The Whitney (Grade 1) (BC)- $1,250.000 Purse
SAR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
August 6, 2016
Welcome racing fans to beautiful Saratoga Race Course, as this Friday the track proudly hosts the running of the 11th running of The Whitney, a race which is arguably only topped by the Travers at Saratoga in as far as its prestige is concerned. While this writer does not have a horse in the virtual race, it is always a weekend that I will be sure to be at the track for the real race. It is packed, and great races will take place both in the real world and in our virtual world. Our race is simply fantastic, with many of the best active horses in the game taking part. There were some names entered here that are not a surprise, such as Niagra, Hardline, or A One. But then there’s another we didn’t necessarily expect to see and his presence here makes the race even more appealing. That would be Jamfest, perhaps the most underrated horse on HRP. It is a race that has never seen a trainer win more then once, but on the jockey side, J R Leparoux has been the man you want on your horse. He has won the last two editions, and three of the last five. Let’s take a look at this field!
#1- Deputy Dynamite (Blushing Meadows, ridden by M E Smith)- Has won five of his 17 career races to this point, and has earned just over $800.000 in his career. It wasn’t until the beginning of the year that we began to see the Kopitar make his stake debut, and in just his second such race, he scored a big win, taking the Grade 1 GP Turf Handicap on soft turf over the likes of Seven Years and Antelope Storm. About two months later, he then picked up the biggest win of his career, showing that he can do it on the main track as well, as he won the Grade 2 OP Handicap over the likes of Port On The Horizon and Sqawilther. In his last two races, he has failed to hit the board. He likes to come from behind, though doesn’t necessarily have too, in order to win. There’s bigger names in here that will wow you, but Deputy Dynamite has the ability to step it up on any given day.
#2- What A Guarantee (John Henry, ridden by J R Velazquez)- One of many talented horses picked up by aspiring trainer John Henry. While you know the trainer has plenty of potential, it might not be too early now to point out he is 1-for-26 at the graded level so far. Eventually, that is going to turn around, and perhaps the weight advantage that What A Guarantee will have in here will be advantageous. A work at CD in mid June is impressive, but this will now be his second start since his last public work. He last raced about three weeks ago at the Grade 2 IND Derby, and was eighth of ten. He was third in the KYD, which is the highlight of his career right now. What A Guarantee is going to have to show here today that he hasn’t already peaked.
#3- Niagra (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J L Ortiz)- There isn’t really much more to say about Niagra other then to simply state that he has become one of those legendary horses in our virtual world. If you’re reading this, you don’t need to be told all of his accolades, so we’ll just throw in another mention of his winning the 2014 BC Classic. The Fountain of Youth, the LA Derby, and the CT Classic twice, chances are if you name it, he has done well in it. He’s graced this beautiful racetrack twice, but SAR has lived up to its “Graveyard of Favorites” reputation against him, so far. In 2014, he was fifth in the Travers, and then came to his race last year and finished second in a photo to his rival Mister Major. He is $75.000 shy of $7,000.000 in his career, and he may top that in this race. About a week and a half ago, trainer D J C Racing Stables expressed concern about Niagra’s most recent mile work. Hopefully, Niagra just had a bad day and is ready to roll here.
#4- Enshrined (Mb Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- The Whitney is a race that Mb Stables has never been able to win, and you have to think that this a stake that he would love to say he has won. That said, his choice of Enshrined here over others in his barn is a huge vote of confidence in the recent form in which this three year old gelding has been on. It hasn’t been a glamourous road for Enshrined, as he ran in a $15.000 claimer as early as January. What he always has been able to do though, is win. Overall in ten career races, he has been in the winner’s circle six times, including his last four. He has never lost when running in the Mb silks. Still, this a horse who just made his stake debut in his last start two weeks ago at the NY Derby, at FL. So, he’s here. Now, and on short rest. Mb brings him here as part of his two entries. It’ll be interesting to see if he can keep the wins coming.
#5- Stranger (Sanny Village, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- The Dawn Invasion gelding has won five of his fourteen career starts for just a bit over $800.000 in career earnings. His best days, though, came last year, where he was highly successful on the NY-bred stake circuit, with three consecutive victories. One of them was right here at SAR as he won the $250.000 Albany. He hasn’t won since, and was auctioned off by prior trainer Night Mare Racing to Sanny Village just a few weeks after that win. While he has not won this year, he has two very impressive second place finishes, including the SA Handicap and the JC Gold Handicap. It’s just a matter of time before he visits the winners circle this year, and it’s very good to see him continuing to run in races like this. Don’t be surprised if he pulls this one out, as he knows how to get the front in big fields.
#6- Royal Prodigy (Mb Stables, ridden by J J Castellano)- The second of Mb’s two entries seems to give him the better chance to win the race, however Royal Prodigy is winless this year. It has been nearly a year since his last win, one that came in mid-September at the Grade 2 Super Derby at LAD. That would help send him to the BC, where he ran in the Dirt Mile at KEE, and closed strongly to a fourth place finish. Since then, Royal Prodigy has been making some money for his trainer, with a slew of finishing either second or fourth. He’s always there, and he’s always close, regardless of the level of competition. Expect him to be in the mix here again, but he will not be one of the favorites to win. If it was possible to morph the best characteristics of Enshrined and Royal Prodigy, we’d have an outstanding racehorse.
#7- Dogs Infowarrior (Grimley, ridden by M Franco)- Like a couple others in this field, the Dogs Bachelor Party horse is winless in 2016 after a fantastic season last year. For Dogs Infowarrior, that run of success in 2015 included wins in the Mineshaft Handicap at FG and the Baruch Handicap, a Grade 2 held right here at SAR. This has actually been a race track that has been very friendly to him, as he has picked up three wins in his four career starts here. None of them, however, have been against the kind of talent that he sees here today. Up until his last start, 2016 has not been a disappointing season, but on the BEL undercard, he finished second in the Grade 2 Brooklyn, and has had a good period in which to rest after that race. The trainer will be hoping that he rediscovered his best form in the Brooklyn, and if he does, this gritty veteran should not be ruled out.
#8- Power And Money (Kopites, ridden by R A Baze)- The gelding by the late Bali High seems to be a longshot in here, but he is used to going off at high odds. Somehow, despite that, he often finds himself near the front and leading to people picking up a nice profit if they wagered on him in exotics. The works don’t tell the story here, though they are probably the reason he goes off at big prices. Power And Money knows what it takes to be successful, and now just probably needs an owner who is willing to keep him for the long haul. He’s raced twelve times, but has also been the subject of a private sales transaction four times already. This is his debut for Kopites, who picked him up for $150.000 Harrell Racing, who raced him once. It was a strong effort, too, placing second in the Grade 2 True North at BEL.
#9- A One (Eastern Equine, ridden by R J Albarado)- It’s a return to SAR for last year’s Travers winner, as A One looks to pick up another big Saratoga accolade to his already impressive resume. Of course, not to mention, he also won the Jim Dandy earlier in meet. While A One has done a lot of great things in his career, that stretch of time is the highlight of it, from his win in the PRK to the Travers win. Not that it stopped there, as he would finish third in the 2015 BC Classic, then win the Grade 1 Malibu at SA to finish the year off. This season, he has continued to race like a champion, but has only been to the winners circle one time, coming in the CT Classic, where he thwarted Niagra’s bid to threepeat in the race. We’ve been waiting for him to return to the winners circle, and he has shown to be a horse for the course, and when you can say that about Saratoga, it’s a powerful statement. Absolutely, A One needs to be considered a top threat here.
#10- Hardline (Our Athletes, ridden by J R Leparoux)- The jockey is looking for his third straight win in the Whitney, and virtual or not, that would be an impressive achievement. Being aboard a talented horse like Hardline certainly gives him a wonderful opportunity. The five year old Pink Panther horse has won nine of 28 career starts for just over $3,700.000 in earnings. A One has nothing on him when it comes to Saratoga as a three year old, because in 2014, he did exactly the same thing, sweeping the Jim Dandy and the Travers. He ran in the BC Classic that year, but it would be a year later that he would see his BC glory, as he won Dirt Mile last fall. Hardline has also run in the Whitney, finishing sixth last year. Around Memorial Day weekend, longtime trainer Downwind Stables sold him off to Our Athletes in private sales for $600.000. In his debut wearing his new silks, Hardline won the Grade 1 Foster Handicap at SA in very impressive fashion. Another effort like that, and he takes this.
#11- Jamfest (Jkk Racing Stables, ridden by K J Desormeaux)– Here’s the one that we didn’t think we’d see, but at the same time ask yourself, what more does Jamfest really need to accomplish on the turf? This eight year old gelding doesn’t get talked about as much as he should, given that he is a two time BC Champion, winning the turf sprint twice. He’s been highly successful in races up to a mile, with so many Grade 1 wins, I wouldn’t really know which ones to pick out and highlight. The last two are such wins, including the Shoemaker Mile his last time out. Overall, that’s five wins and two second place finishes in his last seven starts. But, these races are on the grass. While we certainly understand and love his move to the main track to try out this race, the big question will be how he makes the transition. He’ll run well, those work times recently are jaw dropping, actually. Still, he doesn’t just need to make the transition, he needs to beat a powerful field in the process. I think he can do it. This is a great horse who knows how to win the biggest races, and I feel really good that he is going to surprise people who may be doubting him here.
#12- Dial It In (Bigking, ridden by D Moran)- On the far outside, Bigking brings Dial It In to the Whitney just three weeks after he ran third in the IND Derby. That was their first race together, as the trainer picked him up in private sales for $500.000 from Mb Stables in June, after he placed eighth in the PRK. The highlight of his career so far is his win in the SA Derby. He would probably be a longer shot in this field, if it were not for the five pound weight allowance he gets in this race, being a three year old. We have really seen that play such a huge role in handicaps in our virtual world lately, that you can never count out a horse with this advantage.
Prediction: 11-9-10-3
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
