestuous

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES